Increasing and challenging environmental pressures are threatening coffee cultivation worldwide. One of the key strategies to mitigate the impact of such pressures is to incorporate crop wild relatives in the value chain. However, this is often restrained by the lack of knowledge concerning basic features, such as the number and type of wild populations, or current threats. To fill this gap in coffee cultivation, we studied the population structure and threats of Coffea racemosa Lour., a wild relative of the two principal traded species, Coffea arabica L. and C. canephora Pierre ex A.Froehner. Coffea racemosa is native from Mozambique, and is resilient to drought and most coffee pests. It also has a low caffeine level, with a high market potential as an alternative to coffee consumers who are caffeine-sensitive. ​ Therefore, it is considered a good candidate to be used in future breeding programs. However, the current distribution of this species in Mozambique and the factors that might threaten its sustainable use are unknown. In this study, we searched for the occurrence of C. racemosa to understand how the species is distributed in Mozambique and how populations are demographically structured. Considering the scenario of high forest fragmentation in Mozambique, we specifically addressed if (1) populations vary between fragmented patches and conserved forests; (2) natural regeneration is occurring; and (3) habitat fragmentation is affecting the population's demographic structure. Our results show a demographic populational structure that is stratified into large, medium, and small trees and seedlings, with the latter mostly being found in conserved forests. In contrast, no seedlings or small or large trees were found in the small city patches, which were only composed of medium trees. Overall, there was no evidence of regeneration in small patches. These first insights are essential for the conservation and management of C. racemosa in Mozambique.

The spread of invasive pines from productive plantations is one of the main environmental problems in Argentine northern Patagonia. This not only threatens biodiversity but also increases the risk of forest fires in natural–urban interface areas. However, the gradual nature of the invasion often leads to its being perceived as a natural process, and therefore, community education is necessary to understand the problem. In 2021, a group of scientific researchers, forest managers and environmentalists from Bariloche founded the Red PINOS partnership to self-organize the local community for participatory governance of this problem. The defined strategy centrally includes carrying out pine removal campaigns with publicly summoned volunteers. So far, we have conducted two campaigns (November 2022 and February 2023) at a pilot site of 7 hectares in a central area of Bariloche, located on the access road to the most important ski center in South America. This area, a multi-specific low forest, is invaded by Pinus sylvestris, P. contorta, P. ponderosa and Pseudotsuga menziesii. Over the two campaigns, 12,965 pine trees, up to 1.5 m tall, were manually removed with the participation of 34 volunteers within two hours each time (an average of 195.5 pine trees per person). These events were used to raise awareness about the issue of invasions through social media (e.g. WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook) and local mass media (newspapers and radio), extending the environmental message to the entire community. Monitoring through transects carried out in March 2024 showed the persistence of pine trees below 30 cm, highlighting the importance of seed tree removal and ongoing monitoring to prevent new seedlings and escapees. Thus, seed tree removal will represent the second stage of the intervention, requiring the involvement of public and private institutions for the use of machinery and waste management, which can be a by-product of economic value.

Background: Although the ingestion of and dermal contact with lutetium (Lu) has recently been measured in topsoils across Leicester (UK) and surrounding rural areas as low risk, this heavy rare earth element (HREE) was biomonitored in wild mushrooms.

Methods: A total of 106 mushrooms were collected from Leicester city and Bradgate Park. Species identification was confirmed by DNA barcoding. Lu was monitored by ICP-MS in cleaned/dried/homogenised mushrooms [LoD=0.506 ng/g dry weight (dw)] and in topsoils collected in these areas; physicochemical properties and textures were also determined in topsoils using standard methods. The data were processed with NADA available in R software, owing to the censored values detected in mushrooms (60.8%).

Results: Contrary to the distribution determined in topsoils [0.123 (0.069-0.162) vs. 0.117 (0.084-0.182); median and ranges, mg/kg], the levels of Lu were higher in mushrooms collected in the main urban area (median and ranges, in ng/g dw): 0.347 (0.285-293.837) vs. 0.196 (0.780-8.116). The content of Lu in topsoils would only have a small effect on the levels of Lu detected in mushrooms, which is supported by the lack of correlation found between mushrooms and topsoils (p-value=0.506) and by the different physicochemical properties and soil textures monitored. This pattern is different to other HREEs studied in the same areas, which might be explained by an unknown appetence for Lu by the different local species of wild soil mushrooms collected. Lu also varied between major mushroom species collected (median or 95-percentile and range, in ng/g): Agaricus bitorquis [edible; 88.6% of censored values, 1.518 (0.798-6.715), Panaeolus foenisecii [poisonous; 1.740 (0.812-49.692)], and Mycena citrinomarginata [unclassified; 0.855 (0.285-10.351)]. Lu also seemed to show little appetence for wild edible species when comparing with non-edible.

Conclusions: Although our results should be considered as preliminary, in general, collecting local wild edible mushroom species in Leicestershire would represent a small risk for humans due to their content of lutetium.

Aims: The aim was to biomonitor air quality for praseodymium (Pr) in Leicester city (England) after detecting slight contamination of this element in topsoils across the city and surrounding rural areas, when compared with other industrialised towns in Europe.

Methods: Thin layers of bark were collected from 96 trees from Leicester (n=55) and surrounding rural/suburban areas (41), at a consistent height of 1.50–1.80 metres from the ground. Pr was monitored by ICP-MS in cleaned/ground/homogenised samples mineralised with HNO₃/H₂O₂ [LoD=0.157 ng/g dry weight (dw)]. The data were compared with the levels of Pr described in 52 topsoil composite samples collected in the same year (2017-18).

Results: The levels of Pr were slightly higher in the samples collected from trees that grw in urban areas (median and ranges, in ng/g dw): 2.611 (0.714-47.603) and 2.450 (0.757-14.839). These results might be explained by the presence of Pr monitored in topsoils, in which no statistical differences were found between both main areas, detecting a wide distribution of this element across the city and in surrounding rural areas. Levels were much higher than the range reported in Pinus ponderosa bark samples (US; 1.85-2.69 ng/g dw) collected in an area in eastern Washington away from roads, to reduce the effect from traffic, suggesting some anthropic atmospheric contamination of Pr in Leicester city and surrounding areas, derived from different sources such as agricultural practices, waste disposal, metal recycling, vehicular/industrial emissions, and urbanisation. However, the toxic risks derived from the ingestion of and dermal contact with Pr present in topsoils in Leicester city is likely to be minimal.

Conclusions: The presence of Pr in air in Leicester could be affected by different anthropic sources that should be investigated to reduce its presence; studies should include the monitoring of the content of Pr in particulate matter in Leicester city.

Decades of conflict in the Darfur region of Sudan have inflicted widespread environmental degradation and displacement of local communities. This study employs advanced high-resolution satellite imagery analysis to investigate the intricate impact of prolonged conflict on land use management in Darfur, focusing on the assessment of afforestation activities and their implications for achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 15—Life on Land. This research utilized PlanetScope time-series imagery to examine the El-Salam internally displaced persons (IDPs) camp in Southern Darfur. Object-based image classification (OBIA) methods within QGIS 3.28.6 and Orfeo ToolBox 8.1.2 were applied for accurate image classification. Major land use and land cover (LULC) classes, including agricultural land, built-up, vegetation cover, bareland, water bodies, and dry wadi, were successfully identified through supervised classification with an overall accuracy ranging from 90.66% to 95.14%. The findings reveal a noteworthy increase in the percentage of vegetation cover, rising from 1.48% to 2.33% between 2010 and 2024, respectively, indicating a substantial change of 0.85% over the study period. Additionally, water bodies experienced a significant increase from no water bodies 0 to 0.03%, equivalent to (6.08) hectares. These improvements are linked to reforestation initiatives, where artificial water harvesting aquifers are built, and the considerable general increase in rainfall from 2014 to 2022. The statistics further show a rapid reduction in bareland areas from 58.43% to 42.40% between 2010 and 2024, respectively. This research significantly contributes to the existing knowledge on the positive environmental consequences of sustainable land use management, particularly in conflict-affected regions. The implications extend to the global sustainable development agenda, offering valuable insights into the restoration and preservation of terrestrial ecosystems within conflict zones, thereby addressing SDG 15: Life on Land. A future study is suggested to investigate in detail the drivers and consequences of the changes in conflict-affected communities.

Land cover and land use assessment is crucial for the sustainable management of natural resources and biodiversity conservation, especially in diverse and fragile ecosystems such as the Andean forests. This research aimed to identify changes in vegetation cover and their impact on land use in the Munchique Natural Reserve, in the Quilichao river basin, Cauca, Colombia, an area that harbors high biodiversity and numerous ecosystem services.

A land use and land cover classification (LULC) was performed using Sentinel 2 satellite imagery for the period 2018-2021, using ArcMap 10.8 and QGIS 2.18 software with the MOLUSCE plugin. A multi-layer artificial neural network (ANN) was used to predict changes up to the years 2030 and 2050, allowing to assess future land use dynamics. The land transition analysis showed a reduction of 102 ha of dense vegetation and 17 ha of pasture between 2019 and 2021, due to agricultural expansion.

The MOLUSCE plugin simulated land cover for 2030 and 2050. The validation of the simulation showed an accuracy of 98.70% and a kappa coefficient of 0.99487, indicating high accuracy in predicting land cover change. Future predictions suggest the loss of more than 300 ha of dense vegetation between 2021 and 2030, and 437.26 ha between 2021 and 2050, in addition to an increase of approximately 800 ha of crops in the same period. These impacts must be integrated into planning to ensure biodiversity and ecosystem services.

The results of this research provide key information to identify territorial conflicts and contribute to the sustainable management of natural resources in this region of Colombia.

India is renowned for its rich medico-cultural heritage. Despite modernisation coupled with scientific advancement, the rich traditional medicinal system cannot be overlooked. Interestingly, the chemical constituents of such medicinally significant plants also form the basis of host plant recognition by butterflies. Olfactory and gustatory cues and their associated chemosensory mechanisms of host plant identification at dual stages of their life cycle (i.e. larval feeding and oviposition) have been previously investigated.

Documentation of such therapeutically significant larval food plants of nymphalinae butterflies (Family: Nymphalidae) followed by recognition of their medicinal potential was undertaken across the Himalayan landscape of West Bengal, India. A specially designed questionnaire was prepared for these folklore therapists and traditional healers. The database was created for ascertaining the Informant Consensus Factor (ICF), Utilization Value (Uv) and Fidelity levels (F_L). Additionally, the Host Plant Specificity (H_PS) and Polyphagy Index (P_I) were determined to reflect the importance of such medicinal plant species as larval resource of butterflies. A total of 85 informants were interviewed, leading to the calculation of ICF, Uv and F_L for each plant species.

Thus, the therapeutic benefits of 28 plant species used against several categories of ailments were listed. The highest ICF value (1.000) was cited for diseases of the digestive system and disorders associated with the respiratory system. The maximum F_L of 100% was noted for Urtica dioica, Artemisia vulgaris, Dioscorea deltoides, Mimosa pudica and Hygrophila auriculata. Urtica dioica displayed the maximum Uv. Furthermore, Junonia lemonias, J. orithiya, Hypolimnas bolina and H. misippus possessed the highest H_PS. A maximum P_I value was determined for Junonia lemonias (5.477) followed by Hypolimnas bolina and H. missipus (5.000).

Thus, polyphagy is known to provide a stimulus among butterflies, enabling their sustenance through life history stages. Equally significant are such medicinal plants serving as botanical tools for traditional healers.

Potamon ibericum is one of the true freshwater crab species in Iran, which has been endangered in recent years due to climate change and human activities. This freshwater crab is mostly found in the rivers located in the Hyrcanian forests of northern Iran, due to their high food diversity and suitable temperature. In this research, we focused on the absence of this species downstream of the Kesilian River, and we achieved important results. Sampling was conducted at eight different points along the river in April, June, July, September, November, and December to study the effects of temperature and environmental conditions on P. ibericum distribution. Our study revealed that the reasons for its absence are related to numerous human and non-human factors. The human factors include poultry farming; heavy machinery passing through the river to transport logs, sand, and rocks, which often result in oil and fuel leakage; and the expansion of agricultural and horticultural activities. The non-human factors include the presence of invasive species such as hooded crows and temperature changes, where the highest population of live crabs was observed during the warmer months, while the lowest population was recorded during colder temperatures. These findings emphasize the critical role of temperature conditions and human activities in the habitat distribution of P. ibericum, which has significant implications for further studies and conservation measures. Our goal is to help formulate strong strategies that ensure the sustainable presence and flourishing of P. ibericum in its native environment and encourage other researchers to investigate more deeply in this field.

Abstract
The massive deforestation of wild tropical and subtropical forests causes damage to the entire surrounding ecosystem. It affects soils, habitats, biodiversity, and the water cycle. To reduce deforestation, cassava (Manihot esculenta) can become a potential ally when grown on soils already degraded by deforestation, generating economic, social, and environmental benefits as a circular bioeconomy. On the one hand, we have the ‘Opportunity Cost’, that is, the idea that labor is used to cultivate degraded lands while preventing this labor from continuing to deforest forests. On the other hand, cassava not only provides food and retains degraded soil, but when its waste is used as an input in cement manufacture, the pollution rates of this industry are reduced, and its resistance and hardness capacity increase. We aim to carry out an open multidisciplinary sociotechnical analysis, which we call sociotechnical systems theory, adding social communicative capacities to benefit the resilience of forests.
Methodology
The methodology consists of qualitative documentary analysis based on the keywords used, i.e., circular bioeconomy, sociotechnical change, cassava, tropical and subtropical wild forests, resilience, sustainable development, and cement industry.
Results
Culturing cassava on degraded soils demonstrated significant benefits, including soil protection, the socio-ecological resilience of forests, and the generation of employment opportunities.
The use of cassava waste in the cement industry was found to reduce dependence on highly polluting materials, providing a sustainable alternative that improves the socioeconomic conditions of local communities.
Conclusion
Cassava cultivation can significantly contribute to the resilience of tropical and subtropical forests by promoting sustainable practices and socioeconomic development. This approach offers a viable solution to integrate circular bioeconomy and sociotechnical change in the forestry and cement industry.

In a world where climate disasters have caused suffering for both the environment and humans, it is important to explore the existing relationship between forest ecology and the way it is managed by people. This article proposes to examine a case study of local forest management practices in the Indian Himalaya region. It will delve into their sustainable methods of managing the forest using traditional knowledge and examine the impact of modern development on their forest ecology. The area of study will be the mountain region of Lahaul in Himachal Pradesh, India. The research methodology for this study will primarily involve qualitative research methods such as interviews and focus group discussions with local community members. The importance of this study lies in its potential to contribute to the development of sustainable forest management practices that are both ecologically and socially beneficial. By examining the traditional knowledge and practices of the locals, this study will highlight the importance of incorporating local knowledge and practices in forest management policies. This study seeks to understand the dynamics between traditional and modern forest management practices and how they influence forest ecology. The findings of this research study will contribute to the development of a sustainable and holistic forest management policy that can serve as a model for other regions facing similar challenges. This study will also draw attention to the need for greater collaboration between policymakers and local communities in developing effective forest management strategies.