Improving resilience against natural gastrointestinal nematode infections in browsing kids during the dry season in tropical Mexico

The objective was to determine the effect of supplementary feeding on the resilience and resistance of Criollo kids against natural gastrointestinal nematode (GIN) infections, when browsing native vegetation during the dry season in tropical Mexico. Thirty-three two-month-old Criollo kids, raised nematode free, were included at weaning in a 20-week trial. The kids were placed into four groups. Two groups of eight kids were offered 100g/day soybean and sorghum meal (26%:74% respectively fresh basis) (treated/supplemented (T-S) and infected/supplemented (I-S)). Two groups remained with no supplement for the duration of the trial (infected/non-supplemented (I-NS) (n=9) and treated/non-supplemented (T-NS) (n=8)). Kids in groups T-S and T-NS were drenched with 0.2mg of moxidectin/kg body weight orally (Cydectin, Fort Dodge) every 28 days. Groups I-S and I-NS were naturally infected with GIN. The animals browsed native vegetation for an average of 7h/day together with a herd of 120 naturally infected adult goats. Cumulative live weight gain (CLWG), packed cell volume (PCV), haemoglobin (Hb), total plasma protein and plasma albumin were recorded every 14 days as measurements of resilience. Resistance parameters (faecal egg counts (FEC) and peripheral eosinophil counts (PEC)) were also measured. Bulk faecal cultures were made for each group every 28 days. Every month a new pair of initially worm-free tracer kids assessed the infectivity of the vegetation browsed by the animals. Tracer kids and faecal cultures showed that kids faced low mixed infections (Haemonchus contortus, Trichostrongylus colubriformis and Oesophagostomum columbianum). Under conditions of scarce vegetation, such as those in the present study, supplemented groups (I-S and T-S) had higher growth rates compared to the non-supplemented groups independently of the control of GIN infection with anthelmintic (AH) treatment (P<0.001). Supplementary feeding did not affect FEC or PEC. In the absence of supplementation, lack of AH treatment may lead to outbreaks of clinical nematodosis. The supplementary feeding was economically feasible.     

Seeding and fertilization effects on plant cover and community recovery following wildfire in the Eastern Cascade Mountains, USA

Slope stabilization treatments are frequently applied following high severity wildfires to reduce erosion, protect water quality, and mitigate threats to human life and property. However, the effectiveness of many treatment options has not been well established. Furthermore, treatments may unintentionally inhibit natural vegetation recovery or facilitate exotic species invasion, compromising long-term ecosystem function. We evaluated the effects of seeding and fertilization treatments on plant cover and vegetation recovery following the Deer Point fire in the Eastern Cascade Mountains of Washington State, surveying vegetation for three consecutive years following fire. We applied a fertilization treatment and two seeding treatments in factorial combination on experimental plots at four sites within the fire. Natural vegetation recovered rapidly on control plots, exceeding 40% average cover the second post-fire year and 53% cover the third year. Seeding and fertilization, applied alone and together, did little to increase total plant cover in any of the three post-fire years. A seed mix containing mostly native species increased seeded species cover, but failed to increase in total plant cover, as reductions in non-seeded species cover largely offset increases in seeded species cover. The seed mix also reduced the cover and frequency of several disturbance-adapted native species and reduced tree seedling abundance by the third year after fire. Exotic species averaged less than 0.5% cover across all treatments, and were not significantly affected by any treatment. Minimal treatment effects on total plant cover suggest that seeding and fertilization did little to reduce erosion hazards. However, seeding with the species mix did interfere with natural vegetation recovery, despite the use of native species and low realized seeded species cover.     

Functional resilience of microbial communities from perturbed upland grassland soils to further persistent or transient stresses

The microbial functioning of soils following perturbation was assessed at a temperate upland grassland site, maintained by the Soil Biodiversity and Ecosystem Function Programme at Sourhope Research Station, Scotland. Published results indicated that the soil microbial communities were resilient to these initial perturbations; in this paper we tested whether they were equally resilient to a subsequent perturbation. Soil samples were taken from field plots receiving treatments that represented different forms of perturbation, viz. reseeding, application of sewage-sludge, biocide or nitrogen plus lime, and a non-perturbed control. Functional resilience following further perturbation comprising a transient heat or persistent copper perturbation was assessed over 28 days, by monitoring the short-term decomposition of added plant residues. Bacterial community structure was assessed by DGGE separation of eubacterial 16S rDNA PCR products. PCR-DGGE did not distinguish any significant difference (P>0.05) between the bacterial communities of soils under different treatments, showing differences only between treated soils and the untreated, control soils.Two days after the application of stresses, functional capability differed in soils under different treatments. Soil samples from all the treated plots were less resilient to heat stress than soil from control plots. The initial reduction in decomposition following the addition of copper differed between treatments, but function had not recovered in any of the Cu-amended soils within 28 days. Soil resilience varied according to the type and duration of stress applied, microbial activity, soil characteristics and treatment regimes. The initial resistance of function to stress was not predictive of recovery of function over time.     

Resistance and resilience of zinc tolerant nitrifying communities is unaffected in long-term zinc contaminated soils

Zinc (Zn) tolerant nitrifying communities were previously identified in soil samples of a long-term Zn contaminated transect towards a galvanised pylon. We questioned whether Zn tolerance increased the vulnerability of the nitrifying communities to stressors. The influence of pesticide addition, freeze-thaw or dry-wet cycles on the soil nitrification (‘functional stability’) was assessed in a series of these soils representing a Zn contamination and Zn tolerance gradient. The immediate effect of the stressors to the nitrification (‘resistance’) and the residual effect after 3 weeks incubation (‘resilience’) were determined. Our results show that neither resistance nor resilience to these stressors was affected by adaptation of the nitrifying communities to elevated Zn concentrations in the long-term contaminated soils.     

Recovery and dynamics of a primary tropical dry forest in Jamaica, 10 years after human disturbance

Changes in forest structure, the rate of recovery and stem turnover, 10 years after experimental cutting of a primary tropical dry forest in Jamaica, were determined by conducting a post-disturbance inventory of permanent sample plots in 2009. In April 1999, two plots within each of four blocks were assigned to two randomly allocated treatments (partially and clear cut) and a plot was assigned as a control (uncut). The treatment intensities were intended to mimic wood extraction for charcoal or timber production, a common form of anthropogenic disturbance in Caribbean dry forests. The application of the treatments significantly reduced the number of trees per diameter size-class, but after 10 years, the size-class distribution for the small size-classes was similar to pre-disturbance measurements. However, larger size-classes (?14 cm) in 2009 had fewer individuals when compared with the pre-disturbance size-class distribution. Ten years after cutting, tree height, basal area and tree density in partially cut plots had recovered by 92%, 81% and 94% and in clear cut plots by 78%, 35% and 78% respectively, in comparison with control plots. Although the biomass lost due to cutting and the original state of this forest have not fully recovered 10 years after disturbance, our results showed that coppicing allows the establishment of some semblance of a canopy and offers a rapid route to reclaim space. This newly established canopy also helps to ameliorate environmental conditions facilitating regeneration by seed, which would otherwise take years to occur due to the harsh conditions found in open areas. No new species or any species that could be described as pioneers were recorded and despite a shift in dominance, secondary succession did not occur. Therefore gap dynamics, often used to describe the process of regeneration in tropical rainforests, cannot be used to describe regeneration in this dry forest ecosystem.     

中国农业经济韧性的空间差异与影响因素识别

本文通过指标体系法对2009—2018年中国31个省(自治区、直辖市)的农业经济韧性进行综合测算,明确其空间差异特征,同时借助泰尔指数法分解其空间差异的主要来源,在此基础上运用地理探测器模型对农业经济韧性的影响因素进行有效性识别。结果表明:①中国各省(自治区、直辖市)的农业经济韧性均呈明显上升趋势。从省际来看,山东农业经济韧性均值最高,西藏最低。从区域来看,中部地区农业经济韧性最高,且高于全国平均水平,西部地区农业经济韧性明显低于其他地区。②中国农业经济韧性的总体差异、区域内及区域间差异均呈不断缩小的趋势。通过对农业经济韧性空间差异的泰尔指数分解可以发现,这种差异主要来源于区域内差异,而区域内差异主要由西部地区省际差异引起。③政府支持力度、农业基础设施建设、地区市场规模与环境规制强度是影响中国农业经济韧性的主要因素,农业经济规模与科技投入水平对农业经济韧性的影响力相对较弱。不同影响因子两两之间的交互作用均表现非线性增强与双因子增强两种类型。     

The impact of gardening on mental resilience in times of stress: A case study during the COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore

To curb the spread of Covid-19, Singapore, like other cities, had to impose movement restriction and social distancing measures that may affect the well-being of its residents. In this paper, we assessed the potential benefits of gardening on the mental well-being of Singapore residents, based on the concept of mental resilience. We hypothesized that gardening activities promote mental resilience. A survey was administered on 8,786 participants of a “Gardening with Edibles” programme, measuring their mental resilience status, engagement in gardening activities and socio-demographic information. The mental resilience scores of participants who engaged in weekly gardening were compared with the scores derived from another survey conducted during the pandemic on an online community comprising demographically representative respondents with an interest on Covid-19 related community care. The results showed that the mental resilience of those who gardened was statistically significantly higher than the online community. Within the gardening group, those with less than one hour of weekly gardening time had significantly lower scores in their total mental resilience, and five out of seven resilience factors, “emotional regulation”, “relationship”, “confidence”, “positive thinking” and “spirituality”, compared to those with more weekly gardening time, showing that the efficacy of the mediating effects may peak at a weekly gardening time of between one to four hours. Home gardening may be an effective way for people living in densely populated cities to interact with nature and build mental resilience during the pandemic.     

Can green roofs help with stormwater floods? A geospatial planning approach

Increasing urbanization, impervious space, and the impact of climate change are threatening the future of cities. Nature-based solutions, specifically urban green infrastructures, are seen as a sustainable strategy to increase resilience against extreme weather events, including the escalating occurrence of stormwater runoff flooding. Consequently, urban planners and decision-makers have pushed their efforts toward implementing green infrastructure solutions to reduce the impact of stormwater floods. Among others, green roofs help store water and decrease stormwater runoff impacts on a local scale. This research aims to investigate the effect of surface permeability and green roof implementation on reducing stormwater flooding and subsequently provide urban planners with evidence-based geospatial planning recommendations to improve urban resilience in Helsinki. First, we modeled the current impact of stormwater flooding using the Arc-Malstrom model in Helsinki. The model was used to identify districts under high stormwater flood risk. Then, we zoomed in to a focus area and tested a combination of scenarios representing four levels of green roof implementation, two levels of green roof infiltration rates under 40-, 60-, 80-, 100 mm precipitation events on the available rooftops. We utilized open geographic data and geospatial data science principles implemented in the GIS environment to conduct this study. Our results showed that low-level implementation of green roofs with low retention rates reduces the average flood depth by only 1 %. In contrast, the maximum green roof scenario decreased most of the average flood depth (13 %) and reduced the number of vulnerable sites. The proposed methodology can be used for other cities to develop evidence-based plans for green roof implementations.     

Green space type and healthy ageing in place: An Australian longitudinal study

Research on the health benefits of people’s long-term exposure to green space is lacking. Addressing this emerging topic, this study uncovers the association of green space types with a person’s healthy ageing score (HAS). We investigated the association with HAS by continuous exposure to various green space types for two years. Green space types include tree canopy, low-lying vegetation and open grass percentage within 1.6-km road network distance buffers at baseline and second follow-up. Healthy ageing outcomes included functional capacity, resilience and HAS while accounting for relocation. This is a longitudinal study of a cohort of 22,715 New South Wales residents aged over 45 who participated in the Sax Institute’s 45 and Up Study living in Sydney, Wollongong and Newcastle. Longitudinal models of healthy ageing on green space types were fit with controls for socioeconomic confounders. Women who did not relocate were associated with a lower functional capacity (β; 95%CI: −0.10; −0.15,−0.05) and higher resilience (0.11; 0.08, 0.14) compared to those who relocated. Apart from age, personal characteristics did not explain the variation in healthy ageing outcomes for participants who moved. For participants who did not relocate, 30% grass cover was associated with decreased functional capacity (−0.22; −0.41,−0.04) and HAS (−0.31; −0.56,−0.05). Also, 5–9% low-lying vegetation was associated with a decline in functional capacity (−0.09; −0.15, −0.03) and HAS (−0.09; −0.17, −0.01) of participants who stayed but improved resilience (0.28; 0.01, 0.55) of participants who relocated. Green space comprising over 30% tree cover appeared most beneficial for functional capacity (0.42; 0.31, 0.53), resilience (0.19; 0.13, 0.25) and HAS (0.60; 0.45, 0.75). For participants who relocated, over 30% tree canopy was associated with improved functional capacity (0.33; 0.54, 0.62) but not resilience or their HAS. Increased neighbourhood tree canopy supports healthy ageing. Older people should be supported to live in-home or move into nearby residential care and maintain regular contact with green spaces and trees, to maximise potential benefits for health and wellbeing.