Research in Ecology

Green Infrastructure and Socio-Environmental Implications for Urban Sustainability in North and South Delhi

Nishit — 2026-07-01

Rapid urbanization in Delhi has intensified pressure on urban infrastructure, environmental resources, and the overall quality of life of residents. This study assesses urban sustainability and quality of life in the North and South districts of Delhi by examining the role of green infrastructure and socio-environmental conditions. The research adopts a mixed-method approach combining household survey data, remote sensing analysis, and statistical techniques to evaluate spatial and socio-economic variations in urban sustainability. Vegetation dynamics were examined using satellite-derived vegetation indices, while primary survey data were used to evaluate access to basic urban services such as water supply, sanitation, healthcare, education, waste management, and income levels. The findings reveal notable spatial disparities in green infrastructure distribution and access to basic services between the two districts. South Delhi generally demonstrates better access to socio-economic resources and planned green spaces, while several areas in North Delhi face challenges related to infrastructure provision and service accessibility. The analysis highlights how differences in urban planning, socio-economic conditions, and infrastructure availability influence residents’ quality of life and environmental sustainability. Overall, the study emphasizes the importance of integrating green infrastructure planning with equitable service provision to promote inclusive and sustainable urban development in rapidly expanding metropolitan regions such as Delhi.

The Asymmetric Impact of Economic Complexity Index and Natural Resources Rents on Ecological Footprint in KSA: Empirical Evidence from Non-Linear ARDL

Mehdi Abid — 2026-07-24

This paper examines the asymmetric effects of economic complexity and natural resources on the ecological footprint in Saudi Arabia over the period 1995–2021 using the nonlinear autoregressive distributed lag (NARDL) approach. The results reveal that increases in economic complexity significantly exacerbate environmental pressure in the long run, with a 1% rise in economic complexity increasing the ecological footprint by 0.12%, while a 1% decrease reduces it by 0.39%, highlighting strong asymmetry. In contrast, both positive and negative shocks to natural resource rents contribute to environmental improvement; specifically, a 1% increase in natural resources reduces the ecological footprint by 0.11%, while a decrease further contracts it by 0.29%. The asymmetric Granger causality analysis indicates a unidirectional causality running from the ecological footprint to positive shocks in natural resources, as well as from negative shocks in natural resources to the ecological footprint, while a bidirectional causal relationship exists between economic complexity and the ecological footprint. These findings underscore the importance of incorporating economic complexity into Saudi Arabia’s sustainability strategy by fostering innovation-driven diversification and green industrial transformation. To mitigate the environmental risks associated with economic development, policymakers should promote sustainable resource management, advance the green economy, and invest in innovative, low-pollution sectors.

Restoring and Nurturing a Forest Devastated by Wildfires into a Nature Reserve That Qualifies for ASEAN Heritage Site Recognition in Vietnam

Luom Thanh Thai — 2026-07-09

Post-fire restoration of peatland Melaleuca forests is critical for ecosystem recovery and carbon conservation in tropical wetlands. This study evaluates natural regeneration, growth dynamics, peat degradation, and biogeochemical characteristics in U Minh Thuong National Park, Vietnam, over 20 years following a major fire disturbance. Field surveys and peat analyses were conducted across gradients of peat thickness and hydrological conditions. Results show that Melaleuca forests exhibit strong natural regeneration capacity from residual seed banks, following a four-stage successional trajectory: seedling emergence, young stand development (1–3 m), canopy closure within two years (3–4 m), and long-term maturation (~20 years). Forest growth (DBH, height, bole height, and canopy diameter) is significantly influenced by peat thickness, with optimal performance observed in 60–80 cm peat layers, while thinner or hydrologically unstable peat limits growth. Fire disturbance and subsequent water management led to substantial peat and carbon losses. Peat volume declined from 26.77 to 10.74 million m³, corresponding to reductions in peat mass (6.37 to 2.58 million t) and carbon stock (2.68 to 1.09 million t C). Peat and water chemistry varied systematically with peat thickness, with decreasing pH and humic acid, and increasing concentrations of nutrients and ions (SO₄²⁻, NH₄⁺, P₂O₅, total N, K₂O, Fe²⁺). Humic acid showed the strongest correlation with peat thickness, while key chemical variables influenced forest growth. These findings highlight the critical role of peat properties and hydrological management in regulating forest recovery and carbon dynamics in fire-affected peatland ecosystems.

Crustacean Lacustrine Zooplankton Species Patterns along a Latitudinal Gradient in Continental Chile

Patricio R. De los Ríos-Escalante — 2026-07-17

Crustacean zooplankton communities in Chilean inland waters are typically characterised by low species richness, potentially regulated by trophic status and conductivity. This study examined patterns of species richness along a broad latitudinal gradient (23–51° S), incorporating climatic variables and fish presence. The results indicated non significantly species richness in lakes with fish compared to fishless systems. Non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) and redundancy analysis (RDA) revealed clear community structuring associated with climatic gradients, distinguishing semi-arid northern systems from temperate southern environments. Species richness was lowest in northern saline lakes and in oligotrophic Patagonian lakes with fish, whereas higher richness was observed in low-conductivity systems in southern Patagonia. Although fish presence was associated with reduced species richness, the underlying ecological mechanisms were not directly evaluated and should therefore be interpreted with caution. These findings highlight the importance of climatic and environmental gradients in structuring zooplankton communities in Chilean inland waters. Similar results were described for Andean lakes from Argentina, due to the similarities in climate and vegetational communities associated with their respective basins, due to geomorphological and geological similarities. Also, from a biogeographical viewpoint, these results are markedly different in comparison to northern hemisphere lakes, because in North American lakes, the predation fish effect affects zooplankton in pelagial environments, and there is a marked food web that involves piscivorous fishes that predate on zooplanktivorous fishes, whereas in Patagonian lakes, the fish predation effect can not be confirmed or rejected.

Ecological Awareness and Water Conservation Behavior under Climate Change in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan

Madina Rahmonova — 2026-07-20

In the context of climate change and increasing pressure on global water resources, water conservation is becoming increasingly important. This study aims to examine the relationship between environmental awareness, human behavior, and water conservation practices. The study used a mixed-method approach that combines systematic review and quantitative research. In the first stage, a systematic review of 54 publications indexed in Scopus was conducted. VOSviewer and RStudio (Bibliometrix suite) helped to identify key research areas and thematic clusters in this area. In the second stage, a survey was conducted among 210 respondents from Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan using questionnaires to assess environmental awareness, water consumption, and attitudes towards water conservation. The results show that the majority of respondents demonstrate a relatively high level of awareness of environmental issues related to water scarcity and the impact of climate change on water resources. However, the study results also show a gap between awareness of environmental issues and actual behavior, especially the limited use of water-saving technologies. Economic factors were also found to influence water consumption: many respondents indicated that they would reduce their water consumption if prices increased significantly in the future. In addition, a large proportion of respondents expressed a strong sense of environmental responsibility and stressed the importance of reporting water leaks and waste in their communities and households. Overall, the study highlights the importance of raising environmental awareness and promoting responsible water use practices to ensure sustainable and efficient management of water resources, despite ongoing challenges related to climate change.

The Influence of Manure Application on Soil Health and Agricultural Ecosystem: A Review Focusing on China

Yumei Shan — 2026-07-06

Manure is essential for integrating crop and livestock systems, but intensive farming has led to a mismatch between massive manure output and its proper use. In China, about 4 billion tons are produced yearly, and raw manure application remains common, posing risks like disease transmission, root damage, soil pollution (e.g., heavy metals, antibiotics), and greenhouse gas emissions. In contrast, well-composted manure improves nutrient supply and soil health while mitigating these risks. This review systematically compares raw and composted manure, analyzing their impacts on soil, water, and air within China’s policy framework (e.g., "Action Plan for Livestock Waste Utilization") and technical standards (e.g., GB/T 25246-2025). while delving into scientific evaluation methods for manure, efficient decomposition processes (including loose stacking, compact stacking, alternating loose-compact stacking, and enhancement techniques such as adding composite microbial agents and biochar), as well as safe application strategies. Key findings indicate that, compared to untreated manure, decomposed manure can increase nitrogen utilization efficiency by 47%, significantly boost soil organic matter (ranging from 122.5% to 354.8%) and humic acid content, and elevate the Shannon–Wiener diversity index of soil microbial communities to 5.6–6.0. Through the adoption of innovative processes such as the "1-Hour Nano-Composting Technology," the decomposition cycle can be substantially shortened, while effectively immobilizing or degrading emerging pollutants such as antibiotics and heavy metals. This paper aims to provide theoretical foundations and practical guidance for promoting the safe and efficient resource utilization of manure.

Mapping the Research Progress of Soil Quality in Camellia oleifera Forests: A Bibliometric Analysis Using CiteSpace

Yan-kui Chen — 2026-07-14

This study provides a comprehensive synthesis of the evolution, structural patterns, and emerging directions of research on soil quality in Camellia oleifera plantations. Relevant publications from 1995 to 2024 were retrieved from the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC). A bibliometric and knowledge-mapping approach was employed using CiteSpace, with analyses focusing on publication trends, collaboration networks among authors and institutions, keyword co-occurrence and clustering, and burst detection. The results show that: (1) research in this field has evolved through three phases: initial exploration (1995–2006), steady expansion (2007–2020) and rapid advancement (2021–2024), a temporal analysis of keyword co-occurrence and thematic clustering reveals a thematic shift in research emphasis over time. Early studies centered on discrete soil components, while more recent work has increasingly focused on process-oriented management and integrative system-level regulation; (2) Chinese and international studies follow largely parallel but complementary trajectories, with Chinese research emphasizing applied topics such as soil fertility assessment, nutrient management, and yield improvement, while international research focuses more on underlying mechanisms, including soil acidification, microbial diversity, and aluminum-phosphorus interactions; these strands are increasingly converging; (3) current research hotspots include mechanisms and mitigation of soil acidification, construction of minimum data sets (MDS), and regulation of rhizosphere microecology, with methodological advances moving from conventional physicochemical analyses toward high-throughput sequencing and machine learning; and (4) future research should prioritize multi-scale integration and long-term observations, strengthen coupled soil plant microbe system studies, advance intelligent decision-support tools for soil health management, and develop integrated assessment frameworks for sustainable Camellia oleifera development.

Women and Water Management in Central Asia: Exploring Participation and Regional Differences

Zulfiya Kannazarova — 2026-07-22

Women across Central Asia play essential roles in agriculture, water management, and climate adaptation; however, gendered vulnerabilities and institutional constraints continue to shape unequal access to land, water, training, and decision-making processes. This study examines the role of women in water management across Central Asia, focusing on the intersection of gender inequality, water governance, and climate change. The study employs a systematic literature review, combined with thematic analysis of 20 peer-reviewed articles published between 2011 and 2025 in the Scopus database. The findings identify key recurring themes, including the feminization of agriculture, institutional barriers to women’s participation, and increased climate vulnerability in water-scarce regions such as the Aral Sea Basin. The analysis reveals that despite policy recognition of gender equality, structural constraints-such as limited access to resources, decision-making power, and institutional support-continue to hinder women’s effective participation in water governance. The study contributes by providing a structured synthesis of fragmented regional literature and highlighting context-specific challenges in Central Asia. However, the study is limited by the relatively small dataset and reliance on published literature, suggesting the need for further empirical research.