The composition, distribution, and socio-economic dimensions of Ghana's mangrove ecosystems

Machine learning based prediction by PlantCdMiner and experimental validation of cadmium-responsive genes in plants

Plants have evolved diverse adaptive mechanisms to sense and respond to environmental stimuli such as cadmium stress. The regulation of gene expression plays a critical role in plant responses to abiotic stress. However, homologous genes from different plant species or even different genotypes within the same species often show divergent responses to stress, and sequence homology does not necessarily imply functional similarity. Therefore, current homology alignment approaches to predicting transcriptional response to the specific stress have inherent limitations. In this study, we trained supervised classification models using the Random Forest algorithm to predict cadmium-responsive genes based on gene sequence features in Arabidopsis thaliana, Avicennia marina, Hordeum vulgare, and Nicotiana tabacum. Our models successfully predicted transcriptional response to cadmium stress both within and across species. The results suggested that transcriptome data from well-studied species can be used to predict cadmium-responsive genes in other species lacking such data. Cis-regulatory elements analysis further revealed that MYB TFs play essential roles in cadmium stress responses. Additionally, we experimentally confirmed that the MYB TF Am06526 activates the expression of AmPCR2 using yeast one-hybrid and dual-luciferase reporter assays. Finally, we developed PlantCdMiner (https://jasonxu.shinyapps.io/PlantCdMiner/), a web-based tool that enables users to predict cadmium-responsive genes and visualize cis-regulatory elements based on genomic features using machine learning.

Modelling the drivers of land use and land cover change of the great Amanzule wetland ecosystem to inform the development policy of the southwestern oil-rich region of Ghana

This study focused on the current and future drivers of land-use change and its impact on the Amanzule wetland. It suggests policy implications for reviewing and strengthening existing policies for sustainable land use. This study employed remote sensing and GIS techniques, including participatory rural appraisal techniques. The administration of questionnaires and focus group discussions were conducted in the Ellembelle and Jomoro municipalities, where the Amanzule wetland provides economic and social services. The results showed increased land use over the last 32 years driven by various drivers, including food crop production, rubber plantations, oil and gas establishments, and infrastructure development. The study further revealed that these drivers could influence land-use change in 18 years (2018-2036). Urbanisation, cropland, rubber plantations, and shrubland will drive land-use change in the study area between 2036 and 2054. The Amanzule wetland area is expected to decrease from 272.34 ha in 2018 to 210.60 ha by 2036. The wetland area is expected to further decrease from 210.60 ha in 2036 to 174.33 ha by 2054. Other land use classes, such as mangrove and swamp forests, are also expected to decrease within the same period. The study recommends advocating for a wetland policy, enforcing the Land Use and Spatial Planning Act 925 and the Petroleum Exploration and Production Act 919 for sustainable development.

Unravelling the impact of environmental variability on mangrove sediment carbon dynamics

Mangrove ecosystems represent low-cost climate-regulating systems through carbon storage in their sediments. However, considering the complex shifts in shallow coastal ecosystems, it is clear from just a few sets of environmental impacts on their carbon storage that there is a deficit in the information required for preserving this service. Here, we investigated the spatial and temporal variability of hydrographic factors (water temperature, pH, salinity, dissolved oxygen (DO), flow velocity, turbidity) and sediment characteristics (sedimentation rate and sediment grain size) on the intricate carbon dynamics of mangroves by examining which key variable(s) control mangrove sediment organic matter (OM). We used in-situ monitoring to assess the hydrographic dynamics, sedimentation rate, sediment organic content, and granulometry. Laboratory loss-on-ignition and granulometric methods were employed to quantify OM in trapped and bottom sediments and sediment grain size, respectively. Based on the findings, water pH, salinity, and DO were the key regulators of OM in sediments. Despite conventional expectations, the study observed positive effects of DO on OM, highlighting the possible role of aquatic plant photosynthesis and freshwater inflow. Sedimentation rates, usually considered crucial for OM accumulation, showed no significant relationship, emphasizing the importance of sediment content over quantity. Noteworthy findings include the role of sediment grain size in OM storage within mangrove sediments. Even though the grain size class of 63 μm diameter had the highest mean weight across the studied sites, there were significant positive correlations between Trap and Bottom OM with 500 and 2000 μm grain size classes, emphasizing the need to consider sediment characteristics in carbon dynamics assessments. Overall, this research provides valuable insights into the intricate environmental dynamics of mangrove ecosystems that are crucial to understanding and managing these vital coastal habitats.

Mangrove ecosystems in Southeast Asia region: Mangrove extent, blue carbon potential and CO2 emissions in 1996-2020

This study aimed to analyze mangrove extent (ME), carbon stock, blue carbon potential, and CO2 emission from 1996 to 2020 in Southeast Asia region. The data was obtained through the Global Mangrove Alliance (GMA) on the platform www.globalmangrovewatch.org v.3. Furthermore, ME was analyzed descriptively and the triggers for mangrove land changes in each country were investigated through a relevant literature review. The spatial analysis was conducted for blue carbon potential, while CO2 emission was derived by multiplying net change by emission factor (EF) of mangrove ecosystem. The results showed that the total ME in Southeast Asia was 5.07 million hectares (Mha) in 1996, decreasing to 4.82 Mha by 2020 due to various land uses, primarily shrimp farming. The total carbon stock potential was 2367.68 MtC, while a blue carbon potential was 8682.32 MtCO2-e, consisting of 1304.33 MtCO2-e and 7377.99 MtCO2-e from above-ground and soil carbon. Indonesia contributed 5939.57 MtCO2-e to blue carbon potential, while Singapore and Timor-Leste had the lowest contributions of 1.05 MtCO2-e and 1.37 MtCO2-e, respectively. Carbon stock potential (AGC and SOC) in Southeast Asia was influenced by ME conditions. The relationship between ME and AGC was found to be exponential (AGC = 0.0307e0.8938x; R2 = 0.9331; rME-AGC = 0.9964, P < 0.01). Similarly, ME and SOC, or AGC and SOC showed a relationship where SOC = 0.2e0.8829x (R2 = 0.937, rME-SOC = 0.9965 and rAGC-SOC = 0.9989, P < 0.01). The average CO2-e emission in Southeast Asia reached 17.0760 MtCO2-e yr-1 and the largest were attributed to Indonesia at 16.3817 MtCO2-e yr-1. Meanwhile, Brunei and Timor Leste did not show CO2-e emission as mangrove in these countries absorbed more CO2 from the atmosphere at -0.034 MtCO2-e yr-1 and -0.0002 MtCO2-e yr-1, respectively.

Monospecific mangrove reforestation changes relationship between benthic mollusc diversity and biomass: Implication for coastal wetland management

Anthropogenic causes are overtaking natural factors to reshape patterns of biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. Mangrove reforestation aimed at reversing losses of mangroves has been conducted worldwide for several decades. However, how reforestation influences the link between ecological processes that shape community diversity and the consequent effects on ecosystem functions such as biomass production is less well known. Here we used data collected before and after mangrove planting to examine the effects of reforestation on molluscan species richness and biomass production by testing the changes in species richness, compositional similarities, distance-decay effects (community similarity decreases with increasing geographical distance) in metacommunity across a regional scale of 480 km (23-27 °N) in southeast Chinese coasts. Additionally, we further detected the impact of landscape configuration caused by different intensities of reforestation on the mollusc community. After the mangrove reforestation, mollusc species richness and biomass increased significantly. The increases in species richness and biomass of mollusc community were mediated by reducing distance-decay effect, indicating an increase in relationship strength between species richness and biomass might be associated with a decrease in distance-decay effect with rising mangrove habitat. We highlight the importance of considering the effects of anthropogenic changes on the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. Quantifying the distance-decay effect of these influences enables management decisions about coastal restoration to be based upon ecological mechanisms rather than wishful thinking or superficial appearance.