Watershed management in urban areas is a complex, multi-disciplinary field that brings together hydrology, ecology, urban planning, civil engineering, public health, and community participation. Cities face unique challenges—dense development, aging infrastructure, stormwater surges, pollution, and competing land-use demands—that require integrated strategies to protect water quality, manage floods, preserve aquatic ecosystems, and sustain urban livability. This […]

Pollution of freshwater bodies poses a serious threat to aquatic life, drinking water security, and the ecosystems that depend on rivers, lakes, and wetlands. The contaminants that find their way into these waters originate from a mix of urban, agricultural, industrial, and natural processes. Understanding which pollutants are most impactful, how they affect freshwater systems,

Introduction River water quality monitoring is essential for safeguarding public health, protecting aquatic ecosystems, informing water resource management, and ensuring compliance with environmental regulations. A robust monitoring program combines multiple approaches to capture the complex, dynamic nature of river systems. This article outlines the most effective monitoring methods, organized around a structured framework that integrates

Freshwater ecosystems face mounting pressures from pollution, eutrophication, sedimentation, and industrial and agricultural runoff. Across the globe, communities, governments, and researchers have joined forces to design and implement remediation projects that restore water quality, revive aquatic habitats, and sustain reliable sources of drinking water and recreation. The projects described herein illustrate how a mix of

Introduction Biodiversity—the variety of life in all its forms, levels, and interactions—plays a central role in shaping how ecosystems respond to, recover from, and adapt to disturbances. From the smallest microbial communities to vast tropical forests and coral reefs, the diversity of species, genetic variation, and the complexity of ecological interactions create a web of

Biodiversity—the variety of life in all its forms, levels, and combinations—underpins the functioning of ecosystems that support life on Earth, including human life. Yet biodiversity is in retreat in many regions of the world due to a suite of interlinked drivers. Understanding these drivers is crucial for designing effective conservation strategies, guiding policy, and mobilizing

Introduction Biodiversity provides the living fabric of ecosystems, shaping the resilience, productivity, and functionality of the natural world. While every ecosystem service—food, water, climate regulation, pollination, cultural value—depends to some degree on the diversity of life, certain services are more tightly bound to the presence and variety of species. Understanding these linkages helps guide conservation

Introduction Biodiversity in agricultural landscapes is essential for resilient food systems, ecosystem services, and cultural heritage. Far from being monocultural backdrops, farms can host a rich variety of plants, animals, fungi, and microorganisms when managed with biodiversity in mind. This article surveys the range of strategies, from on-farm ecological design to supportive policy frameworks, that

Introduction Biodiversity and ecosystem functioning are interdependent facets of natural systems, shaping resilience, productivity, and services that humans rely on. Measuring these aspects requires a blend of observational, experimental, and analytical approaches that span spatial and temporal scales. This article surveys the major methods used to quantify biodiversity—species richness, composition, phylogenetic and functional diversity, and

Population dynamics in the face of climate change present a complex tapestry of interacting processes, including birth and death rates, age structure, migration, species interactions, and habitat shifts. As climates continue to transform, traditional population models must adapt to capture nonstationary environments, emerging stressors, and cascading ecological effects. This article surveys the modeling approaches most