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Given the multitude of challenges Earth is facing, sustainability science is of key importance to our continued existence. Evolution is the fundamental biological process underlying the origin of all biodiversity. This phylogenetic diversity fosters the resilience of ecosystems to environmental change, and provides numerous resources to society, and options for the future. Genetic diversity within species is also key to the ability of populations to evolve and adapt to environmental change. Yet, the value of evolutionary processes and the consequences of their impairment have not generally been considered in sustainability research. We argue that biological evolution is important for sustainability and that the concepts, theory, data, and methodological approaches used in evolutionary biology can, in crucial ways, contribute to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We discuss how evolutionary principles are relevant to understanding, maintaining, and improving Nature Contributions to People (NCP) and how they contribute to the SDGs. We highlight specific applications of evolution, evolutionary theory, and evolutionary biologys diverse toolbox, grouped into four major routes through which evolution and evolutionary insights can impact sustainability. We argue that information on both within-species evolutionary potential and among-species phylogenetic diversity is necessary to predict population, community, and ecosystem responses to global change and to make informed decisions on sustainable production, health, and well-being. We provide examples of how evolutionary insights and the tools developed by evolutionary biology can not only inspire and enhance progress on the trajectory to sustainability, but also highlight some obstacles that hitherto seem to have impeded an efficient uptake of evolutionary insights in sustainability research and actions to sustain SDGs. We call for enhanced collaboration between sustainability science and evolutionary biology to understand how integrating these disciplines can help achieve the sustainable future envisioned by the UN SDGs.

Insectivorous birds can provide ecological and economic services by decreasing pest populations in agricultural systems, but the magnitude of effect is often debated. We modeled the capacity for birds to suppress pest population growth using a common tropical coffee pest, the coffee berry borer (CBB) (Hypothenemus hampei) as a study system. Previous field experiments show that birds play a role in suppressing CBB infestations through predation, but the degree to which birds can suppress population growth enough to control infestations is unknown since CBB are only vulnerable to predators when gravid females disperse. Using previously published data on CBB life-stage survivability, we constructed a female-only, daily time-step, deterministic Leslie matrix and projected CBB population growth for a single breeding season. Our goal was to assess the plausibility of CBB suppression by birds as a function of avian energy requirements, reported avian densities on coffee farms, prey composition of avian diets, estimated a caloric value of CBB, and the initial starting population size. Our model showed CBB population growth became exponential (λdaily = 1.042) and that at low, but not medium or high population sizes, were birds able to reduce population growth by 50%. In general, birds exert predation pressure on insect populations, but the ability to control infestations is complex, and is likely dependent on the initial CBB population size.

Societal Impact Statement Summary Strictly protected areas for nature conservation are a key policy to benefit biodiversity and climate change mitigation since reduced deforestation and ecosystem restoration enhance carbon stocks. However, there is controversy regarding their potential societal impacts, such as competition for land and food security. Here, we investigate the implications of protecting 30% and 50% of the global ice‐free land surface on the spatiotemporal dynamics of ecosystem carbon uptake and losses, agricultural land use and synergies with food production. The study provides insights into the role of protected areas on the global terrestrial carbon store, contributing to climate change mitigation and biodiversity conservation efforts. Agriculture and forestry use around half of the global ice‐free land and are major drivers of biodiversity loss. For this reason, the post‐2020 Global Biodiversity Framework of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) targets at least 30% of protected global land by 2030. This study evaluates the impacts of different land‐use change scenarios on the storage of carbon in terrestrial ecosystems and trade‐offs and synergies in the global food production system by comparing a reference scenario with no additional protected area expansion targets and two scenarios with strict area‐based protection targets of 30% and 50% of the ice‐free land surface. A net global gain in carbon storage up to 110 PgC was projected for 2056–2060 in the protection scenarios compared to the reference scenario (equivalent to around 10 years of current global anthropogenic C emissions). However, regional disparities in carbon storage are large and include carbon losses in areas identified as having—at least on a decadal perspective—‘irrecoverable’ carbon. In the protection scenarios, cropland expansion in some regions is accompanied by intensification of production with an increase of up to 8% in the use of N fertiliser, which may lead to pollution and additional greenhouse gas emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Pest regulation may be favoured in crop fields adjacent to semi‐natural vegetation such as fragments of the Atlantic Forest in Southeastern Brazil. Therefore, the objective of this study was to analyse the dynamics of mortality factors for eggs and larvae of Diatraea saccharalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) in sugarcane adjacent to two types of forest fragments (Plateau and Gallery) at two distances from these fragments during two growing seasons. In each area (seven sugarcane plots), two 50 m long transects were established, parallel and spaced at 5 and 100 m from the field edge, and cohorts of the insect at each stage of development were monitored. The collected data were used to construct an ecological life table and determine the main mortality factors. Natural mortality factors that could not be characterised were grouped as unknown. In both seasons and stages of development observed, there was no difference in mortality between the two types of forest fragments (Plateau and Gallery) or between the two distances from the forest. For the egg stage, the mortality factors were classified as inviable due to infertility, predation, parasitism, desiccation and dislodgement. In both seasons, there was a significant difference in the natural mortality factors of D. saccharalis, with predation distinct from the others. Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) and green lacewings (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) were the most frequent predatory agents and occurred at both distances and types of forest fragments. For the larval stage, the mortality factors were classified as predation, parasitism, drowning and unknown, with the unknown group differing from the others. Unknown factors might have included predation, larval movement towards other plants and displacement caused by wind after hatching. Overall, predation is a key mortality component of D. saccharalis suppression. Therefore, agricultural practices focused on the conservation of natural enemies such as predators may provide more sustainable management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban trees are crucial in delivering essential ecosystem services, including air pollution mitigation. This service is influenced by plant associated microbiomes, which can degrade hydrocarbons, support tree health, and influence ecological processes. Yet, our understanding of tree microbiomes remains limited, thus affecting our ability to assess and quantify the ecosystem services provided by trees as complex systems. The main hypothesis of this work was that tree microbiomes concur to hydrocarbon biodegradation, and was tested through three case studies, which collectively investigated two tree micro-habitats (phyllosphere and tree cavity organic soil—TCOS) under various conditions representing diverse ecological scenarios, by applying different culture-based and molecular techniques and at different scales. The integration of all results provided a more comprehensive understanding of the role of microbiomes in urban trees. Firstly, bacterial strains isolated from the phyllosphere of Quercus ilex were characterized, indicating the presence of Plant-Growth Promoting bacteria and strains able to catabolize PAHs, particularly naphthalene and phenanthrene. Secondly, naphthalene biodegradation on artificially spiked Hedera helix leaves was quantified in greenhouse experiments on inoculated and untreated plants. The persistence of the inoculated strain and community structure of epiphytic bacteria were assessed by Illumina sequencing of V5–V6 hypervariable regions of 16S rRNA gene. Results showed that naphthalene degradation was initially faster on inoculated plants but later the degradation rates became similar, probably because bacterial populations with hydrocarbon-degrading abilities gradually developed also on non-inoculated plants. Finally, we explored bacterial and fungal biodiversity hosted by TCOS samples, collected from six large trees located in an urban park and belonging to different species. Microbial communities were characterized by Illumina sequencing of V5–V6 hypervariable regions of bacterial gene 16S rRNA and of fungal ITS1. Results indicated TCOS as a distinct substrate, whose microbiome is determined both by the host tree and by canopy environmental conditions and has a pronounced aerobic hydrocarbon degradation potential. Overall, a better assessment of biodiversity associated with trees and the subsequent provision of ecosystem services constitute a first step toward developing future new microbe-driven sustainable solutions, especially in terms of support for urban green planning and management policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When healthy, Ostrea edulis populations are capable of creating remarkable biogenic reefs, providing a unique habitat for marine biodiversity. At present, the biotic assemblages associated with flat oysters remain poorly defined. This study aims to analyze biodiversity associated with the reef's development stage by focusing on its epibiotic community. The studied oyster population is an old remnant bed located in the Bay of Brest, which has been undergoing restoration for 5 years. The epibiotic communities (>500 μm) of scattered individual living (n = 10) and dead (n = 9) oysters, as well as of aggregates from the ground (n = 10) and from a restored reef (n = 3) were compared. 137 species associated with oysters were found, among which 22 were specific to individual oysters and 55 to aggregates and reefs. Although reef samples formed a distinct group in the SIMPER analysis, Shannon's (between 2.25 and 2.52) and Simpson's (between 0.84 and 0.86) diversity indices remained constant for each reef development stage. Piélou's indices (between 0.71 and 0.80) were significantly lower for aggregates displaying a less evenly distributed community. Mean abundance and species richness per sample were higher for aggregated structures. However, when standardized to abundance per centimeter square of shell surface, both parameters were significantly higher for individual oysters. Therefore, while reefs may support a higher species richness at a larger spatial scale, at a smaller scale, single oysters have a higher species richness per unit area of shell. Seemingly, despite the poor state of their remnant populations, flat oysters are still hosting important macrofaunal biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phyto‐ecological studies are crucial in developing insights into community structure and functioning. Here, we studied the phytosociological and soil parameters of Swertia thomsonii – an endemic medicinal plant of western Himalaya. Thirty quadrats were laid out across three different habitats of S. thomsonii in Kashmir Himalaya. Soil samples were collected from each site and soil properties were determined by using standard methods. A total of 62 species belonging to 51 genera and 34 families were recorded across the three study sites. Herbs were dominant (83.87%) followed by shrubs (9.67%), trees (4.83%), and ferns (1.61%). Based on importance value index (IVI) values Cynodon dactylon (42.84), Gaultheria trichophylla (42.44) Leucanthemum vulgare (39.93), Poa angustifolia (30.33), Trifolium pratense (26.67), Galium aparine (25.88), and Androsace rotundifolia (25.82) were found to be dominant species within S. thomsonii assemblages. The maximum (23.14) IVI value of S. thomsonii was recorded at the Doodhpathri site followed by Gulmarg (22.12) and Pahalgam (16.34). Diversity indices varied across three study sites. Plant species richness was recorded maximum at Pahalgam (30 species) followed by Doodhpathri (26 species) and Gulmarg (20 species). Also, Shannon index was recorded maximum (H = 3.03) at the Pahalgam site followed by Doodhpathri (H = 2.99) and Gulmarg (H = 2.62). Simpson index and species evenness were recorded maximum (0.93 and 0.79 respectively) at the Doodhpathri site followed pahalgam (0.92 and 0.67 respectively) and Gulmarg site (0.90 and 0.65 respectively). Soil parameters also varied significantly across study sites. Nitrogen and phosphorous were recorded maximum (465.32 ± 4.26 kg ha−1 and 80.2 ± 3.63 kg ha−1 respectively) at the Gulmarg site and minimum (301.33 ± 2.62 kg ha−1 and 33.63 ± 4.22 kg ha−1 respectively) at Pahalgam site. Potassium was recorded maximum (295.5 ± 3.34 kg ha−1) at the Pahalgam site and minimum (165.83 ± 4.25 kg ha−1) at the Gulmarg site. The scientific information generated could contribute to better management practices for target species and thereby ensuring ecosystem health and sustenance of ecosystem services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social‐ecological memory (SEM) may be a key source of resilience in social‐ecological systems (SES), allowing for renewal and reorganisation after disturbances. This study provides an overview of the genesis and evolution of the SEM concept, its research trends and gaps, and its potential applicability to geographical thought. Combining systematic review and bibliometric analysis, we collected 219 records published in the last two decades, which were reduced to 87 relevant records after applying the inclusion/exclusion criterion. The results indicate that interest in SEM research is growing, but wide acceptance and concordance around terminology are still lagging. The concept has substantially evolved and expanded over the last decade but remains mostly abstract and conceptual. Research has focused predominantly on European countries, rural contexts, and westernised societies, identified multiple disturbances and ecosystem services as driving the maintenance and evolution of SEM, and highlighted an unequal interest between social and ecological memory carriers. Our review underlines the strong pertinence of the SEM concept for the study and management of social‐ecological systems, which would benefit from the development of application strategies and tools. In the future, researchers should seek to expand the idea of social‐ecological memory into an applied field having clearer links and boundaries with more established concepts important in geography, among them traditional ecological knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural intensification is driving declines in pollinator diversity and the degradation of pollination services worldwide. Organic management, which prohibits the use of synthetic inputs, has considerable potential for combatting these declines by enhancing biodiversity in agricultural landscapes. However, the efficacy of organic farming for promoting pollinator diversity has recently been questioned. We conducted a meta‐analysis to determine the effect of organic management on pollinator species richness and abundance. We compiled 42 studies across four continents and calculated a Hedges' g effect size for each of 76 species richness and 57 abundance observations. We then estimated average effect sizes overall and across five moderators. Species richness and abundance of pollinating insects tended to be higher in organic farms than conventional ones, with average effect sizes of 0.68 and 0.74, respectively. Landscape context, crop type, pollinator group, sampling location, and sampling method were factors impacting the response of pollinator diversity/abundance to organic farming. We found benefits for pollinator diversity from organic farming in all landscape types, with the strongest response in simple compared with more complex landscapes. Pollinator diversity benefited the most in habitats within organic cereal systems and the least in organic pastures. Among pollinator groups, bumblebee diversity benefitted the most, while moths and hoverflies showed positive but non‐significant responses. Higher pollinator diversity/abundance was detected in organic farms at various sampling locations. Transect sampling showed the greatest diversity gains among sampling methods. Synthesis and applications. Our results affirm that organic farming has positive effects for pollinator species richness and abundance, but benefits are variable and not guaranteed. We recommend that future studies adopt a standard sampling protocol and cover a larger geographic range to understand the global potential of organic farming to promote pollinator biodiversity. Efforts to increase pollinator abundance and diversity through organic farming should focus on organic systems involving cereal phases, especially within simple landscapes, for the most positive outcomes. However, due to high variability in pollinator responses alongside the challenges to achieve economic profitability from organic farming, crafting organic farming systems to specific farm‐scale opportunities and needs may be necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT The growing demand for energy and the shift towards green energy solutions have led to the conversion of open spaces and agricultural fields into photovoltaic (PV) power plants, exacerbating the “food–energy–environment” trilemma. Agrophotovoltaics (APVs), a dual‐use system combining agriculture and energy production on the same land, presents a potential solution to this challenge. While the environmental impacts of ground‐mounted utility‐scale PV (USPV) power plants and the effects of APV systems on agricultural yields have been extensively studied and reviewed, the implications for wildlife and biodiversity remain largely unexplored. This knowledge gap is pressing, given the accelerated global adoption of APV systems and the urgency of understanding their broader ecological consequences. In this concise review, we synthesise existing literature on the impacts of USPV installations on biodiversity and the effects of APV on crop production. Building on these foundations, we propose novel hypotheses concerning the potential pathways and mechanisms through which APV systems may influence biodiversity. We explore the complex interactions between agroecosystems and natural ecosystems, examining both direct and indirect effects. Our review culminates in a set of key research questions designed to guide future studies on the biodiversity outcomes of APV deployment. Future research should comprehensively address factors such as habitat type, climate, spatial scale, technology, and agricultural practices, as well as the overarching impacts of climate change. By highlighting the importance of these variables, we aim to facilitate a nuanced understanding of how APV systems can either support or undermine biodiversity. This work not only underscores the critical need for empirical studies in this emerging field but also sets the stage for more informed and sustainable implementation of APV technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the escalating issue of global climate change, it is imperative to comprehend and quantify the effects of land use change on carbon storage (CS), which pertains not only to the preservation of ecosystem functions but also directly influences the equilibrium and stability of the global carbon cycle. This study examines the correlation between CS and land use change, forecasts the future spatial distribution of CS, and offers a reference for the rational planning of watershed space. Focusing on the Bosten Lake Basin of Xinjiang in China, employing the land use simulation (PLUS) model and the integrated valuation of ecosystem services and trade-offs (InVEST) model to forecast the spatial distribution of carbon stocks across three developmental scenarios, while also examining the shift in the center of gravity of CS and the autocorrelation of their spatial distribution. The findings derived from the study are as follows: (1) From 1990 to 2020, the predominant land use type in the Bosten Lake Basin was grassland, while there was an upward trend in the areas of cropland, forest land, built-up land, and wetland, alongside a downward trend in the areas of grassland, water, and unused land. (2) In the long term, the regional CS exhibits an upward trend, with the most significant increase anticipated in the EPS scenario. Grassland constitutes the most extensive carbon reservoir in the Bosten Lake Basin, while wetlands exhibit the highest carbon sequestration potential. (3) The alteration in the center of gravity of CS is associated with the expansion or reduction of the major regional carbon reservoirs and types characterized by significant carbon sequestration potential. (4) In the long term, the spatial correlation of CS in the Bosten Lake Basin exhibits a consistent upward trend, with the most pronounced spatial correlation observed under EPS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecosystem services, encompassing the direct and indirect benefits of natural systems, are extensively studied in the context of mangroves. These carbon-rich ecosystems support coastal fisheries, shorelines, and harvestable resources to local communities. However, research on mangrove ecosystem services primarily are at a local scale, with limited exploration of global variations in resource utilization. This paper aims to bridge this knowledge gap through a systematic review of the existing literature conducted in Web of Science to assess the geographical variations in the coverage of mangrove use and ecosystem services. Out of 310 papers analyzed, Asia had the highest coverage (43%) with support to fisheries (39%) being the most researched ecosystem service worldwide. Direct use of mangrove resources exhibited regional variations, particularly in Asia, Africa, and North America. Mangrove wood, primarily used for fuel (16%) and construction (15%), was the most documented resource, with its usage persisting in low-income countries. Notably, a shift from being a primary income source to subsistence use was observed in Asia, Africa, and South America. Intrinsic and cultural services were less mentioned in the literature, emphasizing the need for future studies to focus on these areas to ensure culturally sensitive conservation efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines the environmental and legal aspects of the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine. The problems of bringing the aggressor state to responsibility for ecocide are analyzed. Having found a legislative enshrinement in the national criminal law (Article 441 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine), ecocide has not been enshrined in international criminal law. It is not recognized as a crime either in the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court or in any other international legal act. As of today, Russian crimes against the environment can be investigated by the International Criminal Court as war crimes. The author of the article supports the proposal regarding the need to include the crime of ecocide in the Rome Statute. The ecological and legal aspect of the formation of an international compensation mechanism is studied, the components of which are: 1) an international register of damages; 2) compensation commission (which will consider individual applications for compensation by the Russian Federation for losses from citizens, companies and the state); 3) compensation fund (which will accumulate funds to pay commission decisions, including at the expense of confiscated Russian assets). The mechanism of compensation for environmental damage caused as a result of the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine is analyzed, and ways of its optimization are proposed. The future compensation mechanism should be based on the «ecosystem services approach», which will significantly increase the amount of environmental damage that the Russian Federation will pay to Ukraine. The international practice of compensation for environmental damage caused by the aggressor as a result of military actions and temporary occupation was studied and analyzed. The author emphasized the need to reform the state environmental monitoring system. Without reliable monitoring data, it is difficult to prove a causal relationship between the illegal actions of the aggressor state and the damage caused to the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identifying and evaluating the ecological security pattern (ESP) of region can provide a solid foundation for optimizing regional ecosystem elements and improving regional ecological security. The PLUS model, InVEST model, and circuit theory were used to analyze the ecosystem services and ESP of the Shanxi section of the Yellow River Basin (SYRB) between 2005 and 2035. The findings revealed that 1) The total area of land use shift across categories between 2005 and 2020 was 6,080.99 km2, or 5.22% of the SYRB's total area. Under the natural development scenario, the total land transfer area from 2020 to 2035 was predicted to be 4,605.10 km2. Among these, the tendency for construction and forest land was expanding, while the tendency for cultivated land, grassland, water area, and unused land was shrinking; 2) From 2005 to 2035, the SYRB's water yield and soil conservation all decreased, while the habitat quality and carbon storage showed a declining tendency; 3) The ecological source increased from 35,767.00 km2 in 2005 to 39,931.00 km2 in 2035; the total length of the ecological corridors expanded from 2,792.24 km to 3,553.18 km between 2005 and 2035; the ecological pinch points increased from 27 in 2005 to 40 in 2035; the ecological barrier points increased from 21 in 2005 to 28 in 2035, which show that the ESP remained unstable; 4) According to the ecosystem service characteristics of the SYRB in 2020, an ESP of "one axis, two zones, four corridors, and multiple points" was constructed. This study could provide useful guidance for improving the spatial pattern of land use and maintaining ecosystem services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ecosystem system services framework has potential to help clarify wildlife management challenges at the single species scale, but existing methods struggle to capture the complex values and tradeoffs at play in human–wildlife interactions. We worked with community scientists to gather and use stories (n = 150) as a source of ecosystem services data about living alongside eastern coyotes (Canis latrans var) in rural Vermont, United States. Our a priori ecosystem service assessment showed that human–coyote interactions can have simultaneous positive and negative human well‐being impacts at both the sample scale and for individual interviewees. Our research identified emergent themes that lent insight into how interviewees justified different kinds of relationships with coyotes. We applied a tradeoffs lens to evaluate three policy options based on their potential to mitigate ecosystem disservices and maximize ecosystem services from human–coyote interactions. We found that ecosystem services assessment rooted in a dataset of stories revealed policy‐relevant understanding of value conflicts and alignments at the sample scale without overshadowing the nuances of individual interviewees' experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human activities continuously alter the delivery of ecosystem services (ESs), which play a crucial role in human well-being. There is a pressing need for effective ecological management strategies that consider the spatial heterogeneity of ESs to support the transition from trade-offs to synergies. This study focuses on the Haba River Basin and examines characteristics of land-use change and the shift from trade-offs to synergies. The results indicate that from 1990 to 2000, the initial phase of land development, 10.65% of the land experienced change. Subsequently, during the intensive period of land development from 2000 to 2010, 30.29% of the land underwent significant transformation, with approximately 78% of grassland, sparse grassland, forested land, and desert converted into arable land. However, between 2010 and 2020, as the focus shifted towards the establishment of native vegetation. The intensity of land development decreased, and only a small percentage (3.65%) of the total area underwent changes. Based on an in-depth analysis of spatial heterogeneity from 1990 to 2020, it is believed there has been a shift from trade-offs to co-benefits between 2000–2010 and 2010–2020. The years 2010 and 2020 were pivotal time nodes for the transition from trade-offs to synergies and for reducing trade-offs, with NPP identified as a critical driving factor for comprehensive ES (CES) functions. By considering the trade-off–synergy relationship and hotspots of ecological service functions, combined with unified water resource management policies, comprehensive ecological management measures tailored to different regions are proposed. These measures have facilitated the implementation of robust ecological protection policies to shift ES development from trade-offs to synergies in arid areas, thereby enhancing overall ecosystem service functions in the Haba River Basin. The research findings offer crucial scientific support and guidance for ecosystem management in arid areas, particularly within Central Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecological restoration projects aim to recover ecosystems that have been degraded, damaged, or destroyed. The effective assessment of these projects is crucial for ensuring that restoration goals are met and for guiding future efforts. The Poplar Ecological Restoration Project (PERP), focused on removing floodplain poplar plantations, is a key environmental initiative in China to preserve the ecological functions and services of the Dongting Lake freshwater wetland complex. Understanding the dynamic changes in ecosystem services and their trade-offs/synergies before and after the project is crucial for ensuring that ecosystem services are maintained and enhanced. This study selected three key ecosystem services, water conservation, carbon storage, and habitat quality, as indicators to assess the PERP. Using the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Trade-offs (InVEST) model and geostatistical methods, including the Spearman correlation analysis and spatial autocorrelation analysis, we explored the ecological outcomes of the project. The results indicated that since its implementation in 2014, the PERP has significantly altered the land use and land cover (LULC) in the lake. Most of the former plantations have been converted into reedbeds (17,404 ha), followed by sedgelands (3841 ha), mudflats (443 ha), shallow waters (382 ha), and deep waters (301 ha). During this period, water conservation and habitat quality initially decreased and then increased, while carbon storage continuously declined. Overall, all assessed services showed an increasing trend except for carbon storage, resulting in a slight decrease in the integrated ecosystem services. Moreover, there were strong bivariate associations among the three investigated ecosystem services, and the synergies were strengthened during the project. Importantly, these synergies became positive after the PERP, meaning that the improvement of one service enhanced others, potentially leading to a more sustainable and resilient ecosystem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the flow processes and pattern optimization of ecosystem services (ESs) supply and demand is crucial for integrated regional ecological management. However, the understanding of the flow process of ESs at the 1 km grid scale is still limited, especially in areas dominated by mineral resource development. The landscape in these areas has undergone significant changes due to mining activities. It is urgent to construct a regional management model that integrates the flow of ecosystem services and mine restoration. This study developed a framework that links ecosystem service flows (ESFs) and ecological security patterns (ESP) based on multi-source ecological monitoring data, constructed an ES supply-demand flow network through the flow properties, and determined the sequence and optimization strategies for mine rehabilitation to achieve integrated regional management. The results show that, except for food production (FP), other services were in surplus overall, mostly in synergistic relationships, but the spatial distribution of their supply and demand was not coordinated. Surplus areas were located mainly in the eastern woodlands, and deficit areas were located in the northwestern production agglomeration centers, suggesting that areas of supply-demand imbalance can be mitigated through ecological integration. Among these, water yield (WY) had a small number of sources and sinks and is limited in area range. Habitat quality (HQ) sources and sinks had the largest area coverage and the highest number. The distribution of ESF corridors, influenced by factors such as the number of sources and sinks, flow characteristics, and spatial resistance, varied significantly. HQ exhibited a more uniform distribution range, while WY had a longer average length of flow path. Overlaying ecological and mining factors, we identified ecological strategic spots, important supply areas, beneficiary areas, and mine priority restoration areas to further optimize the overall layout and rationally allocate the intrinsic structure of the patches based on ES supply and demand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mangroves provide fundamental ecosystem services; however, the growing impact of human activities has resulted in increased pollution pressure, such as chemical contaminants. The redox processes are major biogeochemical players in the fate of contaminants. We investigate the effects of the redox environment on As(V) and Cr(VI) adsorbed on goethite (i.e., Fe(III)‐oxide) over 40 days of incubation in columns containing mangrove soil subjected to seawater saturation cycles. Our spectroscopic data highlighted a less Fe(III)‐ordered arrangement on goethite over time; As(V) is strongly bound to goethite, which delayed until 20 days its remobilization and reduction to As(III). After 40 days, the goethite held ∼50% of the initial As, but it was 15% as As(III). On the other hand, Cr(VI) was desorbed almost completely in less than 10 days, and the residual Cr ions bound to goethite were almost totally converted to Cr(III). Our study stresses the importance of individual time‐dependence in evaluating chemical speciation changes among potential toxic elements in wetland systems, such as mangroves and artificial wetlands designed to water treatment or soil remediation. Core Ideas: The redox processes are major biogeochemical players in wetlands.Goethite surface changes to less‐ordered structure in mangrove soils.Fast Cr(VI) mobilization in mangrove soils, however, is reduced to Cr(III).Slow As(V) release in mangrove soils, however, is reduced to As(III). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nature‐based solutions (NbS) involve interventions that modify ecosystems to enhance multiple ecosystem services (ES). Yet, despite our increasing knowledge of the key role that functional traits play in determining ES, certain types of NbS often do not consider a functional trait perspective.A reason for this lack of translation may be the range of NbS approaches and levels of knowledge of trait–ES relationships. Functional traits may be most useful as targets for NbS design when knowledge on trait–ES mapping is established and the NbS involves a medium or high level of management intervention.A richer understanding of causality in trait–ES and trait–resilience linkages, and context dependency in those linkages, is needed to broaden the application of functional traits in NbS. An improved understanding of trait linkages with cultural ES and how traits interact with stakeholder values to shape NbS uptake would also improve application.Synthesis: A greater consideration of functional traits will increase the efficacy of NbS projects, and could be accelerated by tackling gaps in knowledge about functional traits. Here, we envision a research agenda that both advances NbS design and leverages the varied objectives of NbS to robustly test our knowledge about functional traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nutrient enrichment impacts grassland plant diversity such as species richness, functional trait composition and diversity, but whether and how these changes affect ecosystem stability in the face of increasing climate extremes remains largely unknown.We quantified the direct and diversity‐mediated effects of nutrient addition (by nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium) on the stability of above‐ground biomass production in 10 long‐term grassland experimental sites. We measured five facets of stability as the temporal invariability, resistance during and recovery after extreme dry and wet growing seasons.Leaf traits (leaf carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and specific leaf area) were measured under ambient and nutrient addition conditions in the field and were used to construct the leaf economic spectrum (LES). We calculated functional trait composition and diversity of LES and of single leaf traits. We quantified the contribution of intraspecific trait shifts and species replacement to change in functional trait composition as responses to nutrient addition and its implications for ecosystem stability.Nutrient addition decreased functional trait diversity and drove grassland communities to the faster end of the LES primarily through intraspecific trait shifts, suggesting that intraspecific trait shifts should be included for accurately predicting ecosystem stability. Moreover, the change in functional trait diversity of the LES in turn influenced different facets of stability. That said, these diversity‐mediated effects were overall weak and/or overwhelmed by the direct effects of nutrient addition on stability. As a result, nutrient addition did not strongly impact any of the stability facets. These results were generally consistent using individual leaf traits but the dominant pathways differed. Importantly, major influencing pathways differed using average trait values extracted from global trait databases (e.g. TRY).Synthesis. Investigating changes in multiple facets of plant diversity and their impacts on multidimensional stability under global changes such as nutrient enrichment can improve our understanding of the processes and mechanisms maintaining ecosystem stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Predicting how nature's contributions to people (NCP) vary spatially remains a challenge. For NCP provided by mobile species, it is unclear how predictions need to account for the influence of multiple habitat types that act as sources, sinks and potential distractors of the NCP‐providing species. Existing approaches that do not account for these effects may inaccurately predict outcomes in real landscapes.To move beyond these limitations, we transfer quantitative inference approaches from movement ecology to explore how spatial habitat patterns determine the negative NCP of the invasive common brushtail possum Trichosurus vulpecula in New Zealand. We used a Bayesian model to investigate how the size of, and distance from, grassland and indigenous and exotic forest patches together contribute to relative possum density (measured by capture probability across a trapping network) in a heterogeneous 11,000‐ha landscape.We found that indigenous and exotic forest area were the most important factors in determining possum density. Although capture probability declined with increasing grassland area, the addition of grassland did not improve the relative model fit above one with indigenous forest as the only habitat.We expected differences in predicted possum density at habitat boundaries, for example, due to preferential foraging at edges. We found that indigenous and exotic forests contributed to capture probability interactively, such that capture probability at the between‐habitat edge was lower than expected, given the habitat area. We also found that models allowing for non‐linear habitat effects of exotic forests or grasslands, but not indigenous forests, were significantly better at predicting possum density than simpler models.Synthesis and applications. Our novel approach for spatial prediction can be applied to any of nature's contributions to people (NCP), and extended to identify trade‐offs and synergies among multiple NCP. For example, the negative NCP of possum density trades off with multiple known positive NCP from indigenous forests, including culturally significant non‐material NCP, and material NCP produced by exotic forests. We recommend that landscape management plans to maximise these positive NCP in future scenarios also consider how the risk of possum density may dampen net NCP provision. To minimise this negative NCP, our results support trap deployment in both indigenous and exotic forest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forbs are important contributors to species diversity and ecosystem functions in low-latitude grasslands, where they support diverse herbivore communities and millions of people. Native forb assemblages tolerate disturbances and physiological stressors (fire, herbivory, drought, and frost) that together have shaped their exceptional functional diversity. Yet, compared to trees and grasses, forbs have received much less attention in grassland studies until recently. Here, we review forb-centric literature to illustrate that land conversion and responsible management of fire and herbivory are crucial to maintaining forb diversity. Management practices promoting forb diversity offer (a) high-quality food items and medicinal resources that support rural livelihoods and animal diversity (from wild ungulates and livestock to fossorial rodents and insects), including their adaptive foraging patterns, and (b) carbon and nutrient inputs that regulate belowground processes. Improved understanding of the above- and belowground regeneration strategies of forbs is critical for restoration and conservation to secure their services in future old-growth tropical and subtropical grasslands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration will result in an unprecedented need for seeds. Agricultural production, or the growing of plants under controlled conditions to produce desired resources, can be a helpful tool for providing the quantities of seeds needed for large‐scale restoration. In some ecosystems, agricultural production of native plant seeds is part of the restoration process. This is particularly true for native plants that are similar to major food crops, such as native grasses. However, conventional crops have contrasting characteristics (e.g. fast growing, high yield for a focused use) from those desired in restored vegetation (plants capable of surviving and providing ecosystem services in variable environments). This contrast leads to significant, often opposing differences in desirable characteristics in crop versus natural systems. Examples include rapid germination in domesticated crops versus seed dormancy in wild plants, uniform germination, growth and flowering versus bet‐hedging strategies, or high seed retention versus seed dispersal. While it may be useful to maximize productivity of native plants in agricultural environments with similar trait modifications, for restoration, the demands of the natural environment should be primary, and agricultural production should aim to maximize the diversity, function, and evolutionary potential of native species. Any perceived benefits that come from the production of large quantities of inexpensive seeds that cannot meet the needs of wild communities are short‐sighted. We suggest research directions that will be needed to meld agricultural production needs with those of restoration practitioners, as a challenge for those invested in the procurement and use of wild seeds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mountain ecosystems play an important role globally as centers of biodiversity and in providing ecosystem services to lowland populations, but are influenced by multiple global change drivers such as climate change, nitrogen deposition, or altered disturbance regimes. As global change is accelerating and the consequences for humans and nature are intensifying, there is an increasing demand for understanding and predicting the impacts and implications of global change on mountain ecosystems. Manipulation experiments are one of the major tools for testing the causal impacts of global change and establishing a mechanistic understanding of how these changes may transform the global biota from single organisms to entire ecosystems. Over the past three decades, hundreds of such experiments have been conducted in mountainous regions worldwide. To strengthen the experimental evidence for the possible ecological consequences of global change, we systematically reviewed the literature on global change experiments in mountains. We first investigated the spread of manipulation experiments to test the effects of different global change drivers on key biological and ecological processes from the organism to the ecosystem level. We then examined and discussed the balance of evidence regarding the impact of these global change drivers on biological and ecological processes, and outlined the possible consequences for mountain ecosystems. Finally, we identified research gaps and proposed future directions for global change research in mountain environments. Among the major drivers, temperature was manipulated most frequently, generally showing consistent strong impacts between biological and ecosystem processes, functional groups, and habitat types. There is also strong evidence suggesting that changes in water and nutrient availability have a direct impact on the life history and functioning of mountain organisms. Despite these important findings, there are several gaps that require urgent attention. These include experiments testing adult trees in tropical and boreal regions, assessing animal responses and biotic interactions, and investigating aquatic environments and soil systems more extensively. A broader approach that integrates experimental data with field observations and relies on international collaboration through coordinated experiments could help address these gaps and provide a more consistent and robust picture of the impacts of global change on mountain ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The United Nations' Convention on Biological Diversity set forth the 30 × 30 target, an agenda for countries to protect at least 30% of their terrestrial, inland water, and coastal and marine areas by 2030. With <6 years to reach that goal, riverine conservation professionals are faced with the difficult decision of prioritizing which rivers or river segments should be conserved (protected and/or restored). While incorporating resilience into conservation planning is essential for enhancing, restoring, and maintaining the vital riverine ecosystem services (ES) most threatened by climate change and other environmental and human stresses, this paradigm is at odds with traditional conservation approaches that are either opportunistic or reactionary, where only unique and highly visible ecosystems have been prioritized. Barriers to implementing resilience‐based riverine conservation planning include: (1) difficulties in conceptualizing and quantifying resilience; (2) insufficient consideration of the social components of riverine systems; (3) the inapplicability of terrestrial‐only conservation models to aquatic systems; and (4) the traditional ad hoc and opportunistic approach to conservation. To overcome these barriers, we propose a resilience‐based riverine conservation framework that includes: (1) assessing riverine resilience using indicator frameworks; (2) considering rivers as dynamically coupled social–ecological systems; (3) explicitly incorporating terrestrial–aquatic network connectivity into conservation decision‐making; and (4) strategic systems planning using a novel resilience–conservation matrix as a tool. This framework has the potential to transform conservation practices around the globe to more effectively protect river systems and enhance their resilience to climate change and human development. This article is categorized under:Water and Life > Conservation, Management, and AwarenessScience of Water > Water and Environmental ChangeHuman Water > Water Governance [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecosystem services (ESs) refer to the benefits that humans obtain from ecosystems. These services are subject to environmental changes and human interventions, which introduce a significant level of uncertainty. Traditional ES modeling approaches often employ Bayesian networks, but they fall short in capturing spatiotemporal dynamic change processes. To address this limitation, dynamic Bayesian networks (DBNs) have emerged as stochastic models capable of incorporating uncertainty and capturing dynamic changes. Consequently, DBNs have found increasing application in ES modeling. However, the structure and parameter learning of DBNs present complexities within the field of ES modeling. To mitigate the reliance on expert knowledge, this study proposes an algorithm for structure and parameter learning, integrating the InVEST (Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Trade-Offs) model with DBNs to develop a comprehensive understanding of the spatiotemporal dynamics and uncertainty of ESs in the Tarim River Basin, China from 2000 to 2020. The study further evaluates the tradeoffs and synergies among four key ecosystem services: water yield, habitat quality, sediment delivery ratio, and carbon storage and sequestration. The findings show that (1) the proposed structure learning and parameter learning algorithm for DBNs, including the hill-climb algorithm, linear analysis, the Markov blanket, and the EM algorithm, effectively address subjective factors that can influence model learning when dealing with uncertainty; (2) significant spatial heterogeneity is observed in the supply of ESs within the Tarim River Basin, with notable changes in habitat quality, water yield, and sediment delivery ratios occurring between 2000–2005, 2010–2015, and 2015–2020, respectively; (3) tradeoffs exist between water yield and habitat quality, as well as between soil conservation and carbon sequestration, while synergies are found among habitat quality, soil retention, and carbon sequestration. The land-use type emerges as the most influential factor affecting the tradeoffs and synergies of ESs. This study serves to validate the capacity of DBNs in addressing spatiotemporal dynamic changes and establishes an improved research methodology for ES modeling that considers uncertainty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Ocean warming and marine heatwaves are rapidly reconfiguring the composition of seaweed forests—the world's largest coastal vegetated biome. Seaweed forest responses to climate change in remote locations, which constitute the majority of the forest biome, remain however poorly quantified. Here, we examine the temporal stability of the seaweed forests across a global seaweed biodiversity hotspot where several species are predicted to undergo severe range contractions in this century. Location: Western south coast of Australia. Methods: Seaweed forest canopies were censused at 18 shallow (< 10 m) sheltered reefs between 1997 and 2006 and again between 2021 and 2024 (six sites per location). We also surveyed 24 sites to examine whether temporal changes differed over gradients of wave exposure and depth. Results: Seaweed forest canopies across all locations showed surprisingly little change in biomass, cover, stand density and species composition over two decades, with strong spatial structuring across depth and exposure gradients persisting over time. The average thermal affinity of forest canopies (i.e., the community temperature index, CTI) did not track warming, suggesting that factors other than temperature (e.g., wave exposure and depth) are more important drivers of forest stand structure and/or that key thermal thresholds have not yet been crossed. Forests in the location with the most pronounced warming exhibited increased thermal bias over time (total bias of 0.8°C–2.2°C), indicating they were dominated by species with cooler affinities than their local temperatures. Main Conclusions: The greater thermal bias in forests at the warmer edge of southern Australia suggests these will be more susceptible to future warming‐related compositional changes than forests in cooler locations. The relative stability we found contrasts with a current context of rapidly changing seaweed forests nationally and globally, highlighting the need to deepen our ecological understanding of the region so that future changes to its unique biodiversity and ecosystem services can be predicted and mitigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil compaction is a serious threat to soil functions and ecosystem services. Persistent soil deformation takes place when mechanical stress exceeds soil strength. Risk assessment models typically assume soil to be elastic to a precompression stress level and plastic above this threshold. Currently used procedures for estimating soil precompression stress imply applied stress in a logarithmic form that has been criticized. We performed uniaxial, confined compression tests on 117 soil samples with a well‐defined stress history. Strain and stress were recorded at 200 levels of stress in the range of 0–1 MPa. Soil compressibility was calculated as incremental strain per incremental stress, using stress in arithmetic scale. For a given sample, a local minimum in compressibility appeared close to the preload applied to the sample prior to the compression test. This yield stress is suggested as an expression of soil precompression stress. Not all samples displayed a yield stress. Primarily soil exposed to a high preload did not exhibit a clear stress level with change in compressibility. This indicates that a physically based stress level pointing out a transition to plastic conditions will not exist for all soils. Our observation calls for new concepts in risk assessment. Tests with interpolation between a limited number of data points indicate that the yield stress—if existing—may be detected from classical compression data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the progress in models for coupled human and natural systems, highlighting the reciprocal interaction between humans and the environment. It explores the importance of modeling CHANS in supporting sustainable development and understanding the dynamic complexity of these systems. The text also addresses challenges in studying CHANS, such as bidirectional feedback, deep integration of natural and social sciences, multiscale simulation, and transformative improvement in simulation speed. The article emphasizes the need for adaptive algorithms, integration methods, and quantum computing to enhance decision support and achieve sustainable development goals. [Extracted from the article]

Societal Impact Statement: Agricultural sustainability depends on the adaptation of crops to their local environment. Smallholder farmers who save seed provide an essential "evosystem" service by growing locally adapted seed varieties that can recruit biodiversity to enhance their growth and defense. While professional plant breeding has diverted evolutionary processes away from local adaptation, smallholder farmers, particularly those in centers of origin for crops, benefit society by selecting and propagating diverse crop varieties that allow local adaptation processes to perpetuate. Given that smallholders support society through the generation of evosystem services, changes in policy and practice are needed to support the livelihoods of smallholder farmers in ways that mitigate risk and recognize their important contributions to agricultural sustainability. To enhance the reach of this work, a Spanish language version of the paper is available in the Supporting Information (see Translation_ES). [Correction added on 18 June 2024, after first online publication: The preceding sentence has been added in this version.] Summary: Long‐term food security and agricultural sustainability depend on protecting the eco‐evolutionary processes that select for local adaptation in crops. Since seed systems structure how people acquire seed, institutional and social changes influence evolutionary processes within agroecosystems. Since World War II, the rise of professional breeding has bifurcated seed systems into traditional and formal systems, which has negatively affected agrobiodiversity, crop evolution, and agricultural sustainability. In traditional seed systems, farmers often save seed from plants that best provide desired qualities, selecting landrace crop varieties to adapt to local environmental conditions. In formal or centralized seed systems, farmers buy seeds bred primarily for maximizing yield under ideal conditions. When farmers source seeds externally, evolutionary processes underlying local adaptation are disrupted. Here, we argue that traditional seed systems provide important evosystem services, or the evolutionary processes resulting from the maintenance and use of genetic diversity that benefit society. We present a framework on how seed systems influence the evolutionary processes that enable local adaptation, which is necessary for sustainable agriculture. We discuss how changes in human values underlying traditional and formal seed systems can alter evolutionary processes that underlie local adaptation. We conclude that developing policies that support people in managing ecological and evolutionary processes within seed systems is needed to address current and future challenges of global food security and agricultural sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecosystems provide a wide variety of life-sustaining services but are currently facing severe degradation due to changing land use and cover. Women are presumed to be more affected by declines in provisioning ecosystem services (PES). These claims have not been empirically proven across all contexts and have been contested by recent studies. Few studies in Ghana have attempted to examine this gendered environmental change phenomenon. Underpinned by the vulnerability theory, this paper employed an eclectic methodological approach to examine gender differences in vulnerability and coping with changing PES in Ghana. The findings reveal that both males and females depend highly on agricultural and woodland ecosystems for their livelihood needs. The deterioration in the total areas of the major ecosystems has resulted in significant declines in vital PES such as wild edible fruits and vegetables, medicinal plants and building materials for both men and women over the past decade. The study further reveals that the decreases in fuelwood supply affect women more than men because the former group mostly cooks food in their households, using fuelwood. As adaptation mechanisms, male farmers mostly planted trees on their farms to reclaim unfertile land and conserve forests, while female farmers engage in fruits and vegetable trade in the markets, as well as used non-indigenous spices to enhance the taste of food. Both males and females have also resorted to relying on orthodox medicines contrary to the past. To increase ecosystem resilience, the mainstreaming of ecosystem integrity adaptation practices into national adaptation plans is paramount. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Escalating global human activities elicit diverse ecosystem service responses, yet understanding remains limited. This study establishes a framework to clarify these responses, focusing on the Yangtze River Economic Belt in China. Analyzing 2000–2020 data, it calculates ecosystem service economic value and human footprint index. It introduces the ecosystem services response index and comprehensive responsiveness index to assess response characteristics and intensity to anthropogenic pressures. Results show a fluctuating decline in ecosystem services and an increase in anthropogenic pressures. There is a nonlinear relationship: ecosystem services decline with rising pressures, following a U-shaped trend. Notably, nonurban agglomerations experience more significant ecosystem service evolution than urban agglomerations due to differing environmental conditions. This highlights regional disparities in human activity impacts on ecosystems, crucial for planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) 2030 rely on healthy ecosystems providing a multitude of benefits and services for a sustainable society. Many SDG goals are cross-cutting and attaining these is highly reliant on policy coherence. Coherent policy settings enhance the synergies between goals and minimise disproportionate trade-offs. However, research indicates policy coherence and its implications for achieving SDGs is a neglected topic in the global south, particularly the least developed countries (LDCs). Using the hydropower development policy in Nepal as a case, this article employs a refined coherence analysis framework to assess how coherently the concept of ecosystem services (ES) is considered in 20 policy documents. The findings reveal a lack of coherent consideration of the ES concept and implementation gaps. This improves knowledge about an understudied topic in the global south and provides a tool to evaluate policy coherence that can be applied across sectors and scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Habitat quality is a key indicator for evaluating the biodiversity of a region. This study aims to assess the current status and characteristic changes of habitat quality in Donggang District, Rizhao while analyzing the potential factors influencing the quality of the habitat. The study employed the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs Habitat Quality (InVEST-HQ) mode to assess the spatiotemporal variations in habitat quality in the Donggang District from 2008 to 2022. GeoDetector was utilized to investigate the impact of various factors on the spatial differentiation characteristics of habitat quality. The potential correlation between economic development and habitat quality was further explored using the Spearman correlation coefficient and Grayscale Association Analysis. The results reveal that habitat quality in Donggang District is highest in the east and lowest in the west, with significant correlations to land use and vegetation coverage. The study highlights a decline in habitat quality over the period, linked to rapid economic growth and industrial expansion. These insights are crucial for balancing urban biodiversity with economic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eastern Thailand and Rayong province face perennial drought and water scarcity due to natural characteristics of climate and geology. Therefore, increasing water surface by man-made reservoirs is one of the priorities in the regional development plan to provide water adequately for industrial purposes, domestic consumption, and agriculture. The large reservoir constructions may induce land use, land cover changes (LULCC), yet it also is expected to alleviate the drought harshness in the region. By delineating Landsat satellite images and spatial analysis, this study revealed the LULCC in Rayong from 1990 to 2020. The most prominent LULCC was surface water expansion, about 10.9% per year, yet the increase was the most substantial in the first decade rather than the last two decades. Vegetation expansion was observed, contributing to an increase in forests/plantations and intensified agriculture by 39.19% and 25.54%, respectively. The LULCC corresponded to a 3.64% increase in ecosystem service values (ESV), implying positive benefits from the LULCC. Vegetation drought conditions monitored by the vegetation health index (VHI) exhibited an improvement trend, especially in the eastern basins. The development of artificial reservoirs was proven to stimulate the expansion of intensive agriculture and vegetation drought mitigation with spatial heterogeneity, spreading mainly across areas of the basins rather than remote areas. The research findings inform the efficiency of the reservoirs and irrigation systems regarding the beneficial effects on drought mitigation and water scarcity for agricultural cultivation. They also provide spatial information on areas still hindered by water problems that should be addressed in future strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As urbanization accelerates worldwide, municipalities are attempting to construct new green spaces within their borders. The perceived ecological value of these places is frequently tied to their ability to attract urban wildlife, such as birds, which can easily be observed and enjoyed. As one strategy, stormwater is now frequently managed with green infrastructure: planted areas that retain and treat stormwater rather than merely directing it to surface waters. While these practices have the potential to provide habitat for urban wildlife, the ecological effects of these systems are largely unknown. To assess whether one green infrastructure project increases habitat value, we used passive acoustic monitoring to survey urban bird communities in and near a large green infrastructure project in Columbus, Ohio (USA). Bird communities near bioretention cells (rain gardens) were compared to those at nearby lawns and remnant or restored natural areas. We found that recently installed bioretention cells tended to support more omnivores, lower-canopy foraging species, and species from a higher diversity of feeding guilds than did nearby lawn control sites. We were unable to detect effects of nearby bioretention installations on bird species richness at other sites. The observed differences in species richness were fairly small, and we urge caution when anticipating the habitat value of bioretention cells, at least for bird species. However, the results that we observed suggest that bioretention cells could have a more positive impact on bird communities in different contexts or using different design strategies. The bioretention cells surveyed in this study were small and only planted in grasses and forbs, potentially limiting their ability to offer complex habitat. They were also relatively young, and future work is needed to determine their long-term effect on avian communities and biodiversity of other taxa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Floodplains are among the most biodiverse systems on the planet and offer several ecosystem services; however, they are threatened by anthropic actions such as dam construction. We investigated zooplankton taxonomic and functional β-diversity, environmental heterogeneity, and the drivers of β-diversity in response to the hydrological period in the Amazon (without dams) and Paraná (with several dams) floodplains. We also discuss the implications of biodiversity-environment relationships for ecological conservation. We sampled 36 lakes during the drought and rainy periods (72 samples). The 180 zooplankton taxa found were classified into six functional traits. We calculated taxonomic and functional β-diversity (total, replacement, and richness) and the importance of different drivers (physical-chemical variables, food availability, predation, and spatial component). We also determined the environmental heterogeneity in each floodplain and hydrological period. The functional and taxonomic β diversity of the zooplankton community exhibited different patterns in response to the hydrological period. The Amazon floodplain presented greater environmental heterogeneity but not greater beta diversity. The Paraná floodplain presented the lowest functional β diversity during the drought period, where predation and the spatial component were the variables that most explained this variation. A greater contribution of replacement, regardless of the hydrological period, should lead to efforts to preserve as many lakes as possible in both floodplains, as they present unique compositions of species and traits. We emphasize the need to plan conservation strategies in these floodplains, especially considering that dams can lead to homogeneous environmental and biological conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research investigates the illegal Vegetation Suppression Authorization (VSA) for Legal Reserve Compensation (LRC) in Tocantins, Brazil, between 2012 and 2014. The VSA is a license issued by state environmental agencies that authorizes the removal or clearing of native vegetation. This infraction resulted from the state environmental agency's mistaken interpretation of Resolution 07/2005 of the State Environmental Council and the Native Vegetation Protection Law, which operates nationally and takes precedence over state resolutions and laws. The study area focuses on eight municipalities contained in the Formoso, Pium, and Javaés river basins. The methodology examines irregular VSA-LRC cases through geospatial data analysis, multitemporal analysis using remote sensing data, and economic assessments in both the origin and destination areas of the compensatory reserve. The results showed that among the 217 VSA-LRC applications during the period, 93 had corresponding geospatial data, indicating that 57.1% of the geospatial data were missing. This discrepancy between the authorized area and the available geospatial information restricts the oversight capability of the regulatory agency. A decade-long deforestation analysis of VSA-LRCs using remote sensing data considered three phases: 2012–2014 (application and issuance of VSA-LRCs), 2015–2018 (operational issuance), and 2019–2022 (post-expiration of VSA-LRCs). The results revealed a total VSA-LRC area of 343.291 km2 (34,329.10 ha), with 229.1169 km2 (22,911.69 ha) of deforestation. Notably, 54.877 km2 (5487.70 ha) of this deforestation occurred in 2019–2022, after the VSA-LRC had expired. The analysis of the LRC origin and destination areas demonstrates a unidirectional strategy, from economically more valuable areas to less valuable ones, according to land market dynamics. Therefore, this investigation concludes the need for greater administrative transparency, the development of a reliable geospatial data system for monitoring, and policy changes and actions to enhance environmental protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using nature to address socio-environmental challenges has emerged as a promising alternative to improve human well-being. Therapeutic gardens are landscaped outdoor spaces in health institutions, squares, and schools developed to improve the well-being of their users. However, there are information gaps on how to implement them. This study aims to systematize information about therapeutic gardens and use it to develop recommendations for implementing these spaces. We conducted a systematic review, which included 27 studies that contained the words therapeutic gardens, design, and/or implementation. The results indicated that the topic does not have a constant number of publications. Most articles are case studies in Europe (n = 8) and published in journals about environmental and health issues (n = 25). Furthermore, most studies (n = 23) relate the implementation of therapeutic gardens to health institutions. A framework with seven stages of recommendations was developed to guide the implementation and monitoring of these gardens in different spaces. This study is expected to contribute to the development of therapeutic gardens with an interdisciplinary team, promote SDG 3 (good health and well-being), and, mainly, improve the well-being of users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecosystem services serve as a bridge between the ecological environment and human society. The quantitative analysis and forecasting of ecosystem services can provide references for regional eco-environmental assessments and land-use planning for the future. In this study, taking Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park (HTRNP) as an example, the value of regulating ecosystem services (RESs) in 2020 was assessed via ArcGIS 10.1 and the InVEST 3.5 model, and the per-unit value of RESs was calculated for different LULC types. In addition, in accordance with the Overall Planning for HTRNP and the objective of optimizing RESs, the value of RESs in short-term (to 2030) and long-term (to 2050) scenarios was forecast via a linear programming model. The results are as follows: (1) The RES value of HTRNP in 2020 was CNY 2090.67 × 108, with climate regulation accounting for the largest proportion; the spatial distribution of RESs in the eastern and central areas was higher than that in the western area, but different indicators of RESs differed in their spatial patterns in varied geographic units. (2) The natural forest ecosystem in HTRNP accounts for 76.94% of the total area but 84.82% of the total value of RESs. The per-unit value is ranked from highest to lowest as follows: montane rainforests > wetlands > lowland rainforests > lowland secondary rainforests > tropical coniferous forests > deciduous monsoon rainforests > tropical cloud forests > shrub forests > timber forests > economic forests > rubber forests > grasslands > farmlands > settlements. (3) In the short-term scenario, the value of RESs is CNY 2216.64 × 108, an increase of CNY 118.97 × 108 compared to 2020, with an increase rate of 5.67%. In the long-term scenario, the value of RESs is CNY 2472.48 × 108, an increase of CNY 374.81 × 108 compared to 2020, with an increase rate of 17.87%. The results reveal the significance of ecosystem services in the national park and can inform more targeted and scientifically sound decision-making in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since many ecosystem services involve spatial scales beyond farm size, their preservation and management in agricultural systems depend on the interaction of the landowners. For the analysis of such interactive land use a generic dynamic land‐use model is developed that considers different payoff structures in a systematic manner and relates land‐use dynamics to these payoff structures. A landowner's own payoff depends on the land use on neighboring land parcels. The landowners' payoffs are interpreted in a game‐theoretic manner which allows for a game‐theoretic classification of the different land‐use dynamics generated by the model. The model is analyzed to determine the proportion, spatial aggregation and temporal turnover of land‐use measures. The model results are applied to a number of cases from literature in which the management of ecosystem services involves a regional scale, including pollinator conservation, pest control, and coordination incentives for the conservation of species in fragmented landscapes. Four main domains of model behavior are identified and related to the payoff structures (type of game), characterized by the proportions and temporal turnover of land‐use measures, and by whether the system has one or two stable equilibria. An important determinant of the land‐use dynamics is the spatial heterogeneity of the landowners' payoffs which. It affects the domain and the location in the domain by which the land‐use dynamics are characterized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Intensive agriculture increases crop yields, but harms biodiversity and associated ecosystem services such as pollination. To sustain wild-bee pollination in intensive agricultural landscapes, a minimum of (semi-) natural habitat is needed in the vicinity of crop fields. However, restoration of (semi-) natural habitat is a challenge, especially when most land is allocated to commodity production. Objectives: To evaluate the restoration potential of marginal lands to enhance pollination in intensive agricultural landscapes. Methods: We simulated restoration scenarios in marginal agricultural lands (abandoned and degraded fields, and field edges) in La Vallée-du-Richelieu (Quebec, Canada), aimed at enhancing pollination provision and increasing (semi-) natural habitat coverage by at least 20% within 1 km from crop fields, the estimated minimum amount required to sustain wild-bee populations. We then evaluated the extent to which restoration targets were reached in our scenarios. Results: More than half of the agricultural region studied remained with less than 20% (semi-) natural area coverage, and wild-bee pollination provision could not be ensured across the whole agricultural region after restoration. However, our results show that there is still an important potential for increasing natural habitat coverage by restoring marginal agricultural lands alone. Conclusion: Restoration of marginal lands has a key role to play in the transition towards multifunctionality of production landscapes but might not be sufficient to achieve goals such as those adopted at the COP15 (e.g., restoring 30% of degraded land). Our framework can assist landscape planners in evaluating the restoration potential of agricultural landscapes, as well as its limitations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conflicts between different types of land use, driven by rapid urbanization, are altering ecosystem services supply–demand balances (ESDB), and the reduction of ESDB will threaten regional sustainable development and human welfare. However, there are few studies on the interrelationships and their drivers between land use conflicts (LUCs) and ESDB from a coupling perspective, especially in different main functional areas. Therefore, this study focused on Southwest China. Firstly, the coupling coordination degree model was employed to measure the ESDB‐LUCs relationship and analyze its dynamic changes from 1990 to 2020. Then, the RDA method was used to explore the driving factors of the ESDB‐LUCs relationship in different functional areas (i.e., urban development area (UDA), agricultural development area (APA), and ecological protection area (EPA)). The results show that the LUCs index displayed a downward trend in the SW during 1990–2020, with a decreasing distribution pattern from the northeast to the southwest. The ESDB index exhibited a downward and then upward trend, with an increasing distribution mode from the northeast to the southwest. There was a spatial dependence between LUCs and ESDB. The type of coupling coordination between LUCs and ESDB was dominated by moderate coordination, with the index showing a spatial pattern of UDA > APA > EPA. Among these, the proportion of cropland and the proportion of urban land were the main factors influencing the degree of coordination of the UDA (explanation rate > 80%), showing positive and negative effects, respectively. The proportion of forestland and the proportion of cropland were the main factors influencing the APA and EPA (explanation rate > 70%), with negative and positive effects, respectively. Therefore, mitigating the conflict between cropland and urban land, cropland and forest land is essential to achieve ecosystem balance in the SW. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A proclaimed goal of landscape management is to improve the multifunctionality of ecosystem services (ESs) to sustain higher levels of human wellbeing (HWB). Although the enhancement of ES multifunctionality is often considered to lead to better HWB, empirical evidence directly supporting this claim remains scarce. This study investigates the relationship between ES multifunctionality and HWB in rapidly urbanizing regions, using the Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration in China as a case study. We quantified ES multifunctionality with the Gini‐Simpson Diversity Index and identified ES multifunctional types using the bundle approach. We also calculated both the HWB mean score and HWB evenness score with the improved radar chart method, examining their relationships with ES multifunctionality through Spearman correlation analysis and the Kruskal–Wallis rank‐sum test. Results showed that (1) ES multifunctionality exhibited varied relationships with HWB indicators, but overall showed significant negative associations with both HWB mean score and HWB evenness score. (2) Each HWB indicator significantly differed across the detected ES bundles, but none of the bundles exhibited the highest values of all HWB indicators. (3) HWB mean score and HWB evenness score were generally higher in the peri‐urban bundle while lower in the agriculture and forest bundles. Our findings suggest that peri‐urban landscapes can provide relatively higher and more balanced levels of HWB in urban agglomerations. This also implies that a "land‐sharing" urban development model, which balances natural and built environments, may be more beneficial for enhancing ES multifunctionality and HWB compared with a "land‐sparing" model, where natural and built areas are separated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper maps the supply, demand, and budget of five ecosystem services (ESs) based on land use/cover data classified for the Little Akaki River catchment in central Ethiopia, which include urban and peri-urban areas. For land use characterization, we used a recently introduced method of mapping urban morphology types (UMTs), followed by land cover analysis (within the identified UMTs) for 2006 and 2016 by distributing sample points randomly over the extent of each UMT. Additionally, ecosystem service supply and demand data were collected using expert assessment. The UMT maps revealed 14 primary and 38 sub-UMTs for 2006 and 14 primary and 41 sub-UMTs for 2016. From primary UMTs, agriculture UMT (37%) in 2006 and residential UMT (32%) in 2016 are dominant, revealing a recently increasing transformation of UMTs into residential UMTs. The land cover change analysis shows a decrease in evapotranspiring surfaces (from 46% in 2006 to 32% in 2016) and an increase in built surfaces (from 24% in 2006 to 32% in 2016), indicating rapid urbanization within the catchment that will possibly lead to degradation of ESs. The ESs capacity map shows that agriculture UMTs deliver very high relevant food and high relevant capacity for flood regulation. Vegetation UMT shows very high relevant capacity for temperature regulation, recreation UMT for recreation service, and waterbodies for water supply. Overall, this paper demonstrated that rapid urbanization at the expense of ecologically essential land covers most likely degrade ESs in the Little Akaki River catchment, contributing to the global ecosystem service degradation and climate change. Hence, we highly recommend the application of green infrastructure planning that protects evapotranspiring surfaces that supply multiple ESs in the catchment. This in addition contributes to the global effort to protect green spaces that supplies multiple ecosystem service. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The quantification of carbon stocks has emerged as a critical global issue due to its vital role in ecosystem services amid increasing urbanization and the impacts of global climate change. This study assesses carbon stocks in urban green space (UGS) ecosystems using time-series remote sensing data from 2014 to 2022. Carbon stock computation was derived from vegetation indices obtained from Landsat 8 satellite sensors, specifically the red and near infrared (NIR) bands with central wavelengths of 0.665 µm and 0.705 µm, respectively. The results, based on nine years of annual data, indicate a 24% increase in carbon stocks within UGS ecosystems. However, year-to-year transitions showed significant fluctuations, with a 19% decrease in carbon stocks from 2017 to 2019, and notable increases of 25% and 40% during the 2015-2016 and 2019-2020 periods, respectively. Spatially, carbon stock fluctuations were most pronounced in agricultural ecosystems, which are vulnerable to climate change, especially during El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and positive Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) events that influenced vegetation dynamics, particularly in low-density areas. The most substantial contributors to carbon stocks, exhibiting relatively stable and adaptive patterns to climate change, were mangrove and urban forest ecosystems. From a state-of-the-art perspective, this research addresses a gap in the literature where previous studies focused on calculating carbon for specific periods using various model approaches. Our implementation of a new time series analysis demonstrates that carbon stocks are dynamic, as evidenced by our findings. The results underscore the importance of preserving urban forest ecosystems, which play a significant role in climate change mitigation and the reduction of urban greenhouse gas emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]