Ecosystem Resilience at IgMin Research | Biology Group

The widespread explanations of the greenhouse effect taught to millions of schoolchildren are misleading. The objective of this work is to clarify how increasing CO2 produces warming in current times. It is found that there are two contexts for the greenhouse gas effect. In one context, the fundamental greenhouse gas effect, one imagines a dry Earth starting with no water or CO2 and adding water and CO2. This leads to the familiar “thermal blanket” that strongly inhibits IR transmission from the Earth to the atmosphere. The Earth is... much warmer with H2O and CO2. In the other context, the current greenhouse gas effect, CO2 is added to the current atmosphere. The thermal blanket on IR radiation hardly changes. But the surface loses energy primarily by evaporation and thermals. Increased CO2 in the upper atmosphere carries IR radiation to higher altitudes. The Earth radiates to space at higher altitudes where it is cooler, and the Earth is less able to shed energy. The Earth warms to restore the energy balance. The “thermal blanket” is mainly irrelevant to the current greenhouse gas effect. It is concluded that almost all discussions of the greenhouse effect are based on the fundamental greenhouse gas effect, which is a hypothetical construct, while the current greenhouse gas effect is what is happening now in the real world. Adding CO2 does not add much to a “thermal blanket” but instead, drives emission from the Earth to higher, cooler altitudes.Read more

The study evaluates the efficacy of leufenuron, emamectin benzoate, and thiamethoxam against the Dusky Cotton Bug (Oxycarenus laetus Kirby) using residue-based bioassay methods. Key findings indicate that emamectin benzoate showed the highest efficacy with the lowest LC50 value, making it the most potent insecticide among those tested. Leufenuron and thiamethoxam followed, displaying moderate effectiveness. The results highlight the comparative advantages of emamectin benzoate in controlling Dusky Cotton Bug populations, suggesting its potentia...l role in integrated pest management strategies. This study underscores the need for environmentally friendly alternatives to traditional insecticides in mitigating yield losses in cotton production.Read more

The International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) published a lengthy report on climate change in early 2023. This report hypothesizes five potential scenarios of greenhouse gas emissions from 2015 to the end of the century (2100) and estimates the global average temperature gain in the year 2100 from the mid-1800s for each scenario. The method of calculation in the IPCC report is obscure. The results are merely stated.The present paper provides a clear method for estimating the temperature gain each year from 2015 until 2100, along with yearly ...estimates of ppm of CO2. To facilitate the calculations, a set of scenarios of future emissions was chosen that is analogous to the scenarios used by the IPCC but is more amenable to computation.The basic assumption in this paper is that most of the temperature gain from the mid-1800s to 2015 (1.15 C – as reported by the IPCC) was due to rising CO2 concentration in the atmosphere and a relationship is thereby derived between warming and gigatons of CO2 emitted for the period: 1800s to 2015. If it is assumed that the amount of warming per gigaton CO2 from the past persists into the 21st century, then future warming in the 21st century can be estimated for any assumed future scenario of CO2 emissions.This paper provides a simple and clear estimate of yearly CO2 ppm and temperature rise from 2015 to 2100 since the 1800s for a set of scenarios that cover the likely range of future emissions.Read more

Throughout this document, the opportunity is provided to show the relationship between sustainable development and economic growth, focusing on their definitions, their disparity, and their consequences, at the same time it gives us a vision of the evolution of the importance of economic development and of their inability to solve the problem of poverty.The satisfaction of the needs of the human being, would go through seeking a balance between economic growth, care for the environment, and social welfare, a breakdown of this balance has put in...to question the traditional model of economic development, in which they raise fundamental questions where the very accumulation of wealth creates poverty.The bibliographic search carried out has led us to obtain a series of conclusions on the proposed terms, in which a robust social solidarity economy would lead us to the eradication of poverty.This work takes us to a reflection on the sustainability of natural resources, the viability of the economic development model, and its rate of growth in a context of globalization in which localities are left behind, but without being forgotten, although they have no involvement in models that meet their development needs.Read more

The plant-pollinator relationship is one of the most investigated biological processes, not only because of its ecological importance (natural and farming ecosystems) but also its economic profitability (farming and biological products). Current losses of bee populations urge the need to assess the state of wild bee biodiversity in environments such as the Sierra de Guadarrama. Two characteristic sites with different plant diversities were compared by collecting bees using net trapping, a thicket, and a grassland. In this way, not only the poss...ible influence of floral wealth on bee abundance was studied, but also the preference of these Hymenoptera towards any type of flower. Phenological patterns and predominant sex were also studied. 331 bee individuals, belonging to 6 families, 19 genera, and 46 species, were recorded in this study. Our results showed that bee diversity depends not only on environmental factors (temperature or plant composition and abundance) but biological as well (plant-pollinators matches or co-occurring species). Moreover, our study sets a starting point for debating the influence of managed bees (Apis mellifera) on wild bee communities. A preference for a small number of plant species (Cistus ladanifer, Echium vulgare, and Lavandula stoechas) was observed. In addition, there was a relationship between the type of corolla and the tongue length. Our study highlights the importance of this area of the Sierra de Guadarrama for wild bee biodiversity. All things considered, it falls on preserving those ecosystems with high floral wealth to favor the wild bee´s presence and its habitat in the foresight of climate change future scenarios.Read more

Microplastic pollution in oceans poses a complex global threat to marine ecosystems and human health. These ubiquitous plastic particles originate from diverse sources and become widely dispersed by ocean currents, contaminating remote regions worldwide. In the aquatic environment, microplastics cause physical harm to aquatic species through ingestion. They disrupt habitats and act as vectors for toxic chemicals through bioaccumulation in aquatic species, enter food webs, and impair marine ecosystem functions. For humans, microplastic exposure ...via seafood consumption, drinking water, and inhalation raises concerns about potential inflammatory, cytotoxic, and endocrine-disrupting diseases that are linked to cancer, reproductive problems, and metabolic disorders. Mitigating this pervasive pollution requires a multi-pronged approach, including policy interventions that minimize plastic use, improve waste management, encourage technological innovations for biodegradable alternatives, provide public awareness campaigns, and improve coordinated efforts across plastic stakeholders. Comprehensive strategies combining research, regulations, and public engagement are crucial to protect marine life and human health from the detrimental impacts of microplastic contamination. This paper provides an overview of the origins and pathways of microplastics and assesses the impacts of microplastic pollution on human health and the environment. This study also highlights the methodology, knowledge gaps, and future directions to facilitate research on microplastic removal and risk assessment in the oceans.Read more

Many snakes live close to water, with several groups displaying morphological, physiological, or behavioral adaptions to aquatic environments. Although marine snakes have been found at depths beyond 200 m, freshwater snakes are rarely reported at depths larger than a few meters. Here we report freshwater depth records for the dice snake Natrix tessellata, an aquatic snake belonging to the family Natricidae. Dice snake was observed at depths down to 17 m, including in habitats below the thermocline, in Lake Orta (Northern Italy). These observati...ons open new perspectives related to the biology and physiology of Palearctic freshwater snakes belonging to the family Natricidae.Read more

The present study is based on the examination of specimens housed in different museums and collections, including those of Lianghong Bin (China), Bernd Jaeger (Germany), Saeed Azadbakhsh (Iran), Alexander Anichtchenko (Latvia), Martin Hackel (Czech Republic), Ron Felix (Germany), and the first author (ZACP). A preliminary survey was randomly conducted in various areas of Pakistan from 2016 to 2023. A precise investigation revealed 17 subspecies and 36 species within 31 genera, distributed across 12 subfamilies in the family Carabidae. This surv...ey also documented twenty-three new records for the country, expanding our understanding of their distribution. All determinations presented here are confirmed and validated by Löbl & Löbl (2017). Subfamily Harpalinae tribe Anthiini with 02 species Anthia (Anthia) sexguttata mannerheimii, A. (A.) sexguttata sexguttata Brachininae with 03 species Brachinus (Aploa) nobilis Pheropsophus (Stenaptinus) catoirei, P. (S.) lissoderus, P. stenoderus. Subfamily Broscinae with 01 species Broscus punctatus. Subfamily Carabinae with 07 species Carabus (Imaibius) caschmirensis fortetuberculatus, C. (I.) wittmerorum, Calosoma (Caminara) imbricatum andrewesi, C. (C.) maderae indicum, C. (C.) imbricatum imbricatum, C. Calosoma (Compalita) Olivieri, C. (Calosoma) scabrosum roeschkei. Subfamily Dryptinae, Dryptini with 01 species Drypta (Drypta) lineola virgata, tribe Galeritini with 04 species records Planetes bimaculatus, Zuphium (Zuphium) olens olens, Galerita indica, Ophionea (Ophionea) indica. Subfamily Harpalinae with 03 species Idiomelas fulvipes indus, Metacolopodes buchanani, Microlestes discoidalis, tribe Chlaeniini with 12 species Chlaenius (Amblygenius) atripes, C. (A.) bengalensis, C. (A.) cookie, C. (A.) Chlaenius (Amblygenius) quadricolor orientalis, C. (Pachydinodes) hamifer, C. (P.) pictus, C. (P.) posticus, C. pretiosus, C. (Chlaenites) spoliatus spoliatus, Harpaglossus opacus, H. (Cryptophonus) tenebrosus, H. (Pseudophanus) meridianus, tribe Cyclosomini with 03 species records, Masoreus (Masoreus) orientalis orientalis, Caphora afghani, Tetragonoderus (Tetragonoderus) lindemannae, tribe Licinini with 06 species record, Diplochiela (Diplocheila) laevigata, Glycia spencei, Eucolliuris fuscipennis, Platytarus faminii faminii, Syntomus lateralis lateralis,     Trichis maculata. Subfamily Melaeninae with 03 spies, Cymbionotum (Cymbionotum) striatum, C. Cymbionotum candidum, C. semelederi, tribe Panagaeini with 03 species Microschemus flavopilosus, M. arabicus, Craspedophorus elegans. Subfamily Harpalinae with 01 species Sphodrus leucopthalmus. Subfamily Scaritinae, Scaritini with 02 species Scarites (Scallophorites) guineensis, S. (Scarites) procerus eurytus, subfamily Siagoninae with 01 species Siagona dilutipes and subfamily Trechinae, Bembidiini with 01 species Bembidion (Notaphocampa) niloticum niloticum.Read more

This study evaluates the impact of precipitation on water quality in Heidelberg, Germany’s recreational lakes during sporadic rainfall events from August to September 2023. Data were collected from five stations, monitoring physicochemical properties and nutrient levels before and after rainfall. Measurements of dissolved oxygen, pH, conductivity, and redox potential were conducted in situ, while turbidity, nitrates, phosphates, sulphates, zinc, and copper levels were analyzed in the SRH Heidelberg water laboratory. Findings indicate pH l...evels increased due to dilution effects, while conductivity rose due to runoff, enhancing ion concentration in the lakes. Dissolved oxygen levels also increased, attributed to aeration from rainfall-induced surface turbulence. Redox potential decreased, reflecting atmospheric oxygen dissolution. Nutrient concentrations, including nitrates and phosphates, along with sulphates, declined post-rainfall, suggesting a dilution effect without significant impact from surface runoff. This outcome implies the absence of major nutrient and sulphate sources upstream. Heavy metals like zinc and copper also decreased in concentration, indicating no introduction through runoff or sediment transport. The study underscores the variability of water quality parameters across different lakes, influenced by factors such as water sources, surrounding land use, geological conditions, and lake characteristics. Overall, water quality improved post-rainfall, making the lakes suitable for recreational activities, with the study establishing a non-linear correlation among the water quality parameters and deducing the P ratio for each parameter.Read more

Since time immemorial, Indigenous communities have always perceived the landscape as a complex web of living, physical, and spiritual things. These communities have always relied on their Indigenous knowledge systems (IKS), emphasizing ancestral burial grounds, mountains, caves, rivers, pools, forests, monuments, and other cultural diacritics as symbols of place identity. In addition, myriad metaphors like taboos, legends, tales, folklore, myths, proverbs, stories, and practices, also constituted an integral part of Indigenous cultural and natu...re connections. This heritage was constantly imagined and configured to cement human-nature relations. However, the advent of colonialism severely violated this status quo, thereby causing deep environmental, political, and social crises. Through imposing a hegemonic scientific paradigm, knowledge compartmentalization, and capitalist aggrandizing practices, the original harmonious human-nature praxis premised on IKS was disrupted. To this day, the exclusionary colonial legacy and poisoned ‘sense of place’ remains our greatest threat to climate and environmental stability. Thus, this paper advocates for the recentralization of IKS as a valid way of knowing with already inbuilt human and natural disaster management solutions. By pivoting Rozvi narratives premised on five mountains, namely; Manyanga in Bubi district, Mavangwe, MunwewaMwari and Bepe in Buhera district, and Mutikwiri in Maungwe near Rusape town, all situated in former Butua/Guruuswa regions of Zimbabwe as case studies, the power of ancient wisdom as a holistic epistemic approach towards sustainable human-nature relations is explicated.Read more

The mango, known as the {king of fruits}, is commercially significant in many parts of the world. In addition to offering a delicious tropical flavor, mangoes are a great source of nourishment and can make eating a satisfying and healthy sensory experience. Even though mango farming is known to exist in more than 120 nations, just 15 of them are responsible for more than 1% of the world’s supply. More than 60% of the mangoes produced worldwide are grown in India, China, Thailand, Indonesia and Mexico. The effects of climate change on agr...iculture must take into account the increasing CO2 concentration, a significant contributor to climate change, as CO2 is essential to critical plant functions, including photosynthesis. The fluctuation of temperature represents another climatic factor that affects mango productivity. The primary challenge facing the mango industry is irregular cultivation. The mango flowering was negatively impacted by the erratic distribution of cold nights and relatively warm winters. Mango output is already being impacted by rising average maximum temperatures. Therefore, regardless of mango growers, geniuses, or consumers, rapid climate change should be a top priority. A benefit of selection and breeding operations to adapt to climatic change is the high genetic variety of mangoes.Read more