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Abstract Aims Incorporating biofertilizers, such as arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal (AM) fungal inoculants, into vineyard management practices may enhance vine growth and reduce environmental impact. Here, we evaluate the effects of commercially available and local AM fungal inoculants on the growth, root colonization, and nutrient uptake of wine grapes (Vitis vinifera) when planted in a field soil substrate. Methods and results In a greenhouse experiment, young wine grapes were planted in a field soil substrate and inoculated with one of three commercially available mycorrhizal inoculant products, or one of two locally collected whole soil inoculants. After 4 months of growth, inoculated vines showed no differences in plant biomass, colonization of roots by AM fungi, or foliar macronutrient concentrations compared to uninoculated field soil substrate. However, vines grown with local inoculants had greater shoot biomass than vines grown with mycorrhizal inoculant products. Conclusions Although effects from inoculations with AM fungi varied by inoculant type and source, inoculations may not improve young vine performance in field soils with a resident microbial community.

An amorphous WO3 induced lattice distortion strategy leads to only 2 wt% Ir for efficient overall water splitting in acid.

Achievement of sustainable development in light of ongoing climate change and biodiversity pressures benefits from the deployment of innovations that foster engagement and uptake across all levels, mobilises finance flows commencement to the scale of the challenge, and enables the dissemination of transition solutions that support the low carbon economy. This research investigates the relationship between the legal architecture of market mechanisms under international law and the role of private actors, and how this contributes to sustainable development. Through an exploration of how market mechanisms under the climate change and biodiversity regimes have achieved environmentally sound outcomes, been advanced in sectoral approaches, and facilitated via bilateral and multilateral trade and investment relationships, important insights are identified regarding the composition of effective law and governance architectural approaches. Leveraging experiences derived from treaty practice viewed through an interactional account of international law, this assessment elucidates the important role played by alignment of legal regimes, robust transparency measures, and complementary schemes such as stakeholder-endorsed certifications in buttressing the established measures to ensure sustainable development outcomes and contributes to understanding the role of private actors in the operationalisation of environmental agreements. Research findings suggest it is the interaction of norms across the international legal architecture, informed by relationships within and across relevant treaty systems and the general corpus of international law, and actualised through engagement with private actors as a component of market mechanisms that provides the opportunity for congruence of practice, forging of shared understandings, and normative internalisation and ownership among communities of practice that stimulates both innovative solutions and ambitious action.

ABSTRACTIntraguild interactions among carnivores have long held the fascination of ecologists. Ranging from competition to facilitation and coexistence, these interactions and their complex interplay influence everything from species persistence to ecosystem functioning. Yet, the patterns and pathways of such interactions are far from understood in tropical forest systems, particularly across countries in the Global South. Here, we examined the determinants and consequences of competitive interactions between dholes Cuon alpinus and the two large felids (leopards Panthera pardus and tigers Panthera tigris) with which they most commonly co‐occur across Asia. Using a combination of traditional and novel data sources (N = 118), we integrate information from spatial, temporal, and dietary niche dimensions. These three species have faced catastrophic declines in their extent of co‐occurrence over the past century; most of their source populations are now confined to Protected Areas. Analysis of dyadic interactions between species pairs showed a clear social hierarchy. Tigers were dominant over dholes, although pack strength in dholes helped ameliorate some of these effects; leopards were subordinate to dholes. Population‐level spatio‐temporal interactions assessed at 25 locations across Asia did not show a clear pattern of overlap or avoidance between species pairs. Diet‐profile assessments indicated that wild ungulate biomass consumption by tigers was highest, while leopards consumed more primate and livestock prey as compared to their co‐predators. In terms of prey offtake (ratio of wild prey biomass consumed to biomass available), the three species together harvested 0.4–30.2% of available prey, with the highest offtake recorded from the location where the carnivores reach very high densities. When re‐examined in the context of prey availability and offtake, locations with low wild prey availability showed spatial avoidance and temporal overlap among the carnivore pairs, and locations with high wild prey availability showed spatial overlap and temporal segregation. Based on these observations, we make predictions for 40 Protected Areas in India where temporally synchronous estimates of predator and prey densities are available. We expect that low prey availability will lead to higher competition, and in extreme cases, to the complete exclusion of one or more species. In Protected Areas with high prey availability, we expect intraguild coexistence and conspecific competition among carnivores, with spill‐over to forest‐edge habitats and subsequent prey‐switching to livestock. We stress that dhole–leopard–tiger co‐occurrence across their range is facilitated through an intricate yet fragile balance between prey availability, and intraguild and conspecific competition. Data gaps and limitations notwithstanding, our study shows how insights from fundamental ecology can be of immense utility for applied aspects like large predator conservation and management of human–carnivore interactions. Our findings also highlight potential avenues for future research on tropical carnivores that can broaden current understanding of intraguild competition in forest systems of Asia and beyond.

This chapter provides an overview of the basic characteristics and methods of using wind energy, biomass, and geothermal sources to generate electricity. The potential for using wind energy was considered, as well as the existing capacities in Serbia. The complete wind generator system is technically described, from the mechanical conversion of wind energy, electromechanical conversion in electric generators to power conversion, and adaptation to the requirements of the electrical network. After a general description of biomass potential, atten tion is focused on types of bio-energy, which are suitable for use in systems for electricity generation (biogas, pellets). A description of the complete plant, operation characteristics, and the situations in the World and Serbia are given. For geothermal sources, a brief overview of the potential, history, globally installed capacitances, and methods for conversion into electricity is given. The possibilities of their usage for production of electrical energy in Serbia are discussed. У овом поглављу дат је преглед основних карактеристика и начина коришћења енергије ветра, биомасе и геотермалних извора за добијање електричне енергије. Размотрен је потенцијал за коришћење енергије ветра, као и постојећи капацитети у свету и Србији. Технички је описан комплетан систем ветрогенератора, од механичког претварања енергије ветра у ветротурбини, електромеханичке конверзије у електричним генераторима до електричног претварања и прилагођења захтевима електро мреже. После општег описа потенцијала биомасе, пажња је усмерена на био-енергенте, који су погодни за коришћење у системима за генерисање електричне енергије (биогас, пелет). Дат је опис комплетног погона био електране, карактеристике рада и стање инсталисаних капацитета у свету и Србији. За геотермалне изворе (геотермалну енергију) дат је кратак преглед потенцијала, историјата, инсталисаних капацитета у свету и метода претварања у електричну енергију. Размотрене су могућности њиховог коришћења за генерисање електричне енергије у Србији. Посебна издања ; књ. 707. Одељење техничких наука ; књ. 42