Studies have suggested that the quality of the lands surrounding habitat patches can modify the effects of habitat loss and fragmentation on species and influence biodiversity predictions across regions. As landscape matrices tend to be complex and vary with habitat change, isolating such effects is challenging. Here we disentangle the effects of habitat loss, fragmentation and surrounding landscape quality in a large, multiscale manipulative experiment on a plant-herbivore system. We find that habitat loss, fragmentation and surrounding matrix quality all affect survival rates, with the greatest negative effects of fragmentation and lower matrix quality under high habitat loss. Demographic rate changes resulted in strong negative effects of habitat loss, fragmentation and low matrix quality on population size at the landscape scale. Our findings indicate that the benefits of high landscape quality are greater in landscapes with low habitat fragmentation, contesting the common expectation that the surrounding matrix matters only in the most fragmented landscapes. This underscores that the quality of the surrounding landscape can have outsized effects on biodiversity in remaining habitats.
Under global warming, the expansion and structural reorganization of drylands have become increasingly evident, reflecting major shifts in terrestrial hydroclimatic conditions. However, the evolutionary characteristics of different dryland subtypes and their risk differentiation remain insufficiently understood. Using global aridity index data for 1981-2020 together with future scenario data from CMIP 6, this study examined changes in dryland extent, subtype evolution, and drought risk patterns at global and continental scales. The Results global drylands expanded overall during 1981-2020 and are likely to continue expanding in the future. This expansion was driven mainly by increases in semiarid and dry subhumid zones, particularly the latter, suggesting that current global aridification is expressed more through the outward growth of wet-dry transition zones than through uniform intensification of hyperarid cores. Between 1981 and 2000 and 2041-2060, total global dryland area increased by 9.78×106 km2 at a rate of 1.63×105 km2 yr- 1, including increases of 4.71×106 km2 in semiarid zones and 5.57×106 km2 in dry subhumid zones, whereas hyperarid zones decreased by 9.33×105 km2. At the continental scale, Asia contributed most to net global dryland expansion, whereas Africa accounted for the largest shares of permanent dryland and high-risk dryland zones. Risk zoning based on drought frequency and maximum consecutive drought years revealed a clear spatial gradient from permanent drylands to high-risk and then low- to medium-risk dryland zones, with Africa and Asia forming the core regions of persistent dryland zones and the main frontiers of future expansion. Overall, global dryland evolution shows pronounced structural and intercontinental heterogeneity. High-risk dryland zones and dry subhumid zones should therefore be prioritized in future drought monitoring, early warning, ecological restoration, and region-specific management. This study provides a scientific basis for dynamically identifying global drylands, managing vulnerable areas, and developing sustainable land-management strategies under climate change.
Livestock-based livelihoods underpin food security, dietary quality, and resilience in African arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs), yet the mechanisms linking livestock systems, food environments, and human nutrition under climate variability remain fragmented. This PRISMA-based systematic review synthesizes evidence on the nutritional ecology of pastoralist and agro-pastoralist communities in Sub-Saharan Africa, focusing on livestock-mediated nutrition pathways shaped by ecological and socioeconomic change. Literature published between 2006 and 2026 was systematically identified from PubMed, Scopus, AJOL, CABI, and Google Scholar, yielding 60 studies for qualitative synthesis. Nutrition outcomes assessed across the reviewed studies included Household Dietary Diversity Score (HDDS), child wasting and stunting, milk intake, micronutrient adequacy, and food security indicators. The evidence shows that livestock support household nutrition through interconnected biological and economic pathways, including direct consumption of animal-source foods, particularly milk, income generation for food purchases, and buffering against seasonal and climate-related shocks. Larger and more diversified herds are generally associated with higher dietary diversity and improved child nutrition, but benefits are strongly mediated by mobility, market access, gendered control of livestock income, and environmental sustainability. Seasonal dynamics drive marked nutritional variation, with wet seasons supporting improved dietary quality and dry seasons linked to heightened food insecurity and child wasting. Constraints on mobility, sedentarization, market disruptions, and environmental degradation further amplify nutrition risks. The evidence base is dominated by cross-sectional study designs, limiting causal inference and constraining understanding of how livestock ownership, environmental conditions, and nutrition outcomes co-evolve across seasons and shocks. The review identifies key evidence gaps, including limited longitudinal studies, underrepresentation of urbanizing pastoralists, and minimal attention to youth nutrition and livelihood transitions. Drawing on a One Health and food-systems framework, addressing these gaps requires integrated nutrition-livestock surveillance and multisectoral policies to advance climate-resilient, nutrition-sensitive livestock development and support progress toward Sustainable Development Goals related to zero hunger, good health and well-being, and climate action in African drylands.
Soil degradation in alpine wetlands reduces ecosystem functioning and carbon turnover, while restoration strategies are critical for enhancing carbon storage and microbial nutrient dynamics. However, the effects of restoration on microbial resource limitations and enzymatic stoichiometry remain poorly understood. In this study, we applied ecoenzymatic stoichiometry modelling to quantify depth-dependent microbial resource limitations across degraded (WD), passively restored (WPR), and 10-year actively restored (WAR) wetlands. Vector-based analysis revealed that microbial carbon (C) limitation was strongest in WD but was progressively alleviated with restoration. The lowest vector lengths in both topsoil (0.53 ± 0.04) and subsoil (0.50 ± 0.02) were measured in WAR, and both were below the updated C-limitation threshold (0.61). Concurrently, microbial nitrogen (N) limitation increased, as indicated by decreasing vector angles in topsoil (from ∼54° in WD to 42° in WAR) and subsoil, suggesting a shift in microbial nutrient acquisition toward N. Stoichiometric ratios (EC:N, EC:P, EN:P) and threshold-based indices (MCL, MNL, MPL) supported these patterns. Restoration reduced soil bulk density, increased subsoil SOC from 8.5% in WD to 10.1% in WAR, and lowered topsoil pH in WAR, indicating improved soil physical and chemical conditions. C-/N-acquiring enzymes was correlated positively (r > 0.75) with microbial biomass but negatively with bulk density, indicating that soil structure promotes enzymatic activity. Exploratory principal component analysis separated wetland states, with WAR associated with higher enzyme activity and microbial biomass than the other two wetland states. Overall, WAR alleviates microbial C limitation, increases relative N limitation, and strengthens the functional link between enzymatic activity and nutrient availability, providing mechanistic insights for long-term alpine wetland recovery.
Monitoring agricultural lands is crucial for achieving food security. Earth Observation (EO) has recently become an essential tool to reach this goal owing to advances in spatial and temporal resolutions as well as radiometric accuracy of the current satellite sensors. Yet, the size of the datasets and the need to preprocess them limit their dissemination to some scientific communities and in direction to stakeholders. The dataset presented here is composed of pluriannual time series of variables acquired by high spatial (10-30 m) and medium to high temporal resolutions (a few days combining images from different swaths) from radar (Sentinel-1) and multispectral (Landsat-8 and Sentinel-2) EO satellites along with commonly used vegetation indices and biophyscial variables averaged over more than 1,400 agricultural fields. Data were made available in the framework of a project aimed at developing the application of numeric tools on EO data for agroecology purposes. This dataset was made publicly available owing to its easyness to use and interest for agronomists, environmentalists as well as economics and politics stakeholders.
Coniferous_to_broadleaved forest conversion reshapes soil carbon cycling in coastal sandy ecosystems, yet its regulation on component soil respiration and thermal sensitivity remains poorly quantified. To explore the regulatory effects and underlying mechanisms of such vegetation shift on soil carbon cycling in subtropical coastal sandy lands, we carried out this comparative field study. We investigated the conversion from Pinus elliottii (coniferous forest) to Eucalyptus urophylla × E. grandis (broadleaved forest) using a paired adjacent plot design and two_year continuous in_situ observations. Key indicators including soil respiration components, litter properties, fine root biomass, microbial activity and soil microclimate were monitored. Results showed that the conversion significantly increased total soil respiration (by 25.52%), root respiration (by 62.74%), and heterotrophic respiration (by 9.01%). This promotion was driven by the coupled effects of improved litter quality (low C/N ratio and lignin content), a sharp increase in fine root biomass (by 272.5%), and enhanced microbial activity. It also notably reduced the temperature sensitivity (Q 10 from 2.29 to 1.55) of soil respiration, with root respiration becoming nearly temperature_insensitive (Q 10=1.25). Additionally, the explanatory power of soil temperature for respiration decreased significantly (from 76% to 37.7%), while the regulatory role of litter quality, fine root biomass, and soil microbial activity became prominent, and soil moisture did not act as a limiting factor for soil respiration throughout the study period. This conversion achieves a virtuous cycle of "high carbon turnover and high carbon sequestration", clarifying the above_belowground coupling mechanism of soil carbon dynamics. Our findings thereby provide important scientific support for the optimization of coastal protection forests and the enhancement of carbon sequestration capacity in fragile coastal ecosystems.
Significant gaps exist in survivorship services across the cancer care continuum for Indigenous Peoples in the United States. Despite overcoming overwhelming cancer burden and high mortality risk, Indigenous cancer survivors report lower quality of life compared to non-Indigenous cancer survivors. Using an Indigenous social determinants of health framework, this article shares reflective commentaries from four Indigenous (Haudenosaunee) cancer care professionals who provide insights into the need for traditional Indigenous land-based healing practices among Indigenous cancer survivors, their families, and caregivers. Results suggest that (1) traditional Indigenous healing practices, (2) Indigenous patient navigation services, (3) communities of care, and (4) Indigenous lands and social determinants of health are important factors to support the health and wellbeing of Indigenous cancer survivors. Land-based healing for Indigenous cancer survivors requires further research for future implementation.
Green manure planting is a commonly used environmentally friendly and sustainable field management practice in resource-constrained agricultural ecosystems. However, the effects of green manure on soil quality and plant production in coal mine reclamation agroecosystems remain unclear. In this study, a decade-long legume cultivation experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects on soil aggregate structure, nutrients, microbial diversity, and plant productivity. The experiment was established at the Gujiao long-term monitoring site of Shanxi Agricultural University and included three treatments: natural restoration, alfalfa planting and villose vetch planting. Compared with the control, legume planting-particularly alfalfa-significantly increased plant biomass and the accumulation of soil organic carbon (SOC) and total phosphorus. Specifically, in the 0-20 cm soil layer under the RAF treatment, SOC and TP contents increased by 23.84% and 47.17%, respectively. Moreover, alfalfa planting enhanced the proportion of aggregates larger than 0.25 mm by 36.56% in wet sieving. Interestingly, continuous legume forage cultivation significantly improved soil aggregate stability. Moreover, alfalfa planting increased bacterial diversity, stimulated the accumulation of lignin-derived compounds, and resulted in the highest acid-formaldehyde ratio, indicating that alfalfa planting increased lignin degradation capacity and provided beneficial nutrients for reclaimed soil. Variance partitioning analysis indicated that both soil physicochemical properties and the microbial community structure co-driven plant biomass variations. These findings clarify the mechanisms by which legume cultivation improves soil quality, enhances microbial diversity, and increases biomass production. In conclusion, this study supports the application of leguminous green manure as a natural solution for coal mine land reclamation, contributing to soil quality improvement and fostering sustainable development in postmining ecosystems.
Sugarcane is a high-value crop in Egypt, yet weed communities in the understudied Upper Egypt region have not been systematically characterized. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of weed floristic composition, phytogeographical affinities, and the edaphic and canopy light factors governing vegetation structure across contrasting Nile Valley clay and reclaimed desert lands in Qena Governorate. Fourteen stands were surveyed during the 2024/2025 sugarcane growing season, recording 110 species from 33 families (68 annuals and 42 perennials), which were dominated by Poaceae, Asteraceae, Fabaceae, Euphorbiaceae, and Amaranthaceae (54.6% of the flora recorded). Therophytes were the most abundant life form (60.9%), and 51.8% of species belonged to Neotropical, Palaeotropical, Cosmopolitan, and Pantropical chorotypes. Diversity indices showed high and balanced species diversity, with no dominance by any single species. Seasonal variation showed that species richness peaked in spring, decreased through summer and autumn, and correlated with light intensity under the canopy. TWINSPAN identified four vegetation groups, which were merged into three primary vegetation groups (A, B, and C) via DCA and CCA ordinations and linked to microhabitats shaped by elevation and soil physicochemical properties. CCA revealed that Group C (stands in the Nile Riverbank lands) had the highest diversity, which was associated with organic matter, clay, and field capacity. In contrast, Group A (stands of reclaimed desert land) had low richness linked to high levels of Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), Electrical Conductivity (EC), Na, K, Mg, CaCO3, and sandy soils. Group B (stands of Nile clay lands) was an intermediate transitional community between groups A and C. These findings establish edaphic factors as the primary determinant of weed community structure, with salinity as the critical constraint in reclaimed lands and seasonal light variation as a secondary diversity filter.
Increasingly, the conservation of large and wide-ranging animals is challenged by environmental variability, static boundaries of protected areas, and the expansion of human activities. The Critically Endangered Onager (Equus hemionus onager) exemplifies these issues in Qatrouiyeh National Park (QNP) and the surrounding Bahram-e-Goor Protected Area (BPA) in Iran. Using GPS telemetry data from 9 adult females tracked over 2 years, we examined seasonal patterns in movement and incursions into cultivated lands in 2017 and 2018. Net squared displacement analyses indicated that most individuals exhibited range-resident behavior with occasional nomadic movements, with no evidence for migration (i.e., predictable movements to and from distinct seasonal ranges). Both monthly home range size and monthly movement rate varied seasonally, peaking in late spring and early summer (May-July). Individual home ranges were between 257 and 1,928 km2, while the extrapolated population-level home range (718 km2; 95% confidence interval = 276-1368) extended well outside QNP, covering large portions of the BPA. Occurrence distributions also expanded beyond the protected area into adjacent cultivated lands, highlighting the use of human-occupied areas by onagers. We recorded 2,285 (out of 72,168) GPS locations within cultivated lands and their surrounding 50 m buffer, with 60% of these incursions occurring immediately adjacent to QNP. Most incursions occurred at night and were strongly associated with both season and cumulative rainfall over the preceding 9 months. These findings emphasize how rainfall-driven variability in resource dynamics shapes the spatial distribution and behavior of onagers, thus elevating the risk of conflict with humans. The scale and seasonality of Onager movements highlight the need for flexible, landscape-level conservation strategies that extend beyond fixed park boundaries to encompass critical habitats and to mitigate conflict across the broader region.
Ecological drought poses substantial risks to ecosystem functioning through complex climate-vegetation interactions. Focusing on the Yangtze River Basin, a large subtropical region spanning diverse ecosystems from alpine grasslands to evergreen forests, this study integrates Convergent Cross Mapping with an explainable machine learning framework to investigate the causal dependencies and dominant drivers of ecological drought across nine ecosystem types over more than two decades. Results reveal strong nonlinear causal dependencies between water stress and ecological drought across diverse ecosystems, confirming robust hydrometeorological-ecological coupling. Distinct response patterns to climatic drivers are observed between natural and human-dominated ecosystems. Temperature emerges as the primary driver of vegetation responses, explaining 38%-60% of LAI variability across all ecosystem types, and exhibits pronounced nonlinear threshold behavior, with negative effects at low temperatures and increasingly positive influences beyond ecosystem-specific thresholds. These thresholds vary substantially among ecosystems, ranging from approximately 2°C in grasslands to 23°C in drylands and paddy fields, reflecting differentiated thermal sensitivities. Anthropogenic factors act as secondary but critical controls, with irrigation water use exerting a particularly strong influence in cultivated ecosystems. Overall, the identified nonlinear dependencies, ecosystem-specific response patterns, and critical thresholds provide important implications for adaptive water resources management under global change.
Groundwater recharge in irrigated agricultural landscapes and surrounding watersheds is critical for sustainable water management and environmental flows. In irrigated Mediterranean regions, quantifying this process is complicated by substantial interannual and spatial variability in precipitation, irrigation practices, and evapotranspiration (ET), which introduces significant uncertainty. Here, we assess field-scale spatiotemporal variability in potential and actual contributions to aquifer replenishment across Mediterranean intermontane irrigated basins. Potential estimates were derived from a remote sensing ET water-balance residual (RSET-WB) and soil water balance modeling (SWBM), whereas the actual component was inferred from groundwater-level fluctuations using the water-table fluctuation method (WTFM). Results reveal strong spatial and crop-specific contrasts among basins and fields. In SWBM, irrigation-season variability was primarily associated with soil available water storage (AWS) and crop type, whereas non-irrigation season patterns were explained largely by interbasin differences in wet-season precipitation. Crop-specific patterns differed between methods, with alfalfa dominating RSET-WB residual estimates and grain and pasture lands showing greater SWBM-derived dry-season deep percolation below the root zone. Within SWBM, low-AWS fields also showed enhanced growing-season drainage. WTFM estimates indicated relatively balanced water table recharge between wet and dry seasons across most basins, contrasting with the wet-season dominance shown by RSET-WB and SWBM. Long-term averages (2008-2023) from RSET-WB and SWBM suggest that the dry season accounted for about 29-34% of annual potential recharge, while the wet-season fraction ranged from 54% to 78% of precipitation. Collectively, these findings underscore that irrigation return flow and late-season precipitation are critical to sustaining groundwater potential recharge in Mediterranean agricultural lands, supporting managed aquifer recharge strategies such as early- or off-season irrigation in low-AWS pasture grasslands.
Human outdoor recreation is expanding across natural landscapes, yet its effects on wildlife remain poorly understood across spatial and temporal scales and across different contexts. We assessed the responses of large mammals to nonmotorized recreation near Fernie, British Columbia, Canada, using a multiscale observational approach combining data from 66 camera traps and GPS telemetry from 21 grizzly bears (Ursus arctos). We evaluated the following: (1) how wildlife detections varied by trail type, relative to the broader landscape, and with varying levels of recreational users; (2) whether animals shifted activity to avoid peak human use; and (3) how collared Grizzly Bear movement responded to recreation trails compared to other anthropogenic features. Trail type, surrounding landscape, and recreational pressure significantly influenced detection rates, but responses varied by species and scales. Elk (Cervus canadensis) showed the strongest avoidance, with reduced presence on recreation trails and a marked shift toward low-use periods. In contrast, Moose (Alces alces) and Mule Deer (Odocoileus hemionus) were more frequently detected on or near recreation trails. Grizzly bears consistently avoided areas adjacent to recreation trails in GPS movement data and camera detections but were detected on recreation trails more than nearby wildlife trails suggesting that when they do move through the trail network they do so on recreation trails. These findings highlight species- and scale-dependent behavioral responses, with effects ranging from strong (elk), to moderate (grizzly bears), to minimal (black bears, moose, mule deer, red foxes, and white-tailed deer). Our results suggest that concentrating recreation near existing developed areas and during mid-day should minimize impacts on wildlife while providing important access to recreation for people. Maintaining low-use zones elsewhere will be important for more sensitive species. While observational studies like ours are valuable for identifying patterns and informing management of rapidly changing pressures, stronger inference through experimental designs is encouraged to clarify causal relationships between recreation and wildlife behavior and further elucidate species- and context-dependent relationships.
Land degradation is a threat to global ecosystems and livelihoods of billions of people. Nearly 85% of Ethiopia's land is degraded, costing more than USD 4.3 billion per year. Area closures for excluding human and livestock disturbances have been widely adopted as a restoration strategy for degraded lands to enable natural regeneration. However, integrated ecological and socio-economic assessments are scarce in the Siltie Zone of Central Ethiopia and evidence-based interventions are limited. A comparative study design was used in the study area of Hulberag District, to assess 14-years-long area closures and adjacent open grazing lands. Data collection comprised vegetation surveys, physicochemical analyses of soils at different soil depths and household questionnaires. Statistical analysis was performed by ANOVA and post-hoc Tukey's HSD tests to compare land-use types and topographic positions. Area closures significantly improved ecosystem metrics. Woody species richness increased by 200%, stem density increased by 154%, and Shannon diversity was significantly higher than in open grazing lands. Soil organic carbon increased by 50%, available phosphorus by 33%, and cation exchange capacity by 25%. Bulk density decreased by 19%, indicating reduced soil compaction and improved soil quality. The greatest improvements occurred on lower slopes. Surveys revealed strong community support, with 79.8% of respondents identifying livestock fodder as the primary benefit and 53.1% associating area closures with increased crop yields through improved erosion control. Area closure represents an effective, low-cost intervention for restoring degraded semi-arid ecosystems in Ethiopia, promoting native woody vegetation recovery and enhancing soil fertility while providing tangible livelihood benefits. For long-term success, adaptive co-management frameworks that integrate clear resource-use guidelines, equitable benefit-sharing, and alignment with broader watershed conservation strategies are recommended.
Indigenous Peoples continue to steward their Lands through their traditional ecological knowledge (TEK), their Laws, and their kinship-driven processes as they have for millennia. There are various factors, including climate change, that threaten Indigenous TEK, Lands, and other processes including intergenerational knowledge transfer. Our team carried out a qualitative research study with Indigenous community members to increase understanding of Dene Peoples' connections with Land, community TEK protection and stewardship, as well as changes in local environments. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten participants from the Northwest Territories (NWT), Canada, from December 2024 to February 2025. Coding and reflexive thematic analysis were carried out using qualitative software. Six themes were characterized from the interview data including: (1) intergenerational TEK are central to our ways of life; (2) despite various factors, our communities continue to share TEK across generations; (3) our collective health and healing are tied to our TEK as well as our values; (4) climate change-related threats and damages are impacting our People and the Land; (5) protecting and governing our own data is crucial for preserving our stories and knowledge; and (6) we need to protect Mother Earth for future generations. This study further demonstrates that the protection of Indigenous TEK is deeply important for the overall health and wellbeing of Indigenous Peoples. Additionally, the honouring of Indigenous sovereignty and Land rights is essential to transform current climate change approaches.
Land use change and intense rainfall, particularly in urban areas, are among the key factors contributing to flood occurrences. This study investigates the impact of land use and rainfall changes on flood events using the Soil Conservation Service - Technical Release 20 (SCS-TR20) and the Santa Barbara Urban Hydrograph method (SBUH) models within the HydroCAD software. A key novelty of this study is the comparative application of the SBUH model-never before used in Iran for rainfall-runoff simulation-alongside SCS-TR20, combined with a detailed multi-temporal land use change analysis over a near-decade period (2010-2019) in the Doab-Veysian watershed. For this analysis, characteristics of five sub-basins (Bahramjo, Karganeh, Chenar-Khoshkeh, Cham-Anjir, and Doab-Veysian) including drainage area, time of concentration, curve number (CN), and cross-sectional geometry of river reaches were defined in HydroCAD. A 24-hour Type II rainfall pattern was selected as the optimal regional rainfall model. The models were then calibrated based on two rainfall events (24/04/2010 and 21/10/2014) and validated using a third rainfall event (01/04/2019). The results demonstrated that both the SCS-TR20 and SBUH models are capable of simulating floods with R² and Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) values exceeding 90%, though these metrics were slightly lower for the SBUH model compared to SCS-TR20. An analysis of land use changes between 2010 and 2019 revealed that the expansion of dry farming (from 53,000 to 66,000 hectares), the decline of poor and moderate rangelands (from 50,000 to 43,000 hectares), and the reduction of forests (from 116,000 to 108,000 hectares) were additional factors increasing flood risks. Moreover, residential, commercial, and infrastructural developments in urban and rural areas expanded significantly, with such lands growing from 2,744 hectares in 2010 to 6,897 hectares in 2019. These changes led to an increase in the curve number (CN) from 81.72 to 83.47 in the Doab-Veysian watershed and from 91 to 92 in the urban area of Khorramabad. Combined with an increase in rainfall (from 21 mm to 116 mm), these changes resulted in a substantial rise in peak flood discharge (from 106 to 2,227 m³/s) and flood volume (from 3.83 to 98.33 million m³) according to the SCS-TR20 model. The SBUH model also indicated an increase in discharge (from 77.79 to 1,687 m³/s). These findings highlight the significant influence of land use changes and heavy rainfall on flood occurrences. In urban areas, flood discharge estimated by the SCS-TR20 model increased from 11.97 m³/s in 2010 to 135.87 m³/s in 2019, while flood volume rose from 0.146 to 2.42 million m³ over the same period. Correspondingly, the average flood depth across the urban watershed increased from 6 mm to 66 mm. These figures underscore the substantial impact of land use changes and increased rainfall in exacerbating floods in urban areas. In conclusion, the findings indicate that although both models perform effectively, SCS-TR20 simulates peak discharge more accurately than SBUH. Furthermore, rainfall was introduced as the major and dominant factor in flood generation in the region, although the role of antecedent soil moisture (AMC) land use changes and the CN should not be overlooked.
Flood risk in semi-arid, snow-fed basins is increasingly influenced by both land-use and climate change, yet their combined future effects remain poorly quantified. This study predicts future flood generation potential (FGP) under combined land-use and climate scenarios in the Gharesou Watershed (Iran) using deep learning. Future land-use (2034-2054) was simulated via Markov chain, and climate variables (temperature, precipitation) under three SSP scenarios were downscaled using the change-factor method. FGP was mapped using CNN, MLP, and DNN algorithms, validated against observed discharge data. By 2054, natural vegetation is projected to decline by 20.9% of the watershed area, while agricultural and residential lands expand. Temperature rises by 3.5-4.5 °C, and although annual maximum precipitation declines, extreme events become more frequent. Under the optimized CNN model, high- to very-high-risk zones expand from 62% to 87% of the watershed. This study provides the first quantitative attribution of future flood risk in a snow-fed semi-arid basin, identifying land-use change as the dominant driver (about60-70% of increased risk) and climate change as an intensifier (about 30-40%). These results indicate that protecting natural vegetation and restricting land-use conversion in high-risk zones are more urgent than climate adaptation alone. Proactive policies (restoring rangelands/forests, integrating climate scenarios into spatial planning, and enforcing land-use regulations) are essential to enhance watershed resilience.
Ferroptosis is an iron-dependent form of regulated cell death characterized by the accumulation of lipid peroxides in cellular membranes. Cellular susceptibility to ferroptosis is strongly influenced by membrane phospholipid composition, which is dynamically regulated through phospholipid remodeling. Phospholipid remodeling, also known as the Lands' cycle, drives the replacement of fatty acyl chains in phospholipids through the coordinated actions of phospholipases A, acyl-CoA synthetases (ACSLs), and lysophospholipid acyltransferases (LPLATs). Phospholipid remodeling critically influences ferroptosis sensitivity by regulating the balance between phospholipid species containing polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), which promote lipid peroxidation, and those containing saturated/monounsaturated fatty acids, which confer resistance. Recent studies have identified key remodeling enzymes, including ACSL4 and LPLAT12, as central drivers of ferroptosis through the generation of PUFA-containing phospholipids, while other enzymes suppress ferroptosis by limiting lipid peroxidation or removing oxidized phospholipids. In parallel, specific phospholipid species-including arachidonic acid- and adrenic acid-containing phospholipids, di-PUFA phospholipids, and other oxidizable lipid classes-have emerged as critical contributors to ferroptosis. Collectively, these findings highlight phospholipid remodeling as a central determinant of ferroptosis by shaping the membrane lipid landscape.
The goal of the study was to assess the humus and nitrogen status of the main arable soils of Kostanay region and to identify signs of soil degradation associated with long-term agricultural use. The research was based on the generalization of long-term agrochemical monitoring data (2012-2023) and included the analysis of humus content and nitrate nitrogen in ordinary and southern black soils, as well as dark chestnut soils, using standard laboratory methods and statistical evaluation of spatial and vertical variability. The results showed that the humus content in arable soils is generally reduced compared to virgin analogues and corresponds mainly to medium- and low-humus levels, with clear differentiation across soil types and administrative districts. Nitrate nitrogen availability was found to be low or very low in a significant proportion of agricultural lands, indicating insufficient plant nutrition and ongoing depletion processes. The study also revealed spatial variability of agrochemical indicators and a predominantly accumulative profile distribution with maxima in the arable horizon. In conclusion, the obtained results confirm the development of degradation processes in the soils of Kostanay region and highlight the need for systematic soil monitoring and the implementation of sustainable land management practices aimed at restoring soil fertility and maintaining agricultural productivity.
The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) provides monthly cash-value benefits (CVBs) for fruits and vegetables. In addition to fresh produce, WIC agencies may allow households to purchase frozen and canned produce using CVBs. The use of these options may support benefit redemption for households who face inequitable barriers to accessing fresh produce, such as households living on tribal lands. This study examined (1) associations between frozen/canned food CVB purchases and overall CVB redemption and (2) predictors of frozen/canned food purchasing within a Tribal Organization using administrative data collected between November 2024 and April 2025 and a participant survey. Administrative data analyses included 4787 Inter Tribal Council of Arizona WIC-participating households; survey analyses included 1165 respondents. Mixed-effects models showed that households purchasing frozen and canned foods using CVBs, instead of only fresh, redeemed more of their CVBs. Further, higher frozen/canned purchasing predicted higher redemption rates. Households with multiple WIC participants were more likely to purchase frozen and canned foods using CVBs than single-participant households. The most commonly reported reason for purchasing frozen/canned foods in surveys was longer shelf life. Findings indicate that allowing and promoting frozen and canned food options may improve CVB utilization for American Indian families.