Characteristics of denitrification activity, functional genes, and denitrifying community composition in the composting process of kitchen and garden waste.

N2O can be easily produced during the co-composting of kitchen waste (KW) and garden waste (GW). This study investigated the effects of the co-composting of KW and GW at different ratios (1:2, 1:1.5, 1:1, and 1.5:1) on the denitrifying activities, functional genes, and community composition of denitrifiers. The results showed that the denitrification activity of KW and GW at a 1:2 ratio was the lowest. The gene abundances of nirS, nirK, nosZI, and nosZII were high on days 12 and 28 under the four different ratios. Network analysis demonstrated that nosZ-type denitrifiers could construct a complex and reciprocal bacterial network to promote the reduction of N2O to N2. Mantel test results revealed that nirS-, nirK-, nosZI-, and nosZII-type denitrifiers were significantly positively correlated with pH, C/N, and moisture content. These findings demonstrated that composting with appropriate proportions of KW and GW could reduce N2O emissions caused by denitrification.

The Role of Greenery in Stress Reduction among City Residents during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Cities, as places of social interactions and human relationships, face new challenges, problems, and threats, which are sources of stress for residents. An additional cause of stress in recent years has been the COVID-19 pandemic; it was urban dwellers who were most exposed to the virus and most affected by it. Chronic stress has led to the serious erosion of physical health and psychophysical well-being among urban dwellers, and so there is a need to seek new solutions in terms of building the resilience of cities and their residents to stress. This study aims to verify the hypothesis that greenery reduced the level of stress among urban dwellers during the pandemic. The verification of this hypothesis was achieved based on a literature analysis and the results of geo-questionnaire studies conducted involving 651 residents of Poznan-among the largest of Polish cities, where the share of green areas in the spatial structure is more than 30%. According to the analysis, the interviewees experienced above-average stress levels that went up during the pandemic, and the source was not so much the virus but the restrictions imposed. Green areas and outdoor activities helped in reducing this stress (being surrounded by and looking at greenery, garden work, or plant cultivation). Residents perceive a post-pandemic city as one that is more green, in which priority is given to unmanaged green areas. It has also been pointed out that a response to the reported need for urban re-construction towards stress resilience may be a biophilic city.

Adaptation strategies of leaf traits and leaf economic spectrum of two urban garden plants in China.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies of the relationships between traits have focused on the natural growth conditions of wild plants. Urban garden plants exhibit some differences in plant traits due to environmental interference. It is unknown whether the relationships between the leaf traits of urban garden plants differ under distinct climates. In this study, we revealed the variation characteristics of the leaf functional traits of trees, shrubs, and vines in two urban locations. Two-way ANOVA was used to reveal the response of plant leaf traits to climate and life forms. Pearson correlation analysis and principal component analysis were used to calculate the correlation coefficient between the leaf functional traits of plants at the two locations. RESULTS: Leaf dry matter content (LDMC) and vein density (VD) of different life forms in Mudanjiang were higher than those in Bozhou (P < 0.05), and the relative water content (RWC) in Bozhou was higher, whereas vein density (VD) of trees and shrubs in the two urban locations was significant (P < 0.05), but the vines were not significant. The photosynthetic pigments of tree and shrub species were larger in Mudanjiang, but the opposite was true for the vines. Both leaf vein density (VD) and stomatal density (SD) showed a very significant positive correlation in the two urban locations (P < 0.01), and both were significantly positively correlated with specific leaf area (SLA) (P < 0.05); and negatively correlated with leaf thickness (LT), and the relationship between pigment content were closer. CONCLUSION: The response to climate showed obvious differences in leaf traits of different life forms species in urban area, but the correlations between the traits showed convergence, which reflects that the adaptation strategies of garden plant leaves to different habitats are both coordinated and relatively independent.

[Proton-pump inhibitor use and hyponatremia].

AIM: Proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs) are widely used. However, reports of their adverse effects are increasing. Older patients are prone to developing hyponatremia due to various factors. The special environment of a geriatric healthcare facility tends to subject these patients to long-term medication use. Therefore, we hypothesized that nursing home residents receiving PPIs will present hyponatremia. METHODS: The residents of Shonan Silver Garden, a long-term care health facility for older adults, were divided into two groups: a control group (n=61) which did not receive proton-pump inhibitors and a PPI group (n=29), which received proton-pump inhibitors for at least 6 months. The PPI group was further divided into the lansoprazole group (LPZ group) and the other PPI group. Other PPI users were excluded due to small numbers. The blood test results were compared between the control and LPZ groups. In the LPZ group, blood samples were taken 1 month after the discontinuation of lansoprazole, and serum Na level was compared to the level before discontinuation. RESULTS: Blood Na levels in the PPI were lower than those in the control group, and hyponatremia (<136 mEq/L) was more frequent in the LPZ group than in the control group. There were no significant differences in other blood test parameters between the control and LPZ groups. At one month after the discontinuation of lansoprazole, serum Na levels were significantly increased; however, they remained lower than those in the control group. CONCLUSION: A higher rate of hyponatremia was induced in older residents of long-term care facilities who took lansoprazole for >6 months in comparison to those who did not take lansoprazole.

Diversity and abundance of terrestrial molluscs and their associated nematode fauna in urban kitchen gardens in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Terrestrial molluscs can become agricultural pests and transmit parasites, playing an important role in different biological communities. In the present study, we evaluated the diversity and abundance of this group in two horticultural areas in Rio de Janeiro (Manguinhos and Jacarepaguá neighborhoods), as well the presence of parasitic nematodes associated with these molluscs. We collected specimens in the austral spring and summer, with four sites being sampled within each study area, including malabar spinach, sweet potato, chicory greens, and cassava plantations, and one site in an adjacent, non-cultivated area. We collected a total of 522 live mollusc specimens and identified 16 species from 10 different families. The greatest abundance of molluscs was recorded in summer (363) and at Jacarepaguá (309). Overall, 174 (57%) of the 303 specimens analyzed parasitologically were positive for nematodes. Larvae of superfamily Metastrongyloidea, which includes nematodes that are a concern for public health and veterinary medicine, were found parasitizing the slug Sarasinula linguaeformis, in Manguinhos. Our results contribute to understanding of the diversity of terrestrial molluscs occurring in kitchen gardens in the city of Rio de Janeiro, and provide important insights for generating subsidies for health education actions and control of parasitic diseases transmitted by them.

Effective communications on invasive alien species: Identifying communication needs of Swedish domestic garden owners.

Invasive alien species threaten biodiversity with domestic gardens acting as a major pathway for the introduction of alien species. Even though the Nordic region is not currently a hotspot for biological invasions, the number of invasions in the Nordic area has been predicted to increase due to climate change. Given a time lag between introduction and invasion, many non-invasive horticultural alien species already introduced into gardens may become invasive in the future. This study aimed to identify the communication needs of Swedish garden owners regarding their management of invasive alien species. A survey among domestic garden owners, informed by topic specialists and local area experts, and interviews with garden owners were conducted in three different bio-climatic areas in a latitudinal gradient across Sweden. The questions targeted invasive alien species and their relations to biodiversity loss and climate change, as well as measures taken to control these species. Analysing the survey data collected in relation to measures taken to control invasive species, Bayesian Additive Regression Tree (BART) modelling was used to identify geographically varying communication needs of the domestic garden owners. In all study areas, the garden owners' measures taken to control invasive alien species were correlated with their strength of beliefs in having experienced local biodiversity loss. A majority of the garden owners were, moreover, uncertain about the impact of climate change on the invasiveness of alien species. In addition, the garden owners' capacity for identifying invasive alien species was often in need of improvement, in particular with respect to the species Impatiens glandulifera, Reynoutria japonica and Rosa rugosa. The results suggest that the evidence-based guidelines for effective communications we developed, have the potential to help communicators meet the local communication needs of garden owners across Sweden, in relation to the management of invasive alien garden species.

Encouraging planting in urban front gardens: a focus group study.

AIMS: Encouraging planting in front gardens offers mental and physical health benefits, as well as positive local environmental impacts such as reducing flood risk and improving air quality. However, urban front garden greenery has reduced in recent years. We aimed to explore adults' views regarding planting greenery in front gardens, barriers and facilitators, and their understanding of health and environmental impacts, to identify appropriate intervention mechanisms for behaviour change. METHODS: We carried out five online focus groups with 20 participants aged 20-64 in England, purposively sampled for variation according to age, gender, home ownership, income, ethnicity and residing in an urban or suburban area. We audio recorded each focus group, transcribed it verbatim and analysed transcripts using thematic analysis. RESULTS: Front gardening was a relaxing activity that provided benefits including increased wellbeing, fresh air and vitamin D. Planting in front gardens depended heavily on available time and space, garden orientation, local security and the weather. Front gardens could be a place for social interaction. Participants tended to prioritise neatness and tidiness over greenery. Lack of knowledge and low self-efficacy were key barriers. There was little awareness of the environmental benefits of front garden greenery; however, reducing flood risk and encouraging biodiversity were viewed positively. CONCLUSION: Initiatives to encourage front garden planting should focus on plants that require little knowledge to acquire and care for, are suitable to the local environmental conditions and with a visual impact of neatness and bright colour. Campaigns should draw attention to local flood risk reduction and increasing biodiversity, in addition to personal health benefits.

Students' consumption of high and low nutrition foods and reduced plate waste by schools' wellness-related policies and garden program participation.

BACKGROUND: Participation in school-based programs that may support children's nutritious dietary behaviours varies across schools. We examined school participation in wellness-related policies, school-based garden programs and students' dietary behaviours. METHODS: Among matching schools who did and did not participate in school-based garden programs, we analysed the lunches of 80 Pittsburgh Public Schools (PPS) students in 1st, 2nd, 6th and 7th grades during Autumn 2019 using digital food photography. We also acquired school wellness policy data. Using cross-sectional linear regression, we estimated the association between school-based garden programming, wellness-related policies and dietary outcomes, adjusting for grade. RESULTS: School's implementation of nutrition services policies was negatively associated with energy wasted from lunch ( ß = - 44.7 , p = 0.01 ${\rm{\beta }}=-44.7,{p}=0.01$ ). The number of semesters the students' school had participated in the garden program was positively associated with students' whole grain consumption ( ß = 0.07 , p < 0.001 ${\rm{\beta }}=0.07,{p}\lt 0.001$ ). CONCLUSIONS: Cross-sectional associations suggest that schools that are more engaged in wellness policies and garden programs may provide environments that are more supportive of students' nutrition than in other schools.

'Sharpshooter' in Botanic Garden: the tale of a rare plant-insect interaction.

Here we report a unique plant-insect interaction between the leafhopper Aloka depressa (tribe Phlogisini) and the host liana, Diploclisia glaucescens, from a Botanic Garden located at the southern edge of Western Ghats in India. Field observations and SEM micrographs were employed to derive evidences on this rare plant-insect interaction. 20-Hydroxyecdysone (20E), insect moulting hormone, was detected and quantified in the host plant D. glaucescens using HPTLC-densitometry. 20E was isolated and characterized from D. glaucescens using column chromatography, 1H-, 13C-NMR and HR-MS. 20E was also detected in A. depressa excrement using HPTLC-densitometry. The leafhopper A. depressa is functioning as a 'sharpshooter' drawing nutrients from the host liana, D. glaucescens, and flinging the waste fluid as droplets through their tail ends. SEM micrographs of A. depressa revealed its external morphological features, characteristic of a sharpshooter. We quantified 20E (0.44-1.44%, dry wt.) in various parts of D. glaucescens. 20E (1.47%, dry wt.) was also detected in the excrement of A. depressa. This plant (D. glaucescens)-insect (A. depressa) association crucially is not damaging the host liana. Considering the diseases caused by sharpshooting leafhoppers in the Americas, this association and the survival of the host plant (D. glaucescens) is illustrating a unique plant-insect interaction.

Practices of Care and Relationship-Building: A Qualitative Analysis of Urban Agriculture's Impacts on Black People's Agency and Wellbeing in Philadelphia.

Gardens and farms provide individuals and communities with access to affordable, nutritious, and culturally significant foods. There is a rich body of literature unpacking the connections between Black urban growing and agency, freedom, resistance, and care. However, spirituality remains one aspect of health and wellbeing that has not been studied extensively in relation to agriculture. The main goal of this study was to conduct focus groups with Philly-based growers to understand the self-determined impacts of urban agriculture on health, agency, and wellbeing. The secondary goal of this work was to determine if these impacts differ by race. I apply a collective agency and community resilience theoretical framework to this study. This framework offers a model to understand agriculture as a way for communities to become self-determined, self-reliant, and self-sustained. For this study exploring the impacts of urban agriculture on health, there were three eligibility criteria. Participants had to be at least 18 years old, identify as Black or White, and have grown food in a garden or farm in Philadelphia. I hosted six race-specific focus groups at Bartram's Garden in Southwest Philadelphia. The audio recordings were transcribed, and the full transcripts were coded using open and axial coding methods and a "key concepts" framework. We also employed several methods of triangulation to help ensure the credibility and validity of the findings. Four major themes emerged from the data: growing as a demonstration of agency and power, growing as a facilitator of body-mind wellness, community care and relationship-building, and deepened spiritual connection and interdependence. There were both similarities and differences in the impacts of urban agriculture by race. Across the six focus groups, people talked about concepts related to community care and relationship-building as being major benefits of growing food. In both groups, people also brought up significant issues and barriers around land security. Mentions of spirituality appeared more frequently and more emphatically in the Black focus groups. Black focus groups were more likely to discuss the collective impacts of agriculture, while White participants were more likely to discuss the impacts on themselves as individuals. The findings of this focus group study point to some key domains through which agriculture impacts the health of farmers and growers in Philadelphia.

Community Gardens: A Catalyst for Community Change.

Community gardens are increasing in popularity and are associated with extensive physical and mental health benefits, increased access to fresh produce, and increased social connections. However, evidence is primarily from research in urban and school settings, and little is known about the role of community gardens in rural settings as part of policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) changes to promote health. This study explores the implementation of community gardens as part of an obesity prevention project, titled Healthier Together (HT), in five rural Georgia counties with limited food access and high obesity prevalence (>40%) using a mixed-methods research design that included data from project records, a community survey, interviews, and focus groups with county coalition members. Nineteen community gardens were implemented across five counties, 89% distributed produce direct to consumers, and 50% were integrated into the food system. Few (8.3%) of the survey respondents (n = 265) identified gardens as a food source, but 21.9% reported using an HT garden in the past year. Themes emerging from interviews (n = 39) and five focus groups suggested community gardens were a catalyst for broader community health change by increasing awareness of the value and absence of healthy food and generating excitement for future PSE initiatives to more comprehensively address food and physical activity access. Practitioners should consider placement of rural community gardens to optimize access to and distribution of produce as well as communication and marketing strategies to increase engagement and leverage gardens as gateways for PSE approaches to improve rural health.

Garden aggression: does food lead to clashes?

Georgina Mills discusses new research looking at how wild animals visiting urban gardens act when there is food at stake.

A Cross-Sectional Survey of Gastrointestinal Parasites in an Ornithological Garden.

Captive birds in collections may be infested with a wide range of parasites. Globally, information on parasitic infections and their health implications in ornithological collections are scarce. In the present study, the prevalence of parasitic infections in an ornithological garden in Tehran was investigated. Samples (n = 109) from various bird species were collected. Direct wet smear, sedimentation, flotation with Sheather's sugar, and modified Ziehl-Neelsen and Giemsa staining were used for parasite screening. Parasites were identified in 57 (52.3%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 42.9-61.7) samples, with protozoans being the most frequently observed organisms, including Cryptosporidium species, Eimeria species, Isospora species, Trichomonas species, and Histomonas species. Helminths were observed in 29 (26.6%, 95% CI 18.3-34.9) of the samples and included strongyles, Capillaria species, and Raillietina species. Ectoparasites were rarely recovered, but 2 species were identified: the poultry shaft louse (Menopon gallinae) and the fowl tick (Argas persicus). Free-ranging birds were significantly (P < 0.001) more likely to have parasites in their feces than caged birds. Fecal parasitic infections were order dependent and more prevalent in the Anseriformes and Galliformes (P < 0.05). The frequency of gastrointestinal parasites was notable in the investigated collection. In open natural bird gardens, such as in the present study, the probable transmission routes and sources of the parasitic infections are most likely via the free-ranging avian species. It is wise to recommend regular screening of the birds in these gardens to improve preventive control measures. Additionally, parasite genotyping should be considered to clarify our understanding of the epidemiology of zoonotic and nonzoonotic parasites.

Hydrological performance of rain gardens having Calendula officinalis plant with varied planting mixtures.

The rain gardens (RGs) have been one of the best management practices in cities to reduce the impact of urban flooding. However, very little is known about various design parameters of RGs, viz., the type of plantation, planting mixtures, and RG dimensions. This study pertains to examining the influence of planting mixtures on the variations of percolation rates of the RG with Calendula officinalis plant and without plants. Six types of planting mixtures in different experimental RGs have been tried. It has been observed that the percolation rate increases with a higher percentage of compost in the planting mixture for RGs with and without plants. The percolation rate is highest for the planting mixture having 25% compost. The runoff rate reduces with a higher percentage of compost in the planting mixture for RGs with C. officinalis and bare surfaces. No runoff is produced in RGs with plant having a compost of more than 20% in the planting mixture. The outcome of the study will be useful in deciding the composition of the planting mixture which will keep the RG plant healthy and at the same time improve the hydrological performance leading to lowering urban flooding magnitude.

Differentiation of Mountain- and Garden-Cultivated Ginseng with Different Growth Years Using HS-SPME-GC-MS Coupled with Chemometrics.

Although there are differences in the appearance of Mountain-Cultivated Ginseng (MCG) and Garden-Cultivated Ginseng (GCG), it is very difficult to distinguish them when the samples are processed to slices or powder. Moreover, there is significant price difference between them, which leads to the widespread adulteration or falsification in the market. Thus, the authentication of MCG and GCG is crucial for the effectiveness, safety, and quality stability of ginseng. In the present study, a headspace solid-phase microextraction gas chromatography mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS) coupled with chemometrics approach was developed to characterize the volatile component profiles in MCG and GCG with 5-,10-,15-growth years, and subsequently to discover differentiating chemical markers. As a result, we characterized, for the first time, 46 volatile components from all the samples by using the NIST database and the Wiley library. The base peak intensity chromatograms were subjected to multivariate statistical analysis to comprehensively compare the chemical differences among the above samples. MCG5-,10-,15-years and GCG5-,10-,15-years samples were mainly divided into two groups by unsupervised principal component analysis (PCA), and 5 potential cultivation-dependent markers were discovered based on orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA). Moreover, MCG5-,10-,15-years samples were divided into three blocks, and 12 potential growth-year-dependent markers enabled differentiation. Similarly, GCG5-,10-,15-years samples were also separated into three groups, and six potential growth-year-dependent markers were determined. The proposed approach could be applied to directly distinguish MCG and GCG with different growth years and to identify the differentiation chemo-markers, which is an important criterion for evaluating the effectiveness, safety, and quality stability of ginseng.

Dynamic composting actuated by a Caldibacillus thermoamylovorans isolate enables biodecomposability and reusability of Cinnamomum camphora garden wastes.

The ecotoxic substances in Cinnamomum camphora garden wastes (CGW) often restrain microbe-driven composting process. Here, a dynamic CGW-Kitchen waste composting system actuated by a wild-type Caldibacillus thermoamylovorans isolate (MB12B) with distinctive CGW-decomposable and lignocellulose-degradative activities was reported. An initial inoculation of MB12B optimized for temperature promotion with reduced emission of CH4 and NH3 by 61.9% and 37.6%, respectively, increased germination index and humus content by 18.0% and 44.1%, respectively, and reduced moisture and electrical conductivity, and all were further reinforced by reinoculation of MB12B during the cooling stage of composting. High-throughput sequencing showed varied bacterial community structure and abundance following MB12B inoculation, with temperature-relative Caldibacillus, Bacillus, and Ureibacillus, and humus-forming Sphingobacterium emerging to dominate abundance, which strongly contrasted with Lactobacillus (acidogens related to CH4 emission). Finally, the ryegrass pot experiments showed significant growth-promoting effectiveness of the composted product that successfully demonstrated the decomposability and reuse of CGW.

Farmerfish gardens help buffer stony corals against marine heat waves.

With marine heat waves increasing in intensity and frequency due to climate change, it is important to understand how thermal disturbances will alter coral reef ecosystems since stony corals are highly susceptible to mortality from thermally-induced, mass bleaching events. In Moorea, French Polynesia, we evaluated the response and fate of coral following a major thermal stress event in 2019 that caused a substantial amount of branching coral (predominantly Pocillopora) to bleach and die. We investigated whether Pocillopora colonies that occurred within territorial gardens protected by the farmerfish Stegastes nigricans were less susceptible to or survived bleaching better than Pocillopora on adjacent, undefended substrate. Bleaching prevalence (proportion of the sampled colonies affected) and severity (proportion of a colony's tissue that bleached), which were quantified for >1,100 colonies shortly after they bleached, did not differ between colonies within or outside of defended gardens. By contrast, the fates of 399 focal colonies followed for one year revealed that a bleached coral within a garden was a third less likely to suffer complete colony death and about twice as likely to recover to its pre-bleaching cover of living tissue compared to Pocillopora outside of a farmerfish garden. Our findings indicate that while residing in a farmerfish garden may not reduce the bleaching susceptibility of a coral to thermal stress, it does help buffer a bleached coral against severe outcomes. This oasis effect of farmerfish gardens, where survival and recovery of thermally-damaged corals are enhanced, is another mechanism that helps explain why large Pocillopora colonies are disproportionately more abundant in farmerfish territories than elsewhere in the lagoons of Moorea, despite gardens being relatively uncommon. As such, some farmerfishes may have an increasingly important role in maintaining the resilience of branching corals as the frequency and intensity of marine heat waves continue to increase.

Physiological Effects of a Garden Plant Smellscape from the Perspective of Perceptual Interaction.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the physiological recovery effects of olfactory, visual and olfactory-visual stimuli associated with garden plants. In a randomized controlled study design, ninety-five Chinese university students were randomly selected to be exposed to stimulus materials, namely the odor of Osmanthus fragrans and a corresponding panoramic image of a landscape featuring the plant. Physiological indexes were measured by the VISHEEW multiparameter biofeedback instrument and a NeuroSky EEG tester in a virtual simulation laboratory. The results showed the following: (1) In the olfactory stimulation group, from before to during exposure to the stimuli, the subjects' diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (ΔDBP = 4.37 ± 1.69 mmHg, p < 0.05) and pulse pressure (PP) values increased (ΔPP = -4.56 ± 1.24 mmHg, p < 0.05), while their pulse (p) values decreased (ΔP = -2.34 ± 1.16 bmp, p < 0.05) significantly. When compared to the control group, only the amplitudes of α and ß brainwaves increased significantly (Δα = 0.37 ± 2.09 µV, Δß = 0.34 ± 1.01 µV, p < 0.05). (2) In the visual stimulation group, the amplitudes of skin conductance (SC) (ΔSC = 0.19 ± 0.01 µΩ, p < 0.05), α brainwaves (Δα = 6.2 ± 2.26 µV, p < 0.05) and ß brainwaves (Δß = 5.51 ± 1.7 µV, p < 0.05) all increased significantly relative to the control group. (3) In the olfactory-visual stimulus group, DBP (ΔDBP = 3.26 ± 0.45 mmHg, p < 0.05) values increased, and PP values decreased (ΔPP = -3.48 ± 0.33 bmp, p < 0.05) significantly from before to during exposure to the stimuli. The amplitudes of SC (ΔSC = 0.45 ± 0.34 µΩ, p < 0.05), α brainwaves (Δα = 2.28 ± 1.74 µV, p < 0.05) and ß brainwaves (Δß = 1.4 ± 0.52 µV, p < 0.05) all increased significantly relative to the control group. The results of this study show that the interaction of olfactory and visual stimuli associated with a garden plant odor landscape was able to relax and refresh the body to a certain extent, and this physiological health effect was greater with regards to the integrated response of the autonomic nervous system and central nervous system than the effect of only smelling or viewing the stimuli. In the planning and designing of plant smellscapes in garden green space, it should be ensured that plant odors and corresponding landscapes are present at the same time in order to ensure the best health effect.

'Surrounding yourself with beauty': exploring the health promotion potential of a rural garden appreciation group.

Gardening has the potential to enhance health and well-being, through increased physical activity and social connectedness. However, while much is known about the benefits of garden activities, less is known about the potential health implications of more passive forms of engagement with gardens, for example, viewing gardens. In addition, much garden research is undertaken in urban settings, leaving little known about potential health impacts for rural populations. The present study explored these research gaps by gaining an understanding of the experiences and perspectives of members of a gardening appreciation group in rural Australia: The Colac Horticultural and Marvellous Property Appreciation Society (CHAMPAS). A phenomenological, qualitative methodology was applied, using semi-structured interviews for data collection. Eleven participants were selected using purposive and snowball sampling and the data were analysed by applying interpretive, reflexive thematic analysis. Four main themes and supporting sub-themes were generated. The four main themes were: (i) motivations for maintaining participation in CHAMPAS; (ii) social connections and friendships, formed from membership; (iii) sense of community and structure of CHAMPAS and (iv) the perceived health and well-being benefits of continued involvement in this group. This study found that members perceived health and well-being benefits stemmed from CHAMPAS facilitation of social connectedness, function as a community group and a way for members to share a love for home gardening. This study provides insights into the perceived and potential health-promoting effects of garden appreciation groups for rural populations.

There are many health and well-being benefits of gardening. However, research is predominantly focused on the active practice of gardening in urban environments, and little is known about the passive activity of garden appreciation, nor about the benefits of this activity in rural areas. This paper explores the health promotion potential of garden appreciation groups through the experiences of members of a rural group called CHAMPAS. Eleven members of CHAMPAS were asked to talk about what kept them attending, and what health and well-being benefits the group provided them. The study found that CHAMPAS benefits stemmed from its function as a social group and a way for members to share a love for home gardening. The findings suggest that garden appreciation groups potentially provide health promotion benefits for people in rural areas. A recommendation of this paper is to undertake further research to map and analyse these benefits across rural Australia.

Coral Gardens Reef, Belize: An Acropora spp. refugium under threat in a warming world.

Live coral cover has declined precipitously on Caribbean reefs in recent decades. Acropora cervicornis coral has been particularly decimated, and few Western Atlantic Acropora spp. refugia remain. Coral Gardens, Belize, was identified in 2020 as a long-term refugium for this species. This study assesses changes in live A. cervicornis coral abundance over time at Coral Gardens to monitor the stability of A. cervicornis corals, and to explore potential threats to this important refugium. Live coral cover was documented annually from 2012-2019 along five permanent transects. In situ sea-surface temperature data were collected at Coral Gardens throughout the study period and compared with calibrated satellite data to calculate Maximum Monthly Mean (MMM) temperatures and Degree Heating Weeks (DHW). Data on bathymetry, sediment, substrate, herbivore abundance, and macroalgal abundance were collected in 2014 and 2019 to assess potential threats to Coral Gardens. Live coral cover declined at all five transect sites over the study period. The greatest loss of live coral occurred between 2016 and 2017, coincident with the earliest and highest maximum average temperatures recorded at the study site, and the passage of a hurricane in 2016. Structural storm damage was not observed at Coral Gardens, though live coral cover declined after the passage of the storm. Uranium-thorium (230Th) dating of 26 dead in situ fragments of A. cervicornis collected in 2015 from Coral Gardens revealed no correlation between coral mortality and tropical storms and hurricanes in the recent past. Our data suggest that several other common drivers for coral decline (i.e. herbivory, predation, sedimentation, pH) may likely be ruled out for Coral Gardens. At the end of the study period, Coral Gardens satisfied most criteria for refugium status. However, the early onset, higher mean, and longer duration of above-average temperatures, as well as intermittent temperature anomalies likely played a critical role in the stability of this refugium. We suggest that temperature stress in 2016 and perhaps 2015 may have increased coral tissue vulnerability at Coral Gardens to a passing hurricane, threatening the status of this unique refugium.