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This study employed Forward Regression Analysis and Hierarchical Regression Analysis to explore the connection between ecological literacy, ecological regulations, ecological awareness, ecological education, and the Sustainability Mindset. The study participants were higher education students from Pune who had received environmental education and could provide information on their ecological education, literacy, awareness, regulation, and sustainability mindset. The results indicate that elements such as knowledge levels among individuals and communities, alongside policies implemented for environmental protection measures and public awareness campaigns, coupled with educational endeavours, collectively account for a significant portion of the variations observed in fostering sustainable attitudes and behaviours. Ecological knowledge has become increasingly crucial in promoting development beyond the environment. Experts have emphasized the importance of understanding how these factors are interconnected. This study’s findings have several implications. It could help shape tailored educational initiatives and policies that support sustainable growth. Moreover, the valuable insights from this research could greatly benefit decision makers and academics dedicated to enhancing sustainability. The results revealed that the strongest predictor of a Sustainability Mindset is Ecological literacy, followed by ecological regulations, ecological awareness, and ecological education. All four independent variables were significant predictors of Sustainability Mindset. This study remains a rich area for future exploration in education and sustainable development, with important implications for policymakers and sustainability professionals.

Cereal plants in natural ecological systems are often either sequentially or simultaneously attacked by different species of aphids, which significantly decreases the quality and quantity of harvested grain. The severity of the damage is potentially aggravated by microbes associated with the aphids or the coexistence of other fungal pathogens. Although chemical control and the use of cultivars with single-gene-based antibiosis resistance could effectively suppress grain aphid populations, this method has accelerated the development of insecticide resistance and resulted in pest resurgence. Therefore, it is important that effective and environmentally friendly pest management measures to control the damage done by grain aphids to cereals in agricultural ecosystems be developed and promoted. In recent decades, extensive studies have typically focused on further understanding the relationship between crops and aphids, which has greatly contributed to the establishment of sustainable pest management approaches. This review discusses recent advances and challenges related to the control of grain aphids in agricultural production. Current knowledge and ongoing research show that the integration of the large-scale cultivation of aphid-resistant wheat cultivars with agricultural and/or other management practices will be the most prevalent and economically important management strategy for wheat aphid control.

Hydrological processes play a key role in ecosystem stability in arid regions. The operation of water conservancy projects leads to changes in the natural hydrological processes, thereby damaging the ecosystem balance. Ecological regulation is an effective non-engineering measure to relieve the influence of water conservancy projects on ecosystems. However, there are still some problems, such as an insufficient understanding of hydraulic processes and difficulty evaluating the application effects. In this study, the theory of ecological reservoir regulation coupled with hydrological and ecological processes was examined and ecological protection and remediation were investigated using the valley forests and grasslands in the Irtysh River Basin as a case study. The results demonstrated that (1) to meet the demand of the hydrological processes in the valley forests and grasslands, in terms of ecological regulation, the peak flow and flood peak duration of the reservoir, named 635, in the Irtysh River Basin should be 1000 m3 s−1 and 168 h, respectively, and the total water volume of ecological regulation should be 605 million m³. Ecological regulation can guarantee that the floodplain range reaches 64.3% of the core area of ecological regulation and the inundation duration in most areas is between 4–8 d; (2) an insufficient ecological water supply would seriously affect the inundation effects. The inundation areas were reduced by 2.8, 5.1, 10.3, and 19.3%, respectively, under the four insufficient ecological water supply conditions (528, 482, 398, and 301 million m3), and the inundation duration showed a general decreasing trend; (3) the construction of ecological sluices and the optimization of the reservoir regulation rules could effectively relieve the influences of an insufficient ecological water supply. At water supply volumes of 528 and 482 million m3, the regulation rules should assign priority to the flood peak flow; at water supply volumes of 398 and 301 million m3, the regulation rules should assign priority to the flood peak duration. Consequently, this study provides a reference for ecological protection in arid regions and the optimization of ecological regulation theories.

Arid and semi-arid regions in Northwest China face critical challenges related to soil moisture retention, land degradation, and ecological sustainability. Mulching has been widely applied as an effective soil and water conservation practice. This review summarizes recent research on the effects of different mulching techniques on soil water regulation and ecological functions in these water-scarce regions. Based on a synthesis of domestic and international literature in the past two decades, this review categorizes mulching types-including straw mulch, plastic film mulch, gravel mulch, and biodegradable alternatives-and analyzes their impacts on soil moisture dynamics, temperature regulation, salinity control, and soil fertility. Additionally, it analyzes their role in improving crop productivity and enhancing ecosystem resilience. Mulching significantly improves soil water-holding capacity, reduces evaporation, and promotes stable crop growth. Straw and biodegradable mulches are more ecologically sustainable than plastic film mulches, which, despite their high water retention efficiency, can cause long-term soil degradation and environmental pollution. Gravel mulching, a traditional technique in Northwest China, shows strong performance in reducing surface runoff and preserving soil structure but may be limited by material availability and labor intensity. Mulching plays a key role in improving water-use efficiency and ecological conditions in arid areas of Northwest China. Selection of mulching type should be adapted to local environmental and socio-economic conditions. Future research should focus on the development of sustainable and environmentally friendly mulching materials, as well as long-term field monitoring to assess ecological impacts.

Methodological aspects of assessing harmful impacts on the natural environment are presented, aimed at determining the indicator of ecosystem stability. The use of such an indicator makes it possible to determine environmental changes as a result of anthropogenic activity, as well as to determine the significance of these changes. A system is presented that systematizes the variety of consequences of anthropogenic impact on CLS. A qualitative scale of reducing harmful anthropogenic impact is proposed. It is proposed to conduct assessment of the categories of significance of harmful effects and ecological risk on the basis of a comprehensive evaluation of impacts on individual storeys and subsystems in the compartment from different sources of influence, taking into account their magnitude and intensity. The corresponding scales, a way of complex formation, categories of impact significance have been developed; also, an example of constructing an environmental risk matrix has been presented.

This paper is focused on the evaluation of the implementation of landscape ecological documents in spatial planning processes in Slovakia. The implementation of landscape ecological regulations in spatial planning is a necessary condition for ensuring sustainable land use. The basic tools in Slovakia can be considered the landscape ecological plan and the territorial system of ecological stability, which are also enshrined in legislation. The landscape ecological plan is more complex. It represents a complex process of mutual coordination of the spatial requirements of human activities with the landscape ecological conditions of the territory. This paper presents the position of landscape ecological planning in legislation, presents basic theoretical and methodological approaches to the processing of landscape ecological documentation, barriers to the successful implementation in real practice, and also defines basic measures to improve the situation. Slovakia has a good theoretical and methodological basis for processing landscape ecological studies and also legislative support, but its implementation in real practice in spatial development is weaker. The specifics and strength of landscape ecological planning in Slovakia are the bridging of the sectoral approach to landscape management and its replacement with an integrated approach.

The occurrence of forest pests and diseases is synergistically driven by stand factors (canopy closure, stand density, DBH, etc.) and site factors (elevation, soil type, slope aspect, etc.). To evaluate the effect grade of site factors on the degree of occurrence of specific forest pests and diseases after their interaction with stand factors, and to further determine the infestation severity of specific pests and diseases in stands established on suitable forestlands post-afforestation, a novel forest pest–disease base index model is defined based on the fundamental principles governing the occurrence of forest pests and diseases in specific pure forest stands. The model mandates the selection of pure forest ecosystems and the establishment of standard plots, within which a comprehensive survey of all site factors, stand factors, and target pest and disease incidence is conducted. Through methods such as stepwise regression analysis, key stand factors that influence forest pest and disease occurrence are identified, and a functional relationship between these factors and the forest pest–disease index is established. The optimal model, known as the principal curve, is obtained by relating the key stand factors to the pest–disease index. By proportionally stretching this principal curve, a series of forest pest–disease base index curves, namely the forest pest–disease base index model, is generated. These curves represent different pest–disease base index levels from bottom to top, corresponding to different grades of site effects on forest pest and disease occurrence. Furthermore, a model linking the pest–disease base index and site factors is established to evaluate the potential occurrence of pests and diseases in suitable forestlands. Applied to pure Pinus densiflora stands in Kunyu Mountain, this model quantitatively assesses the grade of site effects on the degree of occurrence of P. densiflora blight and Cephalcia kunyushanica, thereby verifying feasibility and practical applicability. It not only provides theoretical and technical support for pest and disease prediction prior to artificial forest establishment and the determination of infestation severity in post-afforestation stands but also improves ecological regulation methods for forest harmful organisms.

Lygus pratensis (Linnaeus) (Hemiptera: Miridae) is an agricultural pest widely distributed across Europe, China, North Africa, the Middle East, and India. The population of L. pratensis has increased in recent years due to the prolonged reproductive period, high productivity, and strong adaptability of adult L. pratensis, along with other factors such as changes in crop planting schemes. It significantly damages cotton production and adversely affects commercial crops such as alfalfa and fruit trees. Recent studies on the interrelationship between landscape features and pest management have provided new insights for controlling L. pratensis. This paper primarily reviews multiple aspects, including its life history and habits, host plants, pheromones, diapause characteristics, migratory dispersal, the relationship between L. pratensis occurrences and environmental factors, chemical control and resistance, sampling surveys and prevention indicators, ecological control, molecular genetic control, and the ecological effects of farmland landscape patterns on L. pratensis. We focus on the outlook for the conservation effectiveness of farmland landscape patterns on the diversity of natural enemies and the developmental direction of the ecological regulation of L. pratensis. The aim is to develop new control strategies and technologies to enhance the comprehensive control of L. pratensis.

Coastal ecological regulation plays a crucial role in coordinating the human–environment system and promotes sustainable development, yet it often imposes constraints on the livelihoods of local farmers. Drawing on questionnaire survey data from Chinese coastal farmers, this study quantifies farmers’ opportunity loss through the expectation function and entropy method. Subsequently, a Multinomial Logit model and Generalized Structural Equation Modeling (GSEM) are employed to systematically investigate the mechanisms through which ecological regulation-induced opportunity loss influences coastal farmers’ livelihood transition between 2013 and 2023. The findings reveal that greater opportunity loss significantly inhibits the fishing households’ livelihood transition, exhibiting a ‘livelihood stickiness’ effect. This inhibitory effect is partially mediated by a narrowing of farmers’ psychological distance from environmental issues. Specifically, social distance, reflecting community attachment and identity, plays a dominant mediating role. Furthermore, regulation intensity significantly amplifies this inhibitory effect. Notably, in the absence of substantive compensation or alternative livelihood support, greater policy publicity further reinforces this inhibitory impact. These findings underscore the need for policy interventions that provide compensation and alternative livelihood support commensurate with farmers’ opportunity loss. Enhancing community participation is also crucial to better reconcile coastal conservation objectives with the sustainable livelihoods of local communities.

Baihua Reservoir, a typical large waterbody in the karst region of southwestern China and an essential drinking water source, is characterized by a high carbonate buffering capacity that profoundly shapes the structure and function of its phytoplankton community. This study systematically elucidates the multi-dimensional driving mechanisms underlying seasonal phytoplankton community assembly in karst reservoirs by integrating multiple analytical models—including the Neutral Community Model, β-diversity decomposition, co-occurrence network analysis, XGBoost-SHAP machine learning, and Partial Least Squares Path Modeling—based on monthly sampling at five sites from 2020 to 2024. The results revealed that: (1) Stochastic processes dominated community assembly across all four seasons, while deterministic processes played a crucial role in local species turnover. (2) The co-occurrence network structure showed significant seasonal dynamics, with the composition of keystone species adaptively shifting in response to changing environmental conditions. (3) The key environmental factors influencing the phytoplankton community exhibited clear seasonal patterns, primarily pH, NH3-N, and CODMn in spring; water temperature, CODMn, and NH3-N in summer; TN, TP, and pH in autumn; and pH, water temperature, and DO in winter. To support the sustainable management of karst reservoirs, we propose seasonally differentiated strategies derived from our phytoplankton community analysis: target CODMn reduction in spring and summer, focus on TN and TP load control in autumn, prioritize water column stability in winter, and maintain hydrological connectivity and pH monitoring year-round. This approach enhances phytoplankton community stability, safeguards drinking water safety, and provides a targeted management model for similar reservoir ecosystems globally.