Feeding ecology and interactions with mammal hosts in a symbiotic genus of birds(Buphagus spp.)in Namibia

As the sole obligate symbiotic birds in Africa,oxpeckers offer a unique model for studying symbiotic relationships.Due to the multitrophic level they occupy and the context dependent foraging behavior they exhibit,the type of symbiotic relationship can be variable.In addition to providing a cleaning service to the host by removing ticks,oxpeckers frequently feed on blood,mucus,and saliva,inflicting potential damage on the host.Here,we used DNA metabarcoding on faecal samples to analyze the taxonomic composition of the trophic interactions of the Yellow-billed Oxpecker(Buphagus africanus)and Red-billed Oxpecker(B.erythrorhynchus)in northeastern Namibia.In contrast to conventional methods,DNA metabarcoding allows for a detailed identification of dietary resources encompassing both mammal hosts and consumed arthropods within the same samples.With this information,we examined differences in the diet composition between oxpecker species and localities,as well as the co-occurrence between host and arthropod species.Our findings revealed that oxpeckers predominantly source their diet from mammals,ticks,and flies;however,ticks and flies rarely co-occur in the diet of an individual.We observed variability among individuals in their feeding ecology,which is strongly correlated with locality and,to a lesser extent,with the mammal host.We noted a high degree of mobility between hosts within relatively short periods,with 32%of the samples showing traces of at least two mammal hosts.This study illustrates the dynamic foraging behavior of these specialized symbiotic birds,shedding light on their potential role in pest control services and disease transmission.

A bibliometric analysis using machine learning to track paradigm shifts and analytical advances in forest ecology and forestry journal publications from 2010 to 2022

Forest habitats are critical for biodiversity,ecosystem services,human livelihoods,and well-being.Capacity to conduct theoretical and applied forest ecology research addressing direct(e.g.,deforestation)and indirect(e.g.,climate change)anthropogenic pressures has benefited considerably from new field-and statistical-techniques.We used machine learning and bibliometric structural topic modelling to identify 20 latent topics comprising four principal fields from a corpus of 16,952 forest ecology/forestry articles published in eight ecology and five forestry journals between 2010 and 2022.Articles published per year increased from 820 in 2010 to 2,354 in 2021,shifting toward more applied topics.Publications from China and some countries in North America and Europe dominated,with relatively fewer articles from some countries in West and Central Africa and West Asia,despite globally important forest resources.Most study sites were in some countries in North America,Central Asia,and South America,and Australia.Articles utilizing R statistical software predominated,increasing from 29.5%in 2010 to 71.4%in 2022.The most frequently used packages included lme4,vegan,nlme,MuMIn,ggplot2,car,MASS,mgcv,multcomp and raster.R was more often used in forest ecology than applied forestry articles.R software offers advantages in script and workflow-sharing compared to other statistical packages.Our findings demonstrate that the disciplines of forest ecology/forestry are expanding both in number and scope,aided by more sophisticated statistical tools,to tackle the challenges of redressing forest habitat loss and the socio-economic impacts of deforestation.

Landscape Architecture Planning and Design Based on Landscape Ecology Theory:A Case Study of Waterfront Landscape Planning and Design of Dapo Town

With the rapid development of urbanization,landscape architecture has become an indispensable component of daily life.In order to achieve better landscape effects and protect the ecological environment,landscape ecology theory can be integrated into landscape planning to carry out disciplinary crossing and integration research between landscape ecology and landscape architecture.In this study,based on the basic theories of landscape ecology,the waterfront landscape of Dapo Town was designed,with the aim to achieve ecological balance in planning,showcase biodiversity,and create a harmonious landscape ecological environment which can benefit both nature and people.This design combined artificial and natural elements while improving the natural environment,which promoted a harmonious relationship between humans and nature,thus enriching the spatial organization of the city,and playing a role in regulating the urban environment and climate.

Study on the Aesthetic Deformation of Micro Short Drama Audience from the Perspective of Media Ecology

Micro short drama is a new form of fictional narrative in the environment of digital intelligent media,which attracts the attention of the audience in the era of fragmentation and forms an explosive growth of the industrial market with the characteristics of short content,concentrated dramatic conflict and quick plot reversal.However,the“viral”dissemination of micro short drama makes the audience’s aesthetics show the aesthetic deformation characteristics of earthy,ugly and non-reality.The article applies media ecology Neil Postman’s theories of“entertainment to death”and“technological monopoly”to observe the impact of micro short dramas on audience aesthetics in order to optimize the market of micro short dramas and guide the healthy development of audience aesthetics.

Floristic and Structural Analysis of Urban Tree Canopy: From Its Ecology to Its Social Issues

Currently, urban areas are the largest segment of the world’s population, and they can reach up to 80% of it in some countries. Understanding green areas is of paramount importance to also understand the population’s mental health and well-being, as well as to achieve ecological understanding and its impact on urban infrastructure. Thus, the aim of the present study is to carry out a survey on both urban afforestation structure and on its social impact on a Brazilian municipality. It also sought to understand the damages caused by these species to urban infrastructure in comparison to data collected in 2009, to assess forest coverage in this municipality and tree planting underutilized capacity. Accordingly, all the streets in this municipality’s urban area, the botanical data of each tree and its damage to the city’s infrastructure and phytosanitary conditions were surveyed (from 1 to 5). Data were compared to those from the 2009 census, and social issues were analyzed. In total, 5044 individuals belonging to 189 species were recorded. The most often found species were Lagerstroemia indica and Murraya paniculata. Out of the total number of trees, 458 trees scored at least one score “5” in one of the criteria, and this number represents 8.9% of the total of the trees. L. indica was the species accounting for the highest rates of phytosanitary and infrastructure issues. Data comparison evidenced that urban tree canopy lost 25% of its vegetation between the two measurements taken herein, but the number of species has increased. When it comes to damages, many trees started showing phytosanitary issues or damage to urban infrastructure.

Ecology

What is it?Ecology is the science of how humans,animals and plants live together.For example,in the city you can find birds,rats,insects and plants that all live in the same space.Many of them eat things that people don’t want any more.If you go to a forest,you can see different kinds of plants,insects,small animals like rabbits and birds living there;they all eat different things in the forest,and some eat each other!

Discussion on Influencing Factors of Water Resources Environment and Strategies for Protecting Water Ecology

At present,the major problems facing the water resource environment worldwide include water pollution,water resource shortage,and water ecosystem degradation.The discharge of industrial wastewater,agricultural non-point source pollution,and the discharge of urban sewage lead to a serious decline in water quality,which directly affects the safety of human drinking water and the living environment of aquatic organisms.Additionally,the unbalanced distribution and excessive exploitation of water resources lead to the problem of water shortage in many areas,which then leads to social and economic contradictions and ecological crises.In terms of ecosystems,the phenomena of water ecological degradation and reduction of biodiversity are increasingly obvious,and the carrying capacity of aquatic ecosystems are gradually declining.This paper aims to analyze the natural,social,and economic factors affecting the water resource environment,and propose effective strategies to protect the water ecology.To provide a theoretical basis and practical guidance for the sustainable utilization of water resources and the long-term development of the water ecosystem.

Xiamen after 20 Years of Ecological Transformation

The efforts Xiamen has made in ecological protection over the last 20 years have helped it become a beautiful and clean city.TWENTY years ago,I had the opportunity to travel to the city of Xiamen in southeastern China’s Fujian Province.Unfortunately,due to the fact that I was in a rush,I did not have the chance to see the whole city.My memory of Xiamen was its pleasant climate and unforgettable beauty-I knew if I ever got the opportunity,I would revisit this place.Twenty years went by until I was able to return to this city again.After emerging from the airport,I realized that I had grown older,while Xiamen was becoming increasingly youthful and vibrant.What exactly had given this city such vitality?

Ecological security pattern construction using landscape ecological quality:A case study of Yanchi County,northern China

Ecological security patterns are paramount to the advancement of an ecological civilization in China,aiming to enhance the stability and service functions of ecosystems to achieve sustainable regional development.However,current regional ecological protection efforts have not been effectively integrated into the regional development planning of ecological security pattern.This study systematically assessed the effectiveness of ecological protection projects in Yanchi County,Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region,China,through the evaluation of landscape ecological quality.Based on the evaluation results of landscape ecological quality,this study used morphological pattern analysis(MSPA),minimum cumulative resistance(MCR)model,and gravity model together to construct the ecological security pattern of Yanchi County.The findings revealed that from 1990 to 2020,with the implementation of ecological protection projects started from 2000,the landscape stability of Yanchi County first decreased and then increased,and the intensity of landscape disturbance first intensified but then decreased,indicating an improvement in the landscape ecological quality and a significant enhancement of the ecological environment in Yanchi County.The ecological security pattern of Yanchi County consisted of 10 ecological sources,10 ecological source points,23 ecological corridors,and 27 ecological nodes.The ecological security pattern of Yanchi County exhibited distinct spatial variations,with stronger ecological security observed in the southern part than in northern part of the county.The ecological sources were denser in the southern part than in the northern part of the county,and accordingly,the length of ecological corridors was shorter and denser in the southern than that in the northern part of the county.Based on the spatial distribution of landscape ecological quality and the characteristics of ecological security pattern of Yanchi County in 2020,we suggested Yanchi County to build four zones to optimize the ecological security pattern construction:the Haba Lake ecological conservation zone,the urban ecological planning zone,the ecological environment restoration zone,and the ecological security improvement zone.This study can provide essential guidance for the construction of ecological security pattern in farming-pastoral areas both in China and worldwide.

Land use/cover change and ecological network in Gansu Province,China during 2000-2020 and their simulations in 2050

Land use/cover change(LUCC)constitutes the spatial and temporal patterns of ecological security,and the construction of ecological networks is an effective way to ensure ecological security.Exploring the spatial and temporal change characteristics of ecological network and analyzing the integrated relationship between LUCC and ecological security are crucial for ensuring regional ecological security.Gansu is one of the provinces with fragile ecological environment in China,and rapid changes in land use patterns in recent decades have threatened ecological security.Therefore,taking Gansu Province as the study area,this study simulated its land use pattern in 2050 using patch-generating land use simulation(PLUS)model based on the LUCC trend from 2000 to 2020 and integrated the LUCC into morphological spatial pattern analysis(MSPA)to identify ecological sources and extract the ecological corridors to construct ecological network using circuit theory.The results revealed that,according to the prediction results in 2050,the areas of cultivated land,forest land,grassland,water body,construction land,and unused land would be 63,447.52,39,510.80,148,115.18,4605.21,8368.89,and 161,752.40 km^(2),respectively.The number of ecological sources in Gansu Province would increase to 80,with a total area of 99,927.18 km^(2).The number of ecological corridors would increase to 191,with an estimated total length of 6120.66 km.Both ecological sources and ecological corridors showed a sparse distribution in the northwest and dense distribution in the southeast of the province at the spatial scale.The number of ecological pinch points would reach 312 and the total area would expect to increase to 842.84 km^(2),with the most pronounced increase in the Longdong region.Compared with 2020,the number and area of ecological barriers in 2050 would decrease significantly by 63 and 370.71 km^(2),respectively.In general,based on the prediction results,the connectivity of ecological network of Gansu Province would increase in 2050.To achieve the predicted ecological network in 2050,emphasis should be placed on the protection of cultivated land and ecological land,the establishment of ecological sources in desert areas,the reinforcement of the protection for existing ecological sources,and the construction of ecological corridors to enhance the stability of ecological network.This study provides valuable theoretical support and references for the future construction of ecological networks and regional land resource management decision-making.

Genomic insights into ecological adaptation of oaks revealed byphylogenomic analysis of multiple species

Understanding the ecological adaptation of tree species can not only reveal the evolutionary potential but also benefit biodiversity conservation under global climate change.Quercus is a keystone genus in Northern Hemisphere forests,and its wide distribution in diverse ecosystems and long evolutionary history make it an ideal model for studying the genomic basis of ecological adaptations.Here we used a newly sequenced genome of Quercus gilva,an evergreen oak species from East Asia,with 18 published Fagales genomes to determine how Fagaceae genomes have evolved,identify genomic footprints of ecological adaptability in oaks in general,as well as between evergreen and deciduous oaks.We found that oak species exhibited a higher degree of genomic conservation and stability,as indicated by the absence of large-scale chromosomal structural variations or additional whole-genome duplication events.In addition,we identified expansion and tandem repetitions within gene families that contribute to plant physical and chemical defense(e.g.,cuticle biosynthesis and oxidosqualene cyclase genes),which may represent the foundation for the ecological adaptation of oak species.Circadian rhythm and hormone-related genes may regulate the habits of evergreen and deciduous oaks.This study provides a comprehensive perspective on the ecological adaptations of tree species based on phylogenetic,genome evolutionary,and functional genomic analyses.

Review on physiological and ecological characteristics and agronomic regulatory pathways of intercropping to delay root and canopy senescence of crops

Intercropping has been widely used in arid and semi-arid regions because of its high yield,stable productivity,and efficient utilization of resources.However,in recent years,the high yield of traditional intercropping is mainly attributed to the large amount of purchased resources such as water and fertilizer,plastic film,and mechanical power.These lead to a decline in cultivated land quality and exacerbate intercrops'premature root and canopy senescence.So,the application of traditional intercropping faces major challenges in crop production.This paper analyzes the manifestations,occurrence mechanisms,and agronomic regulatory pathways of crop senescence.The physiological and ecological characteristics of intercropping to delay root and canopy senescence of crops are reviewed in this paper.The main agronomic regulatory pathways of intercropping to delay root and canopy senescence of crops are based on above-and blow-ground interactions,including collocation of crop varieties,spatial arrangement,water and fertilizer management,and tillage and mulch practices.Future research fields of intercropping to delay root and canopy senescence should focus on the aspects of selecting and breeding special varieties,application of molecular biology techniques,and developing or applying models to predict and evaluate the root and canopy senescence process of intercrops.Comprehensive analysis and evaluation of different research results could provide a basis for enhancing intercropping delay root and canopy senescence through adopting innovative technologies for regulating the physio-ecological characteristics of intercrops.This would support developing and adopting high-yield,efficient,and sustainable intercropping systems in arid and semi-arid areas with high population density,limited land,and abundant light and heat resources.

Territorial Ecological Restoration with a High-carbon Storage Focus in the Beibu Gulf Urban Agglomeration of China:Insights from Carbon Metabolism Spatial Security Patterns

This study focuses on urgent research on restoring and enhancing carbon storage capacity in the Beibu Gulf Urban Agglomer-ation of China,a key area in the‘Belt and Road’Initiative,which aligns with carbon peaking and neutrality goals.This research ana-lyzes the spatial characteristics of carbon metabolism from 2000 to 2020 and uses models to identify stable carbon sink areas,positive carbon flow corridors,and carbon sequestration nodes.The goal is to construct a carbon metabolism spatial security pattern(CMSSP)and propose territorial ecological restoration strategies under different development demand scenarios.The results show the following:1)in 2020,the study area’s carbon sink decreased by 8.29×10^(4) t C/yr compared with that in 2010 and by 10.83×10^(4) t C/yr compared with that in 2000.High-carbon sinks were found mainly in mountainous areas,whereas low-carbon sinks are concentrated in urban con-struction land,rural residential areas,and land margins.2)From 2000 to 2020,the spatial security pattern of carbon metabolism tended to be‘high in the middle of the east and west and low in the gulf.’In 2000,2010,and 2020,16 stable carbon sinks were identified.The carbon energy flow density in Guangxi was greater than that in Guangdong and Hainan,with positive carbon flow corridors located primarily in Guangxi and Guangdong.The number of carbon sequestration nodes remained stable at approximately 15,mainly in Guangxi and Hainan.3)Scenario simulations revealed that under the Nature-based mild restoration scenario,the carbon sink rate will reach 611.85×10^(4) t C/yr by 2030 and increase to 612.45×10^(4) t C/yr by 2060,with stable carbon sinks increasing to 18.In the restora-tion scenario based on Anti-globalization,the carbon sink will decrease from 610.24×10^(4) t C/yr in 2030 to 605.19×10^(4) t C/yr in 2060,with the disappearance of some positive carbon flow corridors and stable carbon sinks.Under the Human-based sustainable restoration scenario,the carbon sink area will decrease from 607.00×10^(4) t C/yr in 2030 to 596.39×10^(4) t C/yr in 2060,with carbon sink areas frag-menting and positive carbon flow corridors becoming less dense.4)On the basis of the current and predicted CMSSPs,this study ex-plores spatial ecological restoration strategies for high-carbon storage areas in bay urban agglomerations at four levels:the land control region,urban agglomeration structure system,carbon sink structure and bay structure control region.

通过《Landscape Ecology》杂志看国际景观生态学研究动向

《LandscapeEcology》是刊载景观生态学文章的重要期刊。本文以该期刊为研究对象 ,总结自 1987年创刊以来所刊载的 5 72篇文章的关键词所体现出的景观生态学的学科体系 (理论 -原理、研究方法、实际应用 )、研究内容 (景观格局、景观过程、景观变化 )和研究对象 (景观类型、景观要素 )的发展历程 ,并对这些关键词进行时段归类和统计分析 ,提炼出各时段的研究热点并分析未来景观生态学热点发展方向。

Application of N: P Stoichiometry to Ecology Studies

Stoichiometry has long been addressed in the studies of ecosystem ecology, but it was almost ignored for a long time. Until recently, ecologists have become aware that stoichiometry could provide a new tool to study ecology from genes to the biosphere. Among this trend, N:P stoichiometry is used actively in ecological interactions since nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) are the two most important elements in most ecosystems. This article reviews the application of N:P stoichiometry to the studies of ecological problems at different levels, including ecosystem, community and species. Meanwhile, we also provide the cellular basis of N:P stoichiometry, identify the shortages in the use of N:P stoichiometry theory, and put forward some perspectives for future research to be conducted.

Molecular Ecology of Lower Subtropical Species, Schima superba and Castanopsis chinensis in Three Succession Series Communities

Amplified fragment length polymorphism(AFLP)was used to analyze 2 populations: Schima superba Gardn. et Champ. and Castanopsis chinensis Hance. across three different communities representing three succession stages, in Dinghu Mountain, China. These two were middle succession species in the lower subtropical broad_leaved forest. Four AFLP primer combinations using total 48 individuals of S. superba provided 24, 40, 27 and 27 reliable bands, of which 15, 23, 23 and 16 were polymorphic, respectively. Similarly, total 48 individuals of C. chinensis provided 27, 20, 33 and 39 reliable bands, of which 12, 5, 15 and 13 were polymorphic respectively. These bands were used as presence/absence data to assess the levels of genetic variation and population structure of those species. From average heterozygosity, S. superba possessed higher molecular variation than C. chinensis . Analysis of molecular variance(AMOVA)indicated that most of the genetic variation of S. superba was due to the differences within population(95.99%, P <0.001), with 4.01% ( P <0.001)genetic variation among population. Similarly, AMOVA indicated the most of the genetic variation of C. chinensis was due to the differences within population(75.36%, P <0.001), with 24.64%( P <0.001)genetic variation among communities(24.64%). DCA(Detrended Correspondence Analysis) analysis showed that the individuals of S. superba from the same community did not cluster together, while the individuals of C. chinensis from the same community roughly cluster together. The above results reflected the biological characteristics of the two different species suggesting the significant effect of microenvironment of different community on population differentiation and its relationship of which to forest succession resulted in genetic divergence.

Study on The Ecology System of Hani Terraced Paddy Fields

The ecology system of Hani Terraced Paddy Fields is the typical repre-sentative of the ecological agriculture in the southwestern mountainous areas of our country. After long-term development, Hani ecology system has developed, cored by＂forest-vil age-terrace-river＂, including paddy cultivation system, forests and ecologi-cal maintenance, folk culture and construction of water facilities. This research ex-plored the details of the structure and functions of the ecology system of Hani ter-raced fields. And il ustrates that the system is a new model of agriculture ecological civilization and deserves further study and more applications.

Leaf epidermal characters of Lonicera japonica and Lonicera confuse and their ecology adaptation

The leaf epidermis of Japanese honeysuckle （Lonicera japonica Thunb.） and Wild Honeysuckle （Lonicera confusa） in the genus of Flos Lonicerae were mainly observed by scanning electron microscopes （SEM） to study the characteristics of stomata, trichomes and dermal cell, etc.. The results showed that stoma exists only on the lower epidermis and its distribution is irregular, and leaf epidermis consist of epidermis cells, stoma complexes and bushy trichomes including glandular hair and non-glandular hair. On the upper epidermis, anticlinal wall caves in sinuous groove to countercheck the transpiration. Evidences from leaf morphological structures serve as another proof on drought-resistant mechanisms. Some strumaes distributing regularly are hypothesized as oxalic calcium on the lower epidermis under laser scanning confocal microscopy （LSCM） with Fluo-3/AM, which can increase their endurance to drought stress. Therefore, the above characteristics of Flos Lonicerae can reduce the loss of water and make Japanese honeysuckle and Wild Honeysuckle adapt to the droughty environment at Karst area in southwest China. However, there is some difference of the two species. From the SEM （Scanning Electron Microscopy） result, it is shown that on the upper epidermis, some glandular hair regularly present along the midrib of Japanese honeysuckle, but Wild Honeysuckle has no glandular hair on the upper epidermis, which can verify the relationships of Flos Lonicerae species and provide the significance for classification of Flos Lonicerae.

Riverine Ecology Restoration through Ecological Engineering and Naturalization

[Objective] The aim was to improve and restore destroyed riverine and water ecosystem and to prevent bio-diversity from deteriorating in Jari demonstration plot in Ethiopia. [Method] Biological engineering and naturalization were made use of to protect nature and restore wetland as per Succession Theory. [Result] Both of eco- environment and eco-functions of Mille River were restored through reconstruction of biocenosis in wetlands. [Conclusion] It is feasible to implement matched ecological projects in semiarid regions in East Africa, providing references for restoration and protection of local water resources.

Review of forest ecology studies in China

As the most important type or component in the terrestrial ecosystems, forest ecosystem makes its role obviously prominent and important on environment and human being. It possesses non-substitutable functions in the process of sustainable development. However, due to the complexity of the forest ecosystem and the relatively delay or lack of the related research technology, the science is still in the case of immature and questions. This paper summarized and reviewed briefly the development and the present case of the forest ecology, then pointed out the existing problems in the forest ecosystem researches. In the end, we discussed several fields that need to pay more attention to in future researches.