This study evaluated the effects of providing 3–15 kg of a soluble and biodegradable biopolymer-based enrichment material (blend of biodegradable polymers and natural fibers) to prepartum sows housed in farrowing crates. Fifteen sows were blocked by body weight and backfat thickness and assigned to three treatments: no enrichment material (CONT), 3 kg of enrichment material (BN3), or 15 kg of enrichment material with added nut...

Aim Estimate the Darwinian shortfall (i.e., the lack of knowledge about phylogenetic relationships) of bees worldwide, as well as identify their drivers. Location Global. Taxon Bees (Hymenoptera, Anthophila). Methods We built phylogenies for over 12,000 bee species, combining the most comprehensive phylogeny and an algorithm with random solutions to insert missing lineages. The Darwinian shortfall was quantified as the Phyloge...

Aim We evaluated how native vegetation cover influences the diversity of arachnid assemblages across multiple spatial scales in major Brazilian ecosystems. Location Brazil (Amazon and Atlantic rainforests, Cerrado savanna and Caatinga dry forest). Taxon Arachnida (Opiliones, Pseudoscorpiones and Scorpiones). Methods We sampled arachnids at 120 sites using active search and litter sifting. Native vegetation cover was quantified...

Purpose Detecting vulnerable coronary plaques through coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) is a crucial, yet challenging task. To date, most of the proposed vulnerability markers have been studied in isolation. This study introduces the first integrated analysis combining radiomic, mechanical, and hemodynamic factors to explore their synergistic contribution to plaque vulnerability. Methods The study analyzed 161 pl...

In its early years, the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration has mobilized unprecedented global commitments. Yet, measuring restoration success remains contested, particularly in megadiverse countries where the absence of standardized indicators and assessment protocols often leads to subjective decisions by environmental agencies. Here, we present a core set of leading indicators developed through a pioneering Brazil-led scienc...

Aim We investigate the distribution of dispersal modes — endozoochory (via animal ingestion), synzoochory (via animal seed accumulation) and anemochory (via wind)—and seed mass of woody plants across Brazilian ecosystems, testing whether their relative abundance in local plant communities could be predicted by climate, edaphic factors and dispersal agents (e.g., the main vectors moving seeds). We expected climate to be the mai...

Understanding fish species distributions remains a key challenge in ecology, particularly in complex environments such as small Amazonian streams. These data are essential for developing and supporting effective management and conservation strategies, especially in highly diverse regions like the Amazon Basin, where substantial gaps in biodiversity knowledge persist. We assessed the structure and composition of fish assemblage...

Dominant approaches to drought and flood risk often marginalize the social and temporal dimensions of how communities experience environmental change. This study explores how three riverine communities in the Peruvian Amazon—Bajo Belén, Tamshiyacu, and El Chino—generate and act on knowledge of river dynamics to sustain livelihoods amid increasing hydrological variability. Using storytelling with 45 participants (2023–2024), an...

Background and aims Implementing sustainable crop management to improve soil health can bolster plant and soil resistance to drought stress. This study evaluated the long-term impact of sustainable soil management on soil health in tropical coffee agroecosystems, focusing on how these practices influenced plant yield and quality, as well as soil microbiome composition and function under drought treatment. Methods Plots were se...

Rock outcrops are geological formations that harbor a highly specialized biota adapted to harsh environmental conditions that differ from their surrounding landscapes. They are globally distributed, especially in old, highly weathered landscapes, and can function as habitat islands containing high levels of endemism and distinct evolutionary lineages. Despite their ecoevolutionary importance, rock outcrops remain largely overl...