Ecology

AbstractTo solve the problems of deep mining safety and ground pressure control in Sanshandao gold mine, a novel ground pressure control mode of deep mining in a subsea metal mine was studied by physical model test and numerical simulation analysis. First, the novel ground pressure control mode was studied by physical model test, the surface deformation characteristics of the physical model were observed by the DIC method, and the deformation and damage characteristics of the rock layer were obtained. Then, the numerical simulation analysis of the novel ground pressure control mode was carried out and verified with the results of the physical model test. Finally, the determined ground pressure control model was verified by engineering. The research results show that the physical model has an obvious disturbance to the surrounding area during the excavation process according to the analysis of the strain monitoring points, and the strain value at the monitoring point was maintained at approximately one ten-thousandth. Meanwhile, the stress change reflected by the strain was consistent with the numerical simulation results, confirming the authenticity of the physical model test results. Additionally, the field industrial test shows that the control mode has a good control effect on the high ground stress in the deep subsea metal mining.

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Data availability

The datasets used and analysed during the current study available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
AbbreviationsDIC:
Digital image correlation

L
p
:
the actual quarry size of the project

K
L
:
Geometric ratio

L
m
:
the dimensions of similar material models

(K_{rho})
:
Density similarity ratio

(rho_p)
:
Density of the actual rock mass of the project

(rho_m)
:
Density of similar material

(K_{sigma s})
:
Stress similarity ratio

(rho_p)
:
Stress on the actual rock mass of the project

(rho_m)
:
Stress on similar material model

({sigma _{hbox{max} }})
:
The maximum horizontal principal stress

({sigma _{hbox{min} }})
:
Minimum horizontal principal stress

({sigma _z})
:
Vertical stress
H:
The burial depth of the measurement point

({varepsilon _x})
:
Horizontal strain

({varepsilon _h})
:
Vertical strain

({varepsilon _{hbox{max} }})
:
The maximum principal strain

({varepsilon _{hbox{min} }})
:
The minimum principal strain
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Reprints and permissionsAbout this articleCite this articleLiu, W., Liu, Z., Qiu, J. et al. Research on ground pressure control modes in a subsea mine by physical model test and numerical simulation analysis.
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KeywordsGround pressure controlPhysical model testNumerical simulation analysisSubsea metal mine More

AbstractSoil extracellular enzymes are critical drivers of carbon (C) and nutrient cycling in terrestrial ecosystems. However, the effects of phosphorus (P) additions on soil enzyme activities and stoichiometries, particularly under varying nitrogen (N) addition regimes worldwide, are not well comprehended. Here, we conducted a meta-analysis based on 155 field studies across various ecosystems (forests, croplands and grasslands), which shows that P enrichment conditions enhances C-acquiring enzymes but has no effect on the enzymatic C:N ratio. P addition alone reduces P-acquiring enzymes by 14% without affecting N-acquiring enzymes. In contrast, P combined with N addition boosts N-acquiring enzymes by 21% while leaving P-acquiring enzymes unchanged. Notably, the combined effect of P and N addition on microbial C limitation (assessed via vector length) and enzymatic stoichiometries is less pronounced than that of P addition alone. Key drivers of these responses include mean annual precipitation, soil microbial biomass, and its stoichiometries. These results suggest that N addition mitigates the stoichiometric imbalance and microbial C limitation induced by P addition, potentially promoting soil organic C accumulation. Our findings emphasize the critical need to account for such interactive effects in models predicting soil biogeochemical cycles under future changes in global exogenous N and P inputs.

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Data availability

The data used can be found in Figshare (https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.30737228).
Code availability

R code used can be found in Figshare (https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.30370738).
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Tingting Ren or Honghua Ruan.Ethics declarations

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Reprints and permissionsAbout this articleCite this articleLiu, H., Ren, T., Liao, J. et al. Nitrogen deposition alleviates phosphorus-induced imbalances in soil enzyme stoichiometry.
Commun Earth Environ (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-03115-1Download citationReceived: 16 July 2025Accepted: 08 December 2025Published: 23 December 2025DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-03115-1Share this articleAnyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:Get shareable linkSorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.Copy shareable link to clipboard
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AbstractSoutheastern China is pivotal for understanding tropical cyclone (TC) behavior in the Northwest Pacific, the most active TC basin on Earth. However, short instrumental records limit our knowledge of past tropical cyclone precipitation (TCP) and its response to human-driven warming. Here we combine multi-year monitoring of xylem cell formation with a process-based tree growth model to demonstrate that latewood width in coastal conifers is an effective proxy for TCP. We build a latewood chronology from the western Taiwan Strait and reconstruct July-September TCP from 1846 to 2020, explaining 62.6% of observed variance. The reconstruction reveals a marked increase in interannual TCP variability since the 1940s, closely associated with enhanced variability of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation. This work provides physiological evidence linking TCP to intra-annual tree-ring dynamics and establishes tree rings as a proxy for high-resolution TC reconstructions and climate risk assessment across the Pacific Rim.

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The tropical cyclone precipitation reconstruction data can be downloaded at https://zenodo.org/records/16990266, https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.16990266.
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Download referencesAcknowledgementsWe acknowledge the support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (42425101 and 42301058), and Fujian Institute for Cross-Straits Integrated Development (LARH24JBO7). JA was supported by the research Grant 23-05272S of the Czech Science Foundation and long-term research development project No. RVO 67985939 of the Czech Academy of Sciences. The authors thank A. Garside for editing the English text.Author informationAuthors and AffiliationsKey Laboratory of Humid Subtropical Eco-Geographical Process (Ministry of Education), College of Geographical Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, ChinaChunsong Wang, Keyan Fang, Feifei Zhou, Jiani Gao, Jane Liu, Zhipeng Dong, Shuheng Lin, Hao Wu & Zepeng MeiDépartement des Sciences Fondamentales, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, Boulevard de l’Université Chicoutimi, Chicoutimi, QC, CanadaChunsong Wang & Sergio RossiDepartment of Geography and Planning, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, CanadaJane LiuCentro de Investigaciones sobre Desertificación, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CIDE, CSIC-UV-Generalitat Valenciana), Climate, Atmosphere and Ocean Laboratory (Climatoc-Lab), Moncada, Valencia, SpainCesar Azorin-MolinaInstituto Pirenaico de Ecología (IPE-CSIC), Zaragoza, SpainJ. Julio CamareroSchool of Science, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Beijing, ChinaPengcheng WuState Key Laboratory of Nuclear Resources and Environment, East China University of Technology, Nanchang, ChinaHao WuRegional Climate Group, Department of Earth Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, SwedenHans W. LinderholmInstitute of Botany, Czech Academy of Sciences, Třeboň, Czech RepublicJan AltmanFaculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech RepublicJan AltmanAuthorsChunsong WangView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarKeyan FangView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarFeifei ZhouView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarJiani GaoView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarSergio RossiView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarJane LiuView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarZhipeng DongView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarCesar Azorin-MolinaView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarShuheng LinView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarJ. Julio CamareroView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarPengcheng WuView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarHao WuView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarHans W. LinderholmView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarZepeng MeiView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarJan AltmanView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarContributionsConceptualization: C.W., K.F., and F.Z. Methodology: C.W., K.F., F.Z., P.W., H.W., and Z.M. Investigation: C.W., F.Z., Z.D. Visualization: K.F., J.G., S.R., and J.A. Funding acquisition: K.F., J.G., and J.A. Project administration: K.F. Supervision: K.F., J.G., S.R., and J.A. Writing— original draft: C.W. and K.F. Writing—review and editing: K.F., S.R., J.L., C.A.-M., S.L., J.J.C., H.W.L., and J.A.Corresponding authorCorrespondence to
Keyan Fang.Ethics declarations

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Communications Earth and Environment thanks Justin Maxwell and the other anonymous reviewer(s) for their contribution to the peer review of this work. Primary handling editors: Yiming Wang and Somaparna Ghosh [A peer review file is available].

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Reprints and permissionsAbout this articleCite this articleWang, C., Fang, K., Zhou, F. et al. Enhanced tropical cyclone precipitation variability is linked to Pacific Decadal Oscillation since the 1940s.
Commun Earth Environ (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-03129-9Download citationReceived: 13 July 2025Accepted: 11 December 2025Published: 22 December 2025DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-03129-9Share this articleAnyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:Get shareable linkSorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.Copy shareable link to clipboard
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AbstractTropical Indian Ocean warming has intensified under greenhouse forcing, yet its influence on North American terrestrial and agricultural productivity remains poorly understood. Here we show that summer tropical Indian Ocean warming is linked to widespread drying and reduced gross primary productivity across North America. Observations and model simulations reveal that tropical Indian Ocean-induced atmospheric heating excites stationary Rossby wave trains, which establish a high-pressure ridge over western North America and suppresses moisture transport into the continent. This leads to reduced precipitation and soil moisture, leading to 10-20% reductions in terrestrial productivity and crop yields. The relationship persists after excluding El Niño–Southern Oscillation years and is reproduced in multiple climate models, showing robust teleconnection processes. These results highlight a previously underappreciated pathway through which tropical Indian Ocean warming can weaken the North American land carbon sink under future climate change.

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Data availability

All observed data used in this study are publicly available (https://psl.noaa.gov/data/gridded/ data.20thC_ReanV3.html; https://psl.noaa.gov/data/gridded/data.noaa.ersst.v5.html). The data can be downloaded from https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.30813968.
Code availability

The codes used in this study can be downloaded here: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.30813968.
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Download referencesAcknowledgementsY.-M.Y. is supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea(NRF) grant funded by the Korea government (MSIT) (No. RS-2025-23524302 and RS-2024-00416848).Author informationAuthors and AffiliationsDepartment of Environment & Energy/ School of Civil, Environmental, Resources and Energy Engineering/Soil Environment Research Center, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju, Republic of KoreaYoung-Min YangDivision of Environmental Science and Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, Republic of KoreaJae-Heung ParkDepartment of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Republic of KoreaJinsoo KimDepartment of Atmospheric Sciences and Irreversible Climate Change Research Center, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of KoreaSoon-Il AnDepartment Marine Sciences and Convergent Technology, Hanyang University, Ansan, Republic of KoreaSang-Wook YehDepartment of Atmospheric Sciences and International Pacific Research Center, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, USABin WangAuthorsYoung-Min YangView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarJae-Heung ParkView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarJinsoo KimView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarSoon-Il AnView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarSang-Wook YehView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarBin WangView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarContributionsY.-M.Y., S.-I.A., and B.W. conceived the idea. Y.-M.Y. performed the model experiments and analyses. S.-I.A., Y.-M.Y., S.-W.Y., B.W., J.-H.P., and J.K. wrote the manuscript. All authors provided critical feedback and helped shape the research, analysis, and manuscript.Corresponding authorCorrespondence to
Young-Min Yang.Ethics declarations

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Communications Earth and Environment thanks the anonymous reviewers for their contribution to the peer review of this work. Primary handling editors: Jinfeng Chang, Somaparna Ghosh, and Aliénor Lavergne [A peer review file is available].

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Commun Earth Environ (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-03126-yDownload citationReceived: 30 May 2025Accepted: 10 December 2025Published: 22 December 2025DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-03126-yShare this articleAnyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:Get shareable linkSorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.Copy shareable link to clipboard
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AbstractInvasive Aedes mosquitoes are major vectors of arboviral diseases such as dengue, Zika, and chikungunya, posing an increasing threat to global public health. Their recent geographic expansion calls for predictive models to simulate population dynamics and transmission risk. Temperature is a key driver in these models, influencing traits that affect vector competence. Numerous datasets on temperature-dependent traits exist for Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus, though they are scattered, inconsistent, and difficult to synthesise. For emerging species like Aedes japonicus and Aedes koreicus, such datasets are scarce. To address these gaps, we developed AedesTraits, an open-access, machine-readable dataset aligned with VecTraits standards. It compiles and systematises experimental data on temperature-dependent traits across these four Aedes species, covering life-history, morphological, physiological, and behavioural traits. Our synthesis highlights existing knowledge gaps and identifies under-studied species and traits. By promoting data systematisation and accessibility, AedesTraits supports Aedes–borne disease modelling and fosters international collaboration in the development of forecasting tools for arbovirus outbreaks.

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Data availability

AedesTraits is permanently archived in a Zenodo repository (https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15149903). In addition, AedesTraits is also deposited in and available for download from the VecTraits database30.
Code availability

No custom code was used to create this dataset.
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Download referencesAcknowledgementsDaniele Da Re was supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions – Postdoctoral fellowship Nr. 101106664. Veronica Andreo and Tomas San Miguel were supported by Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica, Argentina (PICT Nr. 00372-2021). Paul Huxley, Joe Harrison, Sean Sorek and Leah Johnson were funded by NSF DBI #2016264 and NSF DMS/DEB #1750113. Marharyta Blaha and Roberto Rosà were funded by the Italian research grant PRIN “MosqIT” funding. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Commission. The authors thank Dr Eisen for kindly providing access to the raw data of his publication and also thank Lauren Chapman, Thomas Byrne, and Wills McGraw for the datasets that they worked on.Author informationAuthor notesThese authors contributed equally: Daniele Da Re, Veronica Andreo.Authors and AffiliationsResearch and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, S. Michele all’Adige, ItalyDaniele Da Re & Annapaola RizzoliCenter Agriculture Food Environment, University of Trento, S. Michele all’Adige, ItalyDaniele Da Re, Margo Blaha & Roberto RosàGulich Institute. Argentinian Space Agency (CONAE) and National University of Córdoba, Falda del Cañete, ArgentinaVeronica Andreo & Tomas Valentin San MiguelNational Council of Scientific and Technological Research, CONICET, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires (CABA), ArgentinaVeronica Andreo & Tomas Valentin San MiguelDepartment of Statistics, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, USAJoe Harrison, Sean Sorek, Leah R. Johnson & Paul J. HuxleyDepartment of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Imperial College London, London, UKPaul J. HuxleyAuthorsDaniele Da ReView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarVeronica AndreoView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarTomas Valentin San MiguelView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarMargo BlahaView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarRoberto RosàView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarAnnapaola RizzoliView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarJoe HarrisonView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarSean SorekView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarLeah R. JohnsonView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarPaul J. HuxleyView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarContributionsDaniele Da Re, Veronica Andreo and Paul Huxley conceived the study; Paul Huxley led the literature review and digitisation efforts, with relevant contributions from Daniele Da Re, Veronica Andreo, Tomas San Miguel, Marharyta Blaha, Joe Harrison and Sean Sorek; Paul Huxley reviewed all the digitised information, ensuring that it adhered to the VecTraits standards. Daniele Da Re and Veronica Andreo performed the summary analyses of the dataset; Daniele Da Re led the writing of the manuscript, with relevant contributions from Veronica Andreo and Paul Huxley. All authors contributed critically to the drafts and gave their final approval for publication.Corresponding authorsCorrespondence to
Daniele Da Re or Paul J. Huxley.Ethics declarations

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The authors declare no competing interests.

Additional informationPublisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.Rights and permissions
Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License, which permits any non-commercial use, sharing, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if you modified the licensed material. You do not have permission under this licence to share adapted material derived from this article or parts of it. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/.
Reprints and permissionsAbout this articleCite this articleDa Re, D., Andreo, V., San Miguel, T.V. et al. AedesTraits: A global dataset of temperature–dependent trait responses in Aedes mosquitoes.
Sci Data (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-025-06461-zDownload citationReceived: 10 April 2025Accepted: 11 December 2025Published: 22 December 2025DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-025-06461-zShare this articleAnyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:Get shareable linkSorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.Copy shareable link to clipboard
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AbstractOpuntia ficus-indica (L.), a cactus, a critical crop in Morocco, has been severely damaged by Dactylopius opuntiae since its introduction in 2014. This study evaluated the insecticidal and preventive effects of kaolin clay against D. opuntiae females and nymphs under laboratory and field conditions and assessed its impact on the physiological parameters of health and wettability of cactus cladodes. Laboratory cage experiments revealed that Kaolin-treated cladodes (30 g/L) had significantly fewer colonies (3.67) than water-treated controls (7.33) after 42 days, with stable evolution up to 60 days. Choice tests showed more nymphs on untreated cladodes (7) than on treated ones (3) after one day. No-choice tests revealed significantly higher nymph mortality on kaolin-treated cladodes (75 dead nymphs) compared to controls (21) by day 44. Field trials supported these findings, with treated cladodes showing only 16 colonies after 40 days compared to 35 on untreated ones. Kaolin also induced direct insecticidal activity, causing 62% and 74% nymph mortality three days after application at 30 g/L and 60 g/L, respectively. Female mortality reached 32% after five days at the double dose. In addition, Kaolin preserved greener cladodes with darker tissues, and higher chlorophyll levels, while infested cladodes showed chlorophyll loss and lighter color. Kaolin also transformed cladode surfaces from hydrophobic (contact angle: 111.11°) to hydrophilic (contact angle: 67°) after one day, with a decrease to 57° after 21 days. These results highlight the potential of Kaolin as a preventive control without affecting cactus quality.

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Data availability

The data is available on request from the corresponding author, Chaimae Ramdani (CR).
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Download referencesAcknowledgementsThe authors sincerely thank Mr. Ismail Bennani from the UM6P core lab for their electron microscopy service. We also want to thank the cactus growers in Marchouch and Berrechid regions for helping with fieldwork and UM6P for funding this research.Author informationAuthor notesThese authors contributed equally: Chaimae Ramdani and Karim El Fakhouri.Authors and AffiliationsAgroBioSciences Program, College of Agriculture and Environmental Science, Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, Lot 660, Hay Moulay Rachid, 43150, Ben Guerir, MoroccoChaimae Ramdani, Karim El Fakhouri, Asma Tika, Mohamed Amine Sadeq, Oumaima Moustaid, Noamane Taarji & Mustapha El BouhssiniAuthorsChaimae RamdaniView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarKarim El FakhouriView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarAsma TikaView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarMohamed Amine SadeqView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarOumaima MoustaidView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarNoamane TaarjiView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarMustapha El BouhssiniView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarContributionsCR, KEF, MEB conceived and designed research. CR, AT and MAS conducted experiments. KEF, NT, OM and AT analyzed data. CR, KEF, AT, and NT wrote the manuscript. MEB, NT and OM review of the article. All authors read and approved the manuscript.Corresponding authorCorrespondence to
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Reprints and permissionsAbout this articleCite this articleRamdani, C., El Fakhouri, K., Tika, A. et al. Kaolin particle film repellent effect against the wild cochineal Dactylopius opuntiae and its impact on cactus pear health.
Sci Rep (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-33560-zDownload citationReceived: 12 May 2025Accepted: 19 December 2025Published: 22 December 2025DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-33560-zShare this articleAnyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:Get shareable linkSorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.Copy shareable link to clipboard
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KeywordsWild cochinealCactusKaolinPreventive approachSurface wettabilitySupplementary Material 1Supplementary Material 2Supplementary Material 3 More

AbstractBird–ant interactions are diverse but rarely tested experimentally, limiting their integration into ecological theory. One hypothesized but unverified benefit is ant-mediated parasite control in bird nests. Here, we present the first experimental evidence supporting this hypothesis in a wild system involving house sparrows (Passer domesticus), arboreal ants (Crematogaster scutellaris), and blood-feeding mites (Pellonyssus reedi). Using field ant-exclusion experiments, we show that ant presence reduces mite abundance and enhances chick growth early in the breeding season, but has detrimental effects later. Nestlings in ant-excluded nests also show consistently higher H/L ratios, indicating greater physiological stress. Structural equation modeling reveals that ant effects on nestling condition are indirect and mediated by mite load. Our findings provide the first causal demonstration of ant-mediated parasite suppression in birds, revealing that the outcome of this interaction is highly context-dependent. This work underscores the dynamic nature of species interactions and highlights overlooked ecological roles of ants in avian systems.

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Data availability

Raw data for analyses and figures are available in Zenodo at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15721917. All other data are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
Code availability

Codes for analyses and figures are available in Zenodo at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15721917.
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Download referencesAcknowledgementsWe are deeply grateful to Carmen González, Agustín Villar, María Vizcaíno, and the technical staff at CYCITEX for their invaluable support in facilitating this research at the Valdesequera experimental farm. We also thank three anonymous referees for their constructive comments. Our research was funded by the Spanish National Research Plan project PID2020-119576GB-I00. Angela Salido was funded by a predoctoral grant of the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (PRE2021-099966).Author informationAuthors and AffiliationsDepartamento de Ecología Funcional y Evolutiva, EEZA-CSIC, Almería, SpainJesús M. Avilés, Ángela Salido & Deseada ParejoUnidad Asociada CSIC-UNEX Ecología del Antropoceno, Badajoz, SpainJesús M. Avilés & Deseada ParejoDepartamento de Botánica, Ecología y Fisiología Vegetal, Universidad de Córdoba, Córdoba, EspañaÁngela Salido & Joaquín L. Reyes-LópezAuthorsJesús M. AvilésView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarÁngela SalidoView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarJoaquín L. Reyes-LópezView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarDeseada ParejoView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarContributionsJ.M.A., J.L.R.L., and D.P. conceived the original idea. J.M.A., A.S., and D.P. curated the data. J.M.A. did the analyses and wrote the first draft, and all authors reviewed and edited the manuscript.Corresponding authorCorrespondence to
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Reprints and permissionsAbout this articleCite this articleAvilés, J.M., Salido, Á., Reyes-López, J.L. et al. Phenology modulates the top-down control of ants on bird ectoparasites: from mutualism to antagonism.
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AbstractMeiofauna are minute organisms that dominate the ‘small food web’—communities which, in modern sediments, play a key role in ecosystem functioning through benthic–pelagic coupling and carbon drawdown. Despite their importance today, the ecological contribution of such communities in ancient settings remains poorly understood, largely due to the sparse and fragmentary nature of their fossil record. Here we document trace fossils of a meiofaunal ecosystem that flourished in the immediate aftermath of the end-Ordovician extinction event, preserved in the Soom Shale Lagerstätte, South Africa. Micro computed tomography scanning reveals three-dimensionally preserved ichnofossils including two burrow/trail morphotypes and microcoprolites that are attributed to a low-diversity meiofaunal benthic community, dominated by nematodes and foraminifera. The ichnofossils consistently occur within fossilized marine-snow-bearing beds, where there is a clear pattern in their distribution and frequency of occurrence. This pattern mirrors behavioural responses of meiofauna to fluxes in delivery of organic matter to the sea floor recorded in modern oxygen-limited marine environments. The Soom Shale assemblage provides a remarkable insight into, not only one of the oldest meiofaunal trace-fossil records, but also the earliest account of an ancient behavioural response to episodic phytoplankton blooms.

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Fig. 1: Location map and geological context.Fig. 2: Fossilized marine snow, otherwise known as organomineralic aggregates (OMA), preserved within facies 1.Fig. 3: Trace fossils and polyframboid-filled endocasts of benthic foraminifera.Fig. 4: Occurrence and distribution patterns of trace fossils and OMAs within distinct laminae.Fig. 5: A modern analogue for interpreting Soom meiofaunal trace fossils and OMAs.

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Data availability

The trace-fossil measurements and simplified borehole log are available via figshare at https://doi.org/10.25375/uct.30136477.v1 (ref. 73). The supplementary μCT scan dataset is available via figshare at https://doi.org/10.25375/uct.30112654.v1 (ref. 74) and is available under restricted access as per the Iziko South African Museum standard operating procedures. These data may be obtained from the lead author upon reasonable request. The borehole core containing in situ trace fossils is held at the Iziko South African Museum.
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Download referencesAcknowledgementsThis work was supported by the following funding agencies: National Research Foundation, South Africa through the Thuthuka grant 121894 and African Origins Platform AOP240326210874 (C.B. and E.M.B.); Iziko Museums of South Africa (C.B.); The Council for Geoscience (C.B.); National Geographic grant GEFNE90-13 (S.E.G. and C.B.); the European Union (A.E.A. and A.M.) and La Région Nouvelle Aquitaine (A.E.A. and A.M.); Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Discovery grants 311727–20 (M.G.M.) and 422931-20/25 (L.A.B.); George J. McLeod Enhancement Chair in Geology (M.G.M.). We also acknowledge the PLATINA platform of the IC2MP Institute (University of Poitiers) and the Central Analytical Facility (CAF), Stellenbosch University, for access to µCT scanners. We further thank M. Tshibalanganda, A. du Plessis, S. Le Roux and L. Coetzer for their technical assistance and support at the CAF and we gratefully acknowledge the du Plessis family at Holfontein for granting land access.Author informationAuthors and AffiliationsIziko South African Museum, Cape Town, South AfricaClaire BrowningDepartment of Geological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South AfricaClaire Browning & Emese M. BordySchool of Geography, Geology and Environment, University of Leicester, Leicester, UKSarah E. GabbottDepartment of Geological Sciences, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, CanadaM. Gabriela Mángano & Luis A. BuatoisUniversity of Poitiers, CNRS, Institut de Chimie des Milieux et Matériaux de Poitiers-IC2MP, Poitiers, FranceAbderrazak El Albani & Arnaud MazurierAuthorsClaire BrowningView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarSarah E. GabbottView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarM. Gabriela MánganoView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarLuis A. BuatoisView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarAbderrazak El AlbaniView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarArnaud MazurierView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarEmese M. BordyView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarContributionsC.B., S.E.G. and E.M.B. conceptualized and designed the study. C.B., A.E.A. and A.M. scanned the trace fossils and visualized the scan data. C.B. and S.E.G. performed the petrographic analysis. C.B. and A.M. produced illustrations and figures. C.B., S.E.G., M.G.M., L.A.B. and E.M.B. performed the ichnological analysis and description. C.B. wrote the first draft of the paper and all authors contributed to writing, editing and approval of the final paper.Corresponding authorsCorrespondence to
Claire Browning or Sarah E. Gabbott.Ethics declarations

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Nature Ecology & Evolution thanks Anette E. S. Högström, Renata Netto and the other, anonymous, reviewer(s) for their contribution to the peer review of this work. Peer reviewer reports are available.

Additional informationPublisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.Supplementary informationSupplementary InformationSupplementary Figs. 1–6, Discussions and References.Reporting SummaryPeer Review FileRights and permissionsSpringer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.Reprints and permissionsAbout this articleCite this articleBrowning, C., Gabbott, S.E., Mángano, M.G. et al. Marine snow fuels an opportunistic small food web in the Late Ordovician Soom Shale Lagerstätte.
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