Landscape ecological risk assessment and driving factor analysis in southwest china.

Landscape ecological risk assessment and ecological network construction are of great significance for optimizing territorial functions and reducing regional ecological risks. Based on the production-living-ecological space perspective, this study evaluated the spatiotemporal differentiation characteristics of landscape ecological risk and its driving mechanism in Southwest China and constructed a landscape ecological network. The results showed that the proportions of ecological space, production space and living space to the total space in 2020 were 74.35%, 24.55% and 1.10%, respectively. The industrial production space had the highest growth rate, increasing by 9.8 times from 2000 to 2020. During the study period, the average value of the ecological risk index ranged from 0.2 to 0.21 for the whole landscape. The geographical distribution of ecological risk zones showed significant differences, with risk zones showing a transition from high-risk and low-risk to medium-risk zones. A total of 105 ecological corridors and 156 ecological nodes have been constructed in the 2020 ecological network. The northeastern part of the study area needs better landscape connectivity and should be focused on ecological protection. Random Forest (RF) and Geodetector modeling showed that anthropogenic disturbance and land use levels have strong explanatory power for the evolution of ecological risk in the landscape. The interactions between anthropogenic disturbance, natural climate and regional economy are essential factors in the spatiotemporal differentiation of ecological risk. This study provides scientific references for ecological risk research and the promotion of high-quality development in Southwest China.

On the structure of species-function participation in multilayer ecological networks.

Understanding how biotic interactions shape ecosystems and impact their functioning, resilience and biodiversity has been a sustained research priority in ecology. Yet, traditional assessments of ecological complexity typically focus on species-species interactions that mediate a particular function (e.g., pollination), overlooking both the synergistic effect that multiple functions might develop as well as the resulting species-function participation patterns that emerge in ecosystems that harbor multiple ecological functions. Here we propose a mathematical framework that integrates various types of biotic interactions observed between different species. Its application to recently collected data of an islet ecosystem-reporting 1537 interactions between 691 plants, animals and fungi across six different functions (pollination, herbivory, seed dispersal, decomposition, nutrient uptake, and fungal pathogenicity)-unveils a non-random, nested structure in the way plant species participate across different functions. The framework further allows us to identify a ranking of species and functions, where woody shrubs and fungal decomposition emerge as keystone actors whose removal have a larger-than-random effect on secondary extinctions. The dual insight-from species and functional perspectives-offered by the framework opens the door to a richer quantification of ecosystem complexity and to better calibrate the influence of multifunctionality on ecosystem functioning and biodiversity.

Evaluation and driving force analysis of ecological environment in low mountain and hilly regions based on optimized ecological index.

In low mountain and hilly regions, vegetation cover is higher and plant growth has an accumulative effect, sequestering carbon more strongly. The traditional remote sensing based ecological index (RSEI) lacks the consideration of vegetation productivity, and using it to evaluate ecological environment in low mountain and hilly regions will be biased. In this study, the vegetation productivity was introduced to construct a natural remote sensing based ecological index (NRSEI) that responds to the low mountain and hilly regions, as an example of Gaizhou City, China. Additionally, this study explored the spatiotemporal evolution of ecological environment quality from 2014 to 2020 and quantified the influences of factors. The results show that the first principal component (PC1) increased from 56 to 67% to 65-87% and considered the accumulation process in the ecosystem. NRSEI was more valid. From 2014 to 2020, the quality of the ecological environment generally declined and then increased. The area with "Excellent" increased from 23 to 38%. The quality of ecosystems in the west, northwest, and south deteriorated significantly, a distribution pattern of "high in the center, low in the north and south". Landuse and topographic conditions dominate the impacts on the ecosystem in the context of social, economic and policy influences. The interactions of the factors were two-factor enhancement that together affect the ecological environment. The results contribute to the development of urban conservation policies in low mountain and hilly regions.

[Evaluation of Land Ecological Status and Diagnosis of Obstacle Factors in Jiangsu, China].

By constructing a land ecological evaluation index system at the village scale and using models such as spatial correlation analysis, hotspot analysis, and obstacle factor diagnosis, the basic characteristics, spatial differentiation, and obstacle factors of land ecological status in Jiangsu Province were studied. This study sought to clarify the foundation, structure, function, and benefit characteristics of land ecosystems and optimize land management and policy regulation. The results showed that： ① The spatial distribution of land ecological status in Jiangsu Province was high in the north and low in the south, with multiple high-value areas radiating outward and decreasing, with low value centers radiating outward and increasing. The distribution area of the highest and lower values was relatively small, whereas the area of the middle value area was the largest. The higher values were mainly distributed in the suburbs and edge areas of each county. ② The spatial autocorrelation of land ecological status in Jiangsu Province was significant, with hot spots mainly concentrated in northern Jiangsu and cold spots concentrated in southern Jiangsu, as well as some areas of Taizhou and Nantong. The spatial distribution of cold and hot spots showed a complementary pattern with the level of regional development. The comprehensive index value of land ecology in developed areas was lower, whereas the index value in underdeveloped areas was higher. ③ The natural background conditions of Class Ⅰ land ecological zone in Jiangsu Province were superior, with good ecological construction and benefits and a high level of ecological status. The obstacle factors mainly included the proportion of water bodies and the average annual degradation rate of forest land. The Class Ⅱ land ecological zone was mostly located in the Huainan region and mainly composed of plain landforms. The Class Ⅲ land ecological zone had the largest area, located in the riverside areas of southern Jiangsu. The obstacle factors mainly included the average annual degradation rate of arable land and the proportion of soil pollution area. By controlling land ecological risks, the early warning level of ecological crisis could be improved.

The concept of critical age group for density dependence: bridging the gap between demographers, evolutionary biologists and behavioural ecologists.

Density dependence plays an important role in population regulation in the wild. It involves a decrease in population growth rate when the population size increases. Fifty years ago, Charlesworth introduced the concept of 'critical age group', denoting the age classes in which variation in the number of individuals most strongly contributes to density regulation. Since this pioneering work, this concept has rarely been used. In light of Charlesworth's concept, we discuss the need to develop work between behavioural ecology, demography and evolutionary biology to better understand the mechanisms acting in density-regulated age-structured populations. We highlight demographic studies that explored age-specific contributions to density dependence and discuss the underlying evolutionary processes. Understanding competitive interactions among individuals is pivotal to identify the ages contributing most strongly to density regulation, highlighting the need to move towards behavioural ecology to decipher mechanisms acting in density-regulated age-structured populations. Because individual characteristics other than age can be linked to competitive abilities, expanding the concept of critical age to other structures (e.g. sex, dominance rank) offers interesting perspectives. Linking research fields based on the concept of the critical age group is key to move from a pattern-oriented view of density regulation to a process-oriented approach.This article is part of the discussion meeting issue 'Understanding age and society using natural populations'.

Overcoming the pitfalls of categorizing continuous variables in ecology, evolution and behaviour.

Many variables in biological research-from body size to life-history timing to environmental characteristics-are measured continuously (e.g. body mass in kilograms) but analysed as categories (e.g. large versus small), which can lower statistical power and change interpretation. We conducted a mini-review of 72 recent publications in six popular ecology, evolution and behaviour journals to quantify the prevalence of categorization. We then summarized commonly categorized metrics and simulated a dataset to demonstrate the drawbacks of categorization using common variables and realistic examples. We show that categorizing continuous variables is common (31% of publications reviewed). We also underscore that predictor variables can and should be collected and analysed continuously. Finally, we provide recommendations on how to keep variables continuous throughout the entire scientific process. Together, these pieces comprise an actionable guide to increasing statistical power and facilitating large synthesis studies by simply leaving continuous variables alone. Overcoming the pitfalls of categorizing continuous variables will allow ecologists, ethologists and evolutionary biologists to continue making trustworthy conclusions about natural processes, along with predictions about their responses to climate change and other environmental contexts.

The effects of commercial vessel anchorages span ecological, cultural, and socio-economic endpoints.

Anchorages are specific areas used by vessels to maintain position and are used as waiting areas for freighters wanting to enter ports. The surge in demand experienced by ports from 2019 to 2022 significantly extended wait times at anchorages, heightening concerns of potential ecological and socio-economic effects among coastal communities. Effective anchorage management requires a connected and holistic approach to understand these diverse and complex effects. We summarise current knowledge on the cumulative effects of anchoring on ecological and socio-economic endpoints in a Pathways of Effects conceptual model informed by scientific literature and public consultation documents. We developed a Pathways of Effects Matrix (PoEM), a graphical advance designed to concisely visualise complex effects and explore mitigation scenarios, demonstrated in the example for commercial anchoring in Pacific Canada. In addition to supporting management decisions, this simple visual tool can also provide a way for communities to communicate their concerns in a structured way.

Application and prospect of landscape ecology in territorial spatial planning.

Territorial spatial planning could achieve the integration of various plans, resulting in a unified "multi-plan integration" map. Such planning emphasizes the efficient use of territorial spatial patterns and structures to ensure functional perfection, and serves as the spatial framework for building a modern socialist country, particularly in the areas of ecological security and ecological civilization. The past few decades have seen rapid advances in the development of landscape ecology in China. The core concept of "pattern-process-function" has gained significant progress and been widely applied in the initial phase of territorial spatial planning at various levels. We outlined the advancements in the territorial spatial planning system and the core research theories and technologies in landscape ecology. We discussed the progress and shortcomings of key theories and methods of landscape ecology in practical applications of territorial spatial planning, such as ecological security patterns, pattern and process, and scale effects. We proposed the future application of landscape ecology theories and technologies in territorial spatial planning, including overall ecological effects, scale effects, and regional ecological network optimization. Future developments in landscape ecology, especially research on the "human-place-ecology" coupling based on the latest Big Data and AI technology for sustainable development, will provide robust theoretical and methodological supports for the scientific formulation of territorial spatial planning in China.

Some critical thinking on the integrative assessment of ecosystem service supply and demand relationships.

In the past decade, research on the relationships between the supply and demand of ecosystem services has been flourishing. To address issues such as the misuse of supply and demand concepts, methods, and results in current research, we proposed five key aspects that need to be considered to enhance the scientific rigor and practical value in assessing relationships between ecosystem service supply and demand. Firstly, it is essential to clarify the distinctions and connections between the concepts related to ecosystem service supply and demand, which are crucial prerequisites and starting points for assessing their relationships. Secondly, it is necessary to integrate relevant environmental standards or policy objectives to develop reliable methods for assessing the demand for ecosystem regulating services. Furthermore, it is important to properly address the modifiable areal unit problem by determining the most appropriate spatial scale and unit for evaluating relationships between ecosystem service supply and demand. Additionally, it is crucial to differentiate between quantitative and qualitative methods for characterizing (im)balances or (mis)matches between ecosystem service supply and demand, particularly avoiding the use of qualitative methods to represent quantitative relationships between supply and demand. Lastly, it is imperative to integrate ecosystem service flows into the assessment of supply and demand relationships, and evaluate the dynamic supply and demand relationships of regional ecosystem services from a coupled "supply-flow-demand" perspective.

The neglected giant Tchen-Ngo Liou:The enlightenment of his dynamic geobotany theory to current studies in vegetation ecology and biodiversity.

Prof. Tchen-Ngo Liou is one of the founders of China's botany, geobotany, and forest ecology. Theory of dynamic geobotany, established by Prof. Liou, can track back from his doctoral work in Alps in France, and was developed based on his long-term field works in northeast, southeast, north, northeast parts of China, India, North Korea and other regions. In the short course on dynamics geobotany in 1962, he gave a series of lectures which formed a synthesized system. The key elements of this theory are the comprehensive review and critical thinking on climax theory of vegetation science and community succession. Prof. Liou has applied this theory into the establishment of artificial vegetation, the improvement of natural vegetation, forest harvesting and regeneration, and the prevent and control of desertification in China. Here, we gave a short summary about this theory, and discussed its potential influence on important topics in vegetation ecology and biodiversity science, including mountain biodiversity, natural forest conservation, forest management, global change, and vegetation classification.

Self-organization in spatial ecology.

Biologists have long known that populations of organisms - microbes, plants, animals - can self-organize into emergent patterns. Yet, the fact that such patterns can arise with remarkable symmetry at the scale of entire ecosystems remains astonishing, even as aerial imagery has documented their existence across all continents. As the enormous scale of landscape patterns makes them experimentally intractable, ecologists have relied on theoretical modelling - typically rooted in physics - to investigate the underlying pattern-forming mechanisms. Such models have succeeded in generating mechanistic hypotheses and indicate that self-organized spatial patterns can reflect the health of an ecosystem. However, most of these hypotheses remain untested. This essay reflects on our current understanding of the causes and consequences of ecosystem-scale pattern formation.

The Reverse Ecology-Based Approach to Design a Bacterial Consortium as Soybean Bioinoculant.

Bioinoculants traditionally rely on selecting efficient microbes from the soil with potential growth-enhancing traits for plants. However, such approaches often neglect microbe-microbe and microbe-plant interactions. In this study, we applied a reverse ecology framework to design and assess a bacterial consortium tailored for soybeans. Our analysis identified Paenibacillus polymyxa, Methylobacterium brachiatum, and Enterobacter sp. as key strains for their synergistic potential in promoting soybean growth. Computational analyses revealed that these selected strains exhibited low competitiveness and metabolic compatibility. Specifically, their complementary metabolic profiles suggested minimal competition for resources and potential for mutualistic interactions. In vitro experiments further supported these findings, demonstrating that the consortium maintained stable growth without inhibitory effects among strains. In addition, greenhouse validation experiments confirmed the efficacy of the microbial consortium in enhancing soybean growth such as root and shoot development and biomass production. Overall, this study underscores the potential of reverse ecology in optimizing microbial consortia design for bioinoculant applications.

Identification of key areas for ecological restoration of territorial space based on ecological security pattern analysis: A case study of the Taihu Lake city cluster.

The identification of key areas for ecological restoration of national land space based on the ecological security pattern is an important way to balance environmental protection and social development in the new era. With the Taihu Lake city cluster as the study area, we identified the ecological source from both structural and functional aspects, and used the minimum cumulative resistance model to identify the ecological corridors on the basis of constructing the resistance surface. Coupled the landscape ecological risk evaluation, we determined the appropriate width of each ecological corridor in the study area, identified the key restoration zones through the circuit theory. Then, we constructed the ecological security pattern of "six zones and four belts" and controlled by zoning. The results showed that the 32 ecological source areas in the Taihu Lake city cluster presented a spatial pattern of "more in the east and less in the west-mountains and lakes are connected" and 70 ecological corridors were concentrated in the west and the center. The suitable width of most of the ecological corridors was 1500-2000 m. The ecological restoration zones of the national land space were concentrated in the eastern part of the Lake Taihu, Changxing County, and Liyang City. According to the characteristics of the study area and the actual situation of the restoration area, we proposed specific protection and restoration measures, such as protecting the core ecological source, optimizing and restoring the important corridors, and reasonably planning land use of the ecological pinch points and obstacle points.

Recent research progress of soil nematode ecology in China.

Soil nematodes are a crucial component of belowground ecosystems. Soil nematode ecology, the studies of community distribution, structural composition, ecological functions, and interaction mechanisms with environment, has always been a hot spot in soil biology research. We systematically elaborated soil nematodes' high diversity and various diet, their advantages as bioindicator and model organisms, and their roles in biological control, ecological functions and soil health. Then, we reviewed the research progress of soil nematode ecology in China, including molecular biology identification methods, responses to global changes, food web structure and function, aboveground and belowground diversity relationship, and large-scale diversity pattern. We put forward the development trend of soil nematology, focusing on the high-throughput sequencing technology in nematode identification and quantification, the necessity of establishing a universal analysis platform to promote soil nematode research, and the importance of strengthening large-scale soil nematode survey.

Identification of composite ecological corridors and spatial planning guidance in built-up areas under the concept of park city: Taking Shenyang City Center as an example.

The concept of park city provides a new model for the integrated utilization of multiple elements in built-up areas. Ecological corridors, as key components of urban ecosystem, play a major role in facilitating information flow and material exchange between various ecological spaces within built-up area. We identified ecological (mixed) spaces in Shenyang using points of interest data on the ArcGIS 10.2 platform and considered them as sources. Using the least-cost model and gravity model, we identified potential ecological corridors with high, medium, and low resistance on the resistance surface, and proposed the spatial planning guidance strategy based on the distribution characteristics of potential corridors. The results showed that the number of ecological (mixed) spaces in the study area significantly increased during 2017-2022. The ecological resistance surface showed an outward expansion trend with continuous accumulation of resistance in the core area. There was an increase of one high-resistance and one medium-resistance potential corridor, and an increase of nine low-resistance potential corridors. However, there were problems, such as a single corridor network structure, the exacerbation of ecological isolation, and continuous accumulation of resistance. Based on the concept of park city and the spatial distribution characteristics of potential corridors, we put forward a spatial planning guidance strategy to strengthen the support system of composite space corridors.

Mercury Stable Isotopes Reveal the Vertical Distribution and Trophic Ecology of Deep-Pelagic Organisms over the North-East Atlantic Ocean Continental Slope.

Deep-pelagic species are central to marine ecosystems and increasingly vulnerable to global change and human exploitation. To date, our understanding of these communities remains limited mainly due to the difficulty of observations, calling for complementary innovative tools to better characterize their ecology. We used mercury (Δ199Hg, δ202Hg, Δ201Hg, and Δ200Hg), carbon (δ13C), and nitrogen (δ15N) stable isotope compositions to segregate deep-pelagic species caught on the continental slope of the Bay of Biscay (NE Atlantic) according to their foraging depth and trophic ecology. Decreasing fish Δ199Hg values with corresponding depth estimates from the surface to down to 1,800 m confirmed that mercury isotopes are able to segregate deep species over a large vertical gradient according to their foraging depth. Results from isotopic compositions also identified different mercury sources, likely reflecting different trophic assemblages over the continental slope, in particular, the demersal influence for some species, compared to purely oceanic species. Overall, our results demonstrate how mercury stable isotopes can inform the vertical foraging habitat of little-known species and communities feeding in the deep.

Comparative analysis of ecological sensitivity assessment using the coefficient of variation method and machine learning.

Ecological sensitivity is an essential indicator for measuring the ecological environment's level, and its assessment results have significant reference value for regional ecological environment protection and resource development and utilization. Taking Xifeng County as the study area, we selected a total of 12 assessment factors in terms of ecological environment, geological environment, and human environment, including average annual rainfall, average annual temperature, average annual wind speed, river density, vegetation coverage, soil erodibility, elevation, slope, geological disaster susceptibility, road density, land use, and night light index, and explored the spatial distribution patterns of ecological sensitivities and the characteristics of the differences in the study area based on the coefficient of variation method and machine learning. The results show that the overall spatial distribution pattern of ecological sensitivity in Xifeng County shows a low sensitivity in the north and a high sensitivity in the south. 41.90% of the regional ecological sensitivity intensity is classified as very high and high sensitivity, mainly distributed in mountainous and hilly areas, while 35.51% is classified as very low and low sensitivity, mainly distributed in plains and low mountainous areas. The assessment results are consistent with the actual situation, enriching the ecological sensitivity assessment methods and models.

Pattern and Process in a Rapidly Changing World: Ideas and Approaches.

AbstractScience is as dynamic as the world around us. Our ideas continually change, as do the approaches we use to study science. Few things remain invariant in this changing landscape, but a fascination with pattern and process is one that has endured throughout the history of science. Paying homage to this long-held tradition, the 2023 Vice Presidential Symposium of the American Society of Naturalists focused on the role of pattern and process in ecology and evolution. It brought together a group of early-career researchers working on topics ranging from genetic diversity in microbes to changing patterns of species interactions in the geological record. Their work spanned the taxonomic spectrum from microbes to mammals, the temporal dimension from the Cenozoic to the present, and approaches ranging from manipulative experiments to comparative approaches. In this introductory article, I discuss how these diverse topics are linked by the common thread of elucidating processes underlying patterns and how they collectively generate novel insights into diversity maintenance at different levels of organization.