Microscopic epibionts are important components of an intertidal ecosystem. However, because the epibionts are established on habitats provided by basibiont (host) organisms, the epibionts are affected by both the characteristics of basibionts and the ambient environmental conditions. Here, we hypothesised that variations in the epibiont community were affected by the mobility, size, and surface roughness of the basibiont organisms, as well as by environmental conditions, which was tested over a one-month period in spring. Epibionts growing on 16 basibiont species belonging to Gastropoda, Bivalvia, Polyplacophora, and Echinoidea were collected from a rocky shore in Niigata, Japan. Most of the epibionts collected were diatoms, and the highest cell density of the epibionts was recorded on the surfaces of the limpet Cellana toreuma. The epibiont community changed significantly from April to May and was also shaped by the characteristics of the basibionts. The results indicated that basibionts with sessile, large, or smooth surfaces had higher taxonomic richness, Simpson diversity, and cell density of the epibionts than those with mobile, small, or rough surfaces. Multivariate analysis of the epibiont community confirmed the importance of these basibiont characteristics and the survey month. Six groups of epibiont communities were identified based on their contrasting sample communities, and each had its own indicator species. The results indicate that both environmental changes from April to May and changes in basibiont species promote changes in the epibiont community in this coastal region.

Abandoned pits and quarries in Ontario, Canada, are on the rise due to industrialization, leading to ecosystem disruption and soil contamination with pollutants such as cadmium, cobalt, nickel, and barium, which may leach into nearby water systems. Current rehabilitation processes are slow to initiate, and therefore, the site remains in a contaminated condition for years. Phytoremediation, which involves using plants to remove contaminants from soils, is receiving increased attention for cleaning up decommissioned mines. This type of rehabilitation is normally practiced in situ by hand-planted and managed vegetation chosen for the specific purpose of contaminant removal. This study investigated the phytoremediation potential of indigenous plants as local seed sources to rehabilitate decommissioned quarries in Ontario. This study also investigated the potential of native plants to naturalize in the disturbed areas, thus providing a natural clean-up of the contaminants. Thus, if successful, this process will also initiate the re-establishment of native wildlife in the area. Through a literature review, 74 plant species were identified as capable of remediating 20 contaminants often found on the decommissioned quarry sites. The results may help ecosystem managers to adopt environmentally sustainable strategies to clean up contaminated sites such as decommissioned mines and quarry areas.

Microscopic epibionts on molluscan shells are a component of the biodiversity of intertidal coastal areas. Because molluscan shells are discrete habitats for the epibiont community, and the molluscan basibionts belong to the local community, epibiont diversity can be evaluated hierarchically by basibiont categories including species. To evaluate the structure of epibiont diversity and effects of taxonomic resolution on the evaluation, epibionts on molluscan shells and inert surfaces were investigated at three geographically distant sites in Japan. In total, 94 species-level taxonomic units of epibionts were obtained from 31 basibiont molluscan species and inert surfaces (plastics and rock chips). The density and the species richness at the site of the lowest latitude were significantly lower than those at the other sites. The epibiont community differed between the three sites, although the major portion of the epibionts were diatoms. Between-site diversity contributed most of the total diversity of the species richness and Simpson diversity in the five levels of the hierarchical partitioning: sample (individual basibiont), basibiont species (molluscan species), surface group (bivalves, chitons + limpets, and globose gastropods), site, and the total. The taxonomic resolution did not markedly affect the variability of communities between the three sites, although the taxon richness was reduced to 51 in the genus-level analysis. The lower taxonomic resolution (genus level); however, increased the contribution of the within-sample and decreased the contribution of β diversities at the higher hierarchies, leading to a possible overestimation of biotic homogenization between the communities.

Understanding physical properties and associated biological responses in the marine ecosystem is critical for fisheries and assessing the ocean's role in determining the fate of anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions. This study reports the different roles of southwest monsoon (SWM) upwelling, oceanic fronts, and mesoscale eddies in supplying nutrients and fueling phytoplankton production in the eastern Arabian Sea (EAS). In-situ measurements of physical parameters along with the distribution of biogeochemical parameters in the 100 m water column over a wide latitudinal transect from 8 degrees N to 21 degrees N (Station II-1 to II-14 at 1 degrees interval) along the 68 degrees E were carried out during the late SWM (September 11-19) of 2017. We found distinct features in the study area from the in-situ measurements and satellite data. Primarily, oceanic fronts along with higher instabilities caused vertical mixing at stations II-6, and II-10 (13 degrees N and 17 degrees N). Secondly, eddy-induced lateral advection of high productive water from the Western Arabian Sea (WAS) resulted in high phytoplankton biomass at stations II-7, and II-8 (14 degrees N and 15 degrees N), which led to high concentrations of pigments (chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) and fucoxanthin). SWM upwelling induced higher phytoplankton biomass at northern stations II-13 and II-14 and is evident from the higher total organic carbon (TOC), high total bacterial count (TBC) and Chl-a concentration (up to 0.371 mu g/L at II-14). The difference in time lag for vertical mixing at II-6 and II-10 are responsible for the contrasting biological responses in these stations. The present study showed that along with SWM upwelling, eddy-induced lateral advection from WAS and oceanic fronts are also increasing phytoplankton biomass in the EAS. The present study suggests that the high phytoplankton biomass prompted by upwelling, oceanic fronts, and mesoscale eddies can influence CO2 sequestration and the prevailing subsurface oxygen minimum zone in the EAS.(c) 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Global oceans are witnessing changes in the phytoplankton community composition due to various environmental stressors such as rising temperature, stratification, nutrient limitation, and ocean acidification. The Arabian Sea is undergoing changes in its phytoplankton community composition, especially during winter, with the diatoms being replaced by harmful algal blooms (HABs) of dinoflagellates. Recent studies have already highlighted dissolved silicate (DSi) limitation and change in Silicon (Si)/Nitrogen (N) ratios as the factors responsible for the observed changes in the phytoplankton community in the Arabian Sea. Our investigation also revealed Si/N < 1 in the northern Arabian Sea, indicating DSi limitation, especially during winter. Here, we demonstrate that rice husk with its phytoliths is an important source of bioavailable DSi for oceanic phytoplankton. Our experiment showed that a rice husk can release ∼12 μM of DSi in 15 days and can release DSi for ∼20 days. The DSi availability increased diatom abundance up to ∼9 times. The major benefitted diatom species from DSi enrichment were Nitzshia spp., Striatella spp., Navicula spp., Dactiliosolen spp., and Leptocylindrus spp. The increase in diatom abundance was accompanied by an increase in fucoxanthin and dimethyl sulphide (DMS), an anti-greenhouse gas. Thus, the rice husk with its buoyancy and slow DSi release has the potential to reduce HABs, and increase diatoms and fishery resources in addition to carbon dioxide (CO2) sequestration in DSi-limited oceanic regions such as the Arabian Sea. Rice husk if released at the formation site of the Subantarctic mode water in the Southern Ocean could supply DSi to the thermocline in the global oceans thereby increasing diatom blooms and consequently the biotic carbon sequestration potential of the entire ocean.

Abstract Microscopic epibionts are an important component of intertidal ecosystems. Shortage of space drives these organisms to settle and grow on body/shell surfaces of intertidal organisms. In this study we test the hypothesis that epibiont communities vary significantly between shells belonging to different invertebrate species, and between natural shells and plastic surfaces. Epibiont community variations are caused by differences in shell size, roughness and mobility of the host organisms. Epibionts growing on fifteen different species belonging to Gastropoda, Bivalvia, Polyplacophora and Echinoidea, as well as plastic objects were collected from a rocky shore of the Sea of Japan at Niigata. Most epibionts collected were diatoms, and the highest epibiont density was recorded on the surfaces of the limpet Cellana toreuma. The results showed epibiont species richness, diversity and density varied significantly with the host characteristics such as mobility, shell size and shell roughness. The shells of sessile organisms with large and smooth surfaces had a higher epibiont density, species richness and diversity than did shells of mobile organisms with small and rough shell surfaces. To conclude, epibiont species composition varies significantly between basibiont species, shell morphology, shell size, shell roughness, month of sampling and the mobility of the host.

We examined soil properties and accumulation rates over the last ca. 100 years in four swamps and four marshes in southern Canada where these wetlands are common but under increasing anthropogenic pressure. One 50‐cm long core was collected from each wetland and analyzed to determine bulk density (BD) and organic matter (OM). Lead‐210 and cesium‐137 dating were used to estimate sediment accumulation rates. In the datable portion of each core, we determined the organic carbon (C org ), nitrogen (N), C org /OM, C org /N, C org density, C org stocks, and C org accumulation rates. All parameters but one—C org accumulation rates—were significantly different in swamps compared to marshes and between seasonally wet soils and those regularly flooded. Since 1950, C org stocks varied from 6 to 13.6 kg m −2 with ≈23% more C org in swamps than in marshes. When hydrology and deeper soils where considered, C org stocks in regularly flooded wetlands were 60% higher than those of seasonally wet systems, emphasizing the role of hydrology in building up C stocks long‐term. Our measurements are within the wide range reported for similar systems in North America. The average rate of C org accumulation in the studied wetlands (112 ± 87 g m −2 yr −1 ) is ≈50% higher than that of oligotrophic/ombrotrophic peatlands, but ≈47% lower than in tidal marshes from eastern Canada. Our study lends support to the case for wetland restoration through re‐wetting as an important nature‐based climate solution for mitigation of GHG emissions in areas where they were drained for agriculture and other purposes.

The seasonal and spatial distribution of total organic carbon (TOC) is presented for the coastal waters of the eastern Arabian Sea, which experiences seasonal suboxia during the late southwest monsoon (SWM). This study reveals that high TOC was observed off Kochi as compared to Goa and Mangalore transects, and may be attributed to stronger upwelling along the Kerala coast. This is also supported by the excess carbon due to upwelling during the late SWM that varied from 37 μM (Goa), 39 μM (Mangalore), to 51 μM (Kochi). Our seasonal data from 2014 to 2020 at the Goa transect indicates that high TOC is seen during late SWM to fall inter monsoon (FIM) and between the late northeast monsoon (NEM) to the early spring inter monsoon (SIM). The high TOC concentrations and C/N ratios observed during the FIM are a combination of high primary production, the buildup of remnant organic matter from the previous season (due to prevailing low oxygen conditions), accumulation of refractory organic carbon, and release from diatoms (especially Chaetoceros sp.). Inter-annual variations indicate that phytoplankton blooms resulted in higher TOC concentrations, especially during the year 2020. Based on a comparison with an Elnino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) year (2015), we can infer that the partitioning of carbon may increase from particulate to dissolved phase in future warming scenarios.

This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of the consumer-centric business model for rooftop solar PV installations in India. We explore areas where potential policy interventions may be introduced to improve collective stakeholder benefits and incentivize more domestic consumers to adopt rooftop solar power generation in their premises. The proposed policy framework optimizes Feed-in Tariff (FiT) rates, PV capacities and Average Billing Rates (ABRs) towards maximizing stakeholder benefits. The stakeholders considered are the consumers/prosumers and the utility. Case studies with three residential prosumers of different demand and generation profiles are presented. The models for utility profit and prosumer savings are developed, and a multi-objective problem is formulated with FiT, generation capacity (as a function of demand) and ABR as decision variables. The pareto-optimal front is identified for prosumer and utility benefits and suitable points with reasonable tradeoffs are selected based on sensitivity analysis of the impact on collective welfare. The suitability of prevailing tariff and FiT rates of two Indian utilities namely, MSEDCL and TATA POWER, Delhi are studied, and their impact on prosumer savings and utility profits is brought out. The workflow to fix tariff, FiT and local PV capacities in active residential distribution systems is devised, providing the policymakers an effective decision-making tool.

Despite building a clear and compelling message about the importance of conserving biodiversity and what we risk in depleting it, meaningful engagement from implicated stakeholders remains limited. Past studies have examined the gap between the possession of environmental knowledge and displaying behavior that would help to conserve it. Essentially, increasing awareness and interest in environmental issues does not ensure that individuals will make the necessary changes in behaviours detrimental to biological conservation. This is a concern as failure to meaningfully engage the public into acting on conservation strategies will hamper efforts to curb biodiversity loss. Herein the authors investigate why action to address biodiversity loss has been slow or deficient in many jurisdictions. The authors draw from models and theories developed in health and social sciences to provide context to the key factors that prevent action and propose steps that could be taken to stimulate it.

Background Domestic solar PV installations in India are yet to become a valuable proposition for both the prosumers and utility because of the deficiencies in the formulation of the policy parameters. This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of the consumer-centric business model for rooftop solar PV installations in India. We explore areas where potential policy interventions may be introduced to improve collective stakeholder benefits and incentivize more domestic consumers to install rooftop solar panels in their premises. We propose a policy framework that seeks optimal Feed-in Tariff (FiT) rates, PV capacities and Average Billing Rates (ABRs) towards maximizing stakeholder benefits. The stakeholders considered are the consumers/prosumers and the utility. Results Case studies with three residential prosumers of different demand and generation profiles (extracted from data provided by Indian utilities) are presented. A multi-objective problem is formulated with the FiT, generation capacity (as a function of demand) and ABR as decision variables, exploring the various welfare trade-offs. The pareto-optimal front is identified for prosumer and utility benefits and suitable points with reasonable tradeoff are selected based on sensitivity analysis of the impact of the decision variables on collective welfare. Conclusions The paper provides a workflow to fix tariff, FiT and local PV capacities in active residential distribution systems. The suitability of prevailing tariff and FiT rates of three Indian utilities namely, MSEDCL, TATA POWER (Delhi) and TANGEDCO are studied, and their impact on prosumer savings and utility profits is brought out. The paper recommends optimal installation capacities for prosumers based on their load demand so as to encourage the adoption of roof-top solar without affecting collective benefits. This provides policymakers and prosumers an effective decision-making tool.

We report seasonal and temporal variation of total organic carbon (TOC) in the eastern Arabian Sea (AS). In comparison to the deep, TOC in the top 100 m showed spatial variation with higher concentrations towards northern AS during North east monsoon (NEM) and South west monsoon (SWM). A comparison with the US-JGOFS data (1995) shows warmer temperatures, enhanced TOC and low chlorophyll in the recent years. High TOC is associated with Arabian Sea high saline waters (ASHSW), advected from the Arabian Gulf, might have resulted in an enhancement of TOC in the eastern AS. This excess TOC supports a high abundance of bacteria despite the low primary productivity. TOC oxidation accounted for 14.3% and 22.5% of oxygen consumption for waters with potential density between 24.5 and 27.3 kg/m(3). This study attains great significance considering the missing links with respect to the role of transport processes in ocean deoxygenation under ongoing warming scenarios.

Hypholoma fasciculare is regarded as a potentially effective biocontrol agent against Armillaria root disease. However, trials examining its effectiveness are currently limited to controlled lab conditions and field studies conducted mostly during the summer season. We examined the ability of H. fasciculare to survive and grow underground during the winter and spring seasons to offer insight on its ability to provide year-round protection. Pine blocks inoculated with H. fasciculare were buried in three thinned pine plantations at 30 and 100 cm depths from February 1, 2018 to May 13, 2018 (101 days) to examine how winter and spring soil temperatures at two different soil depths impacted growth. A significant interactive effect of soil depth and month on soil temperature (F3,40 = 15.94, p < 0.001) was observed. Mean growth rates did not vary significantly between the two soil depths (F1,23 = 0.91, p = 0.393) as growth rates were 0.25 ± 0.11 and 0.31 ± 0.10 mm/day at 30 and 100 cm depths, respectively. Our study supports developing H. fasciculare as a biocontrol agent against Armillaria root disease given its ability to grow underground during the winter and early spring seasons, a period during which Armillaria has a reduced growing capacity.

The term “endophyte” comes from words “endo” meaning within and “phyton” meaning plant. In 1866, De Bary first defined an endophyte as any organism that resides in the tissues of plants but not causing any harm. Thus, endophytes can be a microorganism, usually fungi or bacteria, that colonizes plants parts. The plant tissues/parts where endophytes grow include healthy leaves, petioles, stems, twigs, bark, roots, fruits, flowers, and seeds. They are found virtually in every one of the 300,000 species of vascular plants. Many endophytes co-exist in a single plant host with their populations ranging from one to hundreds of bacterial/fungal species. This chapter outlines a historical perspective of endophytes including ethnobotanical approach to drug discovery. Also, this chapter provides upto date information on the emerging role of endophytes in the sustainability of pasture and economy of agriculture, thereby contributing to the environmental sustainability.

Background: C-reactive protein (CRP) is a serum protein synthesized by liver only during an inflammatory condition. The study was carried out in chronic periodontitis patients to quantitatively evaluate the serum level of CRP, before and after periodontal debridement therapy and compare the values with that obtained from patients who practiced meticulous home care alone. Methods: A total of 40 untreated chronic periodontitis patients were selected and randomly placed into two groups: Group I (Control) and Group II (Study), each comprising of 20 subjects. The study parameters evaluated were oral hygiene status, gingival index, probing pocket depth, clinical attachment loss, and serum levels of CRP. From Group I patients, blood samples for estimating CRP levels were collected on the 1st day and only oral hygiene instructions were given such as brushing twice daily by modified bass method and rinsing with 0.2% chlorhexidine gluconate mouthwash twice daily after brushing. At the end of 1 month, blood samples for estimating CRP levels were again collected. For Group II patients, blood samples for CRP estimation were collected for determining the baseline value before the initiation of periodontal therapy. Scaling and root planning (SRP) was performed. Furthermore, patients were then instructed to begin meticulous home care, similar to Group I patients. After 1 month from the date of performing SRP, blood sample was again collected for estimating CRP levels. Results: The baseline CRP levels were similar in both groups (Group I: 2.39 and Group II: 2.64 mg/L). After 1 month post-operative, mean CRP value for Group II was reduced to 0.85 ± 0.66 compared to 2.40 ± 0.96 in Group I. This reduction in CRP value for the Group II, who had undergone periodontal therapy is very highly significant. Conclusion: Periodontal debridement therapy can be employed as an effective tool in reducing the level of elevated CRP. From this study, it can be confirmed that debridement therapy gives excellent results in reducing the level of elevated 1Assistant Professor, 2Associate Professor, 3Professor, 4Former HOD and Professor 1Department of Periodontics, Government Dental College, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India 2Department of Orthodontics, Government Dental College, Kozhikode, Kerala, India 3,4Department of Periodontics, Government Dental College, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India Corresponding Author: Dr. K C Ajith Kumar, Department of Periodontics, Government Dental College, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India. e-mail: ajitkesavan73@ gmail.com systemic inflammatory markers compared to personal plaque control measures.

An investigation was carried out in ZAHRS, Babbur farm, Hiriyur during 20162017 rabi season for evaluation of Coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.) genotypes for growth, yield and quality under central dry zone of Karnataka. The experiment was laid out in the Randomized Complete Block Design with 20 genotypes and were replicated thrice. Significant differences were observed among genotypes for all the characters under study. The results revealed that, Rcr-475 recorded maximum plant height (70.27 cm), number of primary branches per plant (7.33), number of umbels per plant (28.13), number of umbellets per umbel (5.50), number of seeds per umbellet (5.70), seed yield per plant (6.37 g), seed yield per hectare (16.83 q), highest test weight (14.53 g) and plant spread (645 cm). The genotype DCC-4 took minimum number of days for first flowering (39.33 days) and maximum essential oil content (0.8%) was recorded in Acr-1and Rcr-728. It might be concluded from the study Rcr-475, Rcr-446, Rcr-41, Co-4, Dcc-4 and Acr-1 were identified as best performing genotypes and offer a good scope of selection for desired traits.