Environmental Hot Spots and Resistance-Associated Application Practices for Azole-Resistant Aspergillus fumigatus, Denmark, 2020-2023.

Azole-resistant Aspergillus fumigatus (ARAf) fungi have been found inconsistently in the environment in Denmark since 2010. During 2018-2020, nationwide surveillance of clinical A. fumigatus fungi reported environmental TR34/L98H or TR46/Y121F/T289A resistance mutations in 3.6% of isolates, prompting environmental sampling for ARAf and azole fungicides and investigation of selected ARAf in field and microcosmos experiments. ARAf was ubiquitous (20% of 366 samples; 16% TR34/L98H- and 4% TR46/Y121F/T289A-related mechanisms), constituting 4.2% of 4,538 A. fumigatus isolates. The highest proportions were in flower- and compost-related samples but were not correlated with azole-fungicide application concentrations. Genotyping showed clustering of tandem repeat-related ARAf and overlaps with clinical isolates in Denmark. A. fumigatus fungi grew poorly in the field experiment with no postapplication change in ARAf proportions. However, in microcosmos experiments, a sustained complete (tebuconazole) or partial (prothioconazole) inhibition against wild-type A. fumigatus but not ARAf indicated that, under some conditions, azole fungicides may favor growth of ARAf in soil.

Does the Use of Perennials in Flower Beds Necessarily Imply Sustainability?

Green spaces are becoming increasingly important for cities due to the growing pressures of urbanization and climate change. Along with trees, shrubs, and lawns, flower beds are an important part of urban green spaces. The majority of flower beds in public spaces consist of annual and biennial flower species. Such seasonal flower beds feature eye-catching colors but require significant effort to maintain and manage. Compared to these conventional flower beds, those with herbaceous perennials are more ecologically effective and less costly to maintain, and therefore more sustainable. The aim of this research was to analyze flower beds with perennials in the public green spaces of the city of Zagreb and to develop a tool based on predefined criteria and indicators to evaluate the sustainability of flower beds. In the context of the research, sustainability meant appropriate selection of flower species based on environmental conditions (temperature, light, precipitation), species diversity, greater ground cover and extensiveness of maintenance. The research results showed that there were 327 flower beds with perennials planted in the ground. The constructed Flower Bed Sustainability Index (FBSI) showed that the majority of these perennial beds (56.3%) had a conventional character, as only 28.1% of the beds had a completely correct species selection. This result indicates that the use of perennials does not necessarily guarantee the sustainability of flower beds, since, as in the case of flower beds with seasonal flowers, it depends, among other things, on the correct selection of species adapted to local environmental conditions. The FBSI is shown to be a suitable tool for assessing the degree of sustainability of a flower bed and could be a useful tool in landscape design and management of such types of green spaces.