Climate impact and land use of processing grass-clover biomass cultivated under different nitrogen fertilization rates in green biorefinery.

European livestock sectors rely heavily on imported protein feeds, presenting challenges regarding sustainability and supply security. Green biorefineries (GBR) represent a local alternative where protein concentrates are extracted from grassland crops, but the environmental performance of these systems depends on feedstock cultivation practices. This study combined field trials and life cycle assessment (LCA) to quantify how nitrogen (N) fertilization rates, clover inclusion rates, and feedstock management (fresh vs.

Assessing Mediterranean tree species suitability for urban environments: insights from experimental data including 23 leaf functional traits.

This study investigates the responses of four Mediterranean tree species, Quercus ilex, Viburnum tinus, Acer campestre, and Fraxinus ornus, to urban-relevant abiotic stressors such as soil compaction, water deficit, and over-optimal temperature, applied singly and in combination under controlled experimental conditions. A total of 23 functional leaf traits spanning photosynthesis, water regulation, structural support, and leaf stoichiometry functions were measured. Species identity was the main driver of trait variability.

Small net local temporal changes in taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic biodiversity across European temperate forests.

We face increasing concerns about how the local diversity of native plant communities responds to various drivers of global change, yet often lack comprehensive studies that integrate several components of diversity and the effects of both local and regional drivers of change. We analyzed changes in taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic diversity across 2681 (semi-)permanent temperate forest understory plots surveyed and resurveyed for all vascular plants over intervals of 15-78 yr, spanning 72 regions distributed across Europe. We quantified temporal changes in these diversity indices and assessed their responses to changes in both local drivers (plot-level overstory cover, indicator values for soil nutrients) and regional shifts in macroclimate and nitrogen deposition.

Classical biological control of the brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys) in apple orchard: a success story.

Background: The brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB), Halyomorpha halys, is an invasive pest from eastern Asia that has caused significant damage to apple orchards in Europe and the United States. To reduce pesticide reliance, a classical biological control (CBC) program, using the Asian egg parasitoid Trissolcus japonicus, was initiated in Trentino, a key apple-producing area in Italy. The CBC program involved the release of T.

Multidecadal water quality trends across 15 European river basins along a Mediterranean climate gradient.

Water quality degradation is a major issue in Mediterranean regions, but identifying the key natural and human drivers remains challenging, requiring large-scale studies for meaningful synthesis and comparison. This study analyzed a vast Mediterranean dataset spanning 89,015 km across 15 Iberian river basins along a climate gradient (cooler-wetter north to warmer-drier south), 3 decades, 3441 stations, 19 parameters, and ∼15 million observations. It is the first study of this scale in the region, utilizing custom scripts for automated data compilation and processing.

Design and implementation of a climate chamber for moisture sensitive nanotomography of biological samples.

Deep understanding of the structural composition and growth of biological specimens is becoming increasingly important for the development of bio-based and sustainable material systems. Full-field nano-computed tomography is particularly suitable for this purpose as it allows for non-destructive 3D imaging at high spatial resolution. However, most biological samples are functionalized by water and respond sensitively to any changes in climate conditions, specifically relative humidity, by adjusting their material moisture content.

Three bilberry bHLHs of subgroup IIIf play divergent roles in fruit anthocyanin and flavonoid biosynthesis.

Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) fruit are one of the best natural sources of anthocyanins. Anthocyanin and flavonoid biosynthesis are transcriptionally regulated by the conserved MBW complex, including R2R3 MYB, basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) and WD40 proteins.

When thermal risk indices work and when they don't: A case study of two maize insect pests.

The biological life cycle of terrestrial arthropods, using temperature as the primary driving factor has a large interest for insect pests in agriculture, forestry, urban ecosystems, as constitutes the basics for the development of mathematical models for decision making. A recent study proposed a physiologically-based risk index () which finds large applications in the definition of risk maps; however, further case studies are needed to better explore its strengths and limitations. This study aims to extend this knowledge by presenting an application of the on two economically significant pests: the fall armyworm and the stem borer , major treats for maize production.

Network dynamics reveal drought synchronization hubs in the Po River Basin.

The intensifying climate crisis has exacerbated the frequency and severity of prolonged droughts, particularly in environmentally and socio-economically vulnerable climate change hot-spot regions. Despite advancements in monitoring, the spatiotemporal propagation and interdependencies of drought events remain poorly understood. This study analyzes drought synchronization within the Po River Basin, a critical hydrological system contributing approximately 40% of Italy's GDP.

Neighbourhood diversity increases tree growth in experimental forests more in wetter climates but not in wetter years.

Tree diversity often increases stand-level growth, but whether neighbourhood diversity effects on individual tree growth change with climatic conditions remains unclear. Here, using 852,170 records of 113,701 individuals from 129 species in 15 tree diversity experiments across four biomes, we address this knowledge gap with a synthesis of tree growth data spanning a broad climate gradient. We examine how neighbourhood-scale (defined as a focal tree and the adjacent trees) taxonomic and functional diversity effects on tree growth vary with climate, both spatially (across sites) and temporally (within sites).

Soil co-occurring bacterial communities serve as assembly hubs of antibiotic resistance determinants under organic fertilization.

Environmental transmission of antibiotic resistance poses a significant threat to human health by undermining the efficacy of therapeutic interventions against bacterial infections. Agricultural practices, particularly the application of organic fertilizers derived from animal manure, are major contributors to the spread of antibiotic resistance determinants (ARDs) in soil ecosystems. However, the fates of ARDs and their bacterial hosts in soil following organic fertilization as well as the impact of water management regimes remain poorly understood.

Nationwide heat-related workability loss and adaptation measures: development of a geospatial tool to support work management in heat conditions.

Heat reduces labor productivity, leading employers to adjust work schedules. However, no international climate service exists for managing heat-related productivity losses. This study estimated summer workability loss (WL) across Italy for various 8-hr work shifts and integrated the data into a WebGIS tool providing municipal-level insights.

Red Alga Porphyridium Supports High-Yield Production of a Functional Chimeric Hepatitis B Surface Antigen With Strong Cellular and Humoral Immunogenicity.

Microalgae represent promising production factories for the light-driven, cost-effective production of recombinant proteins. The red microalga Porphyridium purpureum displays particularly favourable transgene expression properties due to the episomal maintenance of transformation vectors at high copy numbers in the nucleus. In this work, we explored the potential of Porphyridium purpureum to synthesise a candidate vaccine against Hepatitis B virus (HBV).

Linking root length and surface area to yield: variety-specific root plasticity in winter wheat across contrasting European environments.

Background And Aims: Understanding the relationship of root traits and crop performance under varying environmental conditions facilitates the exploitation of root characteristics in breeding and variety testing to maintain crop yields under climate change. Therefore, we (i) evaluated differences in root length and surface area between 10 winter wheat varieties grown at 11 sites in Europe covering a large pedoclimatic gradient, (ii) quantified differences in root response to soil, climate, and management conditions between varieties and (iii) evaluated variety-specific relationships of grain yield and root length and surface area under diverse environmental conditions.

Methods: At each site, we sampled the roots to 1 m soil depth after harvest and determined various root traits by scanning and image analysis.

Conifer By-Products Extracted Using Hydrodynamic Cavitation as a Convenient Source of Phenolic Compounds and Free Amino Acids with Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Properties.

Softwood bark and twigs represent by-products of forest supply chains rich in extractable bioactive compounds. This study aimed at evaluating the bioactive molecules of hydrodynamic cavitation (HC) based extracts of bark and twigs from different conifer plants and exploring their antioxidant capacity. Samples of twigs (RAR) and bark (CAR) and twigs (SFT) underwent extraction using a pilot-scale Venturi reactor HC device.

Co-benefits for cropland yield, nitrogen emissions, and climate impact through multi-objective optimization agricultural manure solutions.

Optimizing manure use and reducing chemical fertilizers are crucial for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. However, optimal manure redistribution for cropland yield, nitrogen emissions, and greenhouse gas benefit remains unclear at large spatial scales. Here, we employed genetic algorithms and meta-analysis to obtain an optimal substitution rate for major crops in China.

Milk production and methane emissions in dairy cows on production or exercise pastures with an automatic milking system.

Comparative studies between pasture-based dairy production and indoor confinement-based production have demonstrated that including pasture in the diet reduces enteric methane emissions. However, the effects of seasonal access to pasture, where animals are allowed outdoors only during parts of the year, have been less extensively studied. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of providing dairy cows with voluntary access to a production pasture compared with an exercise pasture on their performance and enteric methane emission.

Complete instars' morphology of Zercon forsslundi Sellnick, 1958 (Parasitiformes: Mesostigmata) with notes on distribution and evolution.

To date, only adults of Zercon forsslundi have been known. According to the description of this species, it has been the first report of Zercon with clear differences in opisthonotal chaetotaxy between females and males, a unique character in the genus. At the same time, Z.

Comparison of Photofermentative Hydrogen Production in Cylindrical Photobioreactors Using Different Mixing Systems.

In this work, the ability of the photosynthetic purple non-sulfur bacterium sp. to produce H was investigated in two cylindrical photobioreactors (PBRs). The PBRs used in this work had different working volumes: 0.

Thermal hydrolysis treatment of digestates derived from food waste and sewage sludge - effect on residual methane potential.

Digestate, a key byproduct of anaerobic digestion (AD), holds residual methane potential (RMP) that must be stabilized or recovered to prevent greenhouse gas emissions after field use. Thermal hydrolysis (TH), typically a pretreatment for AD, improves biogas production. This study assesses RMP in digestates from food waste (FW) and sewage sludge (SS) biogas plants, treated with TH at 160 and 190 °C.

Sustainable Exploitation of Apple By-Products: A Retrospective Analysis of Pilot-Scale Extraction Tests Using Hydrodynamic Cavitation.

Apple by-products (APs) consist of whole defective fruits discarded from the market and pomace resulting from juice squeezing and puree production, which are currently underutilized or disposed of due to the lack of effective and scalable extraction methods. Bioactive compounds in APs, especially phlorizin, which is practically exclusive to the apple tree, are endowed with preventive and therapeutic potential concerning chronic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, metabolic diseases, and specific types of cancer. This study investigated the exploitation of APs using hydrodynamic cavitation (HC) for the extraction step and water as the only solvent.

Pan-European forest maps produced with a combination of earth observation data and national forest inventory plots.

The dataset includes Pan-European maps of timber volume (Vol), above-ground biomass (AGB), and deciduous-coniferous proportion (DCP) with a pixel size of 10×10 m for the reference year 2020. In addition, a measure of prediction uncertainty is provided for each pixel. The maps have been created using a combination of a Sentinel-2 mosaic, Copernicus layers, and National Forest Inventory (NFI) data.

In situ degradation of biodegradable plastic mulch in Nordic agricultural soils.

Since the 1950s, the use of plastics in agriculture has helped solving many challenges related to food production, while its persistence and mismanagement has led to the plastic pollution we face today. A variety of biodegradable plastic products have thus been marketed, with the aim to solve plastic pollution through complete degradation after use. But the environmental conditions for rapid and complete degradation are not necessarily fulfilled, and the possibility that biodegradable plastics may also contribute to plastic pollution must be evaluated.

Alleviating the Concerns About Pollen-Based Assisted Migration.

Our recent publication on pollen‐based assisted migration has prompted concerns about its feasibility and effectiveness. In this response article, we address those concerns by presenting large‐scale examples of supplemental and controlled pollination from Sweden and the United States, demonstrating its practical application. We also highlight the existence of an extensive global network of seed orchards and expand on the benefits of pollen‐based assisted migration, further reinforcing its potential and addressing the raised concerns.