Hotspots of biogeochemical activity linked to aridity and plant traits across global drylands.

Perennial plants create productive and biodiverse hotspots, known as fertile islands, beneath their canopies. These hotspots largely determine the structure and functioning of drylands worldwide. Despite their ubiquity, the factors controlling fertile islands under conditions of contrasting grazing by livestock, the most prevalent land use in drylands, remain virtually unknown. Here we evaluated the relative importance of grazing pressure and herbivore type, climate and plant functional traits on 24 soil physical and chemical attributes that represent proxies of key ecosystem services related to decomposition, soil fertility, and soil and water conservation. To do this, we conducted a standardized global survey of 288 plots at 88 sites in 25 countries worldwide. We show that aridity and plant traits are the major factors associated with the magnitude of plant effects on fertile islands in grazed drylands worldwide. Grazing pressure had little influence on the capacity of plants to support fertile islands. Taller and wider shrubs and grasses supported stronger island effects. Stable and functional soils tended to be linked to species-rich sites with taller plants. Together, our findings dispel the notion that grazing pressure or herbivore type are linked to the formation or intensification of fertile islands in drylands. Rather, our study suggests that changes in aridity, and processes that alter island identity and therefore plant traits, will have marked effects on how perennial plants support and maintain the functioning of drylands in a more arid and grazed world.

Chinese herbal medicine Ginkgo biloba L. preparations for ischemic stroke: An overview of systematic reviews and meta-analyses.

BACKGROUND: Ginkgo biloba L. preparations (GBLPs) are a class of Chinese herbal medicine used in the adjuvant treatment of ischemic stroke (IS). Recently, several systematic reviews (SRs) and meta-analyses (MAs) of GBLPs for IS have been published. OBJECTIVE: This overview aims to assess the quality of related SRs and MAs. SEARCH STRATEGY: PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Chinese Biological Medicine, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang, and Chinese Science and Technology Journals databases were searched from their inception to December 31, 2022. INCLUSION CRITERIA: SRs and MAs of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that explored the efficacy of GBLPs for patients with IS were included. DATA EXTRACTION AND ANALYSIS: Two independent reviewers extracted data and assessed the methodological quality, risk of bias (ROB), reporting quality, and credibility of evidence of the included SRs and MAs using A Measurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews 2 (AMSTAR 2), Risk of Bias in Systematic Reviews (ROBIS), the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA), and the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE), respectively. Additionally, descriptive analysis and data synthesis were conducted. RESULTS: Twenty-nine SRs/MAs involving 119 outcomes were included in this review. The overall methodological quality of all SRs/MAs was critically low based on AMSTAR 2, and 28 had a high ROB based on the ROBIS. According to the PRISMA statement, the reporting items of the included SRs/MAs are relatively complete. The results based on GRADE showed that of the 119 outcomes, 8 were rated as moderate quality, 24 as low quality, and 87 as very low quality. Based on the data synthesis, GBLPs used in conjunction with conventional treatment were superior to conventional treatment alone for decreasing neurological function scores. CONCLUSION: GBLPs can be considered a beneficial supplemental therapy for IS. However, because of the low quality of the existing evidence, high-quality RCTs and SRs/MAs are warranted to further evaluate the benefits of GBLPs for treating IS. Please cite this article as: Meng TT, You YP, Li M, Guo JB, Song XB, Ding JY, Xie XL, Li AQ, Li SJ, Yin XJ, Wang P, Wang Z, Wang BL, He QY. Chinese herbal medicine Ginkgo biloba L. preparations for ischemic stroke: An overview of systematic reviews and meta-analyses. J Integr Med. 2024;22(2): 163-179.

Accuracy of blood-based biomarkers for staging liver fibrosis in chronic liver disease: A systematic review supporting the AASLD Practice Guideline.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Blood-based biomarkers have been proposed as an alternative to liver biopsy for non-invasive liver disease assessment (NILDA) in chronic liver disease (CLD). Our aims for this systematic review were to evaluate the diagnostic utility of selected blood-based tests either alone, or in combination, for identifying significant fibrosis (F2-4), advanced fibrosis (F3-4) and cirrhosis (F4), as compared to biopsy in CLD. APPROACH AND RESULTS: We included a comprehensive search of databases including Ovid MEDLINE(R), EMBASE, Cochrane Database, and Scopus through to April 2022. Two independent reviewers selected 286 studies with 103,162 patients. The most frequently identified studies included the simple aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index (APRI) and fibrosis (FIB)-4 markers (with low-to-moderate risk of bias) in hepatitis B virus (HBV) and C virus (HCV), HIV-HCV/HBV co-infection, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Positive (LR+) and negative (LR) likelihood ratios across direct and indirect biomarker tests for HCV and HBV for F2-4, F3-4, or F4 were 1.66-6.25 and 0.23-0.80, 1.89-5.24 and 0.12-0.64, and 1.32-7.15 and 0.15-0.86 respectively; LR+ and LR for NAFLD F2-4, F3-4 and F4 were 2-65-3.37 and 0.37-0.39, 2.25-6.76 and 0.07-0.87, and 3.90 and 0.15 respectively. Overall, proportional odds ratio indicated FIB-4 <1.45 was better than APRI <0.5 for F2-4. FIB-4 >3.25 was also better than APRI >1.5 for F3-4 and F4. There was limited data for combined tests. CONCLUSIONS: Blood-based biomarkers are associated with small-to-moderate change in pre-test probability for diagnosing F2-4, F3-4, and F4 in viral hepatitis, HIV-HCV co-infection, and NAFLD, with limited comparative or combination studies for other CLD.

StratoLAMP: Label-free, multiplex digital loop-mediated isothermal amplification based on visual stratification of precipitate.

Multiplex, digital nucleic acid detections have important biomedical applications, but the multiplexity of existing methods is predominantly achieved using fluorescent dyes or probes, making the detection complicated and costly. Here, we present the StratoLAMP for label-free, multiplex digital loop-mediated isothermal amplification based on visual stratification of the precipitate byproduct. The StratoLAMP designates two sets of primers with different concentrations to achieve different precipitate yields when amplifying different nucleic acid targets. In the detection, deep learning image analysis is used to stratify the precipitate within each droplet and determine the encapsulated targets for nucleic acid quantification. We investigated the effect of the amplification reagents and process on the precipitate generation and optimized the assay conditions. We then implemented a deep-learning image analysis pipeline for droplet detection, achieving an overall accuracy of 94.3%. In the application, the StratoLAMP successfully achieved the simultaneous quantification of two nucleic acid targets with high accuracy. By eliminating the need for fluorescence, StratoLAMP represents a unique concept toward label-free, multiplex nucleic acid assays and an analytical tool with great cost-effectiveness.

Xuanfei Baidu decoction in the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): Efficacy and potential mechanisms.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has spread worldwide and become a major global public health concern. Although novel investigational COVID-19 antiviral candidates such as the Pfizer agent PAXLOVID™, molnupiravir, baricitinib, remdesivir, and favipiravir are currently used to treat patients with COVID-19, there is still a critical need for the development of additional treatments, as the recommended therapeutic options are frequently ineffective against SARS-CoV-2. The efficacy and safety of vaccines remain uncertain, particularly with the emergence of several variants. All 10 versions of the National Health Commission's diagnosis and treatment guidelines for COVID-19 recommend using traditional Chinese medicine. Xuanfei Baidu Decoction (XFBD) is one of the "three Chinese medicines and three Chinese prescriptions" recommended for COVID-19. This review summarizes the clinical evidence and potential mechanisms of action of XFBD for COVID-19 treatment. With XFBD, patients with COVID-19 experience improved clinical symptoms, shorter hospital stay, prevention of the progression of their symptoms from mild to moderate and severe symptoms, and reduced mortality in critically ill patients. The mechanisms of action may be associated with its direct antiviral, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, antioxidative, and antimicrobial properties. High-quality clinical and experimental studies are needed to further explore the clinical efficacy and underlying mechanisms of XFBD in COVID-19 treatment.

Plant functional traits explain long-term differences in ecosystem services between artificial forests and natural grasslands.

Declining ecosystem services have prompted numerous studies aiming at developing more sustainable management practices for vegetation restoration. Advances in functional ecology indicate that the sustainable management of afforestation ecosystems should be performed based on plant functional traits, which provides pivotal knowledge for long-term sustainable vegetation restoration. Currently, the mechanism of how plant functional traits affect long term ecosystem services in restored areas is still unclear. This study investigates plant functional traits and the associated ecosystem services from artificial forestlands (Robinia pseudoacacia, Caragana korshinskii) and natural grasslands following different durations of vegetation restoration (10, 20, 30 and 40 years) in the Danangou watershed, a loess hilly-gully region in the Loess Plateau, China. The results showed that 1) the water conservation services of artificial forestlands first decreased and then increased over time, whereas the soil conservation service had an opposite trend; in turn, natural grassland led to a consistent increase in soil conservation and carbon sequestration services over time. 2) Artificial forestlands had greater soil conservation and carbon sequestration services than natural grassland but had lower water conservation services. 3) Leaves had a greater impact on carbon sequestration and water conservation services than did root length and root biomass density. 4) Root biomass density had a greater effect on soil conservation services than did leaf carbon content and soil organic matter. 5) Leaf carbon content, specific root length, and root biomass density had significant effects on the trade-off value between any two ecosystem services with increasing time after restoration of artificial forestland. 6) Specific leaf area had a greater effect on the trade-off values among the three services than did the other functional traits in the natural grassland. In arid ecosystems, natural grasslands are the best restoration strategy given their higher water conservation services. However, in soil erosion-affected areas, restoration through artificial forestlands is more appropriate. To mitigate the trade-offs between ecosystem services, it is recommended that artificial forestlands be thinned before the leaf carbon content, specific root length, and root biomass density reach a maximum (i.e., mature forestland).

Soil erodibility for water and wind erosion and its relationship to vegetation and soil properties in China's drylands.

Drylands with fragile socio-ecological systems are vulnerable to soil erosion. China's drylands face the dual threat of water (WAE) and wind erosion (WIE). To mitigate soil erosion in drylands, China has implemented numerous ecological restoration measures. However, whether vegetation and soil have different effects on soil erodibility for water erosion (soil erodibility, K) and wind erosion (soil erodible fraction, EF) in drylands is unclear, hindering decision makers to develop suitable ecological restoration strategies. Here, we conducted a large-scale belt transect survey to explore the spatial variation of K and EF in China's drylands, and examined the linear and nolinear effects of aridity (aridity index), vegetation (fractional vegetation cover and below-ground biomass), and soil properties (bulk density, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus) on K and EF. The results showed in China's drylands that the K ranges from 0.02 to 0.07, with high values recorded in the northern Loess Plateau and the eastern Inner Mongolia Plateau. The EF ranges from 0.26 to 0.98, and shows longitudinal zonation with higher values in the east and lower values in the west. Aridity has a negative linear effect on K and an inverse U-shaped nonlinear effect on EF. Aridity can affect K and EF by suppressing vegetation growth and disrupting soil properties. However, K and EF had different responses to some vegetation and soil variables. K and EF had opposite relationships with soil bulk density, and EF was significantly affected by fractional vegetation cover, while K was not. Overall, the effects of aridity and soil properties on soil erodibility were more pronounced than those from vegetation, whose effect on soil erodibility was limited. This study provides relevant information to support reducing soil water and wind erosion by highlighting the hotspot areas of soil erodibility, relevant for implementing vegetation restoration and soil conservation measures in drylands.

Heterogeneity changes of active bacterial community on cigar filler leaves after fermentation based on metagenome.

Microorganisms play an important role in cigar fermentation. To further explore the dynamic changes of bacterial community composition, the changes of surface bacterial diversity of cigar filler leaves were investigated in the present study by high-throughput sequencing technology. It was found that the surface bacterial richness was declined after fermentation, and the dominant microorganisms on the surface of cigar filler leaves evolved from Pseudomonas spp. and Sphingomonas spp. before fermentation to Staphylococcus spp. after fermentation. The chemical composition and sensory quality evaluation of cigar filler leaves were closely related to the changes of surface bacterial community. The changes of the dominant surface bacterial community led to the differences of metabolic functions, among which the metabolic pathways such as the synthesis of secondary metabolites, carbon metabolism, and amino acid biosynthesis were significantly different. The results provide a basis for clarifying the roles of bacteria in fermentation of cigar filler leaves.

Divergent responses of ecosystem services to afforestation and grassland restoration in the Tibetan Plateau.

Afforestation and grassland restoration have been proposed as important pathways for nature-based solutions. However, the effects of different ecological restoration projects on multiple ecosystem services are poorly understood, inhibiting our ability to maximize ecosystem services for further restoration. Here, we provide a comprehensive assessment of the impact of different ecological projects on ecosystem services (carbon storage, water conservation, soil retention), using a pairwise comparative study of samples from 90 project-control pairs in the Tibetan Plateau. Our results found that afforestation increased carbon storage (31.3%) and soil retention (37.6%), but the effects of grassland restoration on services were mixed, while the overall changes in water conservation were negligible. Prior land use/measures and the age of project implementation were key factors in regulating ecosystem service responses. For example, afforestation on bare land increased carbon storage and soil retention but indirectly decreased water conservation by influencing vegetation cover, while cropland afforestation increased water and soil retention. Ecosystem services increased with project age after afforestation. For grassland restoration, short-term recovery increased carbon storage but was not effective in improving water and soil retention. Climate and topography also directly or indirectly controlled the response of ecosystem services by affecting the changes in total nitrogen, total porosity, clay and fractional vegetation cover following the projects. This study improves our current understanding of the mechanisms underlying the responses of ecosystem services to afforestation and grassland restoration. Our results suggest that sustainable restoration management taking into account prior land use/measures, implementation age, climate, topography and other resources is critical for optimizing ecosystem services.

DTX3L E3 ligase targets p53 for degradation at poly ADP-ribose polymerase-associated DNA damage sites.

P53 is a master transcriptional regulator and effector of the DNA damage response (DDR) that localizes to DNA damage sites, in part, via an interaction with PARP1. However, the mechanisms that regulate p53 abundance and activity at PARP1-decorated DNA damage sites remain undefined. The PARP9 (BAL1) macrodomain-containing protein and its partner DTX3L (BBAP) E3 ligase are rapidly recruited to PARP1-PARylated DNA damage sites. During an initial DDR, we found that DTX3L rapidly colocalized with p53, polyubiquitylated its lysine-rich C-terminal domain, and targeted p53 for proteasomal degradation. DTX3L knockout significantly increased and prolonged p53 retention at PARP-decorated DNA damage sites. These findings reveal a non-redundant, PARP- and PARylation-dependent role for DTX3L in the spatiotemporal regulation of p53 during an initial DDR. Our studies suggest that targeted inhibition of DTX3L may augment the efficacy of certain DNA-damaging agents by increasing p53 abundance and activity.

The success of woody plant removal depends on encroachment stage and plant traits.

Woody plants (shrubs and trees) are encroaching across the globe, affecting livestock production and terrestrial ecosystem functioning. Despite the widespread practice, there has been no quantitative global assessment of whether removal of encroaching woody plants will re-instate productive grasslands and open savanna. Here we compiled a global database of 12,198 records from 524 studies on the ecosystem responses of both the encroachment and removal of woody plants, and show that removal fails to reverse encroachment impacts. Removing woody plants only reversed less than half of the reductions in herbaceous structure induced by encroachment, and woody expansion actually enhanced ecosystem functions (+8%). The effectiveness of removal varied with encroachment stage (that is, time since treatment) and the functional traits (for example, deciduousness and resprouting) of the focal woody species, and waned in drier regions. Our results suggest that assessment of woody plant communities before removal is critical to assess the likelihood of successful ecosystem recovery.

Bone-on-a-chip platforms and integrated biosensors: Towards advanced in vitro bone models with real-time biosensing.

Bone diseases, such as osteoporosis and bone defects, often lead to structural and functional deformities of the patient's body. Understanding the complicated pathophysiology and finding new drugs for bone diseases are in dire need but challenging with the conventional cell and animal models. Bone-on-a-chip (BoC) models recapitulate key features of bone at an unprecedented level and can potentially shift the paradigm of future bone research and therapeutic development. Nevertheless, current BoC models predominantly rely on off-chip analysis which provides only endpoint measurements. To this end, integrating biosensors within the BoC can provide non-invasive, continuous monitoring of the experiment progression, significantly facilitating bone research. This review aims to summarize research progress in BoC and biosensor integrations and share perspectives on this exciting but rudimentary research area. We first introduce the research progress of BoC models in the study of bone remodeling and bone diseases, respectively. We then summarize the need for BoC characterization and reported works on biosensor integration in organ chips. Finally, we discuss the limitations and future directions of BoC models and biosensor integrations as next-generation technologies for bone research.

The impact of the armed conflict in Afghanistan on vegetation dynamics.

Armed conflicts disturb the environment and impair land productivity. Afghanistan has been submerged in conflict for >20 years, affecting the environment dramatically. In this study, we used the Normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI) to investigate vegetation's spatial and temporal changes and the potential underpinned mechanisms. We found a 16.44 % increase in NDVI in Afghanistan from 2000 to 2021. The average NDVI growth rate was 11.33 % (within 5 km distance from the armed conflict), higher in the conflict group than in the non-conflict group. People migration may have reduced the human impacts on the environment. The relative contribution of armed conflict to vegetation growth was 3.17 %. Our results showed that the vegetation in Afghanistan increased, confirming the idea that depopulation increase greenness. Despite the reduced variance explained by the war (R2 values around 0.3), our study provides empirical evidence on the linkages between the war and vegetation change in Afghanistan.

Global trends and frontiers in research on coronary microvascular dysfunction: a bibliometric analysis from 2002 to 2022.

BACKGROUND: Coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD) is a leading cause of ischemic heart disease. Over the past few decades, considerable progress has been made with respect to research on CMD. The present study summarized the current research hotspots and trends on CMD by applying a bibliometric approach. METHODS: Relevant publications between 2002 and 2022 were extracted from the Web of Science Core Collection. Visualization network maps of countries, institutions, authors, and co-cited authors were built using VOSviewer. CiteSpace was used for keyword analysis and the construction of a dual-map overlay of journals and a timeline view of co-cited references. RESULTS: 1539 CMD-related publications were extracted for bibliometric analysis. The annual publications generally showed an upward trend. The United States of America was the most prolific country, with 515 publications (33.5%). Camici P. G. was the most influential author, whereas the European Heart Journal, Circulation, and Journal of the American College of Cardiology were the most authoritative journals. Research hotspot analysis revealed that endothelial dysfunction as well as reduced nitric oxide production or bioavailability played critical roles in CMD development. Positron emission tomography was the most widely used imaging method for diagnosis. In addition, microvascular angina, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and heart failure have attracted much attention as the main clinical implications. Furthermore, international standards for CMD diagnosis and management may be the future research directions. CONCLUSIONS: This study offers a comprehensive view about the hotspots and development trends of CMD, which can assist subsequent researchers and guide future directions.

Isobavachalcone disrupts mitochondrial respiration and induces cytotoxicity through ROS accumulation and Akt suppression.

Isobavachalcone (IBC) is one of the flavonoid components in Fructus Psoraleae, and has been found multiple pharmacological effects. However, the hepatotoxicity of IBC has been overlooked and not been carefully studied. We aim to find out the cytotoxicity of IBC on HepG2 cells, and explore the underlying mechanisms. HepG2 cells were treated with IBC for 24 h, then MTT assay and LDH assay were used to detect the cell viability. The apoptosis and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production were reflected by the flow cytometry. Using Seahorse Analyzer, we measured the mitochondrial respiratory capacity. The expression of oxidative stress and mitochondrial apoptosis-related proteins were determined by Western blot. The results showed that IBC induced the cell death and apoptosis of HepG2 cells. IBC initiated the accumulation of ROS in cells and impaired the mitochondrial function, triggered apoptosis and suppressed the phosphorylation of Akt. Additionally, scavenging ROS by the antioxidant N-acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC) reduced IBC-induced mitochondria damage and increased Akt phosphorylation. Taken together, IBC caused mitochondrial damage and induced hepatotoxicity by ROS accumulation and Akt suppression. Targeting oxidative stress and depressing mitochondrial damage may provide a theoretical basis for the treatment and prevention of IBC-induced hepatotoxicity in clinic.

Global Research Trends on Ventricular Remodeling: A Bibliometric Analysis From 2012 to 2022.

Ventricular remodeling is the progressive pathologic change of the original substance and morphology of the ventricle caused by various injuries and has attracted increasing attention in the past decade. This study aims to conduct a bibliometric analysis of articles on ventricular remodeling published in the Web of Science Core Collection database from 2012 to 2022 to understand the current research state in the field of ventricular remodeling and provide insights for clinicians and researchers. As a result, a total of 1710 articles on ventricular remodeling were included. Annual publications have been gradually increasing and have remained at a high level over the past 10 years. The United States of America contributed the most publications, followed by China. Circulation was the most mainstream and authoritative journal focusing on ventricular remodeling. Research hotspot analysis suggested that myocardial infarction was the primary risk factor for ventricular remodeling, and emerging risk factor studies have focused on pulmonary hypertension, aortic stenosis, and diabetes. The mechanisms in the pathogenesis of ventricular remodeling were mainly closely associated with inflammation, apoptosis, oxidative stress, and myocardial fibrosis. Intensive investigation of the interactions between different mechanisms might be a future research direction. In terms of treatment, cardiac resynchronization therapy was a hot topic of research. These findings can help researchers grasp the research status of ventricular remodeling and determine future research directions.

Recurrent Pneumonia With Tuberculosis and Candida Co-infection Diagnosed by Metagenomic Next-Generation Sequencing: A Case Report and Literature Review.

An 82-year-old male patient was hospitalized in the Respiratory Department for "repeated cough and shortness of breath for 10 years, recurrence worsened for 1 month." Later, he was transferred for further diagnosis and treatment, to the Infectious Disease Department for further hospitalization. Previously, the patient had repeatedly undergone tuberculosis-related examinations including bronchoscopy examinations. However, no evidence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) infection was found. Early anti-infection treatments failed. Due to repeated symptoms, we performed bronchoscopy again and sent alveolar lavage fluid for the metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) test. Subsequently, MTB and Candida albicans were detected by mNGS. After antituberculosis and antifungal treatments, the symptoms were significantly relieved, and the chest CT showed resolution of the lung lesions. Therefore, we successfully diagnosed and treated a case of recurrent pneumonia with tuberculosis and Candida co-infection diagnosed by mNGS.

Facile Synthesis of NaYF4:Yb Up-Conversion Nanoparticles Modified with Photosensitizer and Targeting Antibody for In Vitro Photodynamic Therapy of Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Rare Earth up-conversion nanoparticles NaYF4:20%Yb,2%Er@PEI (UCNPs) were generated via a one-step hydrothermal technique at relatively reduced temperatures. Photosensitizer Ce6 and anti-EpCAM, a highly expressed monoclonal antibody in cancer stem cells of hepatocellular carcinoma, were linked to UCNP surfaces via the formation of amide linkage between carboxyl from Ce6 or anti-EpCAM and abundant amino from PEI, leading to the formation of Ps-Ce6 and anti-EpCAM-UCNPs-Ce6 nanoparticles. The synthesized nanoparticles characterized by XRD, TEM, and IR, and their zeta potential, ROS generation ability, Ce6 loading rate, and up-conversion fluorescence properties were investigated. It has been revealed that all the products were uniformly dispersed nanoparticles (25-32 nm), which crystallized primarily as hexagonal structures, and their up-conversion fluorescence spectra were similar to that of NaYF4:20%Yb,2%Er. The Ce6 loading rate in the anti-EpCAM-UCNPs-Ce6 nanoparticles was about 2.9%, thereby resulting in good ROS generation ability. For anti-EpCAM-UCNPs-Ce6, the biosafety, targeting effect, and PDT effect exposed under near-infrared (NIR) laser (980 nm) were evaluated using human liver cancer cells (BEL-7404). The results showed that it has good biocompatibility and biosafety as well as high targeting and PDT treatment efficiencies, which renders it a potential experimental material for the near-infrared PDT study.

Roadside verges support greater ecosystem functions than adjacent agricultural land in a grassy woodland.

Vegetation clearance is the major land use change in agricultural landscape, where woody species are removed to support agricultural production. Native woody species are now largely restricted to the thin strips along the road (roadside verges). Despite the importance of roadside verges as refugia for native species, their impacts on ecological functions and the driving factors have been little explored over extensive areas, limiting our capacity to argue for the retention and improvement of these 'off-reserve' habitats within agroecosystems. We compared the magnitude of ecological functions between paired roadside verges and adjacent agricultural land at 111 sites along a vegetation condition gradient in eastern Australia to examine the ecological importance of roadside verges and the potential regulators. Eighty-six percent of our 21 ecological attributes differed between roadsides and adjacent agricultural land, with roadside verges supporting greater carbon stocks, vegetation coverage, plant diversity, habitat complexity and tree recruitment, and were subject to less modification and erosion. These ecological effects strengthened with increasing roadside verge width, particularly for plant cover and diversity, the proportion of native plant species and habitat complexity. Management practices were major regulators of roadside functions, with roadside verge width and site modification negatively associated with tree recruitment and the soil organic carbon pool. Site modification and roadside verge width also indirectly reduced the soil organic carbon pool by either suppressing tree diversity or promoting the proportion of native plant species. Our study provides empirical evidence of the ecological importance of roadside verges in maintaining ecosystem functions and the sustainability of native plant communities in peri-agricultural landscapes. Our study also demonstrates the negative effects of site modification on tree recruitment and soil organic carbon pools, highlighting the importance of mitigating management activities (e.g., tree removal, fire, grazing) in the conservation of roadside verges.