A Qualitative Study on the Consumer Behaviour Related to Food Waste: Romanian Perspectives through Word Cloud and Sentiment Analysis

Sustainability, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 16(10), P. 4193 - 4193

Published: May 16, 2024

In emerging countries like Romania, research on food loss and waste remains relatively scarce. This is mainly because the phenomenon, along with its repercussions ramifications, inadequately understood by all stakeholders within agri-food chain. Consumer behaviour, a specific focus sustainability reduction, has undergone noticeable transformation global scale. Researchers have been emphasising imperative for effective awareness education strategies in this respect. Diverse studies contribute valuable insights into household identifying possible drivers suggesting counteractive techniques. study poses inquiries about consumer feelings regarding phenomenon perceptions of Romanian chain, as well influence their adoption sustainable eating habits. The paper delineates semi-structured interview-based methodology, shows results through word-cloud sentiment analysis, engages discussions behaviour four distinct clusters, concluding limitations, managerial implications outlining future directions. findings underscore relevance emotions sentiments understanding shedding light nuanced factors influencing waste. Notably, accuracy interpretation higher when drawn from interviews rather than online comments or reviews made unknown individuals. distinction increases credibility gained qualitative study. By analysing sentiments, aids implementing to improve customer satisfaction reduce waste, fostering more consumer-centric approach sector worldwide.

Language: Английский

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A Continuum From Positive to Negative Interactions Drives Plant Species' Performance in a Diverse Community

Ecology Letters, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 28(1)

Published: Jan. 1, 2025

ABSTRACT With many species interacting in nature, determining which interactions describe community dynamics is nontrivial. By applying a computational modeling approach to an extensive field survey, we assessed the importance of from plants (both inter‐ and intra‐specific), pollinators insect herbivores on plant performance (i.e., viable seed production). We compared inclusion interaction effects as aggregate guild‐level terms versus specific taxonomic groups. found that continuum positive negative interactions, containing mostly few strong taxonomic‐specific effects, was sufficient performance. While with intraspecific varied weakly positive, heterospecific mainly promoted competition facilitated plants. The consistency these empirical findings over 3 years suggests including groups rather than all pairwise high‐order can be for accurately describing variation across natural communities.

Language: Английский

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Fluctuations in Species Diversity in Evergreen Broad-Leaved Forests and Changes in Their Co-Occurrence Network

Forests, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 16(4), P. 594 - 594

Published: March 28, 2025

Understanding the population dynamics and interspecific interactions in subtropical forests is crucial for uncovering underlying mechanisms of species coexistence community stability. Two censuses were conducted between 2018 2023 a 9.6 ha evergreen broad-leaved forest plot situated Mount Wuyi, southeastern China. Utilizing co-occurrence networks long-term data, we examined relationship their contributions to assembly. Our findings reveal that high mortality rates among small-diameter individuals have created ecological niches, facilitating establishment 12 new 2023. A generalized linear mixed-effects model showed positive relationships sapling abundance conspecific neighbor density. Co-occurrence demonstrated shift toward higher but reduced modularity, indicating more integrated yet less stable structure. Despite low abundance, rare significant roles network connectivity stability, underscoring status as keystone species. Additionally, correlations topographic factors richness highlighted role environmental filtering shaping composition. contribute deeper understanding dynamics, emphasizing importance monitoring unravel complex populations conditions. This study represents first observational experiment secondary forest, providing valuable insights into assembly this region.

Language: Английский

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A simple model of population dynamics with beneficial and harmful interaction networks for empirical applications.

bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory), Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: Oct. 18, 2024

Abstract Population dynamic models can forecast changes in the abundances of multiple interconnected species, which makes them potentially powerful tools for managing ecological communities, yet they remain largely under-utilised applied settings. High data requirements and ability to only model a narrow range interactions and/or trophic levels together limits their usefulness when faced with complex data-poor systems, where beneficial (e.g. mutualism) harmful competition) may operate simultaneously within between species. We present population dynamics that describe wide interaction outcomes simple, unified structure. Species growth rates are constrained by maximum rate parameter prevents risk explosions even case mutualism. defined two, not mutually-exclusive matrices effects respectively, providing potential net effect one species another switch from as density increases. This recreates classic two-species mutualistic, competitive, predator-prey scenarios, allowing us types same equation. The parameter, theoretically based intrinsic constraints on reproduction, be parameterised sources including natural history, historical data, breeding programs. illustrate this study threatened two interacting predators. new is generaliseable communities. Its structure lowers whilst remaining intuitive biologically realistic, making it an accessible option predicting community-wide contexts sparse uncertain.

Language: Английский

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The Interplay of Binary and Quantitative Structure on the Stability of Mutualistic Networks

Integrative and Comparative Biology, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 64(3), P. 827 - 840

Published: June 20, 2024

Synopsis Understanding how the structure of biological systems impacts their resilience (broadly defined) is a recurring question across multiple levels organization. In ecology, considerable effort has been devoted to understanding interactions between species in ecological networks linked different broad outcomes, especially local stability. Still, nearly all that work focused on interaction presence-absence terms and not investigated quantitative structure, i.e., arrangement strengths networks. We interplay binary stability mutualistic (those which are mutually beneficial), using community matrix approaches. additionally examined effects network complexity within-guild competition for context. we nestedness, more-specialized interact with smaller subsets same more-generalized with. Most nature display puzzling because both nestedness known be destabilizing own. found important consequences more-complex networks, binary-nested structures were most stable configurations, depending structures, but was stabilizing depended competitive As increases absence competition, configurations have nested complementary (i.e., anti-nested) structure. presence however, those other words, impact overlap persistence dependent These results help explain prevalence underscore need future empirical

Language: Английский

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Sparse positive and negative weak interactions drive plant species performance in a diverse community

Authorea (Authorea), Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: Sept. 3, 2024

With many species interacting in nature, determining which describe community dynamics is nontrivial.By applying a new Bayesian-sparse modelling approach to an extensive field survey, we assessed the importance of interactions from con-and hetero-specific plants, pollinators, and insect herbivores on plant performance.We compared inclusion interaction effects as aggregate "generic" terms versus specific terms.We found that continuum positive negative interactions, containing mostly generic but few strong was sufficient variation performance.While with conspecifics varied weakly positive, heterospecific plants mainly promoted competition pollinators facilitated plants.The consistency these empirical findings over three years suggests broad resolution, including guilds groups rather than all pairwise high-order can accurately performance across natural communities.

Language: Английский

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An enemy's enemy is an ally: Competitive indirect interactions mediate coexistence of trees, grasses, and subshrubs in neotropical savanna

Biotropica, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: Nov. 19, 2024

Abstract Savannas are complex ecosystems where multiple growth forms, including grasses, trees, and subshrubs, coexist through intricate ecological interactions. Understanding the mechanisms that promote this coexistence is key to conserving savanna biodiversity. This study investigated effects of grass competition on survival trees as well interactions between these two forms. Using three species we conducted a greenhouse experiment assess how subshrubs influenced by presence grass. We found significantly reduced tree seedlings, while were unaffected. When competed directly, subshrub biomass was reduced, but only in absence Tree seedling not affected negatively impacted subshrubs. Both root stem competition; however, effect mitigated when simultaneously. These results indicate compete together, intensity promoting contributing balance forms ecosystems. While fire an important factor dynamics, our emphasizes critical role maintaining balance. Future studies should explore interact further understanding biodiversity ecosystem function Neotropical savannas. Portuguese available with online material.

Language: Английский

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Simulating responses of riparian ecosystem network complexity to flow regime shifts in arid regions

Ecological Indicators, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 170, P. 113039 - 113039

Published: Dec. 28, 2024

Language: Английский

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Key concepts and a world‐wide look at plant recruitment networks

Biological reviews/Biological reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: Dec. 27, 2024

ABSTRACT Plant–plant interactions are major determinants of the dynamics terrestrial ecosystems. There is a long tradition in study these interactions, their mechanisms and consequences using experimental, observational theoretical approaches. Empirical studies overwhelmingly focus at level species pairs or small sets species. Although empirical data on community scarce, such have gained pace last decade. Studying plant–plant requires knowledge which interact with others, so an ecological networks approach must be incorporated into basic toolbox plant ecology. The concept recruitment (RNs) provides integrative framework new insights for many topics field RNs synthesise set canopy–recruit local assemblage. Canopy–recruit describe (“canopy”) allow other vicinity how. Here we critically review concepts network theory as they apply to RNs. We use RecruitNet, recently published worldwide RN patterns emerging interaction, species, levels, relate them different abiotic gradients. Our results show that can sampled high accuracy. included RecruitNet very mean completeness (95%), indicating undetected few occur infrequently. Across 351,064 analysed, effect interaction was neutral average 69% per community, but remaining were positive (i.e. facilitative) five times more often than negative competitive), had twice strength ones. Moreover, frequency facilitation increases along climatic aridity gradient worldwide, demography communities increasingly strongly dependent increases. At level, ascribed four functional types depending position network: core, satellite, strict transients disturbance‐dependent transients. This structure rough estimation likely persist. In communities, this most departs from random null model expectation could persistence 77% community. also varies gradient, differently shrubland forest communities. variation suggests increase probability forests, while remains roughly constant shrublands. between forests shrublands contribute explaining co‐occurrence alternative stable states vegetation under same conditions. not exhaustive all addressed RNs, instead aims present some interesting it bring

Language: Английский

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Trans*ient Worlds

TSQ Transgender Studies Quarterly, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 11(4), P. 624 - 644

Published: Nov. 1, 2024

Abstract How should we tell the story of ecology? In this essay, authors draw from a long and deep history ecology, in which more affective approaches to nature become visible, ones that are attuned both plants their contexts aligned with trans* studies. The offer many synergistic possibilities shared ideas between plant community ecology ecologies propose vegetal can bridge studies ecological article raises inconvenient phenomena for play with, including alternative stable states, mutualisms, coexistence. believe studies, highly developed conceptual languages indeterminacy, contingency, change, support reconfiguration ecology. Their confidence emerges growing group ecologists who seek interdisciplinary collaboration, they encourage cross-pollinations through lens Finally, reflects on importance engagement ecologists, relocating field within natural tradition account for, suggest again influence place-based, contingent, situated knowledge.

Language: Английский

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