Displaying publications 81 - 100 of 995 in total

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  1. Veryard R, Wu J, O'Brien MJ, Anthony R, Both S, Burslem DFRP, et al.
    Sci Adv, 2023 Sep 15;9(37):eadf0938.
    PMID: 37713486 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adf0938
    Experiments under controlled conditions have established that ecosystem functioning is generally positively related to levels of biodiversity, but it is unclear how widespread these effects are in real-world settings and whether they can be harnessed for ecosystem restoration. We used remote-sensing data from the first decade of a long-term, field-scale tropical restoration experiment initiated in 2002 to test how the diversity of planted trees affected recovery of a 500-ha area of selectively logged forest measured using multiple sources of satellite data. Replanting using species-rich mixtures of tree seedlings with higher phylogenetic and functional diversity accelerated restoration of remotely sensed estimates of aboveground biomass, canopy cover, and leaf area index. Our results are consistent with a positive relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in the lowland dipterocarp rainforests of SE Asia and demonstrate that using diverse mixtures of species can enhance their initial recovery after logging.
    Matched MeSH terms: Ecosystem*
  2. Huda N, Ullah S, Wahab RA, Lani MN, Daud NHA, Shariff AHM, et al.
    BMC Res Notes, 2023 Sep 12;16(1):211.
    PMID: 37700361 DOI: 10.1186/s13104-023-06495-9
    OBJECTIVES: Pollen is a useful tool for identifying the provenance and complex ecosystems surrounding honey production in Malaysian forests. As native key pollinators in Malaysia, Apis dorsata and Heterotrigona itama forage on various plant/pollen species to collect honey. This study aims to generate a dataset that uncovers the presence of these plant/pollen species and their relative abundance in the honey of A. dorsata and H. itama. The information gathered from this study can be used to determine the geographical and botanical origin and authenticity of the honey produced by these two species.

    RESULTS: Sequence data were obtained for both A. dorsata and H. itama. The raw sequence data for A. dorsata was 5 Mb, which was assembled into 5 contigs with a size of 6,098,728 bp, an N50 of 15,534, and a GC average of 57.42. Similarly, the raw sequence data for H. itama was 6.3 Mb, which was assembled into 11 contigs with a size of 7,642,048 bp, an N50 of 17,180, and a GC average of 55.38. In the honey sample of A. dorsata, we identified five different plant/pollen species, with only one of the five species exhibiting a relative abundance of less than 1%. For H. itama, we identified seven different plant/pollen species, with only three of the species exhibiting a relative abundance of less than 1%. All of the identified plant species were native to Peninsular Malaysia, especially the East Coast area of Terengganu.

    DATA DESCRIPTION: Our data offers valuable insights into honey's geographical and botanical origin and authenticity. Metagenomic studies could help identify the plant species that honeybees forage and provide preliminary data for researchers studying the biological development of A. dorsata and H. itama. The identification of various flowers from the eDNA of honey that are known for their medicinal properties could aid in regional honey with accurate product origin labeling, which is crucial for guaranteeing product authenticity to consumers.

    Matched MeSH terms: Ecosystem
  3. Ali A, Ali H, Saeed A, Ahmed Khan A, Tin TT, Assam M, et al.
    Sensors (Basel), 2023 Sep 07;23(18).
    PMID: 37765797 DOI: 10.3390/s23187740
    The rapid advancements in technology have paved the way for innovative solutions in the healthcare domain, aiming to improve scalability and security while enhancing patient care. This abstract introduces a cutting-edge approach, leveraging blockchain technology and hybrid deep learning techniques to revolutionize healthcare systems. Blockchain technology provides a decentralized and transparent framework, enabling secure data storage, sharing, and access control. By integrating blockchain into healthcare systems, data integrity, privacy, and interoperability can be ensured while eliminating the reliance on centralized authorities. In conjunction with blockchain, hybrid deep learning techniques offer powerful capabilities for data analysis and decision making in healthcare. Combining the strengths of deep learning algorithms with traditional machine learning approaches, hybrid deep learning enables accurate and efficient processing of complex healthcare data, including medical records, images, and sensor data. This research proposes a permissions-based blockchain framework for scalable and secure healthcare systems, integrating hybrid deep learning models. The framework ensures that only authorized entities can access and modify sensitive health information, preserving patient privacy while facilitating seamless data sharing and collaboration among healthcare providers. Additionally, the hybrid deep learning models enable real-time analysis of large-scale healthcare data, facilitating timely diagnosis, treatment recommendations, and disease prediction. The integration of blockchain and hybrid deep learning presents numerous benefits, including enhanced scalability, improved security, interoperability, and informed decision making in healthcare systems. However, challenges such as computational complexity, regulatory compliance, and ethical considerations need to be addressed for successful implementation. By harnessing the potential of blockchain and hybrid deep learning, healthcare systems can overcome traditional limitations, promoting efficient and secure data management, personalized patient care, and advancements in medical research. The proposed framework lays the foundation for a future healthcare ecosystem that prioritizes scalability, security, and improved patient outcomes.
    Matched MeSH terms: Ecosystem
  4. Liu B, Lu Y, Deng H, Huang H, Wei N, Jiang Y, et al.
    Sci Total Environ, 2023 Sep 01;889:164173.
    PMID: 37201824 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.164173
    Microplastic (MP) pollution is a serious global environmental problem, particularly in marine ecosystems. However, the pollution patterns of MPs in the ocean and atmosphere, particularly the sea-air interrelationship, remain unclear. Therefore, the abundance, distribution patterns, and sources of MPs in the seawater and atmosphere of the South China Sea (SCS) were comparatively investigated. The results showed that MPs were prevalent in the SCS with an average abundance of 103.4 ± 98.3 items/m3 in the seawater and 4.62 ± 3.60 items/100 m3 in the atmosphere. The spatial analysis indicated that the pollution patterns of seawater MPs were mainly determined by land-based discharge and sea surface currents, whereas atmospheric MPs were predominantly determined by air parcel trajectory and wind conditions. The highest MP abundance of 490 items/m3 in seawater was found at a station near Vietnam with current vortices. However, the highest MP abundance of 14.6 items/100 m3 in the atmosphere was found in air parcels with low-speed southerly winds from Malaysia. Similar MP compositions (e.g., polyethylene terephthalate, polystyrene, and polyethylene) were observed in the two environmental compartments. Furthermore, similar MP characteristics (e.g., shape, color, and size) in the seawater and atmosphere of the same region suggested a close relationship between the MPs in the two compartments. For this purpose, cluster analysis and calculation of the MP diversity integrated index were performed. The results showed an obvious dispersion between the two compartment clusters and a higher diversity integrated index of MPs in seawater than in the atmosphere, thus implying higher compositional diversity and more complex sources of MPs in seawater relative to the atmosphere. These findings deepen our understanding of MP fate and patterns in the semi-enclosed marginal sea environment and highlight the potential interrelationship of MPs in the air-sea system.
    Matched MeSH terms: Ecosystem
  5. Yusof KMKK, Anuar ST, Mohamad Y, Jaafar M, Mohamad N, Bachok Z, et al.
    Mar Pollut Bull, 2023 Sep;194(Pt B):115268.
    PMID: 37451046 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115268
    Malaysia is bounded by the South China Sea with many islands that support species megadiversity and coral reef ecosystems. This study investigates the distribution of microplastics (MPs) in the surface water around the four marine park islands (Perhentian, Redang, Kapas, and Tenggol) during COVID-19. The global pandemic has reset human activities, impacting the environment while possibly reducing anthropogenic contributions of microplastic pollution near the South China Sea islands. It was found that Pulau Perhentian recorded the most abundance of MPs (588.33 ± 111.77 items/L), followed by Pulau Redang (314.67 ± 58.08 items/L), Pulau Kapas (359.8 ± 87.70 items/L) and Pulau Tenggol (294.33 ± 101.64 items/L). Kruskal-Wallis analysis indicates a significant difference in total MPs abundance between islands. There are moderate correlations between salinity, pH, temperature and MPs variability. Among these parameters, only temperature is significant (p 
    Matched MeSH terms: Ecosystem
  6. Yolanda R, Lheknim V, B A R A, Price WW, Hendrickx ME
    Zootaxa, 2023 Aug 16;5330(3):413-429.
    PMID: 38221129 DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5330.3.5
    The zoogeographic distribution of lophogastrid species (Crustacea: Peracarida: Lophogastrida) occurring in the Indonesian waters is presented. For each species, data on general distribution, bathymetric ranges, habitat and localities reported on published data are provided. A total of 20 lophogastrid species belonging to three families and seven genera occur in Indonesian waters (about 38% of all known lophogastrids species worldwide), a number greater than other areas of Southeast Asia. Also, based on current information, the number of species or species richness is greater than other regions, such as Madagascar, North Pacific off Japan, Mediterranean, Canary Island, northern mid-Atlantic ridge, Iberian Peninsula, Mexico, and Angola Basin (SE Atlantic). Most of the Indonesian species are distributed worldwide, but one species, Lophogaster inermis appears to be endemic to Indonesia. Previous listings of Paralophogaster intermedius occurring in Southeast Asian waters is not verified in any collections, and has therefore been removed from our updated list.
    Matched MeSH terms: Ecosystem*
  7. Singa PK, Isa MH, Sivaprakash B, Ho YC, Lim JW, Rajamohan N
    Environ Res, 2023 Aug 15;231(Pt 2):116191.
    PMID: 37211185 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.116191
    Polycyclic aromatic hydrocharbons (PAHs) are a class of highly toxic pollutants that are highly detrimental to the ecosystem. Landfill leechate emanated from municipal solid waste are reported to constitute significant PAHs. In the present investigation, three Fenton proceses, namely conventional Fenton, photo-fenton and electro-fenton methods have been employed to treat landfill leehcate for removing PAHs from a waste dumpig yard. Response surface methodology (RSM) and artificial neural network (ANN) methodologies were adopted to optimize and validate the conditions for optimum oxidative removal of COD and PAHs. The statistical analysis results showed that all independent variables chosen in the study are reported to have significant influence of the removal effects with P-values <0.05. Sensitivity analysis by the developed ANN model showed that the pH had the highest significance of 1.89 in PAH removal when compared to the other parameters. However for COD removal, H2O2 had the highest relative importance of 1.15, followed by Fe2+ and pH. Under optimal treatment conditions, the photo-fenton and electro-fenton processes showed better removal of COD and PAH compared to the Fenton process. The photo-fenton and electro-fenton treatment processes removed 85.32% and 74.64% of COD and 93.25% and 81.65% of PAHs, respectively. Also the investigations revelaed the presence of 16 distinct PAH compunds and the removal percentage of each of these PAHs are also reported. The PAH treatment research studies are generally limited to the assay of removal of PAH and COD levels. In the present investigation, in addition to the treatment of landfill leachate, particle size distribution analysis and elemental characterization of the resultant iron sludge by FESEM and EDX are reported. It was revealed that elemental oxygen is present in highest percentage, followed by iron, sulphur, sodium, chlorine, carbon and potassium. However, iron percentage can be reduced by treating the Fenton-treated sample with NaOH.
    Matched MeSH terms: Ecosystem
  8. Ross FWR, Boyd PW, Filbee-Dexter K, Watanabe K, Ortega A, Krause-Jensen D, et al.
    Sci Total Environ, 2023 Aug 10;885:163699.
    PMID: 37149169 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.163699
    Seaweed (macroalgae) has attracted attention globally given its potential for climate change mitigation. A topical and contentious question is: Can seaweeds' contribution to climate change mitigation be enhanced at globally meaningful scales? Here, we provide an overview of the pressing research needs surrounding the potential role of seaweed in climate change mitigation and current scientific consensus via eight key research challenges. There are four categories where seaweed has been suggested to be used for climate change mitigation: 1) protecting and restoring wild seaweed forests with potential climate change mitigation co-benefits; 2) expanding sustainable nearshore seaweed aquaculture with potential climate change mitigation co-benefits; 3) offsetting industrial CO2 emissions using seaweed products for emission abatement; and 4) sinking seaweed into the deep sea to sequester CO2. Uncertainties remain about quantification of the net impact of carbon export from seaweed restoration and seaweed farming sites on atmospheric CO2. Evidence suggests that nearshore seaweed farming contributes to carbon storage in sediments below farm sites, but how scalable is this process? Products from seaweed aquaculture, such as the livestock methane-reducing seaweed Asparagopsis or low carbon food resources show promise for climate change mitigation, yet the carbon footprint and emission abatement potential remains unquantified for most seaweed products. Similarly, purposely cultivating then sinking seaweed biomass in the open ocean raises ecological concerns and the climate change mitigation potential of this concept is poorly constrained. Improving the tracing of seaweed carbon export to ocean sinks is a critical step in seaweed carbon accounting. Despite carbon accounting uncertainties, seaweed provides many other ecosystem services that justify conservation and restoration and the uptake of seaweed aquaculture will contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. However, we caution that verified seaweed carbon accounting and associated sustainability thresholds are needed before large-scale investment into climate change mitigation from seaweed projects.
    Matched MeSH terms: Ecosystem*
  9. Tang CN, Kuwahara VS, Leong SCY, Moh PY, Yoshida T
    Mar Pollut Bull, 2023 Aug;193:115182.
    PMID: 37352797 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115182
    Plankton seasonality in tropical coastal waters is becoming more apparent as a result of monsoon-driven changes in environmental conditions, but research on the monsoonal variation of microplastics (MP) is still limited. We examined the monsoonal variation of MP in the water column and their ingestion by zooplankton in Sepanggar Bay, Sabah, Malaysia. MP concentrations were significantly higher during the Southwest monsoon whereas MP ingestions showed no monsoonal difference across major zooplankton taxa. Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) and Generalized Additive Models (GAM) indicate that MP concentrations were driven by changes in rainfall and salinity while MP bioavailability to zooplankton was consistent regardless of monsoon. MP ingestion increased progressively up the planktonic food chain, and bioavailability of fibers and small-sized MP of high-density polymers to zooplankton was proportionately higher. Distinct changes in the MP concentration relative to the monsoons provide new insights into the seasonal variation of MP in tropical coastal ecosystems.
    Matched MeSH terms: Ecosystem
  10. Mohd Nizam SN, Haji Baharudin NS, Ahmad H
    Environ Geochem Health, 2023 Aug;45(8):5557-5577.
    PMID: 37380923 DOI: 10.1007/s10653-023-01668-8
    Pesticides are widely employed in rice crops since the ecosystem and surroundings of paddy promote insects, weeds, and fungal and bacterial pathogens. Each commonly utilised pesticide possesses different uses. For instance, fungicides control fungal issues, herbicides curb weed growth, and insecticides destroy and repel insects. Although several ways to categorise them exist, pesticides are typically classified according to their chemical compositions. Rice production remains one of the most dominant crops grown in most Southeast Asian countries as it is a staple food. Nonetheless, the crop is highly dependent on pesticides, leading to growing concerns over the potential adverse effects of pesticides on the environment and human health. Despite the availability of numerous studies on the subject, a comprehensive understanding of the specific effects of pesticides on paddy fields in Southeast Asia is still lacking. Consequently, reviewing existing knowledge is necessary for synthesising and identifying research gaps to better inform policymakers, farmers, and other stakeholders in the agricultural sector. The objectives of the present review paper were to review the interactions between pesticides and the environment by understanding the physical and chemical properties of the chemicals, compare pesticide transportation modes in air, water, and soil and how they affect the environment, and evaluate and discuss the effects of pesticides on non-targeted organisms. This study assessed pesticide innovation reported between 1945 and 2021 for a better understanding of the utilisation of the chemicals over time. The pesticides assessed in this study were classified based on their chemical compounds, such as organochlorines, organophosphates, carbamates, and pyrethroid. This review could provide a comprehensive understanding of the interactions between pesticides and the environment and their impacts on non-targeted organisms.
    Matched MeSH terms: Ecosystem
  11. Chen Y, McConkey KR, Fan P
    Oecologia, 2023 Aug;202(4):715-727.
    PMID: 37553533 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-023-05430-w
    Mutualistic and antagonistic plant-animal interactions differentially contribute to the maintenance of species diversity in ecological communities. Although both seed dispersal and predation by fruit-eating animals are recognized as important drivers of plant population dynamics, the mechanisms underlying how seed dispersers and predators jointly affect plant diversity remain largely unexplored. Based on mediating roles of seed size and species abundance, we investigated the effects of seed dispersal and predation by two sympatric primates (Nomascus concolor and Trachypithecus crepusculus) on local plant recruitment in a subtropical forest of China. Over a 26 month period, we confirmed that these primates were functionally distinct: gibbons were legitimate seed dispersers who dispersed seeds of 44 plant species, while langurs were primarily seed predators who destroyed seeds of 48 plant species. Gibbons dispersed medium-seeded species more effectively than small- and large-seeded species, and dispersed more seeds of rare species than common and dominant species. Langurs showed a similar predation rate across different sizes of seeds, but destroyed a large number of seeds from common species. Due to gut passage effects, gibbons significantly shortened the duration of seed germination for 58% of the dispersed species; however, for 54% of species, seed germination rates were reduced significantly. Our study underlined the contrasting contributions of two primate species to local plant recruitment processes. By dispersing rare species and destroying the seeds of common species, both primates might jointly maintain plant species diversity. To maintain healthy ecosystems, the conservation of mammals that play critical functional roles needs to receive further attention.
    Matched MeSH terms: Ecosystem
  12. Fox L, Santaolalla A, Handford J, Sullivan R, Torode J, Vanderpuye V, et al.
    JCO Glob Oncol, 2023 Aug;9:e2300111.
    PMID: 37561978 DOI: 10.1200/GO.23.00111
    PURPOSE: The post-COVID-19 funding landscape for cancer research globally has become increasingly challenging, particularly in resource-challenged regions (RCRs) lacking strong research ecosystems. We aimed to produce a list of priority areas for cancer research in countries with limited resources, informed by researchers and patients.

    METHODS: Cancer experts in lower-resource health care systems (as defined by the World Bank as low- and middle-income countries; N = 151) were contacted to participate in a modified consensus-seeking Delphi survey, comprising two rounds. In round 1, participants (n = 69) rated predetermined areas of potential research priority (ARPs) for importance and suggested missing ARPs. In round 2, the same participants (n = 49) rated an integrated list of predetermined and suggested ARPs from round 1, then undertook a forced choice priority ranking exercise. Composite voting scores (T-scores) were used to rank the ARPs. Importance ratings were summarized descriptively. Findings were discussed with international patient advocacy organization representatives.

    RESULTS: The top ARP was research into strategies adapting guidelines or treatment strategies in line with available resources (particularly systemic therapy) (T = 83). Others included cancer registries (T = 62); prevention (T = 52); end-of-life care (T = 53); and value-based and affordable care (T = 51). The top COVID-19/cancer ARP was strategies to incorporate what has been learned during the pandemic that can be maintained posteriorly (T = 36). Others included treatment schedule interruption (T = 24); cost-effective reduction of COVID-19 morbidity/mortality (T = 19); and pandemic preparedness (T = 18).

    CONCLUSION: Areas of strategic priority favored by cancer researchers in RCRs are related to adaptive treatment guidelines; sustainable implementation of cancer registries; prevention strategies; value-based and affordable cancer care; investments in research capacity building; epidemiologic work on local risk factors for cancer; and combatting inequities of prevention and care access.

    Matched MeSH terms: Ecosystem
  13. Wernli D, Søgaard Jørgensen P, Parmley EJ, Majowicz SE, Lambraki I, Carson CA, et al.
    Lancet Planet Health, 2023 Jul;7(7):e630-e637.
    PMID: 37438004 DOI: 10.1016/S2542-5196(23)00128-6
    Social-ecological systems conceptualise how social human systems and ecological natural systems are intertwined. In this Personal View, we define the scope and applicability of social-ecological resilience to antimicrobial resistance. Resilience to antimicrobial resistance corresponds to the capacity to maintain the societal benefits of antimicrobial use and One Health systems' performance in the face of the evolutionary behaviour of microorganisms in response to antimicrobial use. Social-ecological resilience provides an appropriate framework to make sense of the disruptive impacts resulting from the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance; capture the diversity of strategies needed to tackle antimicrobial resistance and to live with it; understand the conditions that underpin the success or failure of interventions; and appreciate the need for adaptive and coevolutionary governance. Overall, resilience thinking is essential to improve understanding of how human societies dynamically can cope with, adapt, and transform to the growing global challenge of antimicrobial resistance.
    Matched MeSH terms: Ecosystem
  14. Zainuddin AH, Roslan MQJ, Razak MR, Yusoff FM, Haron DEM, Aris AZ
    Mar Pollut Bull, 2023 Jul;192:115019.
    PMID: 37201347 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115019
    Bisphenol analogues are prevalent globally because of rampant usage and imprecise processing techniques, prompting alerts about environmental and health hazards. The method employed in this study by solid phase extraction (SPE) and liquid chromatography-tandem quadrupole mass spectrometer (LC-MS/MS) for both quantification and qualitative analysis of the bisphenol compounds in the surface water samples. The coastal and estuarine surface water of Port Dickson and Lukut ranges from 1.32 ng/L to 1890.51 ng/L of bisphenol analogues. BPF mean concentration at 1143.88 ng/L is the highest, followed by BPA and BPS at 59.01 ng/L and 10.96 ng/L, respectively. Based on RQm for bisphenol analogues, the highest for BPF at 2.49 (RQ > 1, high risk), followed by BPS at 0.12 (0.1 
    Matched MeSH terms: Ecosystem*
  15. Wahab RA, Omar TFT, Nurulnadia MY, Rozulan NNA
    Mar Pollut Bull, 2023 Jul;192:115036.
    PMID: 37207388 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115036
    The concentration, distribution, and risk assessment of parabens were determined in the surface water of the Terengganu River, Malaysia. Target chemicals were extracted via solid-phase extraction, followed by high-performance liquid chromatography analysis. Method optimization produced a high percentage recovery for methylparaben (MeP, 84.69 %), ethylparaben (EtP, 76.60 %), and propylparaben (PrP, 76.33 %). Results showed that higher concentrations were observed for MeP (3.60 μg/L) as compared with EtP (1.21 μg/L) and PrP (1.00 μg/L). Parabens are ubiquitously present in all sampling stations, with >99 % of detection. Salinity and conductivity were the major factors influencing the level of parabens in the surface water. Overall, we found no potential risk of parabens in the Terengganu River ecosystem due to low calculated risk assessment values (risk quotient 
    Matched MeSH terms: Ecosystem
  16. Khairun Waheeda AI, Teh JC, Arshad A, Wong NLWS
    Mar Pollut Bull, 2023 Jul;192:115111.
    PMID: 37295254 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115111
    This study investigated the impacts of the removal of sand bund on the macrobenthos community structure, seagrass cover, and sediment particle size in Merambong Shoal, Malaysia. The reclamation project deposited sand bund in the middle of Merambong seagrass shoal, resulting in its division into northern (NS) and southern (SS) halves. Ecosystem changes were monitored over a 31-month period using the transect lines method. Bi-monthly samples were collected for assessment. The results revealed a substantial decline in macrobenthos densities compared to previous studies. However, after the removal of the sand bund, there was a significant increase in macrobenthos density, specifically Polychaeta and Malacostraca, at NS. Seagrass cover at NS was initially lower than SS but showed an increase after the complete removal of the sand blockage. Sediment particle analysis reported a higher silt percentage at NS, indicating greater sedimentation at NS, which was partially sheltered from wave actions.
    Matched MeSH terms: Ecosystem*
  17. Moharir KN, Pande CB, Gautam VK, Singh SK, Rane NL
    Environ Res, 2023 Jul 01;228:115832.
    PMID: 37054834 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.115832
    The Damoh district, which is located in the central India and characterized by limestone, shales, and sandstone compact rock. The district has been facing groundwater development challenges and problems for several decades. To facilitate groundwater management, it is crucial to monitoring and planning based on geology, slope, relief, land use, geomorphology, and the types of the basaltic aquifer in the drought-groundwater deficit area. Moreover, the majority of farmers in the area are heavily dependent on groundwater for their crops. Therefore, delineation of groundwater potential zones (GPZ) is essential, which is defined based on various thematic layers, including geology, geomorphology, slope, aspect, drainage density, lineament density, topographic wetness index (TWI), topographic ruggedness index (TRI), and land use/land cover (LULC). The processing and analysis of this information were carried out using Geographic Information System (GIS) and Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) methods. The validity of the results was trained and tested using Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves, which showed training and testing accuracies of 0.713 and 0.701, respectively. The GPZ map was classified into five classes such as very high, high, moderate, low, and very low. The study revealed that approximately 45% of the area falls under the moderate GPZ, while only 30% of the region is classified as having a high GPZ. The area receives high rainfall but has very high surface runoff due to no proper developed soil and lack of water conservation structures. Every summer season show a declined groundwater level. In this context, results of study area are useful to maintain the groundwater under climate change and summer season. The GPZ map plays an important role in implementing artificial recharge structures (ARS), such as percolation ponds, tube wells, bore wells, cement nala bunds (CNBs), continuous contour trenching (CCTs), and others for development of ground level. This study is significant for developing sustainable groundwater management policies in semi-arid regions, that are experiencing climate change. Proper groundwater potential mapping and watershed development policies can help mitigate the effects of drought, climate change, and water scarcity, while preserving the ecosystem in the Limestone, Shales, and Sandstone compact rock region. The results of this study are essential for farmers, regional planners, policy-makers, climate change experts, and local governments, enabling them to understand the groundwater development possibilities in the study area.
    Matched MeSH terms: Ecosystem
  18. Srivathsan A, Ang Y, Heraty JM, Hwang WS, Jusoh WFA, Kutty SN, et al.
    Nat Ecol Evol, 2023 Jul;7(7):1012-1021.
    PMID: 37202502 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-023-02066-0
    Most of arthropod biodiversity is unknown to science. Consequently, it has been unclear whether insect communities around the world are dominated by the same or different taxa. This question can be answered through standardized sampling of biodiversity followed by estimation of species diversity and community composition with DNA barcodes. Here this approach is applied to flying insects sampled by 39 Malaise traps placed in five biogeographic regions, eight countries and numerous habitats (>225,000 specimens belonging to >25,000 species in 458 families). We find that 20 insect families (10 belonging to Diptera) account for >50% of local species diversity regardless of clade age, continent, climatic region and habitat type. Consistent differences in family-level dominance explain two-thirds of variation in community composition despite massive levels of species turnover, with most species (>97%) in the top 20 families encountered at a single site only. Alarmingly, the same families that dominate insect diversity are 'dark taxa' in that they suffer from extreme taxonomic neglect, with little signs of increasing activities in recent years. Taxonomic neglect tends to increase with diversity and decrease with body size. Identifying and tackling the diversity of 'dark taxa' with scalable techniques emerge as urgent priorities in biodiversity science.
    Matched MeSH terms: Ecosystem
  19. Segaran TC, Azra MN, Lananan F, Wang Y
    Mar Environ Res, 2023 Jul;189:106015.
    PMID: 37291004 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2023.106015
    Microbes, or microorganisms, have been the foundation of the biosphere for over 3 billion years and have played an essential role in shaping our planet. The available knowledge on the topic of microbes associated with climate change has the potential to reshape upcoming research trends globally. As climate change impacts the ocean or marine ecosystem, the responses of these "unseen life" will heavily influence the achievement of a sustainable evolutionary environment. The present study aims to identify microbial-related research under changing climate within the marine environment through the mapping of visualized graphs of the available literature. We used scientometric methods to retrieve documents from the Web of Science platform in the Core Collection (WOSCC) database, analyzing a total of 2767 documents based on scientometric indicators. Our findings show that this research area is growing exponentially, with the most influential keywords being "microbial diversity," "bacteria," and "ocean acidification," and the most cited being "microorganism" and "diversity." The identification of influential clusters in the field of marine science provides insight into the hot spots and frontiers of research in this area. Prominent clusters include "coral microbiome," "hypoxic zone," "novel Thermoplasmatota clade," "marine dinoflagellate bloom," and "human health." Analyzing emerging trends and transformative changes in this field can inform the creation of special issues or research topics in selected journals, thus increasing visibility and engagement among the scientific community.
    Matched MeSH terms: Ecosystem
  20. Liu H, Zheng Y, Zhu B, Tong Y, Xin W, Yang H, et al.
    Sci Adv, 2023 Jun 23;9(25):eadg4011.
    PMID: 37352347 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adg4011
    Marine-terrestrial transition represents an important aspect of organismal evolution that requires numerous morphological and genetic innovations and has been hypothesized to be caused by geological changes. We used talitrid crustaceans with marine-coastal-montane extant species at a global scale to investigate the marine origination and terrestrial adaptation. Using genomic data, we demonstrated that marine ancestors repeatedly colonized montane terrestrial habitats during the Oligocene to Miocene. Biological transitions were well correlated with plate collisions or volcanic island formation, and top-down cladogenesis was observed on the basis of a positive relationship between ancestral habitat elevation and divergence time for montane lineages. We detected convergent variations of convoluted gills and convergent evolution of SMC3 associated with montane transitions. Moreover, using CRISPR-Cas9 mutagenesis, we proposed that SMC3 potentially regulates the development of exites, such as talitrid gills. Our results provide a living model for understanding biological innovations and related genetic regulatory mechanisms associated with marine-terrestrial transitions.
    Matched MeSH terms: Ecosystem
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