Discussion on the Construction of Ecological Water Network in Guangxi Province of China

The water network plays an important role in maintaining the stability of regional water resource and ecological environment.It is also affecting the harmonious development between environment and economy.Guangxi is one of the provinces with relatively rich water resources in China,while the ecological water network exists deficiencies and faces challenges.The current situation and defects of ecological water network in Guangxi province will be discussed.By studying the experience of the establishing and the preserve of ecological water network in various regions at home and abroad,some suggestions and targeted measures will be mentioned for a better ecological water network in Guangxi.

Local Perceptions on the Status,Values and Conservation and Ethnobotanical Implications of Medicinal and Multipurpose Plants in and Around Selected Church Forests in Central Ethiopia

Societies have varied attitude and perception on the forest resources nearby them.Ethnobotanical knowledge should be integrated with biophysical studies in order to be used for managing and conserving forests.The objectives of the study were to assess the existing knowledge about the uses of plant species and to examine the plant species.Three sites were selected around central Ethiopia encompassing three church forests.Focus group discussion,questionnaire-based social survey and vegetation inventory were undertaken.The focus group discussants were selected from traditional healers,elders of the society,development agents,and people who are knowledgeable about the vegetation of the areas.Voucher specimens were collected for those species difficult to identify.The data analysis was done by descriptive statistics using Excel 2010 and SPSS v20.The results indicated agricultural expansion,charcoal making and fuel wood as the major causes of deforestation in Site 1,Site 2 and Site 3 respectively.Religious preaching was stated by group discussants as the most effective solution to reverse the degradation and to protect the church forests.The plant species have varied uses as traditional medicine,food,construction wood,household utensils,and firewood but higher percent of the mentioned species were used either for human or livestock medicine.Sørensen similarity index indicated Site 1 and Site 2 have 12.5%,Site 1 and Site 3 have 10.9%and Site 2 and Site 3 have 43.5%similarities.Documenting the wealth of indigenous knowledge and in situ conservation of the plant species are key recommendations.

Ecology under Fire:Ecological Science in a Post-truth World

We have all witnessed the eroding trust of science and scientists in today’s world.The impact of this has profound implications for everyday life.Failure to trust science weakens the fabric of society,whether it involves global climate change,environmental oversight and regulation,or even our understanding of the origin of pandemic diseases.The field of ecology is critical to informing all these disciplines.Thus,as ecologists we stand at a crossroad in this fight for the truth in a post-truth world.

GIS Based Approach to Determine the Changes of Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) Cover and Relation with Lesser Whistling Teal (Dendrocygna javanica) Assemblage at Santragachi Wetland, West Bengal

The present investigation is conducted to study the year wise (2011to 2018) changes of water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) cover atSantragachi Lake a Wetland under National Wetland ConservationProgramme of India. Further the relationship between water hyacinthcover and the most abundant migratory waterbirds of Satragachi, LesserWhistling Teal (LWT;Dendrocygna javanica) is assessed because this birdspecies is prefer depending on water hyacinth mat for their roosting. Thestudy comprises of eight satellite images procured from Google earth (2011to 2018) to explore this relationship. A marked decline in the number ofLWT at Santragachi wetland is observed in the year of 2017 and 2018. Itis very interesting fact that from 2017-2018, the water hyacinth mat of thiswetland is almost cleared before winter and the result of cluster analysissupports this fact. Significant positive correlation is also observed withinLWT number and water hyacinth cover area (r = 0.7481 at p< 0.05) alongwith the total perimeter (r = 0.8648 at p< 0.05) of the water hyacinthislands at Santragachi wetland. However, open water area is also neededfor diving, swimming, food searching for the LWT and other waterbirds.Therefore, more study is needed to optimize the clearing operations,focused on optimizing the shape and size of water hyacinth islands forproper management of the waterbirds habitat.

External Morphology and Ultrastructure of Tegumental Glands of Aegla platensis(Crustacea,Anomura,Aeglidae)Pleopods:Might They Play A Role in Egg Attachment?

Egg incubation on the female abdomen is the parental care behavior observed in aeglids,in which eggs are kept adhered to maternal pleopods and maintained,cleaned and aerated.In A.platensis,egg attachment occurs with the aid of pleopodal setae,which are twisted around their axis in the distal region,forming the funiculus,and pleopodal glands,which are responsible for the production of the adhesive substance that seems to be involved in egg fixation to pleopodal setae.Those glands are acini formed by secretory cells arranged concentrically around a central duct,giving them a rosette appearance.Two types of secretory cells were observed,those that produce electron-lucid vesicles and those having electron-dense ones.Both kinds of vesicles are released in a duct whose opening pore is located on the pleopodal surface and constitute the adhesive substance that coats eggs and pleopodal setae,ensuring egg fixation to the female body and maternal care maintenance.This study investigates the internal and external morphology of Aegla platensis pleopods,to understand the egg attachment process and identify the structures involved in this phenomenon.Three microscopy techniques are used:scanning electron microscopy(SEM),transmission electron microscopy(TEM),and optical microscopy(OM).

Analysis on Landscape Ecological Design in Landscape Architecture

With the continuous improvement of China’s economic level, the people’s cultural literacy is gradually increasing, and the same people are increasingly pursuing new changes and changes in the quality of life. At present, most people are not only satisfied with the basic needs of life, but also have a new height and pursuit in the improvement of new life quality. In the current landscape design field, people are increasingly demanding landscape design. How to design urban landscape design that meets the real needs of people under current social conditions is one of the hottest topics in the current landscape design industry. As an important component in the construction of landscape architecture, effective landscape ecological design plays an important role in maintaining the sustainable development of urban ecological environment and enhancing the visual beauty of landscape architecture. Therefore, it is necessary to pay more attention to the ecological design of the landscape, clarify the ideas and principles of ecological design, and realize the improvement of the safety and aesthetics of the landscape ecological design in the construction of landscape architecture. Then, this paper gives a brief overview and analysis of some design concepts, design principles and design points in landscape ecological design in current landscape architecture, which aims to promote the quality improvement of the landscape ecological design in the current Landscape architecture and promote the progress and development of the overall landscape ecological design industry.

Study of Bio-fertilizer Produced from Agro-waste (Sesame Straw) and Cow Dung Using Eisenia fetida and Perionyx sansibaricus in Arid Environment

In this study,an analysis of organic fertilizer of an agro-waste(Sesame straw)plus cow dung was carried out using an epigeic earthworm species Eisenia fetida and Perionyx sansibaricus.Sesame straw is abundantly produced after each harvesting of the crop in Kharif season in arid region of tropical India.The compost produced in presence and absence of earthworm exhibit significant(P<0.001)and non-significant(P>0.05)changes in physicochemical properties respectively.In control bedding,the values of water holding capacity enhanced significantly(P<0.05)by 1.28 fold,while organic carbon and C/N ratio decreased significantly(P<0.05)by 19.93%and 31.25%respectively after 60 days of composting.Working of E.fetida in the bedding material showed significant(P<0.001)difference in the level of pH,electrical conductivity,water holding capacity,organic carbon,total nitrogen,C/N ratio,available phosphorous and available potassium.After 60 days of working of P.sansibaricus,these physicochemical properties of the bedding substrate also changed significantly(P<0.001).Analysis of vermibed showed a gradual increase in electrical conductivity,water holding capacity,total nitrogen,available phosphorus and available potassium by 1.51,1.86,1.95,1.78 and 1.75 fold respectively.While the values of pH,organic carbon and C/N ratio declined by 9.30%,41.80%and 71.48%respectively within 60 days of decomposition.Thus,E.fetida and P.sansibaricus can be applied for production of organic fertilizer of sesame chaff plus cow dung to fulfill the requirement of bio-fertilizers for organic farming and agro-waste management in arid environment.

Diversity and Threats of Avifauna in Cheleleka Wetland,Central Rift Valley of Ethiopia

This study was conducted in Cheleleka Wetland,Central Rift Valley of Ethiopia to assess Species diversity and threats of aviafuana from August to February 2019.Data were analysed by using Simpson’s and Shannon-Weiner Index in analysing biodiversity indices.One way ANOVA was applied for analysis of the effect of season on the composition and abundance of species.Questionnaire surveys,key informant interviews and focus group discussion were also used to determine the threats of avifauna in the study area.The result indicated that 49 avian species record under 21 families and 10 orders during both the wet and dry seasons.The Shannon-Weiner diversity index shown that highest bird species diversity(H’=3.42)was recorded during wet season.Over grazing,agricultural expansion,settlement and sand extraction were the major avifaunal threats in the wetland.The result suggests that the need to conserve the avifauna through the conservation of their habitats by creating awareness to the local people and it will enable to decrease biodiversity threats.

A Review of Research on Ecological Economics Based on Bibliometrics

The development of ecological economics is a major strategy for development in the 21st century.Although scholars have been rising more and more interesting for ecological economic over the past 10 years,it is still unclear what is the change will be facing in the future.In order to provide a theoretical basis for the future development of ecological economy,our article analyzes the current research progress of ecological economy on the basis of a bibliometric analysis.The results show that(1)sustainable development of an ecological economy is a hot research topic;(2)there is little cooperation and exchange between institutions and among scholars regarding ecological economics;(3)the number of publications on ecological economics is increasing,with a relatively large number being published in China.Therefore,we must strengthen the cooperation between institutions and among scholars and improve the research content,vision,and methods in this field.This study provides a theoretical basis for the future development of ecological economy.

A Review of 2022 Publications in“Research in Ecology”

This year,there was a total of 17 publications published in form of articles,reviews,short communication and ed­itorial.These publications have been read by 3693 times and downloaded by 792 times within the year.The content of the publications contains many aspects of ecology,such as population distribution,fungi species,water ecosystem,plant diversity,machine learning methods,biodiversity,ecotourism,forest structure,biogeographic network,and so on.The authors come from Africa,Asia,America and Europe.Wherein the article entitled“Butterfly Diversity in Relation to Human-Impact Gradient in Outskirts of Kolk­ata,West Bengal,India”written by Mollah KB and Man­dal S[1]had a high view and download times.

Climate Change and Biodiversity in West Africa Sahel: A Review

Climate change has many effects on biodiversity.Few studies have focused on the consequences of climate change on biodiversity in West Africa Sahel which is one of the most sensitive regions to climate change.Thus,this study examined the different effects of climate change on biodiversity in West Africa Sahel to guide climate policies.The authors used Google Scholar,Mendeley,ResearchGate,Science-direct,and selected websites of institutions in West Africa and the Sahel for the literature review,with selected keywords in French and English via Boolean operators from 2000 to 2022.The results identified many manifestations of climate change such as drought,lightning,floods,high winds,heavy rains,diseases,extreme heat,and conflicts that affect living things in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems in these regions.For example,15,000 animals died in Niger and 26,000 in Mali due to flood-related events.In Burkina,41 people died,112 injured,and 12,378 households were left homeless in 13 regions.In Senegal,water stress in the basin is increasingly close to 5,800 m^(3) per person per year.Demographic pressure and planned irrigation projects along Niger and Senegal Rivers have resulted in a significant 25%-60%decline in flows over the past 30 years,causing increasingly severe low flows,frequent interruptions in water flows,drying up of reservoirs and reduced water supply to cities.Rainwater harvesting,afforestation,soil fertility regeneration practices and crop diversification are some biodiversity restoration activities limiting climate change effects in the Sahelian countries of West Africa.These practices have contributed to strengthening the resilience of ecosystems in most of communities.However,priority should be given to policies that raise communities’awareness on the importance of biodiversity conservation and take sustainable and innovative measures to deal with the consequences of floods,droughts,and heat waves,which are the most severe.

Urban Design Embracing the Wind Environment: Bezigrad Neighbourhood Case Study in Ljubljana, Slovenia

Urban climate is considered one of the most important environmental criteria in urban planning,since it significantly affects the project and its placement in the space.Climate conditions are central to the study,with winds in the urban environment,their direction,intensity and changes taken into consideration designing the new interventions in space.The results of the case study were applied to the project with the intention of supporting and guiding the urban design in order to improve the comfort and quality of the environment.In this article,I explore the question of how individual morphological models affect the micro-and macroclimate conditions.The initial urban solution of the Novi Bezigrad neighbourhood is presented as a realistic model project responding to the existing urban and architectural practices and legal provisions.The project was tested in a computer model and was analysed in terms of the positive and negative effects of its impact on the wind in the planning area and the wider area in the surrounding area.The final urban design derives from the results of wind analysis.

Local Community Participation in Rhino Conservation-Key to Conservation Success

A robust framework to guide community engagement in sustainable wildlife conservation and illegal wildlife trade is lacking.Virtually all conservation bodies and players believe that local communities are key to the success of rhino conservation but they are not equally walking their talk.Bottom-up community-based initiatives help to curb poaching especially level one poachers.The multifaceted problem of the African rhinoceros poaching on the continent is approaching calamitous proportions,with astounding,sobering statistics revealing the sheer extent of the illegal practice today.Poverty,greediness,superstition,rampant corruption,unchecked social injustice,ruthlessness,and ignorance are fuelling the interplay of rhino horn demand and supply.In order to save the remaining rhinoceros species there is need for economic transformation which will benefit both the communities and wildlife.Communities should get direct financial benefits from rhinoceros conservation,capacitate them and always engage them in rhinoceros conservation matters.Rhino protection should be incentivized,increasing the number of local people benefiting from conservation,and decreasing hostility towards wildlife will motivate local people to fully embrace conservation efforts.These conservation efforts should first target level one poachers who are vulnerable and exposed,by developing a comprehensive profitable and lucrative community participation packages in all rhino properties.Conservationists should walk their talk and genuinely work with local communities to build support for rhino conservation through education,awareness,self-sustaining business ventures and employment.

Insect Pests Control of Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) by Using Plant Aqueous Extracts in Korhogo Area (Northern Côte d’Ivoire, West Africa)

In this study,we monitored for the impact of three aqueous extracts of plants(Azadirachta indica,Hyptis suaveolens and Solanum lycopersicum)on insect pests abundance in okra(Abelmoschus esculentus L.)crop,compared to a synthetic chemical«SAUVEUR 62 EC»,having as active ingredients,acetamiprid 32g/l and Lambda-cyhalothrin 30g/l.Foliar applications by these extracts were done using manual sprayers.After treatment,the insects were caught using two methods(pitfall traps and colored bowls traps).A total of 6505 insects belonging to nine orders were recorded in four plots.The plot 1(9 orders)was the most diverse,followed by the plot 3(8 orders),the plot 2 and 4(7 orders respectively).Coleoptera,Lepidoptera,Diptera,Orthoptera and Hemiptera were the most frequents.The chemical treatment has impacted significantly the number of orders(p<0.05)but,the insect abundance was impacted significantly by the different biological treatments(p<0.05).This study showed that the aqueous extract of Solanum lycopercicum was more effective on the abundance of pests belonging to Hemiptera,while the aqueous extracts of Azadirachta indica and Hyptis suaveolens were effectives on the abundance of pests belonging to Coleoptera.The chemical treatment was effective on the pests belonging to both orders.

Impacts of Climate Change in Portugal:Common Perception of Causes and Consequences in Forest Development

Presently the world faces what most likely will be the greatest challenge humanity has ever faced.Climate change is a phenomenon,or rather a set of phenomena,that directly influences the daily lives of human populations all over the planet.However,this influence normally negative also affects ecosystems,with emphasis on agroforestry systems,of which human populations are directly dependent on food and in a large number of primary raw materials.It is with this premise as a starting point that this work makes an analysis on the current state of climate change in Portugal,since,being a country of Mediterranean climate influence,it should be one of the territories where changes will be felt with more intensity and severity.In this work,the current position on energy production in Portugal regarding Green House Gases(GHGs)emissions and the evolution prospects for the near future,namely in the perspective of the impacts caused on forest resources,are discussed.

Research Status, Problems and Direction of Soil Organic Carbon in Zoige Peat Wetland

Peatlands,as a special type of wetland,occupy only 3%of the Earth’s surface,but bear about one-third of the world’s soil carbon storage and play an important role in the global carbon cycle.The Zoige Wetland is located on the eastern edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau,and its peat reserves are up to 1.9 billion tons,accounting for more than 40%of the country’s peat resources,which is an important support for China to achieve the“double carbon”goal.This paper reviews the research status and storage estimation of soil organic carbon in Zoige Wetland.The statistical results show that there is a large difference in the estimation of carbon storage in the peatland of Zoige(0.43-1.42 Pg).The reasons are mainly related to marked differences in values reported for soil densities,organic carbon levels,and accu­mulation rates.There are still great uncertainties in the estimation of wetland carbon stocks,and future studies should focus on reducing soil carbon sink uncertainties,climate change,the impact of permafrost melting on carbon sink functions,the impact of degraded ecosystem restoration and sink enhancement pathways,and other greenhouse gas functions.In order to accurately reveal the current situation and future trend of carbon sink in peat wetlands,a model-multi-source observation data fusion system was constructed to complement the observation shortcomings in key ar­eas,and provide reference and support for the construction of carbon neutral ecological civilization.

Legume Green Manuring Improves Soil Fertility and Plant Growth of Eucalyptus Plantation in South Subtropical China

Legume green manure is extensively planted to improve soil fertility in crop field.However,the application of legume in Eucalyptus plantation is still limited and depends on site specific and species.Therefore,the objective of this study was to determine the effects of green manure interplantation on soil fertility and plant growth of Eucalyptus plantation in a short term.A field experiment of one year was established to investigate the green manure growth,forest soil nutrients and Eucalyptus plant growth inter-planted with two legume species(Tephrosia candida,TC and Sesbania cannabina,SC)at south subtropical China.Legumes were inter-planted in linear among the tree space of Eucalyptus stand.Result showed that the green manure inter-plantation increased soil organic matter by 9.66%of TC and 18.44%of SC.Soil available nitrogen,phosphorus and potassium were improved significantly by the legume treatments as well.The increment of height and diameter at breast height of Eucalyptus during the experiment was significant in legume treatments.Thus,the timber volume increment was improved significantly by 46.81%of TC and 35.47%of SC compared with the control treatment.Therefore,the inter-plantation of legume green manure under the Eucalyptus plantation is effective to improve soil fertility and tree growth.Such a measure is potential and referenced for the sustainable forest management.

The Biogeographic Network of Birds in the Brazilian Cerrado May Guide Conservation Efforts

The Brazilian Cerrado,characterized by grasslands,savannahs and riverine forests,is a biodiversity hotspot,threatened by the expansion of the agricultural frontier,and therefore,needs effective conservation actions.At the national level,the Cerrado core-region has received more conservation efforts than the marginal(non-core)areas,being considered more biodiverse.However,many marginal areas are also home to high species richness and endemism.Birds represent a highly diverse and widely distributed biological group,whose variety of functions gives them important roles in the maintenance of ecosystem services.In this study the authors analysed the distribution patterns of bird biodiversity in the Brazilian Cerrado and verified whether a separation into core and marginal Cerrado zones would make sense for birds’distribution,as this is an important issue concerning resources allocation for biodiversity conservation.The authors developed a biogeographic network analysis considering 42 sites with savannah vegetation distributed throughout the country and built two presence-absence matrices for birds-with and without species typical of the woodland Cerrado and forest physiognomies-and generated two biogeographic networks.The network without woodland/forest bird species showed no modularity,whereas the complete network produced three modules:Northwest,Centre-South and Centre-North.Network modularity was mainly determined by forest/woodland bird species.The Northwest region was richer and had a greater number of regional species compared to the other two modules;lower richness of bird species was found in the Centre-South region,which had more widespread species.The biogeographic pattern for the Cerrado birds perceived in this study did not evidence a clear dichotomy between core versus marginal regions.Therefore,the same conservation effort should be implemented throughout the Cerrado.

Environmental Education and Ecotourists:Experience from the Yucatan Coast,Mexico

Ecotourism is a tourism modality intricately linked to the principles of sustainability,due to its natural offer component and environmental education.The objective of this research is to evaluate the perception of ecotourists present on the coast of Yucatan.From a regional approach,the author selected twenty-five community-based ecotourism ventures(CBET)present in the area and analysed the perception of ecotourists through a questionnaire and its respective statistical analysis with non-parametric tests,and developed a general profile of the ecotourist applying a sociodemographic segmentation and based on a geographical segmentation the author compared the perceptions of two populations:national ecotourists and international ecotourists.The data reveal that the profile of the ecotourist on the coast of Yucatan is similar to that postulated in the literature.In terms of environmental perception the author found a significant difference in both populations,and believed that this difference is because the international market is more critical and demanding.In addition,areas of opportunity were documented in the CBETs in the way they carry out their environmental communication.The author concluded that ecotourism in the region is still an activity in consolidation and although it presents great achievements.It is still not possible to qualify it as a sustainable activity.We call for continuing deepening the studies of ecotourism demand and evaluation of perception,through comparative,longitudinal studies and with new variables that allow new test statistics,to contribute new elements to the ecotourism debate.

Effects of Forest Restoration Techniques on Community Diversity and Aboveground Biomass on Area Affected by Mining Tailings in Mariana,Southeastern Brazil

Currently there is an urgent and special attention in actions to restore tropical forests.In this study,we evaluated the effect of different restoration methods on aboveground biomass(AGB)stock,tree community diversity and structure,in areas affected by the Fundão tailings dam collapse in Mariana,Minas Gerais state,Brazil.We measured and compiled data of the AGB,community diversity and structure attributes in 36 plots distributed in six restoration treatments and six replicas:planting of native tree seedlings with fertilization and pH correction(PSf)and without fertilization and pH correction(PS);seeding of native trees with fertilization and pH correction(SDf)and without fertilization and pH correction(SD);natural regeneration with fertilization and pH correction(NRf)and without fertilization and pH correction(NR).No significant differences in substrate properties and AGB between treatments.Although biomass storage between treatments was not statistically different,there is a clear pattern showing higher values active restoration method.The Pielou index ranged from 0.520(SDf)to 0.943(NR),except for SDf all the others treatments had values higher than 0.76.This result suggests floristic heterogeneity,without ecological dominance in the plant community.Overall,active restoration had important implications for the forest restoration where natural regeneration is limited.