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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202404.0929.v1

Substitution of Inorganic Fertilizers with Organic Fertilizers Influences Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Content and Enzyme Activity under Rubber Plantation

Qiu Yang, Jiale Li, Wenxian Xu, Jingjing Wang, Yamin Jiang, Waqar Ali, Wenjie Liu

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: Organic fertilizers substitution; soil fertility; soil carbon; nitrogen; soil enzymes; rubber plant.

Online: 15 April 2024 (18:06:47 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202404.0883.v1

Diets, Condition, and Reproductive Fitness of Slimy Sculpin (Uranidea cognata) after Catastrophic Flooding in Trout Streams in Southeastern Minnesota, USA

Neal D. Mundahl

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: flooding; benthic macroinvertebrates; sculpin; Fulton condition

Online: 15 April 2024 (04:39:39 CEST)

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Slimy sculpin (Uranidea cognata) inhabitat coldwater streams in southeastern Minnesota, USA, many of which were subjected to probable 2000-year flood events in August 2007. Floods scoured streambeds, created new stream channels, and greatly reduced benthic invertebrate communities that serve as the primary food resource for sculpin. Diets and Fulton condition of sculpin in Gilmore Creek (with moderate flooding) and Garvin Brook (with very severe flooding) had been examined just prior to flooding, and were re-examined two weeks after flooding to assess possible diet and condition changes. Diets, condition, and reproductive fitness of sculpin were examined seven months post-flood in these same two streams, plus nearby Trout run (also experienced very severe flooding). Sculpin condition declined significantly post-flood in Garvin Brook, but improved in Gilmore Creek. Prior to spring spawning, condition of Garvin Brook sculpin had improved, but Gilmore Creek fish condition worsened. Sculpin diets were more diverse before and after flooding in Gilmore Creek than in Garvin Brook, although diets of fish from both streams were dominated (>55%) by midge (Diptera: Chironomidae) larvae. Diets differed significantly before versus after flooding in the more severely flooded Garvin Brook, but not in Gilmore Creek. Prey number per sculpin stomach declined post-flood in Gilmore Creek, but not in Garvin Brook, although dry mass of prey/fish wet mass declined post-flood in both streams. Pre-spawn sculpin displayed no patterns in reproductive fitness (gonadosomatic index, hepatosomatic index, oocyte number) among the three streams that may have been related to flooding severity the previous summer. Although sculpin diets and condition were altered significantly immediately post-flood in the more severely flooded stream, food resource recovery apparently was rapid enough to prevent longer-term impacts on sculpin condition and reproductive fitness.

Preprint REVIEW | doi:10.20944/preprints202404.0880.v1

The Role of Legume Cover Crops in Enhancing Climate Resilience and Water Use Efficiency in South African Grassland Systems. A Review

Wandile Mashece, Nkosikhona Madolo, Charles Petrus Laubscher, Bongani Ncube

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: Legume cover crops; Climate resilience; Water use efficiency; South African grassland systems

Online: 15 April 2024 (04:20:08 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202404.0806.v1

Changes of Species Composition, Diversity, and Biomass of Secondary Dry Grasslands After Long-Term Mowing, a Case Study in Hungary

Judit Házi, Dragica Purger, Károly Penksza, Sándor Bartha

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: Calamagrostis epigejos L. Roth; conservation management; grassland management, land abandonment; dry grassland, loes steppe, long-term data; nature conservation

Online: 11 April 2024 (10:38:56 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202404.0787.v1

A Highly Homogeneous Airborne Fungal Community Around a Copper Open-Pit Mine Reveals a Poor Contribution by the Local Aerosolization of Particles

Sebastián Fuentes-Alburquenque, Victoria Olivencia Suez, Omayra Aguilera, Blanca Águila, Luis Rojas Araya, Dinka Mandakovic

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: microbial community; diversity; air; fungi; bioaerosol

Online: 11 April 2024 (08:03:29 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202404.0704.v1

Climate Change Reduces the Effectiveness of Myanmar’s Protected Area Network

Weiming Chen, Mingbo Wu

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: climate change; protected area network; biodiversity; cross-boundary range shift; Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot

Online: 10 April 2024 (09:44:57 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202404.0447.v1

Soil Extracellular Enzyme Activities and Microbial Nutrient Limitation during the Primary Succession of Lava Platform in Wudalianchi, China

Hongbin Yin, Mingyi Xu, Qingyang Huang, Hongjie Cao, Lihong Xie, Fan Yang, Chao Zhang, Gang Sha, Yingnan Liu

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: soil extracellular enzyme activities; enzymatic stoichiometry; microbial nutrient limitation; primary succession; lava platform

Online: 5 April 2024 (16:55:16 CEST)

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

Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202404.0336.v1

The Effect of Climate on the Regeneration Capacity of Strongly Disturbed Vegetation in a Central European Lower Montane Zone, Hungary

Katalin Rusvai, Judit Házi, Szilárd Czóbel

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: bait site; degradation; climate change; plant invasion

Online: 4 April 2024 (05:58:06 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202404.0206.v1

Temporal and Spatial Response of Ecological Environment Quality to Land Use Transfer in Nanling Mountain Region, China Based on RSEI

Qiulin Xiong, Qingwen Hong, Wenbo Chen

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: Remote sensing ecological index; Land use transfer flow; Land use transfer matrix; Spatial autocorrelation; Geographic detector; Nanling mountain

Online: 4 April 2024 (02:25:25 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202404.0236.v1

Prediction of Suitable Habitat of Alien Invasive Plant Ambrosia trifida in Northeast China under Various Climatic Scenarios

Shengjie Chen, Xuejiao Bai, Ji Ye, Weiwei Chen, Guanghao Xu

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: Ambrosia trifida; MaxEnt; Kuenm; Preventive measures

Online: 3 April 2024 (09:30:21 CEST)

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Preprint REVIEW | doi:10.20944/preprints202403.1094.v1

Appeal for a Responsible (Sustainably Intensive) Agriculture

Herbert Dr. Ströbel

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: Organic Agriculture; Food Security; Green House Gas Emission; Biodiversity; Production costs

Online: 19 March 2024 (08:52:36 CET)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202309.1827.v2

Conservation Imperatives: Securing the Last Unprotected Terrestrial Sites Harboring Irreplaceable Biodiversity

Eric Dinerstein, Anup R. Joshi, Nathan R. Hahn, Andy T. L. Lee, Carly Vynne, Karl Burkart, Greg P. Asner, Charlotte Beckham, Gerardo Ceballos, Richard Cuthbert, Rodolfo Dirzo, Oliver Fankem, Sarah Hertel, Binbin V. Li, Haley Mellin, Felix Pharand-Deschênes, David Olson, Bivash Pandav, Carlos Peres, Rudi Putra, Amy Rosenthal, Caspar Verwer, Eric Wikramanayake, Andrew Zolli

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: Conservation imperatives; 30 by 30; Protected area targets; Rare species; Land cover fraction mapping; Geospatial analysis; Land costs analysis

Online: 11 March 2024 (11:52:38 CET)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202403.0441.v1

Spatiotemporal Evolution and Influencing Factors of Vegetation Net Primary Productivity in the Yangtze River Delta Region, China

Tinghui Wang, Mengfan Gao, Qi Fu, Jinhua Chen

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: NPP; spatiotemporal evolution; influencing factors; scenario analysis; Yangtze River Delta region

Online: 7 March 2024 (13:05:28 CET)

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Vegetation Net Primary Productivity (NPP) plays a crucial role in terrestrial carbon sinks and the global carbon cycle. Investigating the spatiotemporal evolution and influencing factors in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region can furnish a solid scientific foundation for green, low-carbon, and sustainable development in China, as well as a reference for other rapidly urbanizing regions. This study focuses on the YRD region as an illustration and utilizes the Carnegie-Ames-Stanford Approach (CASA model) to quantify NPP in this region from 2000 to 2018. Investigation into the spatiotemporal evolution and influencing factors was conducted using Theil–Sen Median Trend Analysis and Scenario Analysis. The results indicate that (1) the NPP in the YRD region from 2000 to 2018 exhibited pronounced spatial differentiation characteristics, typically exhibiting a spatial distribution pattern of being high in the south and low in the north, high in the west and low in the east. Additionally, the expansion of built-up areas and the reduction of cultivated land have the potential to reduce NPP in the YRD region. Moreover, the influence of LUCC is anticipated to be relatively limited compared to that of climate change. Furthermore, changes in precipitation were found to be positively correlated with changes in NPP, with the effect being relatively more pronounced. The correlation between temperature and NPP demonstrated spatial differentiation, with a mainly positive correlation in the central and southern parts of the YRD and a mainly negative correlation in the northern part. Changes in solar radiation had a negative correlation with changes in NPP. Based on these results, it is recommended that local governments strictly enforce urban development boundaries and manage the disorderly expansion of built-up areas, enhance the regional irrigation infrastructure, and address air pollution, so as to ensure the necessary conditions for the growth of vegetation, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and control regional temperature rise.

Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202403.0052.v1

Interactions of Opuntia ficus-indica with Dactylopius coccus and D. opuntiae (Hemiptera: Dactylopiidae) through the Study of Their Volatile Compounds

Esteban Rodríguez-Leyva, Esperanza García-Pascual, Marco M. González-Chávez, Santiago de J. Méndez-Gallegos, Juan A. Morales-Rueda, Juan C. Posadas-Hurtado, Ángel Bravo-Vinaja, Avelina Franco-Vega

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: Cactus pear; phytophagous insects; terpenes; methyl salicylate; p-vinylguaiacol

Online: 1 March 2024 (14:25:40 CET)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202402.1681.v1

Re-inventories at two study sites in the Oberpfalz (Bavaria, Germany): Increase in RWA nests, herb biodiversity and dead wood in sustainably managed forests

Gabriele M. Berberich, Martin B. Berberich

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: re-inventory; red wood ants; dead wood; woodpecker; forest habitat; tree age; tree species; natural restocking, GeoBio-Interactions; Erbendorfer fault line

Online: 29 February 2024 (10:01:33 CET)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202402.1553.v1

Balance of Anthropogenic and Natural Greenhouse Gas Fluxes Over the Territory of the Russian Federation and the Contribution of Sequestration in Forests

Anna Romanovskaya, Vladimir Korotkov

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: GHG fluxes; carbon balance; ecosystems; managed land; anthropogenic emissions and removals; total net-emissions; Russia

Online: 27 February 2024 (14:03:09 CET)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202402.1522.v1

Mapping Dissolved Organic Carbon (DOC) and Organic Iron by Comparing Deep Learning and Linear Regression Techniques Using Sentinel 2 and WorldView 2 Imagery (Byers Peninsula, Marine Antarctica)

Susana del Carmen Fernández, Rubén Muñiz, Juanjo Peón, Ricardo Rodríguez-Cielos, Jesús Ruíz, Javier F. Calleja

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: maritime antarctica; dissolved organic carbon; organic iron; soil mapping; linear regression; deep learning; Sentinel2 images; WordView 2 imagery

Online: 27 February 2024 (13:28:44 CET)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202402.0923.v1

A New Landscape for Southwest Ozark Missouri Woodlands?

Akeem Ajao, Sanjeev Sharma, D Alexander Wait, Puskar Khanal

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: woodland; regression; t-test; specific leaf weight; decomposition

Online: 18 February 2024 (11:49:46 CET)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202402.0615.v3

Long-Term Effect of Fire on Leaf Production in a Southwest Missouri Oak Woodland

Sanjeev Sharma, D Alexander Wait, Puskar Khanal, Akeem Ajao

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: Ecosystem; woodland; regression; precipitation; saplings

Online: 14 February 2024 (04:04:54 CET)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202402.0615.v2

Long-Term Effect of Fire on Leaf Production in a Southwest Missouri Oak Woodland

Sanjeev Sharma, D Alexander Wait, Churamani Khanal, Puskar Khanal

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: Ecosystem; woodland; regression; precipitation; saplings

Online: 13 February 2024 (05:23:31 CET)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202402.0615.v1

Long-Term Effect of Fire on Leaf Production in a Southwest Missouri Oak Woodland

Sanjeev Sharma, D Alexander Wait, Churamani Khanal, Puskar Khanal

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: Ecosystem; woodland; regression; precipitation; saplings

Online: 12 February 2024 (11:00:42 CET)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202402.0653.v1

Mono-Specific Data Deficient Saltmarsh Species Has Climate Relevant Carbon Stocks From the East Coast of India

Amrit Mishra, Arindam Dey, Anjalis Mishra, Sandip Kumar Mohakud, Syed Hilal Farooq

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: saltmarsh; carbon stocks; Porterasia coarctata; nature-based solution; stable isotopes

Online: 12 February 2024 (10:50:21 CET)

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Despite saltmarshes being considered as nature-based solutions (NbS) towards climate change mitigation, India’s saltmarsh ecosystems are least studied. This study quantifies the seasonal variation in carbon stocks mono-specific saltmarsh species (Porteresia coarctata) and its potential to play an important role in India’s climate change mitigation plans. Seasonal (pre-and post-monsoon) sampling of P. coarctata surface water, biomass and 30 cm sediment core was collected across four locations on the east coast of India to quantify sediment dry bulk density (DBD), organic matter (OM%), organic carbon (Corg%), Corg stocks of sediment and biomass, total carbon (C%) and nitrogen (N%) and stable isotopes of δ13C and δ15N. In general, the sediment DBD, OM and Corg of P. coarctata meadows was higher in post-monsoon and was influenced by salinity and pH changes. Isotope (δ¹³C) modelling of various sediment C sources suggested, particulate organic matter (POM) contribution was highest (0.04-0.79%) followed by P. coarctata (0.01–052%) and other macrophytes across our study locations. The seasonal variation of δ¹³C showed increased contribution of marine derived particulate and dissolved organic matter into P. coarctata meadows in post-monsoon season. Heavier δ¹⁵N values were observed in post-monsoon season suggesting anthropogenic input, that was utilized by P. coarctata to increase its above and below-ground biomass and shoot density. The combined ecosystem (30 cm sediment + biomass) Corg stocks of P. coarctata was 1.7-fold higher in post-monsoon (4021.20± 917 Mg C) compared to pre-monsoon (2297.36 ±647 Mg C) season among the four locations with a sediment Corg contribution >70%. Based on the International Panel for Climate Change Tier II assessment the P. coarctata meadows (443 ha) can help in avoiding the pre and post-monsoon emissions of 8431.34 and 14757.84 Mg CO₂ respectively. The combined price of the total CO₂ equivalent stored in P. coarctata meadows in pre- and post-monsoon is US$ 14.50 and US$ 25.38 million respectively. Further studies quantifying the NbS potential of P. coarctata mono-specific and mixed meadows of India’s coast is needed along with integration of saltmarsh ecosystems into India’s National Action Plan on Climate Change.

Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202402.0440.v1

Seagrass Ecosystems of Tropical Islands As Bioindicator of Anthropogenic Trace Metal Contamination

Amrit Kumar Mishra, Anjalis Mishra, Arindam Dey, Raihana Rasheed, Dilmani Kumari, Sandip Kumar Mohakud, Syed Hilal Farooq

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: Coastal Pollution; Trace metals; Accumulation; Andaman and Nicobar Islands; Seagrass

Online: 8 February 2024 (04:06:48 CET)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202402.0318.v1

Bark Browsing and Recovery: A Comparative Study between Douglas Fir and Silver Fir Species in the Western Carpathians

Bohdan Konôpka, Vladimír Šebeň, Jozef Pajtík

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: bark stripping; healing of wounds; ruminating ungulates; stem vertical profile; forest sustainability.

Online: 6 February 2024 (03:54:18 CET)

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The foraging behavior of ruminating ungulates significantly impacts forest ecosystems due to their nutritional requirements. This study focuses on inter-specific comparisons of bark browsing (stripping) between Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) and silver fir (Abies alba Mill.). Field measurements were conducted at the previously established research-demonstration site "Husárik" in the Javorníky Mountains, north-western Slovakia. We didn’t only measure the sizes of wounds on stems but also assessed the dimensions of unrecovered parts of wounds, subsequently calculating areas of recovered bark patches. Then, the total areas of wounds, recovered patches, and unrecovered parts were determined. Additionally, the percentages of wound areas, recovered areas, and unrecovered areas were expressed as their proportions to the total bark surface. Influencing factors such as the position of wounds along the vertical stem profile and stem diameter class were analyzed using two- and three-way ANOVA followed by Fisher's LSD test. The results demonstrate the susceptibility of both tree species to bark browsing by ruminating ungulates, primarily red deer (Cervus elaphus L.) in our study site. Douglas fir exhibited slightly less intense browsing compared to silver fir, while silver fir had a slightly higher recovery rate. Specifically, 17.0% of the bark surface in Douglas fir and 21.5% in silver fir were browsed. The proportions of recovered areas on wounds were 62.5% and 69.6% in Douglas fir and silver fir, respectively. Regarding the vertical stem profile, the most intense browsing occurred at a height of 101-125 cm from the ground level, with rates of 40.7% in Douglas fir and 47.0% in silver fir. Browsing intensity showed negligible variation among diameter classes, which were classified as up to 35 mm, 35-50 mm, and over 50 mm. Our findings suggest that, as an introduced species, Douglas fir is not any suitable substitute for other commercially significant tree species in European countries where ruminating ungulates are overabundant.

Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202401.2031.v1

Seasonal Variability of Cultivable Nitrate Reducing and Denitrifying Bacteria and Functional Gene Copy Number in a Fresh Water Lake

Jörg Böllmann, Marion Martienssen

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: denitrification; nitrite reductase; MPN; vbnc state; PCR; microscopical cell number; dimictic lake, epilimnion; hypolimnion; sediment

Online: 29 January 2024 (12:31:41 CET)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202401.1305.v1

Dynamics in soil microbial community during forest succession depend on soil properties in the karst region of Southwest China

Qin Peng, Min Song, Feng Wang, Hu Du, Tong Qing Song, Hui Jun Chen, Fu Ping Zeng, Wan Xia Peng

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: Soil microbial community; Diversity; Occurrence; Succession; Karst forest

Online: 17 January 2024 (15:53:23 CET)

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Preprint REVIEW | doi:10.20944/preprints202401.1012.v1

Common Concepts and Theories between Fisheries Management and Other Environmental Issues

Hiroyuki Matsuda

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: adaptive management; discount rate; the tragedy of the commons; ecosystem services; passive restoration; risk tradeoff; mitigation and adaptation

Online: 12 January 2024 (10:45:04 CET)

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Preprint REVIEW | doi:10.20944/preprints202401.0853.v1

State of the Art and Environmental Aspects of the Plant Microbial Fuel Cells Application

Roman Lepikash, Daria Lavrova, Devard Stom, Valery Meshalkin, Olga Ponamoreva, Sergey Alferov

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: plant microbial fuel cell; electrogenic microorganisms; biofuel cells; synthetic surfactants; ecosystem cleaning; reduction of greenhouse gases; environmental protection

Online: 11 January 2024 (11:28:08 CET)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202401.0885.v1

Two Growing-Season Warming Partly Promoted Growth but Decreased Reproduction and Ornamental Value of Impatiens oxyanthera

Jiayu Tao, Youqin Yang, Qiong Wang

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: climate change; Impatiens L; plant morphology; floral traits; ornamental value; Analytic Hierarchy Process

Online: 11 January 2024 (07:13:00 CET)

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Climate warming profoundly affect vegetative growth, flowering phenology and sexual reproduction of plants, therefore the ornamental value of wild flowers. Despite this, the extent and mechanism of the impact remain unclear. Here, we conducted warming experiment for two growing seasons (1.89 ℃ in 2017 and 2.37 ℃ in 2018 increases) with infrared heaters to examine the effects of warming on ornamental value of wild flower I. oxyanthera, endemic to China, in Mount Emei. We fitted generalized linear mixed models (GLMMs) and generalized linear model (GLM) to examine how warming affected plant morphology and floral traits. We evaluated comprehensive ornamental value based on plant morphology and flowering characteristics using Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and disentangled the impact of the two traits on ornamental value using principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares structural equation model (PLS-SEM) under the ambient and warming treatments. Warming decreased significantly plant height and crown width, while increased branch number and single leaf area. Warming also decreased vexillum length, corolla tube length, nectar spur length and pedicel length. In addition, warming shortened flowering duration per plant and reduced flower number, while there was no significant effect on flower longevity, flower color at full-bloom stage between the control and warming treatment. Therefore, comprehensive ornamental value under warming was lower than that under the control. Pedicel length, flower color, flower longevity and flowering duration per plant were the main factors of affecting comprehensive ornamental value. PLS-SEM showed that warming had an indirect negative effect on ornamental value via direct negative effects on flowering traits. Collectively, these results indicate that although promoting vegetative growth, short-term warming decreased significantly ornamental value of I. oxyanthera due to warming-caused smaller flowers and shorter flowering duration.

Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202401.0784.v1

AI- Light Spectrum Replicator (LSR): A Novel Simulated In Situ Lab/on-Deck Incubator

Staša Puškarić, Mateo Sokač, Živana Ninčević, Heliodor Prelesnik, Knut Yngve Børsheim

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: primary productivity; ocean; simulated in situ incubator; method; irradiance

Online: 10 January 2024 (11:08:18 CET)

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Preprint REVIEW | doi:10.20944/preprints202401.0332.v3

Review of the Historic Trajectory of Deforestation, its Drivers and Implications in Ethiopia

Mulugeta Lemenih Kassaye

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: Agriculture, Eucalyptus, population growth, policy, restoration

Online: 9 January 2024 (13:58:34 CET)

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This paper aims to provide a comprehensive review of the historical trajectory of deforestation in Ethiopia, spanning an extensive timeframe and exploring its major driving factors. Over the span of three millennia, Ethiopia has experienced persistent deforestation, resulting in a significant reduction of its once-large forest and woodland resources. Currently, small, degraded forests and woodlands exist in isolated patches, located in remote areas such as the southwest and southeast. Major deforestation in Ethiopia unfolded progressively, first along a north-south axis and more recently shifting from the highlands to the lowlands. The northern and central highlands lost most of their natural forests before the turn of the 20th century, while significant loss in the southern highlands occurred over the past 150 years, and in the lowlands over the past 50 years. This deforestation is primarily attributed to the expansion of ox-plow agriculture and population pressure resulting from natural birth and internal migration. Despite efforts to counter deforestation and promote restoration, mostly since the 1970s, successes remain limited. A noteworthy exception in this regard is the introduction of Eucalyptus during the turn of the 20th century and the subsequent expansion of it, mainly in the form of small-scale farmer-led farm forestry. Today, Eucalyptus become the most preferred, well-adapted, widely planted, and the major supplier of wood materials in Ethiopia. The limited success in restoration is attributed to the reliance on campaign-based strategy, lack of private sector involvement, the intertwining of restoration with political agenda, and poorly defined property rights on land, forests, and trees. The consequences of deforestation and resultant environmental degradation have profoundly influenced the socio-economic dynamics of Ethiopia, giving rise to issues such as food insecurity, poverty, migration, and political instability.

Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202401.0609.v1

Processing and Marketing of Rattan Cane in Ibadan Metropolis

Wuraola Biyi-Ayetoso, Saka Jimoh

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: raw material availability; over-exploitation; sustainable livelihoods and socio-economic impact

Online: 8 January 2024 (09:21:44 CET)

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This research investigates the socio-economic impact of rattan cane processing on the livelihoods of practitioners in Ibadan Metropolis. It comprehensively assesses raw material availability, examines factors influencing demand and supply, and evaluates sales to determine the profitability of rattan processors. With the snowball and total enumeration sampling methods, the study engages with a diverse group of rattan processors. The study reveals a concerning 36% acknowledgement of a decline in the availability of canes attributed to deforestation and over-exploitation. Notably, it emphasizes that rattan product manufacturing in Ibadan Metropolis operates at a craft level, employing tools like saws, hammers, knives, gas cylinders, pinches, and tape rules, impacting production efficiency and product longevity. Additionally, the research underscores the absence of government support and credit facilities reported by all respondents. The Market Margin analysis highlights varying profitability levels across rattan products, with chairs exhibiting notably higher profitability (32.22%) than others. Individual profit margins for specific products, such as chairs (145.00%), underscore the significance of processing costs, production time, and market demand. The study offers strategic recommendations, advocating for district-level service centres for training, technology transfer, and support to enhance skills and technical efficiency. It calls for government intervention through incentives, facilities, tax breaks, and policies to fortify the rattan trade, improving production standards and unlocking export market potential. Furthermore, financial support, technical assistance, and mechanization should be employed to reduce production costs and time, ultimately elevating income generation in the rattan industry. This research contributes valuable insights to the discourse on sustainable livelihoods and economic viability within the rattan sector.

Preprint REVIEW | doi:10.20944/preprints202401.0332.v2

Review of the Historic Trajectory of Deforestation, its Drivers and Implications in Ethiopia

Mulugeta Lemenih Kassaye

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: Agriculture, Eucalyptus, population growth, policy, restoration

Online: 5 January 2024 (16:41:29 CET)

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This paper aims to provide a comprehensive review of the historical trajectory of deforestation in Ethiopia, spanning an extensive timeframe and exploring its major driving factors. Over the span of three millennia, Ethiopia has experienced persistent deforestation, resulting in a significant reduction of its once-large forest and woodland resources. Currently, small, degraded forests and woodlands exist in isolated patches, located in remote areas such as the southwest and southeast. Major deforestation in Ethiopia unfolded progressively, first along a north-south axis and more recently shifting from the highlands to the lowlands. The northern and central highlands lost most of their natural forests before the turn of the 20th century, while significant loss in the southern highlands occurred over the past 150 years, and in the lowlands over the past 50 years. This deforestation is primarily attributed to the expansion of ox-plow agriculture and population pressure resulting from natural birth and internal migration. Despite efforts to counter deforestation and promote restoration, mostly since the 1970s, successes remain limited. A noteworthy exception in this regard is the introduction of Eucalyptus during the turn of the 20th century and the subsequent expansion of it, mainly in the form of small-scale farmer-led farm forestry. Today, Eucalyptus become the most preferred, well-adapted, widely planted, and the major supplier of wood materials in Ethiopia. The limited success in restoration is attributed to the reliance on campaign-based strategy, lack of private sector involvement, the intertwining of restoration with political agenda, and poorly defined property rights on land, forests, and trees. The consequences of deforestation and resultant environmental degradation have profoundly influenced the socio-economic dynamics of Ethiopia, giving rise to issues such as food insecurity, poverty, migration, and political instability.

Preprint REVIEW | doi:10.20944/preprints202401.0332.v1

Review of the Historic Trajectory of Deforestation, its Drivers and Implications in Ethiopia

Mulugeta Lemenih Kassaye

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: Agriculture, Eucalyptus, population growth, policy, restoration

Online: 4 January 2024 (09:42:55 CET)

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This paper aims to provide a comprehensive review of the historical trajectory of deforestation in Ethiopia, spanning an extensive timeframe and exploring its major driving factors. Over the span of three millennia, Ethiopia has experienced persistent deforestation, resulting in a significant reduction of its once-large forest and woodland resources. Currently, small, degraded forests and woodlands exist in isolated patches, located in remote areas such as the southwest and southeast. Major deforestation in Ethiopia unfolded progressively, first along a north-south axis and more recently shifting from the highlands to the lowlands. The northern and central highlands lost most of their natural forests before the turn of the 20th century, while significant loss in the southern highlands occurred over the past 150 years, and in the lowlands over the past 50 years. This deforestation is primarily attributed to the expansion of ox-plow agriculture and population pressure resulting from natural birth and internal migration. Despite efforts to counter deforestation and promote restoration, mostly since the 1970s, successes remain limited. Noteworthy exception in this regard is the introduction of Eucalyptus during the turn of the 20th century and the subsequent expansion of it, mainly in the form of small-scale farmer-led led farm forestry. Today, Eucalyptus become the most preferred, well-adapted, widely planted, and the major supplier of wood materials in Ethiopia. The limited success in restoration is attributed to the reliance on campaign-based strategy, lack of private sector involvement, the intertwining of restoration with political agenda, and poorly defined property rights on land, forests, and trees. The consequences of deforestation and resultant environmental degradation have profoundly influenced the socio-economic dynamics of Ethiopia, giving rise to issues such as food insecurity, poverty, migration, and political instability.

Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202401.0303.v1

A Combined Approach to the Assessment of the Level of Pollution and Toxicity by Macro- and Trace Elements of the Territories of Armenia with Different Anthropogenic Loads

Astghik Sukiasyan, Marine Kalantaryan, Anahit Atoyants, Armen Kirakosyan, Rouben Aroutiounian

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: soil; macro elements; trace elements; seasons; genotoxicy; the pollution index

Online: 4 January 2024 (09:32:54 CET)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202401.0246.v1

A Review of Research on Progress in the Theory and Practice of Value Realization of Eco-Products

Jiemin LIU, Xuejiao Su, Yuanmeng LIU, Wei SHUI

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: eco-products; value realization; ecological industry; value accounting

Online: 3 January 2024 (10:42:31 CET)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202312.2312.v1

Spatial and Temporal Dynamics of the Vegetation Cover from the Bijagual Massif, Boyacá, Colombia, during the 1986–2021 Period

Pablo Andrés Gil-Leguizamón, Jaime Francisco Pereña-Ortiz, Daniel Sánchez-Mata, Ángel Enrique Salvo-Tierra, Jorge David Mercado-Gómez, And María Eugenia Morales-Puentes

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: high Andean forest; Landsat; landscape metrics; multitemporality; paramo

Online: 29 December 2023 (14:33:48 CET)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202312.1658.v1

Relationships between Regenerating Qinghai Spruce Seedlings and Soil Stoichiometry across Elevations in a Forest in North-Western China

Xiurong WU, Peifang CHONG, Erwen XU, Weijun ZHAO, Wenmao JING, Jingzhong ZHAO, Shunli WANG, Rongxin WANG, Xuee MA

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: Picea crassifolia; Natural regeneration; Soil stoichiometry; Regeneration characteristics; Elevation gradient

Online: 21 December 2023 (12:12:25 CET)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202312.1580.v1

Assessing Carbon Sequestration Rates from Conservation Management: Price and Potential for Multi-Habitat Nature-Based Carbon Sequestration in Dorset, UK.

Ellie-Anne Jones, Lisa Michelle Paige, Albany Smith, Annabelle Daisy Worth, Lois Betts, Rick Stafford

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: climate change; carbon offsetting; carbon crediting; biodiversity; nature-based solutions.

Online: 20 December 2023 (21:52:58 CET)

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Preprint TECHNICAL NOTE | doi:10.20944/preprints202312.1366.v1

Anura (Class Amphibia) Diversity Based on Environmental DNA (eDNA) in the Paddy Field Water Environment

Keonhee Kim

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: eDNA; metabarcoding, paddy field; amphibia; biodiversity

Online: 19 December 2023 (09:52:14 CET)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202311.1544.v1

Effect of Acute Thermal Stress Exposure on Physiological Traits of the Mediterranean Sponge Chondrilla nucula: Implications for Climate Change

Mar Bosch-Belmar, Martina Milanese, Antonio Sarà, Valeria Mobilia, Gianluca Sarà

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: porifera; mediterranean; warming; stressor; respiration; clearance

Online: 24 November 2023 (04:32:44 CET)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202311.1354.v1

Restoration of Degraded Landscapes Along the Urban-Rural Gradient of Lubumbashi City (DR Congo) by Acacia auriculiformis Plantations: Spatial Dynamics and Impact on Plant Diversity

Yannick Useni Sikuzani, Héritier Khoji Muteya, Jonas Yona Mleci, Médard Mpanda Mukenza, François Malaisse, Jan Bogaert

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: Urbanization; Green infrastructure; Urban forestry; Biological invasion; Ecological restoration

Online: 22 November 2023 (07:46:31 CET)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202311.0617.v1

Modelling Habitat Suitability of Luciola cruciata Based on Local Landscape Features

Tomoya Ogami, Shinji Fukuda, Hirofumi Kakudo, Roy Sidle

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: habitat suitability; data-driven model; artificial light at night; riparian habitat; firefly

Online: 9 November 2023 (11:13:53 CET)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202311.0386.v1

Shining a Light on Symbiosis: N-Fixing Bacteria Boost Legume Growth Under Varied Light Conditions

María. Pérez-Fernández, Irene Ariadna De Lara-Del-Rey, Anathi Magadlela

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: legumes; light availability; symbionts; nitrate reductase; acid phosphatase; phenolic acid

Online: 7 November 2023 (07:05:12 CET)

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Legumes are a diverse and important group of plants that play a vital role in agriculture, food security, and environmental sustainability. Rhizobia are symbiotic bacteria that form nitrogen-fixing nodules on legume roots, providing the plant with a valuable source of nitrogen. Phenolic acids are a group of secondary metabolites produced by plants that have a wide range of biological functions, including defense against pests and diseases, tolerance to abiotic stresses, and nutrient uptake. In the context of climate change and the imperative for sustainable agriculture, this study delves into the dynamic responses of legume species to varying light intensities and their intricate interactions with soil microorganisms. We investigated the impact of light intensity and rhizobial inoculation on the biomass, nitrate reductase, acid phosphatase, and production of phenolic acids in the roots of four legume species, Trifolium repens, Vicia sativa, Ornithopus compressus, and Coronilla juncea. Plants were grown under three light intensity regimes (low, medium, and high) and inoculated with either rhizobia or a non-inoculated control. The results highlights that shaded-light-adapted species, T. repens and V. sativa, increased root exudate production when exposed to high light intensity. This response aligns with their mining strategy, effectively allocating resources to optimize nutrient acquisition under varying conditions. In contrast, species hailing from well- illuminated environments, O. compressus and C. juncea, displayed distinct strategies by significantly increasing biomass under high irradiance, capitalizing on the available light and nutrients. The mining strategy of legumes emerged as a central theme, influencing biomass production, nitrogen dynamics, and enzymatic activities. The strong correlations between biomass and total nitrogen accumulation underscore the role of the mining strategy in efficient nutrient acquisition. Inoculated plants, which rely more on biological nitrogen fixation (BNF), exhibited lower δ15N values, indicative of a successful mining strategy to acquire and utilize atmospheric nitrogen. Enzymatic activities and phenolic acids exhibited significant interspecies variations, reflecting the adaptability of legumes to different light conditions. The findings of this study could be used to develop new strategies for improving legume stress tolerance, nutrient uptake capacity, and rhizosphere health.

Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202311.0086.v1

Research on the Application of NbS in Watershed Ecological Restoration: A Case Study of Jiulong River Watershed Shan-Shui Initiative

Wei Li, Rui Sun, Ye Tian

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: watershed ecological restoration; nature-based solutions; Shan-Shui Initiative; scenario evaluation; adjustment of measures

Online: 2 November 2023 (07:40:46 CET)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202311.0099.v1

Effects of Restoration Strategies on the Ion Distribution and Transport Characteristics of Medicago sativa in Saline-Alkali Soil

Baole Yu, Lingling Chen, Taogetao Baoyin

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: Bio-fertilizer; Flue gas desulfurization gypsum; Humic acid; Ion metabolism; saline-alkali land

Online: 1 November 2023 (13:27:30 CET)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202310.1858.v1

Tree Species Composition and Diversity in a Secondary Forest along the Sierra Madre Mountain Range in Central Luzon, Philippines: Implications for the Conservation of Endemic, Native, and Threatened Plants

Christian Ofalla Llait

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: biodiversity; biodiversity hotspot; correlation analysis; distribution maps; Shannon Weiner index; Simpson’s Evenness index

Online: 30 October 2023 (10:25:21 CET)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202310.1494.v1

Assessing the Tourism City from an ES Perspective: The Evaluation of Tourism Service in Liyang, China

Xiangnan Fan, Yuning Cheng

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: tourism service evaluation; ecosystem services (ES); AHP-entropy weight method; GIS spatial analysis; text mining

Online: 24 October 2023 (08:34:17 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202310.1031.v1

Synergizing Agroforestry and Climate-Smart Agriculture for Climate Change Adaptation in Australia and Pacific Island Countries.

Vinesh Prasad, Daniel Cole

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: Agroforestry; Climate-Smart Agriculture; Climate Change Adaptation; Australia; Pacific Island Countries; Climate Variables; Crop Production; Sustainability

Online: 17 October 2023 (09:37:21 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202310.0975.v1

Forests Structure and Carbon Reserve in Natural and Replanted Mangrove Forests in Different Years in the Limpopo Estuary, Gaza Province, Mozambique

Fatima Jose Inacio Da Costa, Celia Da Conceicao Macamo

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: Limpopo estuary; mangrove forests; hydrological restoration; mangrove conservation; biomass; carbon storage

Online: 16 October 2023 (16:58:09 CEST)

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Preprint HYPOTHESIS | doi:10.20944/preprints202310.0904.v1

Life (on Earth) as a Product of Biological Interaction? An Inquiry

Dozie Iwuh, John Iyo

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: life; origin; cell; water; Nucleotides; DNA; Equilibrium; Biological Interaction

Online: 16 October 2023 (05:38:46 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202310.0790.v1

Analysis of the Grassland Fires Effect on Dust Weather in Mongolia Based on Satellite-Derived Data

Ling Wen, Mei Yong, Yulong Bao, Rong Fu, Eerdemutu Jin

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: grassland fire; dust weather; spatiotemporal variation; Pearson correlation analysis; Dornod aimag

Online: 12 October 2023 (07:59:41 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202309.2131.v1

Wild Ungulates Constitute the Basis of the Diet of the Iberian Wolf in a Recently Recolonized Area: Wild Boar and Roe Deer as Key Species for Its Conservation

Isabel Barja, Álvaro Navarro-Castilla, Lorena Ortiz-Jiménez, Angel España, Roberto Hinojosa, David Sánchez-Sotomayor, Angel Iglesias, Jose España, Sergio Rubio-Sánchez, Santiago Martín-Romero, Juan Vielva, Fernando Horcajada-Sánchez

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: Canis lupus signatus; domestic ungulates; wild ungulates; Iberian wolf; recolonization

Online: 1 October 2023 (10:12:05 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202310.0015.v1

Rooting Meta-ecosystems with Reciprocal Lateral Carbon and Nitrogen Flows in a Yangtze Coastal Marsh

Yu Gao, Bin Zhao, Neil Saintilan, Wanben Wu, Maina Mbui, Li Wen, Feng Zhao, Tao Zhang, Zhi Geng, Gang Yang, Chao Song, Ping Zhuang

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: coastal wetland; carbon; nitrogen; coupling; stoichiometry; meta-ecosystem

Online: 1 October 2023 (08:52:35 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202309.1991.v1

Effects of Land Use Characteristics, Physiochemical Variables and River Connectivity on Fish Assemblages in a Lowland Basin

Zhiming Zhang, Junfeng Gao, Yongjiu Cai

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: fish; river connectivity; land use; physiochemical variable; spatial gradient; Lake Chaohu Basin

Online: 28 September 2023 (10:40:21 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202309.1827.v1

Conservation Imperatives: Securing the Last Unprotected Terrestrial Sites Harboring Irreplaceable Biodiversity

Eric Dinerstein, Anup R. Joshi, Nathan R. Hahn, Andy T. L. Lee, Carly Vynne, Karl Burkart, Greg P. Asner, Charlotte Beckham, Gerardo Ceballos, Richard Cuthbert, Rodolfo Dirzo, Oliver Fankem, Sarah Hertel, Binbin V. Li, Haley Mellin, Felix Pharand-Deschênes, David Olson, Bivash Pandav, Carlos Peres, Rudi Putra, Amy Rosenthal, Caspar Verwer, Eric Wikramanayake, Andrew Zolli

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: Conservation imperatives; 30 by 30; Protected area targets; Rare species; Land cover fraction mapping; Geospatial analysis; Land costs analysis

Online: 28 September 2023 (03:31:14 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202309.1767.v1

Dynamics of Soil Mesofauna Communities in a Tropical Urban Coastal Wetland: Responses to Spatiotemporal Fluctuations in Phreatic Level and Salinity

Ortiz-Ramírez Gloria, Elix Hernández, Solimar Pinto-Pacheco, Elvira Cuevas

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: urban wetland, coastal wetlands, Puerto Rico, hydroperiods, phreatic level, salinity conditions, soil mesofauna, biodiversity

Online: 26 September 2023 (10:22:47 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202309.1586.v1

Carbon Dioxide Fluxes and Influencing Factors in the Momoge Salt Marsh Ecosystem, Jilin Province, China

Qiongfang Ma, Chaofan Zhang, Ling Chen, Mingyuan Yao, Fan Yang, Haixia Yu, Shengnong Fan, Hong Yan, Wei Li

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: carbon dioxide fluxes; net ecosystem exchange; photosynthetically active radiation; salt marshes

Online: 26 September 2023 (08:19:12 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202309.1673.v1

Study on the Rainwater Interception Process and Capacity of Urban Tree Organs in Shanghai

Benyao Wang, Yanting Zhang, Jiankang Guo

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: tree organs; urban tree species; rainwater interception capacity; Shanghai

Online: 25 September 2023 (11:09:25 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202309.1611.v1

Effects of Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn.) on the Methane Emission in Littoral Zones of a Subtropical Lake, China

Wenchang Zhou, Xiangjuan Yuan, Liangkang He, Yuhu Shi, Xiuhuan Xu, Wenhui Ou, Shanshan Xiang, Jiawei Yang, Tian Fu

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: methane emission; littoral lake; lotus; carbon sink; greenhouse gases; Yangtze River

Online: 25 September 2023 (06:04:52 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202309.1359.v1

Untangling the Distribution of Encephalartos villosus in Nutrient Deficient Soils of South Africa

Nqobile Mostsomane, Terence Nkwanwir Suinyuy, María A. Pérez-Fernández, Anathi Magadlela

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: Encephalartos villosus; cycad-microbe symbiosis; nutrient deficient soils; biological nitrogen fixation

Online: 20 September 2023 (13:55:05 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202309.1237.v1

Comparative Analysis of the Structure of Benthic Macroinvertebrate Communities in Maritsa River (Bulgaria) and Han River (South Korea)

Jiyoung Park, Lidia G. Sakelarieva, Emilia D. Varadinova

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: lotic ecosystems; community ecology; biodiversity indices

Online: 20 September 2023 (07:58:38 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202309.1027.v1

Recovery of Tropical Forests in Southern Haiti Reflects Shift in Local Governance

Angelet Sylvéus, Christhian Santana Cunha, Bernardo Monteiro Flores, Catarina Conte Jakovac, Nivaldo Peroni

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: shifting agriculture; logging; remote sensing; land-use change; resilience; social-ecological system

Online: 15 September 2023 (13:47:10 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202309.0998.v1

Quantitative Characteristics and Environmental Interpretation of Vegetation Restoration in Burned Areas of the Dry Valleys of Southwest China

Zhixue He, Jun Luo, Bin Zhang, Lei Wang, Hui Liu, Xueyang Ma, Tianxiang Yue

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: burned areas; restoration; two-way indicator species analysis (TWINSPAN); detrended correspondence analysis (DCA); detrended canonical correspondence analysis (DCCA)

Online: 15 September 2023 (03:58:41 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202309.0974.v1

Spatial and Temporal Evolution of the Eco-Efficiency of Cultivated Land Use in the Region around Beijing-Tianjin Based on the Super-EBM Model

Xiaoqing Li, Li Zhao, Xinhan Chang, Jie Yu, Xinming Song, Lizhu Zhang

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: Eco-efficiency of cultivated land use; Super-EBM model; Spatial-temporal evolution; The region around Beijing-Tianjin

Online: 14 September 2023 (09:12:32 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202309.0851.v1

Micro- and Macroplastics Pollution in the Aquatic Environment of Markakol Lake Located in the Protected Area on the Mountain Slopes of the Southern Part of the Kazakh Altai Mountains

Azamat Madibekov, Laura Ismukhanova, Botakoz Sultanbekova, Askhat Zhadi, Serik Zhumatayev, Ainur Musakulkyzy, Kainar Bolatov, Aisha Madibekova

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: plastic garbage; microplastics; pollution; aquatic environment; concentration

Online: 13 September 2023 (07:49:39 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202309.0149.v1

Ecogeography of Dioscorea remotiflora Kunth Reveals Its Potential in Regions Already Affected by Climate Change

Jocelyn Maira Velázquez-Hernández, José Ariel Ruíz-Corral, Noé Durán-Puga, Miguel Ángel Macías, Diego Raymundo González-Eguiarte, Fernando Santacruz-Ruvalcaba, Giovanni Emmanuel García-Romero, Agustín Gallegos-Rodríguez

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: Dioscorea remotiflora; Mexican endemic species; Niche modeling; Ecological descriptors; Climatic adaptation

Online: 4 September 2023 (08:41:55 CEST)

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Preprint REVIEW | doi:10.20944/preprints202309.0066.v1

Developing a Tool for Landscape Sustainability Assessment—Using a New Conceptual Approach in Lebanon

Roula Aad, Nabil Nemer

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: landscape indicators; landscape sustainability; landscape assessment; weighting and aggregation

Online: 4 September 2023 (04:02:41 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202308.1867.v1

Physical Characteristics of Mangrove Canopy Gaps in Langkawi UNESCO Global Geopark Forest, Malaysia

W.I. Wan Norilani, A. Latiff, Z. Ahmad Fitri, W.A. Wan Juliana

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: Physical characteristics; canopy gaps; Mangrove Forests; Sungai Kilim Forest Reserve; Langkawi

Online: 29 August 2023 (08:49:19 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202308.1875.v1

The Influence of Land Cover Change Towards Connectivity Networks of Forest Ecosystem in Tesso Nilo National Park

Aulia Fajrin Ramadhani Nasution, Kurnia Yunitasari, Muhammad Reza Fauzan, Rizki Atthoriq Hidayat

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: ecosystem network connectivity; fragmentation; land cover change; Tesso Nilo National Park; forest

Online: 29 August 2023 (03:39:58 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202308.1601.v1

Vegetation Community and Soil Characteristics of Grassland Regulates Space-Scale Dependence of Species Diversity under Different Grazing Management in the Qilian Mountains of China

Liu Lixiang, Han Yongwei, Liu Weiwei, Liu Yuemin

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: Grazing exclusion; rest grazing; vegetation community; scale effect; species diversity; soil characteristics

Online: 23 August 2023 (09:21:33 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202308.1582.v1

Bacterial Products and Their Effect in the Shrubby Legume Calicotome villosa (Poir.) Link

María A. Pérez-Fernández, Irene Ariadna De-Lara-del-Rey, Anathi Magadlela

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: legumes; siderophores; IAA; biomass; bacterial richness

Online: 22 August 2023 (14:19:03 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202308.1416.v1

Analysis of Spatial Relationship Based on Ecosystem Services and Ecological Risk Index in the Counties of the Chongqing

Zihui LI, Kangwen ZHU, Dan SONG, Dongjie GUAN, Jiameng CAO, Xiangyuan SU, Yanjun ZHANG, Ya ZHANG, Yong BA, Haoyu WANG

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: ecosystem services; ecological risk; spatial relationships; driving factors; Chongqing

Online: 21 August 2023 (08:08:56 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202308.1260.v1

Active Coral Restoration to Preserve the Biodiversity of a Highly Impacted Reef

Irene Pancrazi, Kayla Feairheller, Hassan Ahmed, Carolina Di Napoli, Monica Montefalcone

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: marine ecosystem restoration; habitat restoration; artificial reef; restoration strategies; biodiversity conservation

Online: 17 August 2023 (07:30:05 CEST)

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Preprint REVIEW | doi:10.20944/preprints202308.0483.v1

Towards Understanding the Factors behind the Limited Integration of Multispecies Ecotoxicity Assessment in Environmental Risk Characterisation of Graphene Family Materials - A Bibliometric Review

Ildikó Fekete-Kertész, Krisztina László, Mónika Molnár

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: Graphene family materials; Ecotoxicity; Nanoecotoxicology; Environmental impact; Environmental relevance; Microcosm; Mesocosm; Multispecies ecotoxicity testing

Online: 7 August 2023 (09:58:51 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202308.0389.v1

Root Foraging by Trees and Shrubs

Francis E. Putz, Charles D. Canham, Scott V. Ollinger

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: environmental heterogeneity; functional traits; root architecture; root foraging; vegetative expansion

Online: 4 August 2023 (11:13:08 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202308.0145.v1

Redefining Biodiversity Conservation Through an Outcome Separation Framework

Scott Trageser, Paul Hamilton

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: definition; degrees of separation; objective; primary conservation; secondary conservation; tertiary conservation; native species; ecological replacement species

Online: 2 August 2023 (10:19:57 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202308.0152.v1

Harmonization Approach to Spatial and Social Techniques to Define Landscape Restoration Areas in a Colombian Andes Complex Landscape

Carlos Barrera-Causil, Jose González M.

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: Elicitation; Landscape restoration; Multitemporal analysis; Multicriterial Spatial Analysis; Social cartography

Online: 2 August 2023 (07:22:49 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202307.2124.v1

Eco-Engineering Technologies and Achievements of Landscape Water Reconstructed from Aquaculture Ponds in Shanghai

Guowei Zhang, Qian Zhang, Kankan Shang

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: wetland restoration; biodiversity; post-evaluation; ecological monitoring

Online: 1 August 2023 (03:34:04 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202307.1921.v1

Vulture Interactions on Carcasses in a Protected Area: Implications for Conservation in a Savannah Context

Lilly Kuzivakwashe Matumbure, Tafadzwa Matengo, Stephen Long, Tawanda Tarakini

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: Vultures; decomposition state; Camera traps; dominance

Online: 27 July 2023 (12:01:51 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202307.1579.v1

Woody Species Composition, Tree diversity and Regeneration Status of Londiani Forest, Kenya

Evalyne Kosgey Chepkoech, Humphrey Agevi Agevi, Henry Lungayia Lung’ayia, Mugatsia Tsingalia

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: species composition; tree diversity; regeneration; forest management

Online: 25 July 2023 (05:37:03 CEST)

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Tropical forests provide habitats for diverse flora and fauna. In addition, they are essential in regulating the climate while at the same time millions of people depend on them for their livelihoods. As seen by rising political commitment and worldwide promises to reduce rates of deforestation and boost restoration of degraded forest ecosystems, forests are becoming more widely acknowledged for their role as a nature-based solution to many sustainable development concerns. Understanding tropical forest dynamics and their conservation have so become more important. This study analyzed, the forest stand structure, tree species composition, abundance and diversity and the regeneration status of Londiani Forest. Londiani Forest is divided into three blocks, namely Kedowa, Chebewor and Londiani and from each of these blocks belt transects 25 m wide and 1 km long were established 100 m from the edge of the forest to reduce edge effects. At every 200 m along the transect, 25 m × 25 m quadrats were set up in which, an inventory of all tree species was done. For tree species that could not be identified in the field, the local name was provided by para-taxonomists who participated in the data collection and the species name was later identified with the help of a taxonomist or a manual of woody tree species of Londiani Forest. The diameter at breast height (DBH) was measured at 1.3 m from the ground using a diameter tape. Tree height was measured using a Suunto angular clinometer. A nested quadrat 5 m x 5 m quadrat within the 25 m x 25 m quadrat was used to sample saplings while a 1 m x 1 m quadrat was used for sampling seedlings. Regeneration status was assessed using the number of seedlings and saplings. Stumps of trees cut were counted including identifying tree species from which the tree stump was derived. Data from the quadrats were entered into Microsoft Excel. Total stem density, species density, basal area, species basal area, relative density and species diversity were determined. A total of 1,308 individual trees belonging to 34 different species from 24 families were recorded. Kedowa had the highest (27) species richness followed by Chebewor (19) then Londiani (14). There was a statistically significant difference in species richness among the three forest blocks (p<0.05). There were no statistically significant differences in the mean DBH (F=0.560; p=0.729) and height class distribution (F= 0.821, p=.558) among the three forest blocks. There was a statistically significant difference in stem density (F=12.22; p=0.005) and woody species diversity (F=0.32; p=0.001) within the three forests blocks. There was no statistically significant difference in the basal area distribution within the three forest blocks p>0.005. The similarity index ranged from 0.34 to 0.47. In all the forest blocks, there was evidence of seedlings and saplings indicating that there was regeneration. Results clearly show that while the Londiani Forest shows variation in characteristics, there is clear evidence that it is regenerating.

Preprint REVIEW | doi:10.20944/preprints202307.1092.v1

Survey on Fungi in Antarctica and High Arctic Regions, and Their Impact on Climate Change

Masaharu Tsuji

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: Antarctica; High Arctic; fungi; climate change

Online: 17 July 2023 (09:48:48 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202307.0579.v1

A Richness Estimator Based on Integrated Data

Chun-Huo Chiu

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: Chao’s lower bound estimator; Good-Turing frequency formula; Integrated data; singleton; doubleton; tripleton

Online: 10 July 2023 (09:05:09 CEST)

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Preprint REVIEW | doi:10.20944/preprints202306.1012.v2

Suitable Forest Management Innovations for Enhancing Forest Productivity without Compromising Growing Stock and Subsidiary Ecosystem Services

Aklilu Wodebo Wola, Kassahun Maru

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: Sustainable,forest management,innovations,participatory,growing stock, ecosystem services; biodiversity

Online: 7 July 2023 (08:27:26 CEST)

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Forest ecosystems provide diverse services and values that contribute to human well-being. Although high proportion of species is still undiscovered, tropical forests alone are thought to host more than 50% of the world’s biodiversity. Beyond supporting via direct use of products like timber, fiber and biomass energy, they play an important role in providing a wide range of ecosystem services such as regulating water flow and quality, water purification, improving infiltration, fresh water, erosion control, carbon sequestration and sedimentation control. They are one of the important parts of terrestrial and the largest carbon pool, occupying an integral position in the global carbon cycle. However, these days, deterioration of nature and forest biodiversity is a severe danger to the global environment. This will be accompanied by increased strains on food supply, causing increased pressure on already delicate ecological systems. Thus, better forest management strategies are necessary for managing forests sustainably. Nevertheless, little is known regarding the existing forest management approaches and their associated benefits and challenges. Multidisciplinary approaches are needed to achieve sustainable management of forests. These can be accomplished if suitable forest management innovations are put in place. Various technologies can also be adopted through applying different forest assessment tools like remote sensing using light detection and ranging technology (LiDAR) in forest management. Harnessing such technologies will definitely result in providing increased socio-economy as well as improved environmental sustainability. However, the speed of transformation depends much on level of commitment of stakeholders including policy makers. As a result, this review is intended to explore existing forest management innovations which are suitable both ecologically as well as socio-economically. This shows that while there is a lot to be improved, there are already developed forest management innovations that are already in use including PFM and MFM, which helps to achieve SFM.

Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202306.1899.v1

Farmers’ Perception about Climate Change and Variability, and Its Impact on Agriculture: In the Case of Dorebafana District, Sidama Region of Ethiopia.

Aklilu Wodebo Wola

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: climate change; variability; farmers’ perception; agriculture; Dorebafana

Online: 27 June 2023 (12:16:26 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202306.1700.v1

Research on the Evolution Characteristics of Economic Development Quality and Environmental Pollution Intensity in Typical Energy Regions in the Last 20 Years

Jinghui Chen, Yiying Liang, Bo Yang, Yun Ma, Yi Guo

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: Environmental pollution; Numerical fitting; Economic growth; Industrial three wastes; sustainable development

Online: 25 June 2023 (02:51:48 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202306.1606.v1

Trees Diversity and Species with High Ecological Importance for Resilient Urban Area: Evidence from Cotonou City in West Africa

Jonas Assouhan ATCHADE, Madjouma Kanda, Fousseni Folega, Hounnankpon YÉDOMONHAN, Marra Dourma, Wala Kperkouma, AKPAGANA Koffi

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: Urban trees diversity; ecosystem services; ecological importance; species abundance; urban ecological planning; climate adaptation; Conservation planning; Cotonou

Online: 22 June 2023 (11:35:19 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202305.0613.v2

Forest Clearing Dynamics and Its Relation to Remotely-Sensed Carbon Density and Plant Species Diversity in the Puuc Biocul-Tural State Reserve, Mexico

Carlos Portillo-Quintero, J. Luis Hernández-Stefanoni, Juan Manuel Dupuy

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: Yucatan; Puuc; Landsat; Carbon; Species Diversity; ALOS-2 PALSAR-2; tropical dry forests

Online: 21 June 2023 (12:56:03 CEST)

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

Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202306.1521.v1

Diversity, Structure and Development of the Epibiontic Commu-Nity of Paramuricea clavata (Risso, 1826) (Cnidaria, Anthozoa)

Martina Canessa, Ilaria Amedeo, Giorgio Bavestrello, Pier Panzalis, Egidio Trainito

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: Gorgonians; benthic assemblages; fishing impact; global change; conservation; Mediterranean Sea

Online: 21 June 2023 (10:06:21 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202306.1402.v1

Ecosystem Service Optimisation in the Central Plains Urban Agglomeration Based on Land Use Structure Adjustment

Min Liu, Jianpeng Fan, Yuanzheng Li, Qizheng Mao

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: ecosystem services; optimisation; InVEST model; NSGA II; Central Plains Urban Agglomeration

Online: 20 June 2023 (08:11:13 CEST)

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Preprint REVIEW | doi:10.20944/preprints202306.1344.v1

Overestimation of Cardiovascular Consequences of Low Dose Radiation Exposures

Sergei Jargin

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: Techa river; Mayak facility; East Urals Radioactive trace; ionizing radiation; cerebrovascular diseases; cardiovascular diseases

Online: 19 June 2023 (10:30:16 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202306.1201.v1

Determining the Provenance of Traded Wildlife in the Philippines

Kate J. Brandis, Phoebe Meagher, Sabine Schoppe, Kyle Zawada, Indira Widmann, Peter Widmann, Roger Dolorosa, Roxane Francis

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: stable isotopes; illegal wildlife trade; provenance; pXRF; elemental signatures

Online: 16 June 2023 (09:45:50 CEST)

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Preprint REVIEW | doi:10.20944/preprints202306.1012.v1

Review on: Suitable Forest Management Innovations for Enhancing Forest Productivity without Compromising Growing Stock and Subsidiary Ecosystem Services

Aklilu Wodebo Wola, Kassahun Maru

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: Sustainable; forest management; innovations; participatory; growing stock; ecosystem services; biodiversity

Online: 14 June 2023 (08:30:07 CEST)

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Forest ecosystems provide diverse services and values that contribute to human well-being. Although high proportion of species is still undiscovered, tropical forests alone are thought to host more than 50% of the world’s biodiversity. Beyond supporting via direct use of products like timber, fiber and biomass energy, they play an important role in providing a wide range of ecosystem services such as regulating water flow and quality, water purification, improving infiltration, fresh water, erosion control, carbon sequestration and sedimentation control. They are one of the important parts of terrestrial and the largest carbon pool, occupying an integral position in the global carbon cycle. However, these days, deterioration of nature and forest biodiversity is a severe danger to the global environment. This will be accompanied by increased strains on food supply, causing increased pressure on already delicate ecological systems. Thus, better forest management strategies are necessary for managing forests sustainably. Nevertheless, little is known regarding the existing forest management approaches and their associated benefits and challenges. Multidisciplinary approaches are needed to achieve sustainable management of forests. These can be accomplished if suitable forest management innovations are put in place. Various technologies can also be adopted through applying different forest assessment tools like remote sensing using light detection and ranging technology (LiDAR) in forest management. Harnessing such technologies will definitely result in providing increased socio-economy as well as improved environmental sustainability. However, the speed of transformation depends much on level of commitment of stakeholders including policy makers. As a result, this review is intended to explore existing forest management innovations which are suitable both ecologically as well as socio-economically. This shows that while there is a lot to be improved, there are already developed forest management innovations that are already in use including PFM and MFM, which helps to achieve SFM. Key words: Sustainable, forests, management, innovations, participatory, growing stock,

Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202306.0915.v1

Structural Equation Modeling of the Marine Ecological System in Nan Wan Bay using SPSS Amos

Jung-Fu Huang, Chen-Tung Arthur Chen, Meng-Hsien Chen, Shih-Lun Huang, Pi-Yu Hsu

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: Factor Analysis; Structural Equation Model; Marine Ecology

Online: 13 June 2023 (09:46:21 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202306.0029.v1

Spatiotemporal Characteristics and Habitat Quality Analysis in the Temperate Desert Sub-region of Ordos Plateau, China

Min Pei, Jingjie Wang, Xiaohuang Liu, Jiufeng Liu, Xiaofeng Zhao, Hongyu Li, Ran Wang, Xinping Luo, Liyuan Xing, Chao Wang, Honghui Zhao

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: PLUS model; InVEST model; Land use; Habitat quality; Temperate desert subzone of Ordos Plateau

Online: 1 June 2023 (05:33:45 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202305.2035.v1

A Strange Spoilage in Goose Sausages and Levilactobacillus Brevis, Mould and Enterococci Are the Responsible

Michela Pellegrini, Federica Barbieri, Chiara Montanari, Lucilla Iacumin, Cristian Bernardi, Fausto Gardini, Giuseppe Comi

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: Levilactobacillus brevis; mould; enterococci; spoilage; goose sausage

Online: 30 May 2023 (04:08:51 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202305.1892.v1

Urban Ecosystem Services and Determinants of Stakeholder’s Perception for Sustainable Cities Planning: Case of Cotonou City in Benin

Jonas Assouhan ATCHADE, Madjouma KANDA, Fousseni FOLEGA, Dourma Marra, Kperkouma Wala, Koffi AKPAGANA

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: Urban Ecosystem Services; perceptions; Socio-ecological analysis; urban adaptation planning; sustainable cities; Cotonou.

Online: 26 May 2023 (08:30:31 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202305.1676.v1

Montane Ecoclines as Social Aggregation Zones in Ancient Central Asia: Agropastoral economies in Jukuu, Kyrgyzstan

Claudia Chang, Sergei S. Ivanov, Robert N. Spengler III, Basira Mir-Makhamad, Perry Alan Tourtellotte

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: Agropastoralism; Central Asia; Archaeology; Archaeobotany; Turkic burial mound; Iron Age settlement; Ecotones; Mountainous ecoclines

Online: 24 May 2023 (03:17:20 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202305.0613.v1

Remotely-Sensed Carbon Density, Plant Species Diversity and Its Relation to Forest Clearing Dynamics in the Puuc Biocultural State Reserve, Mexico

Carlos Portillo-Quintero, J. Luis Hernández-Stefanoni, Juan Manuel Dupuy

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: Yucatan; Puuc; Landsat; Carbon; Species Diversity; ALOS-2 PALSAR-2; tropical dry forests

Online: 9 May 2023 (08:46:10 CEST)

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In the Neotropics, the integration of remotely sensed products to understand socioecological processes at local scales is limited by the physical difficulties and financial costs of collecting field data to train and validate these models. In this study, we used carbon density and tree species richness models generated from ALOS-2 PALSAR 2 imagery and national scale forest inventory data and compared these products to a Landsat-based continuous change detection product for the 2000-2021 period. This was performed to evaluate forest clearing dynamics in and around the Puuc Biocultural State Reserve (PBSR) in Mexico. The estimated error-adjusted area of detected annual forest clearings from the year 2000 until the year 2021 was 230,511 ha in total (+19,979 ha). The analysis of annual forest clearing frequency and area suggests that although forest clearing was significantly more intensive outside of the PBSR than within the PBSR during the entire 2000-2021 period, there is no evidence suggesting that the frequency and magnitude of forest clearing has changed over the years after the creation of the PBSR in 2011. The emerging hotspot analysis shows, however, that forest clearing spatiotemporal clustering (hotspots) during the 2012-2021 period was less widespread and mostly confined to areas outside the PBSR. In addition, the analysis shows forest clearing clustering is on a downward trend within the PBSR. After comparing forest clearing events to carbon density and tree species richness models, our data also suggests that land owners within the PBSR might be practicing longer barbecho (fallow) periods in contrast to land owners outside the PBSR allowing forests to attain higher carbon density and tree species richness and hence better soil nutrient recovery after land abandonment. In conclusion, our results show that the PBSR effectively acts as stabilizing forest management scheme that minimizes the impact of productive activities by lowering the frequency of forest clearing events and preserving late secondary forests. We recommend the continuation of efforts for providing alternative optimal field data collection strategies and modeling techniques to spatially predict key tropical forest attributes. The combination of these models with continuous change detection datasets will allow to reveal underlying ecological processes and generate information better adapted to forest governance scales.

Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202305.0430.v1

Plant Phenology Simulation and Trigger Threshold Based on Total Climatic Production Factors – a Case Study of Stipa krylovii Phenology

Guangsheng Zhou, Wenjie Gu, Li Zhou, Xingyang Song, Xiaomin Lv, Erhua Liu, Yuhe Ji

Subject: Environmental And Earth Sciences, Ecology Keywords: Phenology; total climate production factors; S. krylovii plant; simulation; triggering threshold

Online: 8 May 2023 (03:23:33 CEST)

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Environmental and Earth Sciences