Poultry manure presents substantial bioenergy potential but its nitrogen-rich composition, variable bedding content and propensity for ammonia-associated instability constrain anaerobic mono-digestion. Typha domingensis Pers., a wetland macrophyte that can form problematic dominant stands in particular ecosystems, provides an alternative lignocellulosic feedstock where removal is ecologically justified. Combining these residues could improve feedstock balance, redistribute inhibitory nitrogen and generate useful biomethane while linking wetland management to waste valorisation. Yet the term synergy requires stronger evidence than a rise in total gas production. This critical narrative review integrates species-relevant studies of aquatic-plant digestion, poultry-manure co-digestion, inhibition biology, reactor engineering, nutrient recovery and environmental assessment, with literature eligible through 29 August 2026. The evidence supports the digestibility of harvested cattail biomass and demonstrates that poultry manure can benefit from appropriately selected carbonaceous co-substrates. It does not establish a reproducible, quantitatively verified synergistic biomethane response for the specific poultry manure–T. domingensis pairing. The major uncertainties concern plant-part and harvest-season variability, effective rather than nominal carbon-to-nitrogen balance, free-ammonia exposure, lignocellulose accessibility, inoculum adaptation, trace contaminants, and the translation of batch biochemical methane potential into continuously loaded systems. A defensible synergy assessment must compare mixtures with both mono-digestion controls at equivalent volatile-solids loading, report methane rather than uncorrected biogas, account for experimental uncertainty and distinguish yield improvements from faster kinetics or higher volumetric throughput. The review develops a conditional engineering and ecological framework for feedstock characterisation, proportion screening, pretreatment selection, stability control and digestate management. It concludes that co-digestion is a plausible research proposition, not an already validated optimisation route, and identifies staged experiments needed to establish net methane, environmental and economic benefits.
Oil spills are among the most serious forms of marine pollution and result from offshore oil exploration, tanker transport and other shipping activities. This review synthesises the current literature on the biological impacts of oil spills across trophic levels, from primary producers, corals and invertebrates to fishes, amphibians, reptiles, seabirds and marine mammals. Immediate impacts include mass mortality and the destruction of habitats and food webs, whereas long-term impacts include reproductive failure, genotoxic damage and ecosystem recovery that can take many years, as shown by the Exxon Valdez, Deepwater Horizon, Prestige and Hebei Spirit spills, among others. Recovery varies among species and habitats, and slow recovery is most often reported for cold-water corals, intertidal molluscs and Arctic and sub-Arctic coastal zones. Coastal communities and clean-up workers can also be affected physiologically and genotoxically. Approaches to oil spill detection and response, including remote sensing, deep-learning-based slick detection, the main response methods (physical recovery, chemical dispersants, in-situ burning and bioremediation) and phytoremediation, are briefly discussed. The review highlights knowledge gaps, particularly the need for long-term, multi-species monitoring data and for better information on sublethal effects, and emphasises the need for a coherent approach to the prevention, mitigation and remediation of damage caused by the growing international marine oil trade.
The Indian grey wolf, conventionally identified as Canis lupus pallipes, occupies a conservation paradox: its evolutionary distinctiveness is increasingly well established, yet its ecological requirements, demographic trajectory and management needs remain incompletely resolved. This critical narrative review integrates molecular phylogenetics, population genetics, distribution modelling, field ecology, human–wildlife research and conservation assessments concerning the peninsular Indian wolf and its wider South Asian contact zones. Evidence was selected through targeted searches of accessible scholarly indexes, primary publications, regional sources and authoritative conservation assessments, with attention to research published up to 2 September 2026. Mitochondrial and recombination-aware nuclear analyses consistently indicate that Indian wolves retain deeply divergent ancestry, but evolutionary lineages, formal species rank and geographically bounded management units are not interchangeable concepts. National habitat models identify extensive potentially suitable open landscapes and suggest a relatively small population; neither habitat suitability nor model-derived population totals, however, constitutes a direct census or demonstrates demographic connectivity. Local studies reveal marked ecological flexibility in prey use, den placement and responses to disturbance, alongside strong dependence on secure breeding sites embedded in pastoral and agricultural landscapes. Evidence for wolf–dog hybridisation is direct but geographically sparse, whereas pathogen transmission, road effects and the effectiveness of proposed interventions remain insufficiently quantified for this lineage. Recent social research further challenges the assumption that pastoral communities have uniformly negative attitudes towards wolves. The synthesis argues for conservation organised around three interacting scales: genetically informed evolutionary lineage protection, demographically verified breeding landscapes and negotiated coexistence in shared land-use matrices. Immediate priorities are independent population monitoring, reproductive-survival estimation, replicated genomic sampling, and evaluation of community-led protection and disease-risk mitigation. The strongest defensible conclusion is that conserving the Indian wolf requires safeguarding both its distinctive ancestry and the open, socially governed landscapes in which recruitment occurs.
The indiscriminate application of herbicides in agriculture for weed control and to improve agricultural productivity has led to significant contamination of aquatic ecosystems, resulting in physiological dysfunction in aquatic biota including fish. This study investigated the acute and sub-lethal effects of Grazor, a glufosinate-based herbicide, on the behavioural and biochemical parameters of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). For the acute toxicity test, fish were exposed to 0.30, 0.60, 1.20, 2.40, and 4.80 mL/L of the herbicide for 96 h and to 0.07, 0.15, and 0.29 mL/L for 28 days to determine the effects of the herbicide on the biochemical parameters of the fish, and were withdrawn 24 h after exposure. The 96-h LC50 of the Grazor herbicide in the fish was estimated at 1.17 mL/L. The exposure led to behavioural abnormalities including hyperactivity, surface orientation, stress, restlessness, temporary calmness, and mortality, in comparison with the control group. Biochemical analysis revealed significant increases in alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), creatinine, and urea levels at higher concentrations. Total protein levels decreased relative to the control, while albumin and globulin levels showed no consistent pattern. Exposure to acute and sublethal concentrations of Grazor herbicide can cause behavioural disturbances and biochemical dysfunction in O. niloticus. Care should be taken when handling and applying this herbicide to avoid the adverse effects it may cause in aquatic organisms including fish.
Aims: This study described the health status and temporal mortality distribution of an Arbor broiler flock reared on a semi-industrial farm near Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, and examined their relationships with prophylactic interventions and growth performance. Study Design: A descriptive longitudinal observational study, without replication or a control group. Place and Duration of Study: The flock was monitored in Port-Bouët from 5 December 2008 to 23 January 2009 (50 days). Methodology: A total of 510 days-old chicks were followed throughout the rearing cycle. Deaths and health interventions were recorded daily, while 26 randomly selected birds were weighed weekly. Mortality, average daily gain and feed conversion ratio were descriptively assessed alongside hatchery reference values. Results: Twenty-five deaths occurred (4.90% cumulative mortality), including 12 during the starter phase and 13 during the grower phase. The first and sixth weeks accounted for 10 and 11 deaths, respectively. Nine deaths occurred between days 36 and 39, coinciding with levamisole deworming and the subsequent Newcastle disease booster vaccination, although causality could not be established. Presumptive coccidiosis associated with wet litter was treated on days 24–26. Mean live weight reached 1,779.6 g on day 49, 21.3% below the reference value, after a maximum deficit of 27.6% on day 21. Conclusion: Mortality remained below the stated 5% benchmark despite uneven losses and persistent growth retardation. Improved diagnostic surveillance and careful vaccination practices may support flock assessment and management.
