Mining activities significantly shape landscapes and often pose sustainability and environmental justice challenges for surrounding communities. This paper examines land use and land cover (LULC) transitions and their sustainable development implications along the Witwatersrand mining belt in Gauteng, South Africa (1990-2020). Leveraging geospatial analysis, chi-square statistical testing, and spatial clustering, the findings highlight a critical tension between mining and sustainability efforts. While 54.53 km[2] of mining areas successfully transitioned to natural vegetation, landscape-scale degradation persisted, natural and planted vegetation declined, and barren land increased, with informal settlements also increasing and concentrating in mining-adjacent areas. Statistical significance tests (χ[2] = 11,319,251.69, p < 0.001; Cramér's V = 0.60) indicate that 97.9% of transitions are systematic rather than random, and that they concentrate in previously disadvantaged communities. Mining land was also converted to residential areas despite regulatory protections and buffer zones, indicating a policy and implementation gap. This study highlights the crucial role of LULC assessments in post-mining landscape management, concluding that practical mining sustainability requires an integrated approach of stronger regulation, affordable housing, participatory rehabilitation planning, and accountability mechanisms grounded in quantitative evidence of distributive and environmental justice.

We extend a previous list of four rationality criteria for the setting of a single goal to a list of six rationality criteria for the construction of large goal systems, such as those commonly established for sustainability policies. These criteria are applied to the European Union's Water Framework Directive (WFD). For each of the six criteria we find deficiencies that should preferably be redressed in future revisions of the framework. Based on this example, we argue that in the future, complex goal systems should be carefully analysed from the viewpoint of goal-setting rationality before they are adopted.

Due to their widespread distribution, persistence, and potential to release additives and adsorb environmental pollutants, microplastics pose complex risks to ecosystems and human health. Bioindicators can reflect microplastic pollution levels in specific environments, as well as reveal microplastic bioavailability, food chain transfer potential, and associated ecological risks, thereby providing key evidence for early warning systems and ecological health impact assessments. However, current biomonitoring studies have not yet provided a comprehensive synthesis of bioindicator distribution, monitoring matrix selection, intrinsic physiological traits, and extrinsic environmental influences. This review systematically analyzes these key aspects, with the following major findings: current research is unevenly distributed (primarily concentrated in Europe, Asia, and water environment; indicator species include fish and bivalves; and the biological substrate is mainly the digestive tract). By integrating factors including monitoring duration, quantitative accuracy, and ethical constraints, we established a research-objective-oriented decision tree for sample matrix selection. Further demonstrates that the correlation between biological traits and microplastic burden is species- and metric-dependent, and highlights the urgent need to establish a multi-indicator integrated assessment system and a novel toxicological framework.

Wind energy offers cleaner benefits over fossil fuels. However, wind farms also pose complex ecological consequences, including risk to birds. We leveraged a dataset of bird fatalities collected over 15 years of carcass searches at eight wind farms in southern Mexico, to evaluate three aspects of bird collisions with wind turbines. First, we examined the taxonomic and spatiotemporal patterns of bird collisions; then we evaluated how fatalities relate to residency status and other species classifications; finally, we explored the relationship of fatalities with environmental and spatial factors. We recorded 1527 bird carcasses of 123 species. Pigeons and doves accounted for nearly 40% of all fatalities, with the White-winged dove concentrating 17% of the carcasses registered. Resident species accounted for 78% of the fatalities, with >50% occurring on only six species. Resident species and temporary residents had higher fatality rates than migratory species. Trophic guild analyses revealed that granivores, omnivores, insectivores, and scavengers had the highest collision rates. Environmental models showed that bird fatalities increased at turbines located further north with greater height, while those situated closer to the wind farm periphery also tended to exhibit higher collision counts. Our results suggest that wind farms disproportionately affect certain bird groups, especially residents, native, and ground-foraging species. Future research should address detection biases, integrate finer-resolution vegetation data, and evaluate cumulative impacts across additional wind farms to improve ecological risk assessments.

Understanding how grassland productivity responds to increasing aridity is critical under climate change, yet whether consistent thresholds exist and how underlying mechanisms shift remain unclear. Here, we conducted a global meta-analysis to examine the response of aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP) to the aridity index (AI) and the role of plant functional traits. ANPP showed a significant nonlinear relationship with AI, with a threshold at AI ≈ 0.51. Below this threshold, ANPP increased strongly with AI, whereas this relationship weakened above it. This threshold coincided with a shift in trait-productivity relationships. Before the threshold, ANPP was positively associated with traits linked to resource acquisition and conservation (LCN and SLA). After the threshold, key traits (LCN and SRL) showed reduced or reversed effects, indicating a reorganization of functional controls. Structural equation modeling further showed that the relative importance of direct climatic and trait-mediated pathways differed across the threshold. These results identify a distinct aridity threshold associated with changes in grassland productivity responses and their functional controls, emphasizing the importance of incorporating nonlinear climatic responses and trait-mediated pathways into predictions under future climate change.

Biodiversity across Africa faces escalating threats from agricultural expansion, urbanisation, resource overexploitation, and pollution, particularly at the margins of protected areas (PAs). These land‑use changes intensify interactions between people and wildlife by compressing habitats, increasing competition for space and resources, and disrupting ecological processes, thereby exacerbating human-wildlife conflict and threatening conservation outcomes. In this context, conservation practitioners play an important role in managing these conflicts by implementing conservation management interventions. A total of 49 conservation practitioners across KwaZulu‑Natal, Limpopo, and Mpumalanga in South Africa were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire to document the implementation of key conservation measures and to examine their association with practitioner-reported poaching occurrence. Most reserves implemented perimeter fencing and shared boundaries with adjacent local communities. Community engagement and environmental education programmes were also widely reported. The proportion of practitioners reporting poaching was highest in KwaZulu‑Natal (84.2%), followed by Limpopo (71%) and Mpumalanga (61.5%). Binary logistic regression revealed that community engagement was significantly associated with lower odds of poaching. Sustaining PAs requires integrated strategies that combine enforcement, community engagement, and adaptive management.

Illegal artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM), or galamsey, in Ghana presents persistent environmental, social, and governance challenges despite growing policy attention. Recent literature emphasizes digital and smart mining technologies such as remote sensing, machine learning, and block chain as potential solutions for monitoring, formalisation, and supply chain transparency. However, evidence on their effectiveness remains fragmented and unevenly distributed. This systematic review synthesizes 25 empirical and policy-relevant studies published between 2020 and 2025 to evaluate how digital interventions interact with governance structures and livelihood realities. Following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines, the studies were assessed across four domains: technology deployment, environmental sustainability, workforce and socioeconomic impacts, and institutional governance. A four-objective contribution framework (High/Medium/Low) was applied, and the concept of technology-governance-livelihood alignment was introduced to explain why technically viable solutions often fail to produce expected outcomes in practice. The findings indicate that while satellite-based monitoring and machine learning models are technically capable of detecting illegal mining and environmental degradation, their effectiveness is constrained by fragmented institutional mandates, limited enforcement capacity, and socio-economic barriers affecting miners' participation. Environmental harms, particularly mercury contamination and deforestation, are well-documented, yet workforce and gender impacts remain critically understudied. The review demonstrates that successful ASM interventions require integrated strategies that combine technological innovation with governance reform spanning national regulatory bodies and customary/traditional authoritiesand livelihood-sensitive approaches. Such governance reforms will also need to pay attention to the role of local government assemblies as the development authority of areas. The alignment lens provides a conceptual framework for designing interventions that are technically robust, institutionally feasible, and socially inclusive.

Understanding forest governance requires examining the interactions among stakeholders and the institutional arrangements that shape resource management. This study investigates collaborative forest governance in the Gargeda State Forest, Western Ethiopia, focusing on the institutional arrangement, social interaction, and logistical challenges that constrain effective management. Network analysis, conducted with Gephi 0.10.1, was used to map and visualize relationships among government agencies, NGOs, and local social groups. The resulting network comprises 27 nodes and 55 edges, with a moderately sparse structure (density = 0.156). Government institutions dominate the network (66.7% of nodes), driving policy formulation, resource allocation, and decision-making, while local social groups (18.5%) contribute to community-based management, and NGOs (14.8%) act as intermediaries linking grassroots actors with policymakers. Analysis of edge strengths reveals moderate ties (pink, 57.9%, weight = 2) forming the operational backbone, strong ties (green, 13.8%, weight = 3) indicating substantial cooperation, weak ties (purple, 12.8%, weight = 1) requiring reinforcement, and the strongest ties (blue, 15.5%, weight = 4) reflecting deeply integrated partnerships and shared leadership. Challenges such as inadequate infrastructure, political instability, and over-reliance on central actors like REDD+ hinder effective governance. Integrating traditional and formal governance systems, enhancing decentralized leadership, and strengthening stakeholder collaboration are essential for promoting sustainable and equitable management. Addressing these gaps through inclusive decision-making, infrastructure development, and capacity building could foster a more sustainable and equitable governance model for the protected natural Forest.

Comprehensive assessment of River Water Quality (RWQ) is essential for the sustainable management of water resources. This study aimed to develop an innovative integrated index for river water quality and ecological risk (RWQI) and evaluate its applicability in the Gharehsoo River. The proposed RWQI, for the first time, provided a unified framework for the simultaneous assessment of overall water quality (based on 16 physicochemical and microbial parameters) and the risk posed by heavy metals. In this regard, the first step involved analyzing water quality for various uses (drinking, recreation, wildlife, industry, and agriculture) using the Enhanced River Pollution Index (ERPI) across seven stations over two seasons. Subsequently, the performance of Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) and Support Vector Regression (SVR) models in predicting the values of these indices was examined and compared. Finally, the combined RWQI was calculated based on the same dataset, and uncertainty analysis of the models was performed using the Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method. Descriptive statistical analysis (based on ERPI-DD calculations for 14 samples from 7 stations across two seasons) revealed that the water status of the Gharehsoo River is critical for drinking purposes, with 64.28% of the samples classified as "unsuitable" according to the DD index (drinking without treatment). In contrast, water quality for wildlife and fisheries (WF) was evaluated as "good to excellent" for 100% of the samples based on Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) standards and the ERPI-WF model. The SVR models with polynomial and Radial Basis Function (RBF) kernels demonstrated very high predictive accuracy in estimating the ERPI values (as the reference criterion) for various water use categories, with coefficients of determination (R²) approaching 1 in many cases. Furthermore, the RWQI effectively identified critical points; for example, the Samian station was determined to be a critical point for recreational use (swimming). Uncertainty analysis also revealed that the RWQI model exhibits higher uncertainty compared to other models, primarily due to the inherent complexity of the model and the incorporation of combined pollutant risks. Consequently, the developed RWQI index proved to be a powerful tool for integrated monitoring of water quality and ecological risk assessment in river management, enabling the adoption of more targeted protection strategies.

Araucaria heterophylla is a widely planted evergreen ornamental species in urban and coastal landscapes worldwide. Increasingly, these trees have been exhibiting stress symptoms, including canopy dieback, browning of foliage tips, defoliation, and reduced needle length. Previous research has shown that these symptoms may be the result of predisposing abiotic stressors, such as extreme weather events, soil compaction, and proximity to urban infrastructure. Building on this, the present study examines the trees' foliar fungal communities and potential pathogens. Thirty-two (32) mature A. heterophylla trees of varying health growing on the foreshores of Gold Coast, Australia, were selected for isolation of fungi from foliage samples. Sixteen fungal species from ten families were identified. Neofusicoccum luteum, the most commonly represented species and previously unreported in A. heterophylla, was isolated from eight trees (25%) and selected for six-week-long pathogenicity testing under controlled glasshouse conditions. To assess pathogenicity, forty two-year-old trees were inoculated with either N. luteum or sterile agar (control). Half of these trees received limited water, and the other half was watered regularly. The infection rate exceeded 90%, and lesions developed in both groups, but lesions in the control groups were significantly smaller (p < 0.05) than in trees inoculated with N. luteum. Re-isolation at the end of the pathogenicity tests had a higher success rate in drought-affected trees (75%) despite the smaller size of the lesions. Although no mortality occurred, trees inoculated with the pathogen were significantly (p < 0.05) shorter than the control trees under the regular water conditions. These results suggest that N. luteum may contribute to A. heterophylla decline and reduced growth rate, but is unlikely to be the sole causal agent and is unable to kill a tree rapidly. Strategies for improving A. heterophylla health and management emerging from this study include the need for: (a) supplem.entary irrigation during prolonged drought to prevent the pathogen from entering through damaged bark; and (b) consistent tree health monitoring.

The global expansion of renewable energy is a key societal objective but may conflict with nature conservation interests by causing habitat loss. Hence, planning energy infrastructure requires a thorough understanding of the behavior and habitat requirements of affected species during critical phases of the annual cycle. We assessed the energetic consequences of losing agricultural foraging habitat for a wintering goose species with a high degree of site-fidelity. Proposed renewable energy developments, specifically wind turbines and solar panels, pose a risk of losing winter cereal fields, which are the prime foraging habitat for the geese during cold spells. Using estimates of energy intake and expenditure derived from GPS-tagged individuals, we simulated body mass development under cold conditions with and without access to winter cereals as well as under mild conditions with pastures only. Across all cold winter scenarios, simulated body mass decreased, reflecting lower energy intake as well as increased thermoregulatory costs, and energetic deficits intensified when winter cereals were unavailable. Under mild winter conditions, body mass could be maintained without access to winter cereals. These results demonstrate that habitat loss has considerable energetic consequences for wintering geese under cold winter conditions. More broadly, our findings underscore the need to assess land-use change in the context of both resource availability and environmental conditions. Ensuring access to high-quality foraging habitats during energetically challenging conditions should therefore be prioritized in spatial planning. Where habitat loss is unavoidable, alternative habitats must provide comparable resource quality, low disturbance, and behavioral compatibility, particularly for site-faithful species.

Marine protected areas (MPAs) conserve marine biodiversity, but their effectiveness depends on implementation. This study assessed the Racha Islands MPA, established in 2023 in a tourism-dependent coral-reef setting in Phuket, Thailand. Using the International Union for Conservation of Nature-World Commission on Protected Areas (IUCN-WCPA) management effectiveness framework, the study compiled evidence from May through October 2025, drawing on document analysis, available ecological monitoring information, stakeholder surveys and interviews and field observations and site verification. The 69 respondents comprised 50 local resource users and tourism-related stakeholders and 19 institutional respondents. Performance was evaluated across context, planning, inputs, process, outputs and outcomes. Overall effectiveness was 54.3%, indicating moderate performance. Context (73.3%) and outputs (66.7%) scored highest, reflecting the legal foundation and delivery of many planned activities. Inputs scored lowest (33.3%) owing to financial, human and technical limitations. Outcomes remained moderate (55.6%): most surveyed users perceived threats as broadly unchanged, ecological trends varied across sites and evidence of socio-economic change was limited. The MPA has progressed beyond legal designation, but institutional capacity remains limited and evidence of longer-term effects has not kept pace with management activities. Determining whether observed changes resulted from MPA management was constrained by the short period since establishment, the absence of a pre-designation socio-economic baseline, limited performance indicators and insufficient long-term monitoring. Priorities include predictable financing, adequate staffing and equipment, participatory development of a site-specific management plan and feasible outcome-oriented monitoring. This study provides an early-stage benchmark and lessons for MPA governance in tourism-dependent coastal regions.

Soil microbial biomass carbon (SMBC) is an essential indicator of microbial activity and soil health, reflecting ecosystem functioning and sustainability. We synthesized data from 221 peer-reviewed studies from 1988 to 2024 to evaluate the global effects of six sustainable land management (SLM) practices-organic amendment, inorganic fertilization, integrated fertilization, conservation tillage, crop diversification, and crop residue management-on SMBC in global croplands. Except for inorganic fertilization, which had a slight negative effect, all practices were associated with higher SMBC concentration values, with treatment plots exhibiting, on average, 23.5% higher SMBC concentration than control plots across the compiled global database. The degree of these effects varied on the basis of environmental factors, especially aridity and soil texture. Based on the compiled dataset and extrapolation approach, SLM practices were associated with an estimated 27% increase in global SMBC stocks, corresponding to approximately 322 million tonnes of microbial carbon across global croplands although this estimate should be interpreted with caution due to spatial heterogeneity in data coverage and uncertainties associated with generalized assumptions in bulk density and soil depth. Integrated fertilization and crop diversification were particularly effective across all aridity classes. Subgroup analyses confirmed that soil texture, aridity, and management practices each significantly affected SMBC. However, we observed notable combined effects on SMBC only when two environmental factors changed at the same time. This suggests that although SLM practices may help to reduce the harms of single stressors, the combined effects of multiple stressors can greatly change microbial carbon dynamics. These findings highlight the importance of developing context-specific SLM strategies to enhance microbial carbon pools and improve soil health, thereby providing guidance for land managers, policymakers, and farmers to promote more resilient and sustainable agricultural systems worldwide.

Invasive aquatic macrophytes are a major threat to estuarine ecosystems globally. This study examined the efficacy of a program for treating invasive Floating Aquatic Vegetation (FAV) using two herbicides, glyphosate and 2,4- Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), over two five-year periods. The efficacy of both these herbicides has rarely been studied in tidal aquatic environments that are much more challenging to treat. This study combined multi-year image datasets, spray location and herbicide application data to examine the efficacy of the treatment program at the scale of the full ecosystem in a tidally dynamic estuary. The objectives of the study were 1) to determine if the herbicides type, application rate and frequency had an impact on efficacy, 2) if efficacy depended on the kind of habitat that was treated and the treatment history of the site, and finally, 3) if the impact lasted years after treatment. The results show that within the year of application, probability of FAV presence reduced as herbicide application rate increased. Both herbicide treatments were most effective in slow-flow shallow open-water habitats, and least effective in fast-flowing channel habitats. Treating with glyphosate had legacy effects that were detectable even three years after treatment but only in some habitats. For either herbicide, treating at a higher concentration in fewer visits was more effective than treating at a lower concentration over multiple visits to the same site.

Mangrove ecosystems play a critical role in climate change mitigation through blue carbon storage while supporting coastal resilience and community livelihoods. This study developed an adaptive mangrove governance model integrating the Sasi customary system, Carbon Economic Value (CEV), and Ecological Fiscal Transfer (EFT) within a Social-Ecological Systems (SES) framework in East Seram Regency, Indonesia. A mixed-methods approach integrated biophysical, socio-institutional, carbon valuation, and DPSIR analyses. Annualized carbon-stock change was estimated from multi-temporal ecosystem carbon stocks and converted to CO2 equivalents for carbon valuation. Mangroves retained substantial carbon stocks despite declining extent, with an estimated annualized carbon-stock change of 10,496.29 Mg CO2e year[-1] (2.98 Mg CO2e ha[-1] year[-1]) and a potential CEV of IDR 839.7 million-1.68 billion year[-1] under voluntary carbon market prices. Socio-institutional analysis showed that 91.7% of respondents supported integrating Sasi into mangrove governance. DPSIR analysis identified land-use change, resource utilization, and coastal development as important pressures associated with mangrove change, while restoration, marine protected areas, community participation, and performance-based fiscal incentives were identified as potential management responses. The proposed model integrates customary institutions, blue carbon valuation, and fiscal incentives to support climate mitigation, community participation, and sustainable mangrove management, providing an evidence-based framework for Indonesia's NDCs and potentially other tropical coastal regions with similar social-ecological conditions.