• Energy Research
• 2025-2025close
• Closed Access close
• GB close
• MY close
• BE close

Over the past billion years, the fungal kingdom has diversified to more than two million species, with over 95% still undescribed. Beyond the well-known macroscopic mushrooms and microscopic yeast, fungi are heterotrophs that feed on almost any organic carbon, recycling nutrients through the decay of dead plants and animals and sequestering carbon into Earth's ecosystems. Human-directed applications of fungi extend from leavened bread, alcoholic beverages and biofuels to pharmaceuticals, including antibiotics and psychoactive compounds. Conversely, fungal infections pose risks to ecosystems ranging from crops to wildlife to humans; these risks are driven, in part, by human and animal movement, and might be accelerating with climate change. Genomic surveys are expanding our knowledge of the true biodiversity of the fungal kingdom, and genome-editing tools make it possible to imagine harnessing these organisms to fuel the bioeconomy. Here, we examine the fungal threats facing civilization and investigate opportunities to use fungi to combat these threats.

The dam and hydropower plant in the Marun basin located in southwestern Iran have faced severe challenges in recent years in providing agricultural irrigation water and domestic electricity due to the adverse effects of climate change and population growth. To overcome these challenges, 11 strategies as water-energy nexus scenarios were discussed. For this purpose, first, the effects of climate change on temperature and precipitation variables were examined in three concentration pathway (RCP) RCP2.6, RCP4.5, and RCP8.5 from fifth report of International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Then, the inflow to the reservoir and the irrigation water required in the future time period were calculated using the artificial neural network and Cropwat models, respectively. The water system was modeled in the water evaluation and planning (WEAP) model, and the energy system was modeled in the low emissions analysis platform (LEAP) model and then coupled with each other. Considering the field situation of the Marun basin, 11 water-energy nexus (WEN) scenarios and nine nexus indexes for evaluating the scenarios were proposed by the expert group. In order to select the best scenario in the future time interval, the ordinal priority approach (OPA) decision-making method integrated with D-number theory was used. The results reveal that the maximum water-energy nexus sustainability index under RCP 2.6, RCP 4.5, and RCP 8.5 scenarios are 31.56, 34.3, and 34.9 for the WEN4 (i.e., reducing the weeds and vegetables cultivation area by 30%), WEN7 (i.e., reduction in the grain maize and vegetables cultivation area each by 5% units and increasing forage crops cultivation area by 10% units), and WEN11 (i.e., decreasing household electricity consumption intensity by 20% throughout increasing electricity tariffs) scenarios, respectively. Also, the results of the OPA method show that the most important index in evaluating the nexus scenarios is the energy sector sustainability index with a weight of 0.142, and the best nexus scenario is the WEN7 scenario with a final weight of 0.189. The comprehensive decision-making process within the comprehensive framework of the water-energy nexus under the impact of climate change, presented in this study, can easily be adopted and applied in other river basins because of verified tools in water and energy, explicit steps, and available initial data.

The Strait of Malacca is well-known as an important trade route with high marine biodiversity. Among the organisms residing in the strait are the reef-building hard corals. Studies have shown that climate change and other anthropogenic stressors have induced severe degradation of coral reefs through the disruption of coral productivity and metabolisms. Moreover, in-depth investigations of causal inference of coral degradation and its correlations with potential coral-affecting physicochemical factors within the strait are limited. Hence, this study presents the analyses of the latest bi-decadal time-series trend from 1995 to 2016 of the live hard coral coverage (or live coral cover) and six coral-affecting physicochemical factors (significant wave height, sea surface salinity, particulate inorganic carbon, particulate organic carbon, turbidity, and sea surface temperature) using remote sensing and reanalysis datasets. Their potential correlations were interpreted by implementing meta- and statistical analyses of past coral surveys and remote sensing data. This study revealed the overall persistent bi-decadal decline in live hard coral coverage within the Strait of Malacca and the complex correlations among the factors that correspond to the spatial stratification of the marine environment. Among the six physicochemical factors, sea surface temperature, turbidity, and sea surface salinity were determined to be the most influential parameters on live coral cover distribution within the strait.

ABSTRACTVariation in climatic conditions is expected to impact the distribution and abundance of herbivore species, which may, in turn, influence African lions (Panthera leo) ranging behaviour. This necessitates proactive management of lion populations, as ecosystems may exhibit site‐specific responses to these variations. Using satellite and GPS‐GSM data from 10 lions collared in three different national parks in Kenya—Meru, Nairobi, and Lake Nakuru—we calculated monthly home ranges and distance moved and studied how these were influenced by rainfall. Across all parks, lions increased their distance moved with an increase in rainfall, and male lions covered larger distances than females. Model comparisons revealed that lions in Lake Nakuru significantly expanded their home ranges with higher rainfall compared to those in Nairobi; however, lions in Nairobi covered larger distances than those in Lake Nakuru. Lions in Meru had larger home ranges compared to the other two parks, but the effect of rainfall on their home range size and movement was not significantly different from the other two parks. Our results give insight into the site‐specific influence of rainfall on lion home range and movement across the parks. We call for prioritisation of conservation efforts and a site‐specific, tailored approach to lion conservation and management.