Research in Ecology

Sensitivity of the Mediterranean Ecosystem to Nutrient Deposition: An Interdisciplinary Review

Guido Crispi, Massimo Pacciaroni — Thu, 13 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0800

Homogeneous methods for ecological applications to the nutrient cycle are analyzed, and the results are presented according to the marine ecology work discussed. To do justice to the explanations, the materials are summarized, and the methods are discussed and improved for both interested readers and experts in the field. Both the materials and the methods serve informative and popularizing as well as applicable and interpretive purposes and, in order to achieve the widest possible dissemination, are shared under the strict supervision of the earlier individual publications discussed here. The aeolian syntheses quantify the impact of atmospheric deposition of nutrients in the Western Mediterranean as one-twentieth of the baseline vertical fluxes of organic matter, while estimates for the Eastern Mediterranean reach one-eighth. Possible changes and additions in the global ocean are discussed as well as ecosystem updates and their relevance to the specific orography, hydrology and geochemistry associated with the lower trophodynamic degrees of freedom. Finally, the dynamics of the basins are analyzed, with increasing nutrient inputs leading to a top-down control of net plankton growth in the western basin and to an extremely nutrient-poor state in the eastern basin.

Spatio-Temporal Assessment of Land Use Land Cover Changes Affecting Regional Ecology in Patna Urban Agglomeration (PUA) in Bihar, India During 1990 to 2024

Fri, 17 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0800

Patna is among the cities high populated at risk of ecological and environmental deterioration due to a variety of human activities, such as poor land cover management. One of the most crucial elements of a successful land resource management plan is the evaluation of Land Use Land Cover (LULC). Over the past 20 years, our planet's land cover resources have undergone substantial changes due to rapid development. The Land Use Land Cover (LULC) categories of the Patna Urban Agglomeration (PUA), including water bodies, agricultural land, barren land, built-up areas, and vegetation, were identified using Geographic Information System (GIS) techniques. Three multi-temporal images were analyzed and classified through supervised classification using the maximum likelihood method. By comparing three separately created LULC categorized maps from 1990 and 2024, temporal changes were analyzed. In order to update land cover or manage natural resources, it is vital to use change detection as a tool to identify changes in LULC over time in PUA, Patna between 1990, 2010 and 2024. According to their respective Kappa coefficients, the accuracy rates for 1990, 2010 and 2024 LULC are 91.66 and 94.93, respectively. An accuracy evaluation was conducted to determine the correctness of the classification system and to determine the efficacy of the LULC classification maps. One hundred reference test pixels were identified. There have been found significant changes in the LULC were built up area has increased doubled in last thirty-four years of timeline.

A Comparative Study on South Korea’s Response to the UN Climate Change Convention and the Biodiversity Convention

JinYoung Son, HyeMin Park — Fri, 07 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0800

Climate change and biodiversity loss are intricately linked, and as the severity of these challenges intensifies, the need for a cohesive international response has become increasingly evident. Since 1992, South Korea has developed relevant legal and institutional frameworks; however, its initiatives addressing biodiversity loss have received less recognition and prioritization compared to its efforts concerning climate change. In this context, this study aims to analyze the disparities in South Korea’s policy responses to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), while proposing an integrated policy direction. To achieve this, the study compares key policies related to both conventions by utilizing the OECD’s Policy Coherence for Sustainable Development (PCSD) indicators and evaluation criteria derived from previous research. Furthermore, the analysis incorporates variables identified in earlier studies, including legal enforceability, economic incentives, financial support, and industry participation, to enhance the depth of the analysis. Additionally, a review of international best practices was conducted to extract actionable insights for policy enhancement. The analysis reveals several challenges in biodiversity policies, including fragmented governance systems, low policy prioritization, weakened policy momentum, imbalanced financial support, and limited corporate awareness. Moreover, difficulties in quantitative evaluation hinder the verification of policy effectiveness due to the complex nature of biodiversity goals. This research aims to assess South Korea's responsiveness in accordance with the integrated approach promoted by the international community.

Coupling and Spatial Disparities of Regional Economy and Ecosystem in High-Quality Town Development

Xinyi Ren, Xiaowen Tan, Dan Luo, Rongxin Lu, Chien-Chi Chu — Thu, 23 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0800

This study investigates the coordination between regional economic growth and ecological sustainability within the context of high-quality town economy development. To address the challenges of balancing economic expansion with environmental protection, a comprehensive evaluation index system is constructed, encompassing two key dimensions: regional economy and ecological environment. Using panel data from 2013 to 2022, the coupling coordination degree model is employed to quantify the interactions and synergy between these dimensions. Additionally, spatial econometric methods are applied to calculate both global and local Moran’s Index, revealing spatial clustering patterns, regional disparities, and heterogeneity. The relative development model further identifies critical factors influencing regional coordination, with a focus on the lagging development of basic infrastructure and public services. The findings demonstrate a positive temporal trend toward improved regional coordination and reduced development gaps, with a spatial pattern characterized by higher coupling degrees in eastern and central regions compared to western areas. Based on these results, this study proposes actionable strategies to enhance coordinated development, emphasizing ecological conservation, the establishment of green production and consumption systems, ecological restoration, and strengthened municipal collaboration.This revised abstract emphasizes the study’s purpose, methods, and key findings more clearly while maintaining a professional and concise tone. Finally, based on the above analysis results, the corresponding coordinated development suggestions of regional economy and ecological environment are given from the aspects of ecological environment protection measures, green production and consumption system construction, ecological environment restoration and municipal coordination.

Foraging Dynamics, Dietary Preferences, and Niche Specialization of Two Bulbul Species in Sri Lanka’s Dry Zone

Hiruni Kumarasinghe, Sriyani Wickramasinghe — Wed, 19 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0800

Two widespread bird species in Sri Lanka’s dry zone, Pycnonotus cafer (Red-vented Bulbul, RVBB) and Pycnonotus luteolus (White-browed Bulbul, WBBB), were studied to understand their foraging dynamics and ecology. The research was conducted from October 2022 to February 2023 in Mihintale Sanctuary (80.30'11.24"E, 8.21'04.63"N) and the Faculty of Applied Sciences, Rajarata University of Sri Lanka (80.502206"E, 8.353090"N). Data were obtained through focal sampling, opportunistic observations, and mist netting. Both species predominantly foraged on twigs, using gleaning as the dominant food-handling technique. RVBB foraged mostly at the canopy level, while WBBB foraged primarily at the sub-canopy level. Fruits constituted the major food type for both species. RVBB and WBBB utilized 10 and 7 plant species, respectively, with Grewia helicterifolia being the primary foraging plant. Minimal foraging was observed on Croton sp. (RVBB) and Hugonia mistax (WBBB). The correlation between nutritional components and the consumption of both species revealed a preference for foods with lower protein, higher fat, and ash content. There was no linear correlation between gape width and fruit size (r = –0.21, P = 0.69) for both species. The standardized dietary niche breadth indicated both species are specialists, with a high pairwise dietary niche overlap (0.9854). These findings highlight the niche-specific foraging adaptations of RVBB and WBBB within Mihintale, emphasizing their distinct strategies in utilizing plant species, fruit sizes, and foraging heights. Understanding such ecological dynamics is essential for habitat conservation efforts and ensuring the availability of key foraging resources for these species in the dry zone.