Effects of dieback on the vegetative, chemical, and physiological status of mangrove forests, Iran

Mangrove forests are valuable resources in tropical and subtropical regions,which have been faced dieback due to various human activities including rapid expansion of shrimp farming,urban development,and pollution,as well as natural factors such as rising sea level,increasing air temperature,drought,and sharp decrease in rainfall.However,the mechanisms of dieback of mangrove forests are not well understood.Therefore,this research aimed to assess the vegetative,chemical,and physiological status of grey mangrove(Avicennia marina(Forsk.)Vierh.)forests at different intensities of dieback in the Hormozgan Province,Iran.A total of 40 plots categorized into four dieback intensities(severe,medium,low,and control)were randomly selected for monitoring,and various parameters related to vegetative,chemical,and physiological status of grey mangrove forests were examined.The results revealed that the control group had the highest tree density,seedling density,vitality levels,aerial root density,and aerial root height.Generally,as dieback severity increased,a decrease in demographic and vegetative parameters of trees and seedlings was observed in the dieback treatments.The amounts of heavy metals(lead,cadmium,and nickel)in the sediment,roots,and leaves of grey mangrove trees at different dieback levels indicated that lead levels were the highest in the sediment,roots,and leaves in the severe dieback treatment.At the same time,the control had the lowest values.Cadmium concentrations in the sediment followed the pattern of severe dieback>moderate dieback>low dieback>control with no significant differences in the roots and leaves.Nickel amounts in all three parts,i.e.,sediment,roots,and leaves showed the highest levels in the severe dieback treatment.Furthermore,metal level analysis in the organs of grey mangrove trees at different dieback levels revealed that lead and nickel were more abundant in the root organ compared with the leaves.In contrast,the leaf organ exhibited the highest cadmium levels.Dieback significantly impacted water electrical conductivity(EC),soil organic carbon(SOC),and chlorophyll a,b,and total chlorophyll contents,with the highest values observed in the severe dieback treatment.However,no significant differences were observed in acidity and carotenoid levels.In conclusion,sediment erosion and heavy metal accumulation were critical contributors to dieback of grey mangrove trees,affecting their physiological,vegetative,and plant production characteristics.As the ability of these plants to rehabilitate has diminished,effective management planning is imperative in dieback-affected areas.

Erratum to: Effects of dieback on the vegetative, chemical, and physiological status of mangrove forests, Iran

Published online:22 November 2023©Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography,Chinese Academy of Sciences,Science Press and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany,part of Springer Nature 2023 Erratum to:J Arid Land(2023)15(11):1391-1404 https://doi.org/10.1007/s40333-023-0031-6 In this Erratum,we correct the name of the last author that was incorrectly written as Saiedeh ESKANDARI and the correction is as follows:Saeedeh ESKANDARI.

Effect of crocin carotenoid on BDNF and CREB gene expression in brain ventral tegmental area of morphine treated rats

Objective: To investigate the effect of crocin carotenoid on BNDF and CREB gene expression in the brain ventral tegmental area(VTA) and the serum level of BDNF in morphine-treated rats compared to control. Methods: In this study, 40 male Wistar rats(200-250 g) were used in 5 experimental groups: 1) non morphine treat rats(control); 2) non morphine-treated rats with 25 mg/kg crocin carotenoid(i.p., for 21 d); 3) morphine treated rats(10 mg/kg twice a day, s.c., 21 d); 4 and 5) morphine-treated rats with 12.5 and 25 mg/kg crocin carotenoid, respectively. By the end of research, BDNF and CREB expression was determined by real-time-PCR method. ELISA analysis was also applied for assessing the serum BDNF level. Results: The data indicated that morphine treatment could cause a significant decrease in BDNF and CREB gene expression(P<0.01 and P<0.001, respectively) in brain VTA as well as serum level of BDNF(P<0.01) in comparison to control group. Treatment with 25 mg/kg crocin carotenoid caused a significant enhancement in BDNF and CREF gene expression(P<0.01 and P<0.05, respectively) and serum level of BDNF(P<0.01) in morphine-treated rats in comparison to morphine-treated group. Conclusions: Regarding to obtained results, crocin carotenoid can inhibit unfavorable effects of morphine on the neural system to some extent through enhancing BDNF and CREB gene expression in brain VTA and serum level of BDNF.