Improving conditions to maintain soil fertility levels by avoiding deforestation would require an assessment of the contribution of forests to soil regeneration in complex and unpredictable farming systems involving alternating slash-and-burn farming. Results on forest cover over the period 1990-2018 indicate a net annual deforestation rate of 2.12% ± 0.07% and 0.12% annual degradation. The rate of deforestation is estimated mainly in relation to dense forests. Deforestation is the degradation that seems relatively important for DR Congo with relative population densities or the demand for agricultural land is greater which will lead to several consequences such as climate change, soil erosion, biodiversity loss, CO2 emissions, and natural disasters.
{"title":"Dynamics of Deforestation and Degradation of Forests in the Democratic Republic of Congo from 1990 to 2018","authors":"L. Achille, Kebin Zhang, C. Anoma","doi":"10.4236/OJE.2021.115029","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4236/OJE.2021.115029","url":null,"abstract":"Improving conditions to maintain soil fertility levels by avoiding deforestation would require an assessment of the contribution of forests to soil regeneration in complex and unpredictable farming systems involving alternating slash-and-burn farming. Results on forest cover over the period 1990-2018 indicate a net annual deforestation rate of 2.12% ± 0.07% and 0.12% annual degradation. The rate of deforestation is estimated mainly in relation to dense forests. Deforestation is the degradation that seems relatively important for DR Congo with relative population densities or the demand for agricultural land is greater which will lead to several consequences such as climate change, soil erosion, biodiversity loss, CO2 emissions, and natural disasters.","PeriodicalId":265480,"journal":{"name":"Open Journal of Ecology","volume":"15 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-05-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"125477664","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
K. Spanos, A. Skouteri, D. Gaitanis, P. Petrakis, I. Meliadis, P. Michopoulos, A. Solomou, Panagiotis P. Koulelis, Evagelia Abramidou
This is a review paper based on national and international literature, national inventories and empirical approach. A general overview of the forests, forest management and forest biodiversity of Greece are briefly summarized. The distribution of the main forest species and their ecosystems in the Geographic regions of Greece is presented in a tabular form. Their multiple functions and uses, their management type/regime, their risks and threats, protection and conservation measures are also synoptically described. Furthermore, adaptive forest management and silviculture as well as management of genetic diversity in order to face climate change are also analysed. Research priority areas on biodiversity and challenges for biodiversity research and related policy in Greece have been summarized. The new Rural Development Program (2014-2020), which is currently in the final phase of implementation, will take into consideration the forest itself and forest-related European and National legal obligations. Finally, major conclusions and research priority areas on future management and conservation of forests are highlighted.
{"title":"Forests of Greece, Their Multiple Functions and Uses, Sustainable Management and Biodiversity Conservation in the Face of Climate Change","authors":"K. Spanos, A. Skouteri, D. Gaitanis, P. Petrakis, I. Meliadis, P. Michopoulos, A. Solomou, Panagiotis P. Koulelis, Evagelia Abramidou","doi":"10.4236/OJE.2021.114026","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4236/OJE.2021.114026","url":null,"abstract":"This is a review paper based on national and international literature, national inventories and empirical approach. A general overview of the forests, forest management and forest biodiversity of Greece are briefly summarized. The distribution of the main forest species and their ecosystems in the Geographic regions of Greece is presented in a tabular form. Their multiple functions and uses, their management type/regime, their risks and threats, protection and conservation measures are also synoptically described. Furthermore, adaptive forest management and silviculture as well as management of genetic diversity in order to face climate change are also analysed. Research priority areas on biodiversity and challenges for biodiversity research and related policy in Greece have been summarized. The new Rural Development Program (2014-2020), which is currently in the final phase of implementation, will take into consideration the forest itself and forest-related European and National legal obligations. Finally, major conclusions and research priority areas on future management and conservation of forests are highlighted.","PeriodicalId":265480,"journal":{"name":"Open Journal of Ecology","volume":"83 4 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-04-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"123279029","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
José Manuel Gutiérrez-Salcedo, Adibe Cárdenas-Oliva, N. H. Campos
Studies of holoplanktonic polychaetes in the Tropical Eastern Pacific have focused on their systematics and distribution however, population responses related to climate variability are non-existent. Therefore, the present work described for the first time the influence of the climatic variability 2004-2012 on the holoplanktonic polychaetes populations, as well as their relationship to environmental variables. Species of the Alciopidae, Lopadorrhynchidae and Iospilidae families were identified from 85 samples collected in the Pacific Basin of Colombia, contrasting them with the presence of ENSO, and correlating them with the environmental variables of temperature, salinity and chlorophyll-α concentration. Of the 14 species identified, only Lopadorrhynchus cf. henseni and L. cf. brevis increased their densities under El Nino and correlated positively with temperature. Rhynchonereella cf. petersii correlated negatively with temperature; while R. cf. gracilis and Pelagobia cf. longicirrata were positively correlated with chlorophyll-α concentration and salinity, respectively. Additionally, with the first description of the environmental ranges of the 14 species identified for the Colombian Pacific basin, it was found that the most commons species presented broader environmental ranges. The results from the current research are consistent with previous studies in other regions of the Pacific and latitudes. The responses of the organisms suggest trophic and mobility trends that were not known for tropical holoplanktonic polychaete species.
{"title":"The Influence of Climate Variability on Holoplanktonic Polychaetes Populations of Ocean Sector of the Colombian Pacific Basin","authors":"José Manuel Gutiérrez-Salcedo, Adibe Cárdenas-Oliva, N. H. Campos","doi":"10.4236/OJE.2021.114023","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4236/OJE.2021.114023","url":null,"abstract":"Studies of holoplanktonic polychaetes in the Tropical Eastern Pacific have focused on their systematics and distribution however, population responses related to climate variability are non-existent. Therefore, the present work described for the first time the influence of the climatic variability 2004-2012 on the holoplanktonic polychaetes populations, as well as their relationship to environmental variables. Species of the Alciopidae, Lopadorrhynchidae and Iospilidae families were identified from 85 samples collected in the Pacific Basin of Colombia, contrasting them with the presence of ENSO, and correlating them with the environmental variables of temperature, salinity and chlorophyll-α concentration. Of the 14 species identified, only Lopadorrhynchus cf. henseni and L. cf. brevis increased their densities under El Nino and correlated positively with temperature. Rhynchonereella cf. petersii correlated negatively with temperature; while R. cf. gracilis and Pelagobia cf. longicirrata were positively correlated with chlorophyll-α concentration and salinity, respectively. Additionally, with the first description of the environmental ranges of the 14 species identified for the Colombian Pacific basin, it was found that the most commons species presented broader environmental ranges. The results from the current research are consistent with previous studies in other regions of the Pacific and latitudes. The responses of the organisms suggest trophic and mobility trends that were not known for tropical holoplanktonic polychaete species.","PeriodicalId":265480,"journal":{"name":"Open Journal of Ecology","volume":"86 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-04-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"116943801","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Amra Bratovcic, W. Hikal, H. Ahl, K. Tkachenko, Rowida S Baeshen, A. Sabra, Hoda Sany
Excessive use of pesticides and fertilizers in agriculture in order to increase yields has proved unnecessary because a large part of them remain unused and have negative effects on the environment and human health. Therefore, it is a great challenge for farmers to replace the application of pesticides and fertilizers with nanopesticides and nanofertilizers, with the aim of reducing the use of mineral fertilizers and increasing yields, as well as supporting agricultural development. This review provides a detailed overview of the classification of pesticides, commonly used nanoparticles in agriculture and their function, as well as impact of nanopesticides and nanofertilizers on the environment. The application of nanopesticides and nanofertilizers and new delivery mechanisms to improve crop productivity are reviewed and described. Particularly, the advantage of the nanoencapsulation process is emphasized for both pesticides and fertilizers. For hydrophobic pesticides, it may be a tool to provide greater stability, dispersion in aqueous media, and allowing a controlled release of the active compound, which increases its effectiveness. In nanofertilizers, micro- or macronutrients can be encapsulated by nanomaterials which allow to release of nutrients into the soil gradually and in a controlled way maintaining soil fertility, thus preventing eutrophication and pollution of water resources. Risks assessment of application of nanopesticides and nanofertilizers in agriculture are required for their correct and safe application.
{"title":"Nanopesticides and Nanofertilizers and Agricultural Development: Scopes, Advances and Applications","authors":"Amra Bratovcic, W. Hikal, H. Ahl, K. Tkachenko, Rowida S Baeshen, A. Sabra, Hoda Sany","doi":"10.4236/OJE.2021.114022","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4236/OJE.2021.114022","url":null,"abstract":"Excessive use of pesticides and fertilizers in agriculture in order to increase yields has proved unnecessary because a large part of them remain unused and have negative effects on the environment and human health. Therefore, it is a great challenge for farmers to replace the application of pesticides and fertilizers with nanopesticides and nanofertilizers, with the aim of reducing the use of mineral fertilizers and increasing yields, as well as supporting agricultural development. This review provides a detailed overview of the classification of pesticides, commonly used nanoparticles in agriculture and their function, as well as impact of nanopesticides and nanofertilizers on the environment. The application of nanopesticides and nanofertilizers and new delivery mechanisms to improve crop productivity are reviewed and described. Particularly, the advantage of the nanoencapsulation process is emphasized for both pesticides and fertilizers. For hydrophobic pesticides, it may be a tool to provide greater stability, dispersion in aqueous media, and allowing a controlled release of the active compound, which increases its effectiveness. In nanofertilizers, micro- or macronutrients can be encapsulated by nanomaterials which allow to release of nutrients into the soil gradually and in a controlled way maintaining soil fertility, thus preventing eutrophication and pollution of water resources. Risks assessment of application of nanopesticides and nanofertilizers in agriculture are required for their correct and safe application.","PeriodicalId":265480,"journal":{"name":"Open Journal of Ecology","volume":"7 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-03-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"129270018","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Adoption rule whereby tropical African regions rely on non-tropical biomonitoring methods to assess water pollution in their rivers has been hindered by geographical incompatibility due to environmental variations between the regions that affect the capability and reliability of adopted method. Likewise, inclusion of all identified macroinvertebrate assemblages in developing the existing biomonitoring methods (i.e., South African Scoring System (SASS5) and Tanzania Riverine Scoring System (TARISS)) has made them complex taxonomically as their use requires users of greater expertise and much time during taxa identification. Such taxonomic complications and conflicting aspects regarding the adoption or modification of non-tropical biomonitoring methods in developing tropical biomonitoring methods have therefore necessitated the design of this study in order to develop simple and cost-effective tropical African biomonitoring methods, for initial application in Tanzanian rivers. Six pairwise screening criteria were employed to select orders with distinctive potential for inclusion in developing simple and cost-effective biomonitoring method. Only Ephemeroptera, Diptera, Odonata and Trichoptera (EDOT) orders met all six inclusion criteria after showing their ability to discern reference sites from monitoring sites and correlating strongly with environmental variables. Being developed using only four diverse orders with the wider range of occurrences and sensitivity to pollution, the EDOT method will minimize data variability, the need for greater expertise, cost, and time during taxa identification. The novelty of the present approach lies on the simplification of the taxonomic complication that is inherent in existing indices for four decades and modelling application to simulate sensitivity weightings for taxa with unknown sensitivity score ratings.
{"title":"Simple and Cost-Effective Biomonitoring Method for Assessing Pollution in Tropical African Rivers","authors":"J. D. Elias","doi":"10.4236/OJE.2021.114027","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4236/OJE.2021.114027","url":null,"abstract":"Adoption rule whereby tropical African regions rely on non-tropical biomonitoring methods to assess water pollution in their rivers has been hindered by geographical incompatibility due to environmental variations between the regions that affect the capability and reliability of adopted method. Likewise, inclusion of all identified macroinvertebrate assemblages in developing the existing biomonitoring methods (i.e., South African Scoring System (SASS5) and Tanzania Riverine Scoring System (TARISS)) has made them complex taxonomically as their use requires users of greater expertise and much time during taxa identification. Such taxonomic complications and conflicting aspects regarding the adoption or modification of non-tropical biomonitoring methods in developing tropical biomonitoring methods have therefore necessitated the design of this study in order to develop simple and cost-effective tropical African biomonitoring methods, for initial application in Tanzanian rivers. Six pairwise screening criteria were employed to select orders with distinctive potential for inclusion in developing simple and cost-effective biomonitoring method. Only Ephemeroptera, Diptera, Odonata and Trichoptera (EDOT) orders met all six inclusion criteria after showing their ability to discern reference sites from monitoring sites and correlating strongly with environmental variables. Being developed using only four diverse orders with the wider range of occurrences and sensitivity to pollution, the EDOT method will minimize data variability, the need for greater expertise, cost, and time during taxa identification. The novelty of the present approach lies on the simplification of the taxonomic complication that is inherent in existing indices for four decades and modelling application to simulate sensitivity weightings for taxa with unknown sensitivity score ratings.","PeriodicalId":265480,"journal":{"name":"Open Journal of Ecology","volume":"1 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-03-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"129276014","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
J. Makovníková, B. Pálka, Stanislav Kološta, Katarína Orságová
Recreation and tourism are important for economic growth and human wellbeing. They are directly related to the cultural services provided by ecosystems. Recreational services, as part of tourism, have the greatest potential for development within the sector of services in the Slovak economy, and they are able to generate a significant number of new jobs especially in small rural regions. There is a gap in the literature providing assessments of geographically small regions in relation to their potential to provide different types of ecosystem services. The aim of the article was to evaluate and assess the recreational potential of ecosystem services in two small pilot regions of the Slovak Republic, Brezno district and Krupina district. Modified matrix of indices was used. Results showed that Brezno district has a higher area of ecosystems with a higher potential for recreation, therefore the conditions for recreation and tourism are much better in comparison to Krupina district. However, the use of recreation potential in Brezno district is negatively affected by the availability of sites and transport options, which is reflected in a lower ratio of visitors to the capacity of recreation potential. This finding opens up discussion about opportunities to create new jobs within sustainable tourism in Brezno district. This study provides an alternative view to the assessment and evaluation of the recreational potential of ecosystem services in small regions. Moreover, the methodology developed in this paper is replicable and could be applied by planners using geographical information systems.
{"title":"Application of Matrix Approach for Evaluation and Assessment the Potential of Recreational Ecosystem Service in Model Regions in Slovakia","authors":"J. Makovníková, B. Pálka, Stanislav Kološta, Katarína Orságová","doi":"10.4236/OJE.2021.114028","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4236/OJE.2021.114028","url":null,"abstract":"Recreation and tourism are important for economic growth and human wellbeing. They are directly related to the cultural services provided by ecosystems. Recreational services, as part of tourism, have the greatest potential for development within the sector of services in the Slovak economy, and they are able to generate a significant number of new jobs especially in small rural regions. There is a gap in the literature providing assessments of geographically small regions in relation to their potential to provide different types of ecosystem services. The aim of the article was to evaluate and assess the recreational potential of ecosystem services in two small pilot regions of the Slovak Republic, Brezno district and Krupina district. Modified matrix of indices was used. Results showed that Brezno district has a higher area of ecosystems with a higher potential for recreation, therefore the conditions for recreation and tourism are much better in comparison to Krupina district. However, the use of recreation potential in Brezno district is negatively affected by the availability of sites and transport options, which is reflected in a lower ratio of visitors to the capacity of recreation potential. This finding opens up discussion about opportunities to create new jobs within sustainable tourism in Brezno district. This study provides an alternative view to the assessment and evaluation of the recreational potential of ecosystem services in small regions. Moreover, the methodology developed in this paper is replicable and could be applied by planners using geographical information systems.","PeriodicalId":265480,"journal":{"name":"Open Journal of Ecology","volume":"5 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-03-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"125702081","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Sandeep Shrestha, Ashish Bashyal, Rojeena Rijal, J. Shrestha, Palistha Shrestha, Nischal Shrestha, Thomas J McGreevy, B. Buffum, S. Khanal
The Chinese Pangolin (Manis pentadactyla) is a “Critically Endangered” insectivorous mammal. There is a lack of information on the ecology, distribution and behavior of this species in Nepal, even though community forests in the Midhills Region of Nepal are considered to be prime habitats for the species. We conducted an ecological assessment of the habitat use of this species in nine community forests covering an area of 170.69 ha in Balthali village in Kavrepalanchok district, Nepal. We divided each forest into 50 × 50 m grids and searched for Chinese Pangolin burrows along 50 m transects in each grid. We categorized burrows into two types, new and old burrows, and recorded 10 environmental variables for each burrow. We found a total of 542 burrows, including 323 old burrows and 219 new burrows. The average width and height of a burrow opening was 21.66 ± 3.94 cm (n = 542) and 22.42 ± 5.02 cm (n = 542). The total density of burrows in the study area was 3.1 ha−1, with new burrows density of 1.2 ha−1 and old burrows density of 1.8 ha−1. We found most burrows in sites with an elevation range of 1400 - 1500 m above sea level, gentle slopes, brown colored soil, high density of tree crown cover and undergrowth vegetation, southern exposure, within 150 m from a water source and less than 200 m from a human settlement. Our study has generated baseline data on the habitat use of Chinese Pangolin, which we hope will help in designing site-specific action plans for Chinese Pangolin conservation in Kavrepalanchok district, Nepal.
穿山甲(Manis pentadactyla)是一种“极度濒危”食虫哺乳动物。尽管尼泊尔中山地区的社区森林被认为是该物种的主要栖息地，但关于该物种在尼泊尔的生态、分布和行为的信息仍然缺乏。对尼泊尔kavrepalanchk地区Balthali村9个群落森林170.69 ha的生境利用情况进行了生态评价。我们将每个森林划分为50 × 50 m的网格，并在每个网格中沿50 m的横断面搜索穿山甲洞穴。我们将洞穴分为新洞穴和旧洞穴两种类型，并记录了每个洞穴的10个环境变量。我们总共发现了542个洞穴，其中包括323个旧洞穴和219个新洞穴。洞口的平均宽度和高度分别为21.66±3.94 cm (n = 542)和22.42±5.02 cm (n = 542)。研究区洞穴总密度为3.1 ha−1，其中新洞密度为1.2 ha−1，旧洞密度为1.8 ha−1。我们发现大多数洞穴位于海拔1400 - 1500米的地点，坡度平缓，棕色土壤，树冠覆盖和灌木植被密度高，向南暴露，距离水源150米以内，距离人类住区不到200米。本研究获得了中国穿山甲栖息地利用的基线数据，希望为尼泊尔kavrepalanchank地区制定中国穿山甲保护的具体行动计划提供帮助。
{"title":"An Ecological Assessment of Critically Endangered Chinese Pangolin Manis pentadactyla (Mammalia: Pholidota: Manidae) in the Midhills Region of Nepal","authors":"Sandeep Shrestha, Ashish Bashyal, Rojeena Rijal, J. Shrestha, Palistha Shrestha, Nischal Shrestha, Thomas J McGreevy, B. Buffum, S. Khanal","doi":"10.4236/OJE.2021.114024","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4236/OJE.2021.114024","url":null,"abstract":"The Chinese Pangolin (Manis pentadactyla) is a “Critically Endangered” insectivorous mammal. There is a lack of information on the ecology, distribution and behavior of this species in Nepal, even though community forests in the Midhills Region of Nepal are considered to be prime habitats for the species. We conducted an ecological assessment of the habitat use of this species in nine community forests covering an area of 170.69 ha in Balthali village in Kavrepalanchok district, Nepal. We divided each forest into 50 × 50 m grids and searched for Chinese Pangolin burrows along 50 m transects in each grid. We categorized burrows into two types, new and old burrows, and recorded 10 environmental variables for each burrow. We found a total of 542 burrows, including 323 old burrows and 219 new burrows. The average width and height of a burrow opening was 21.66 ± 3.94 cm (n = 542) and 22.42 ± 5.02 cm (n = 542). The total density of burrows in the study area was 3.1 ha−1, with new burrows density of 1.2 ha−1 and old burrows density of 1.8 ha−1. We found most burrows in sites with an elevation range of 1400 - 1500 m above sea level, gentle slopes, brown colored soil, high density of tree crown cover and undergrowth vegetation, southern exposure, within 150 m from a water source and less than 200 m from a human settlement. Our study has generated baseline data on the habitat use of Chinese Pangolin, which we hope will help in designing site-specific action plans for Chinese Pangolin conservation in Kavrepalanchok district, Nepal.","PeriodicalId":265480,"journal":{"name":"Open Journal of Ecology","volume":"1 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-03-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"130899990","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Anthropogenic climate and non-climate drivers of change are causing significant impacts on estuarine and coastal marine environments. Climate change poses a particular threat to the structure and function of biotic communities in these environments because it acts on the most extensive temporal and spatial scales relative to other anthropogenic drivers of change. The interaction of multiple environmental drivers exacerbates degradation of ecosystem condition. Estuaries are most susceptible to climate-change mediated biotic shifts and direct anthropogenic impacts due to burgeoning human population growth and development in coastal watersheds. Multiple anthropogenic drivers of change, which often interact synergistically, alter physical, chemical, and biological characteristics. Ecological responses may be increasingly nonlinear, with cumulative effects manifested by marked changes in organism abundance, distribution, diversity, and productivity. Detrimental biotic effects in impacted coastal environments cascade up from individual organisms to population and community levels, culminating in ecosystem-level changes including reduced services. Multiple drivers of change and their impacts are increasing in estuarine and coastal marine environments with greater anthropogenic forcing in the coastal zone and global effects of climate change, creating greater challenges for environmental management and conservation programs.
{"title":"Drivers of Change in Estuarine and Coastal Marine Environments: An Overview","authors":"M. Kennish","doi":"10.4236/OJE.2021.113017","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4236/OJE.2021.113017","url":null,"abstract":"Anthropogenic climate and non-climate drivers of change are causing significant impacts on estuarine and coastal marine environments. Climate change poses a particular threat to the structure and function of biotic communities in these environments because it acts on the most extensive temporal and spatial scales relative to other anthropogenic drivers of change. The interaction of multiple environmental drivers exacerbates degradation of ecosystem condition. Estuaries are most susceptible to climate-change mediated biotic shifts and direct anthropogenic impacts due to burgeoning human population growth and development in coastal watersheds. Multiple anthropogenic drivers of change, which often interact synergistically, alter physical, chemical, and biological characteristics. Ecological responses may be increasingly nonlinear, with cumulative effects manifested by marked changes in organism abundance, distribution, diversity, and productivity. Detrimental biotic effects in impacted coastal environments cascade up from individual organisms to population and community levels, culminating in ecosystem-level changes including reduced services. Multiple drivers of change and their impacts are increasing in estuarine and coastal marine environments with greater anthropogenic forcing in the coastal zone and global effects of climate change, creating greater challenges for environmental management and conservation programs.","PeriodicalId":265480,"journal":{"name":"Open Journal of Ecology","volume":"6 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-02-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"120861283","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
M. Mascaro, G. Pellegrino, Ida De Rose, A. M. Palermo
The effect of biodeteriogenic living organisms on historical and archeological sites is a well-known problem affecting the world’s cultural heritage. Indeed, the growth inside the bricks of shrubs and herbs roots can cause breakage, collapse and, detachment of materials. The knowledge of the spontaneous vascular flora present on monuments is essential for protection and safeguarding of cultural heritage. In this paper, we identify and describe biodeteriogenic vascular flora of three historical Calabrian (Southern Italy) churches, showing the relationship between plant biodiversity and exposure and building material of churches. The species present on the wall and in perimeter for each church were sampled noting substrate type, surface inclination (vertical or horizontal) and exposure. The total number of plant species recorded was 27. Hemicryptophytes (41%) prevail over the other biological forms and the most represented families are that of the Asteraceae. Parietaria judaica is the only species present in all three sites. Substrate type, climatic condition and surface inclination affect the floristic composition. Sixteen out of 27 species grow on vertical surfaces, all Geophythes and Chamaephytes grow on horizontal surfaces, while Therophytes were rather on vertical surfaces. A significant difference was found in the Hazard Index values in the three churches. Only one site, presents a high average value of Hazard Index, due to the simultaneous presence of Ailanthus altissima, Ficus carica, Rubus ulmifolius and Sambucus nigra. The data collected indicate that the flora growing on wall of three Calabrian churches partially reflects the floristic context in which they are located. The diversity of the vegetational spectrum is remarkable, most of the plants are ruderal herbaceous, many weeds and invasive, and for the most part typical of the Mediterranean environment. The data collected contribute to the knowledge of the spontaneous vascular flora present on three historical Calabrian churches and their biodiversity, also in terms of conservation interest, considering its biodeteriogenic potential in the evaluation of the impact of the vegetation on each monument.
{"title":"Contribution to the Knowledge of Biodeteriogenic Flora on Three Historical Calabrian (Southern Italy) Churches","authors":"M. Mascaro, G. Pellegrino, Ida De Rose, A. M. Palermo","doi":"10.4236/OJE.2021.113021","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4236/OJE.2021.113021","url":null,"abstract":"The effect of biodeteriogenic living organisms on historical and archeological sites is a well-known problem affecting the world’s cultural heritage. Indeed, the growth inside the bricks of shrubs and herbs roots can cause breakage, collapse and, detachment of materials. The knowledge of the spontaneous vascular flora present on monuments is essential for protection and safeguarding of cultural heritage. In this paper, we identify and describe biodeteriogenic vascular flora of three historical Calabrian (Southern Italy) churches, showing the relationship between plant biodiversity and exposure and building material of churches. The species present on the wall and in perimeter for each church were sampled noting substrate type, surface inclination (vertical or horizontal) and exposure. The total number of plant species recorded was 27. Hemicryptophytes (41%) prevail over the other biological forms and the most represented families are that of the Asteraceae. Parietaria judaica is the only species present in all three sites. Substrate type, climatic condition and surface inclination affect the floristic composition. Sixteen out of 27 species grow on vertical surfaces, all Geophythes and Chamaephytes grow on horizontal surfaces, while Therophytes were rather on vertical surfaces. A significant difference was found in the Hazard Index values in the three churches. Only one site, presents a high average value of Hazard Index, due to the simultaneous presence of Ailanthus altissima, Ficus carica, Rubus ulmifolius and Sambucus nigra. The data collected indicate that the flora growing on wall of three Calabrian churches partially reflects the floristic context in which they are located. The diversity of the vegetational spectrum is remarkable, most of the plants are ruderal herbaceous, many weeds and invasive, and for the most part typical of the Mediterranean environment. The data collected contribute to the knowledge of the spontaneous vascular flora present on three historical Calabrian churches and their biodiversity, also in terms of conservation interest, considering its biodeteriogenic potential in the evaluation of the impact of the vegetation on each monument.","PeriodicalId":265480,"journal":{"name":"Open Journal of Ecology","volume":"25 4 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-02-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"115997361","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
W. Hikal, Amra Bratovcic, Rowida S Baeshen, K. Tkachenko, H. Ahl
Nowadays, the fast development of nanobiotechnology, has led to rapid diagnosis of important infectious diseases such as arboviruses-borne diseases, vector-borne infections and waterborne parasites diseases and others in order to reduce and avoid further dissemination of the infections within the general population. Furthermore, new nanomedicines based on the application of silver and gold nanoparticles which are less toxic, more effective, and that does not generate resistance could help to solve the problems of parasitic disease like leishmaniasis and chagas disease. It turns out that the combination of nanoparticles with antibiotics not only reduces the toxicity of both agents towards human cells but also enhances their ability to destroy bacteria by facilitating the binding of antibiotics to the microbes. Moreover, combining nanoparticles with antimicrobial peptides and essential oils with nanoparticles generates genuine synergy against microbial resistance.
{"title":"Nanobiotechnology for the Detection and Control of Waterborne Parasites","authors":"W. Hikal, Amra Bratovcic, Rowida S Baeshen, K. Tkachenko, H. Ahl","doi":"10.4236/OJE.2021.113016","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4236/OJE.2021.113016","url":null,"abstract":"Nowadays, the fast development of nanobiotechnology, has led to rapid diagnosis of important infectious diseases such as arboviruses-borne diseases, vector-borne infections and waterborne parasites diseases and others in order to reduce and avoid further dissemination of the infections within the general population. Furthermore, new nanomedicines based on the application of silver and gold nanoparticles which are less toxic, more effective, and that does not generate resistance could help to solve the problems of parasitic disease like leishmaniasis and chagas disease. It turns out that the combination of nanoparticles with antibiotics not only reduces the toxicity of both agents towards human cells but also enhances their ability to destroy bacteria by facilitating the binding of antibiotics to the microbes. Moreover, combining nanoparticles with antimicrobial peptides and essential oils with nanoparticles generates genuine synergy against microbial resistance.","PeriodicalId":265480,"journal":{"name":"Open Journal of Ecology","volume":"33 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-02-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"129865403","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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