Madagascar is characterized by high levels of endemicity. This is particularly visible among amphibians and reptiles, which both showing conspicuous diversity and a great number of species. Herpetological research carried out in recent decades has shown a considerable increase in the participation of and leadership among Malagasy researchers and led to a great increase in species-related knowledge. Rampant deforestation and augmented habitat loss have led to the worrying shrinkage of available natural habitats. As a result, many species of amphibians and reptiles (including newly described species) are currently classified within the most highly threatened categories of the IUCN red listing. This Special Issue assembles ten specialist contributions dedicated to Malagasy amphibians and reptiles, including papers discussing the species compositions in crucial areas, as well as information on threatened species and associated pet trades. This set of contributions will also highlight how taxonomic research and field experiments continue to play a key role in describing this unique diversity, allowing us to better understand the origin of and historical factors that explain the current distribution patterns of Malagasy biodiversity.

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The recent revolution in deep learning has enabled considerable development in the fields of object and activity detection. Visual object detection tries to find objects of target classes with precise localisation in an image and assign each object instance a corresponding class label. At the same time, activity recognition aims to determine the actions or activities of an agent or group of agents based on sensor or video observation data. It is a very important and challenging problem to detect, identify, track, and understand the behaviour of objects through images and videos taken by various cameras. Together, objects and their activity recognition in imaging data captured by remote sensing platforms is a highly dynamic and challenging research topic. During the last decade, there has been significant growth in the number of publications in the field of object and activity recognition. In particular, many researchers have proposed application domains to identify objects and their specific behaviours from air and spaceborne imagery. This Special Issue includes papers that explore novel and challenging topics for object and activity detection in remote sensing images and videos acquired by diverse platforms.

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This book is a collection of 12 peer-reviewed articles on freshwater invasive fish and is the first on this topic. It focuses on real-world lessons learned from managing common carp, bigheaded carp, sea lamprey, northern pike, and lake trout in different parts of the world. Articles also discuss damage caused by invasive fish, environmental DNA as means to measure spawning carp, and CO2 as a fish deterrent. Detailed critical evaluations of the possibility of using koi herpes virus to control common carp, market-driven fishing (invasivorism), as well as changes in lock and dam operating protocols to control bigheaded carps are also presented. Several important commonalities are noted between successful management efforts, including the simultaneous use of multiple integrated strategies, a focus on suppressing reproduction, and a deep local knowledge in an introductory article that provides context for the discipline.

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This reprint includes recent trends in all aspects of applied scientific research on chitin and collagen, including isolation, purification, and characterization. A few recent innovations in chitin and collagen have been incorporated into this reprint. These innovations could potentially be applied in various scientific and industrial research. Due to its broad array of biological functions such as anticancer, antimicrobial, bone tissue regeneration, antioxidant, and anti-aging activities, collagen has recently attracted vast interest in the pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and cosmeceutical industries. Similarly, chitin and chitin-derived chitosan have many applications, including in the medical, environmental, and agricultural sectors.

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This book is a collection of a series of articles on several aspects of coastal fish biology and ecology. Coastal fish are key components of marine ecosystems, and the aim of this book is to present relevant research on these wonderful animals and to provide insights for future research in this field.

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As modern science and critical scholarship are beginning to recognize nonhuman animals as fellow subjects and conscious, sentient beings with interests and deserving of respect, moral dilemmas abound as humanity acknowledges the threats our activities pose to human and nonhuman animal life, including the sixth mass extinction, anthropogenic climate change, and widespread exploitation. In this 2022 Special Issue of the Journalism and Media journal, communication professors Carrie Freeman and Núria Almiron curated scholarship assessing the impact this environmental havoc is having on nonhuman animals living in nature (including those free-roaming animals who coexist in our urban spaces) and the vital role that media and communication play in contributing to and remedying these crises. Seven scholars across the USA and Spain contributed chapters exploring how issues affecting “wildlife” (such as octopuses, sharks, coyotes, parakeets, and fishes) are constructed in media and political discourses or are perceived and acted upon by public media, and the authors provide prescriptions to problems facing animals in nature, offering constructive guidance to communicators (from activists to journalists to film-makers).

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Species of the beetle genus Diabrotica (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) are native to North and South America, with their greatest diversity occurring in neotropical areas. Little is known about the biology and ecology of many of the 400 described species, with current knowledge primarily limited to the small number of species that are pests in agricultural systems. This Special Issue, entitled “Corn Rootworm: Biology, Ecology, Behavior and Integrated Management”, collates original research and comprehensive reviews that summarize the current knowledge in key areas of Diabrotica biology, ecology, behavior, and management.

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As editors of this book our aim was to collect new data from experienced authors in order to further advance the knowledge on the protective effects of polyphenols’ intake, e.g., when included in the human diet, to modulate cellular functions and pathways associated with neurodegenerative diseases.Fruits and vegetables are the richest source of polyphenols in the regular human diet. Most of these molecules possess high antioxidant capacity, as well as several other important activities that can affect human health, among which anti-inflammatory properties and the potential ability to modulate different cell-signalling pathways seem to be the most important. Neurodegenerative diseases are among the main causes of death worldwide and, in most of them like Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s, neurodegeneration occurs long before the onset of first symptoms, where a large population of brain neurons are already lost. Besides neurons, glial cells like astrocytes and microglia, are involved in oxidative and neuroinflammatory pathological pathways, making them interesting targets for neuroprotective strategies. Polyphenols are promising candidates for those strategies, either as prophylactic substances or as therapeutic molecules.In this book, several research papers and two reviews explore the chemical properties of naturally occurring polyphenols and some new possibilities for the therapeutical and/or prophylactic roles of these molecules on neurodegeneration and neurodegenerative diseases.

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Forests are the richest and most complex ecosystems in the world. Due to the abundance of species and their intricate relationships, huge problems are faced when investigating and analyzing them, despite the fact that increasingly sophisticated research tools are currently available. This is also true in the case of the largest group of animals in the world, i.e., insects inhabiting the forest environment. We are currently living in times of dramatic environmental changes triggered by human activity. The effects of climate change are evident and lead to changes in forests. Growing numbers of insect species are being threatened, and it is our responsibility to protect them. This Special Issue of our journal aims to provide a platform for scientific discussions on an array of research problems, such as geographic or historic diversity of forest insects, their variability, habitat preferences, as well as their monitoring or use as bioindicators of environmental changes. We are convinced that this Special Issue will not only be a source of inspiration for further research but will also contribute to reaching a reasonable compromise between the necessary protection of forests and the need for economic benefits. It is our belief that entomological studies will be of considerable value in these efforts.

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Ants are a ubiquitous, highly diverse, and ecologically dominant faunal group. They represent a large proportion of global terrestrial faunal biomass and play key ecological roles as soil engineers, predators, and re-cyclers of nutrients. They have particularly important interactions with plants as defenders against herbivores, as seed dispersers, and as seed predators. One downside to the ecological importance of ants is that they feature on the list of the world’s worst invasive species. Ants have also been important for science as model organisms for studies of diversity, biogeography, and community ecology. Despite such importance, ants remain remarkably understudied. A large proportion of species are undescribed, the biogeographic histories of most taxa remain poorly known, and we have a limited understanding of spatial patterns of diversity and composition, along with the processes driving them. The papers in this Special Issue collectively address many of the most pressing questions relating to ant diversity. What is the level of ant diversity? What is the origin of this diversity, and how is it distributed at different spatial scales? What are the roles of niche partitioning and competition as regulators of local diversity? How do ants affect the ecosystems within which they occur? The answers to these questions provide valuable insights not just for ants, but for biodiversity more generally.

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This book focuses on parrots, which are among the most fascinating, attractive, and threatened birds, combining and synthesizing recent research on the biology, ecology, and conservation of both native and non-native parrot populations across the world.

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In recent years, there has been a surge of interest in school and curriculum reform worldwide. Educators and policymakers now recognize that success hinges on understanding the intricate connections between student learning, social and emotional factors, and the learning environment. Researchers have delved into the effects of the learning environment on student outcomes, exploring topics such as students’ and teachers’ perceptions, attitudes toward specific subjects, and cognitive achievements in diverse, multicultural settings. Additionally, studies have investigated how 21st-century learning environments enhance students’ experiences. This volume provides a contemporary overview of the impact of learning environments on student outcomes. The articles within explore scientific insights, thought-provoking ideas, innovative approaches, and future-oriented scenarios across all levels of schooling—from primary to tertiary education, including out-of-school and online environments. The articles in this special issue draw on theoretical frameworks and best practices from intervention studies, learning-based experiments, and qualitative, quantitative and mixed-methods approaches.

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Diptera, known as the “true” flies, is one of the most numerous and diverse orders of insects, comprising about 125,000 species widely distributed throughout the world. These insects play an ecologically relevant role and bear significant importance to humans. Just as certain flies act as pollinators, decomposers, predators, and parasitoids, others are vectors of human diseases and represent serious pests of agriculture, stables, and barnyards. Several dipterans are involved in forensic legal investigations. This Special Issue collects the original research articles and reviews to deepen the biological, ecological, and behavioral knowledge of this diversified insect group and to cover management strategies for both pest and disease vector species. This involves a wide range of studies, such as life history, physiological aspects, reproduction, demographic traits, the ecology and evolution of behavioral patterns, population fluctuation and dynamics, diversity, abundance, trophic relationships, host range and status, natural enemies, integrated pest management, and control tactics.

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The 22 papers that make up this Special Issue deal with pathogen and pest impact on forest health, from the diagnosis to the surveillance of causative agents, from the study of parasites’ biological, epidemiological, and ecological traits to their correct taxonomy and classification, and from disease and pest monitoring to sustainable control strategies.

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Freshwater macroinvertebrates play a crucial role in linking sediments and their processes to the food web. Indeed, environmental modifications (e.g., nitrogen deposition, salinity, and temperature increase), pollution (e.g., pesticides and heavy metals), and introduction of alien species are the main drivers of changes that are affecting their communities. This Special Issue aims to present the past and present knowledge on freshwater macroinvertebrates to understand their role as providers of ecosystem services, to highlight the effects of global changes on their community (in the short and long term), and to underline major gaps in their study. Finally, in order to tackle the currently unsustainable use of freshwater natural capital, we welcome ideas and expert opinions on the development of future research linked to national and international regulations.

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The book (‘Geography and plant succession. Selected examples from Slovene regions’) is dealing with ecological succession which is one of three kinds of changes in vegetation. The other two are regeneration (or the result of necrosis and regrowth of organisms) and fluctuation (or changes in biomass in longer and shorter time cycles–also seasonal changes). Ecological succession or ecological sequence can be understood as a temporal-spatial clarification of the evolutionary development of a community from bare soil to a stable community which is balanced with its environment. The book is divided in two parts. In the first part, succession is presented on a theoretical basis. The development of the concept of succession through history, its mechanisms and processes carried on in it are clarified. Different types of succession as well as pioneer species and climax societies as the starting and final point of the process under consideration are described. In separated chapters, invasive species and soils as well as their role in succession are discussed. In the second part, individual selected environments (gravel pits in rivers, screes, rockfall areas, fire areas and construction pits) where the two major types of succession are prevailing are presented.

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Case studies from cities on five continents demonstrate the advantages of thinking comparatively about urban environments. The global discourse around urban ecology tends to homogenize and universalize, relying on such terms as “smart cities,” “eco-cities,” and “resilience,” and proposing a “science of cities” based largely on information from the Global North. Grounding Urban Natures makes the case for the importance of place and time in understanding urban environments. Rather than imposing a unified framework on the ecology of cities, the contributors use a variety of approaches across a range of of locales and timespans to examine how urban natures are part of—and are shaped by—cities and urbanization. Grounding Urban Natures offers case studies from cities on five continents that demonstrate the advantages of thinking comparatively about urban environments. The contributors consider the diversity of urban natures, analyzing urban ecologies that range from the coastal delta of New Orleans to real estate practices of the urban poor in Lagos. They examine the effect of popular movements on the meanings of urban nature in cities including San Francisco, Delhi, and Berlin. Finally, they explore abstract urban planning models and their global mobility, examining real-world applications in such cities as Cape Town, Baltimore, and the Chinese “eco-city” Yixing. Contributors Martín Ávila, Amita Baviskar, Jia-Ching Chen, Henrik Ernstson, James Evans, Lisa M. Hoffman, Jens Lachmund, Joshua Lewis, Lindsay Sawyer, Sverker Sörlin, Anne Whiston Spirn, Lance van Sittert, Richard A. Walker

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Both in Ethiopia and in the countries of East Africa, the continuing proliferation and spread of invasive alien species (IAS) is now recognized as a serious problem, which needs to be addressed. While this situation has improved dramatically over the past 10 years, further progress has been hampered by the absence, hitherto, of a comprehensive IAS database for the region. Countries in the region have repeatedly expressed the need for such a database, as a tool to assist in the identification of naturalized and invasive alien plant species, and in understanding their impacts, both existing and potential, while also providing pointers on what can be done to manage such species. This information is seen as essential, not only in enabling countries to develop effective IAS management strategies, but also in helping them to meet their obligations under various international agreements and treaties, including Article 8 (h) of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and Target 9 of the 2020 Aichi Biodiversity Targets. In providing such a database, this Guide is intended to give the countries of eastern Africa the information they require, in order to be able to develop effective strategies for combating the growing menace posed by invasive alien plants. It is further hoped that this Guide will foster increased regional collaboration, in responding to the challenges of managing shared invasive plant species. The Guide is based on the findings of extensive roadside surveys, carried out throughout the region, and on a review of the literature pertaining to naturalization and/or invasiveness among alien plants in eastern Africa. By this means, scores of exotic plant species were found to have escaped from cultivation, and to have established populations in the 'wild', to the detriment of natural resources and the millions of people in the region who depend on these resources. Included in the Guide are descriptions of roughly 200 exotic plant species which are either invasive already or which are deemed to have the potential to become invasive in the region. The profiled species include aquatic invasive plants or waterweeds (seven species); vines, creepers or climbers (20 species); terrestrial herbs, shrubs, and succulents (more than 30 species of each), and trees (more than 60 species). Also profiled in this Guide are many exotic plant species which, although their current distribution in the region may still be relatively localized, nevertheless have the potential to become considerably more widespread and problematic. The wide range of habitats and climatic conditions found within Ethiopia and across East Africa make the region as a whole particularly prone to invasions by a host of introduced plant species. Such invasions are being facilitated by increased land degradation, especially through overgrazing and deforestation, and also by climate change.

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Both in Ethiopia and in the countries of East Africa, the continuing proliferation and spread of invasive alien species (IAS) is now recognized as a serious problem, which needs to be addressed. While this situation has improved dramatically over the past 10 years, further progress has been hampered by the absence, hitherto, of a comprehensive IAS database for the region. Countries in the region have repeatedly expressed the need for such a database, as a tool to assist in the identification of naturalized and invasive alien plant species, and in understanding their impacts, both existing and potential, while also providing pointers on what can be done to manage such species. This information is seen as essential, not only in enabling countries to develop effective IAS management strategies, but also in helping them to meet their obligations under various international agreements and treaties, including Article 8 (h) of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and Target 9 of the 2020 Aichi Biodiversity Targets. In providing such a database, this Guide is intended to give the countries of eastern Africa the information they require, in order to be able to develop effective strategies for combating the growing menace posed by invasive alien plants. It is further hoped that this Guide will foster increased regional collaboration, in responding to the challenges of managing shared invasive plant species. The Guide is based on the findings of extensive roadside surveys, carried out throughout the region, and on a review of the literature pertaining to naturalization and/or invasiveness among alien plants in eastern Africa. By this means, scores of exotic plant species were found to have escaped from cultivation, and to have established populations in the 'wild', to the detriment of natural resources and the millions of people in the region who depend on these resources. Included in the Guide are descriptions of roughly 200 exotic plant species which are either invasive already or which are deemed to have the potential to become invasive in the region. The profiled species include aquatic invasive plants or waterweeds (seven species); vines, creepers or climbers (20 species); terrestrial herbs, shrubs, and succulents (more than 30 species of each), and trees (more than 60 species). Also profiled in this Guide are many exotic plant species which, although their current distribution in the region may still be relatively localized, nevertheless have the potential to become considerably more widespread and problematic. The wide range of habitats and climatic conditions found within Ethiopia and across East Africa make the region as a whole particularly prone to invasions by a host of introduced plant species. Such invasions are being facilitated by increased land degradation, especially through overgrazing and deforestation, and also by climate change.

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The impetus for the development of this Field Guide came about as a result of pleas from the community around the village of Doldol, Laikipia County, to initiate a control programme for Australian prickly pear [Opuntia stricta (Haw.) Haw.; Fabaceae], an invasive plant which was having a dramatic impact on livelihoods. However, a number of other exotic plants, which were less widespread, but had the potential of becoming invasive, were not seen as a potential problem. In order to avoid a similar situation from arising in the future, the community expressed a need for a Field Guide, which would include descriptions of naturalized and invasive species already present in, and those that were most likely to invade Laikipia County and, information on how best to manage them. An additional impetus was to contribute to the four main objectives of the National Strategy and Action Plan for the Management of Invasive Species in Kenya's Protected Areas. The Field Guide contributes in some or other way to all of these objectives which are to (i) Enhance awareness of invasive species to relevant actors; (ii) Prevent new invasions, manage established invasions and rehabilitate degraded habitats; (iii) Enhance research, monitoring and information management on invasive species; and (iv) Enhance capacity, resource mobilization and coordination. Extensive surveys revealed the presence of a number of introduced plant species which had escaped cultivation and established populations in the 'wild' to the detriment of natural resources and the people that depend on them. Introduced succulents, especially those in the genus Opuntia (Cactaceae), were found to be the most widespread and abundant invasive species in the semi-arid regions in the north and east of Laikipia County. Other succulents, those in the genus Bryophyllum (Crassulaceae), were also found to have escaped cultivation and were locally abundant. In the higher rainfall areas to the west and southwest, introduced trees such as black wattle (Acacia mearnsii De Wild.; Fabaceae) and Australian blackwood (Acacia melanoxylon R. Br.; Fabaceae) and the shrubs/climbers, Mauritius thorn [Caesalpinia decapetala (Roth) Alston; Fabaceae] and yellow cestrum (Cestrum aurantiacum Lindl.; Solanaceae), were invasive. Introduced plants, which have the potential to become problematic in Laikipia, unless eradicated or controlled, have also been included in the Guide. This includes species such as famine weed (Parthenium hysterophorus L.; Asteraceae) and 'mathenge' [Prosopis juliflora (Sw.) DC.; Fabaceae], which are already abundant in areas adjoining the County.

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The impetus for the development of this Field Guide came about as a result of pleas from the community around the village of Doldol, Laikipia County, to initiate a control programme for Australian prickly pear [Opuntia stricta (Haw.) Haw.; Fabaceae], an invasive plant which was having a dramatic impact on livelihoods. However, a number of other exotic plants, which were less widespread, but had the potential of becoming invasive, were not seen as a potential problem. In order to avoid a similar situation from arising in the future, the community expressed a need for a Field Guide, which would include descriptions of naturalized and invasive species already present in, and those that were most likely to invade Laikipia County and, information on how best to manage them. An additional impetus was to contribute to the four main objectives of the National Strategy and Action Plan for the Management of Invasive Species in Kenya's Protected Areas. The Field Guide contributes in some or other way to all of these objectives which are to (i) Enhance awareness of invasive species to relevant actors; (ii) Prevent new invasions, manage established invasions and rehabilitate degraded habitats; (iii) Enhance research, monitoring and information management on invasive species; and (iv) Enhance capacity, resource mobilization and coordination. Extensive surveys revealed the presence of a number of introduced plant species which had escaped cultivation and established populations in the 'wild' to the detriment of natural resources and the people that depend on them. Introduced succulents, especially those in the genus Opuntia (Cactaceae), were found to be the most widespread and abundant invasive species in the semi-arid regions in the north and east of Laikipia County. Other succulents, those in the genus Bryophyllum (Crassulaceae), were also found to have escaped cultivation and were locally abundant. In the higher rainfall areas to the west and southwest, introduced trees such as black wattle (Acacia mearnsii De Wild.; Fabaceae) and Australian blackwood (Acacia melanoxylon R. Br.; Fabaceae) and the shrubs/climbers, Mauritius thorn [Caesalpinia decapetala (Roth) Alston; Fabaceae] and yellow cestrum (Cestrum aurantiacum Lindl.; Solanaceae), were invasive. Introduced plants, which have the potential to become problematic in Laikipia, unless eradicated or controlled, have also been included in the Guide. This includes species such as famine weed (Parthenium hysterophorus L.; Asteraceae) and 'mathenge' [Prosopis juliflora (Sw.) DC.; Fabaceae], which are already abundant in areas adjoining the County.

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Despite the significant impacts of alien plant species (IAS), there has not been a concerted effort to tackle the problem across the region. This can mainly be ascribed to a lack of policy, little awareness and limited capacity at a national and regional level. The UN Environment-Global Environment Facility project, 'Removing Barriers to Invasive Species Management in Production and Protection Forests in SE Asia', which was active in Cambodia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam, identified these barriers and produced this Guide which will go a long way to creating awareness about invasive plants, their impacts and how best to manage them. This Guide will serve as an invaluable aid in the identification, mapping, monitoring, and management of IAS that are already present in ASEAN member states, or which may become problematic in the future, due to increased trade and travel, economic development and climate change. It is hoped that this Guide would trigger similar efforts in other countries in Southeast Asia as the region moves toward socio-economic integration.

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Despite the significant impacts of alien plant species (IAS), there has not been a concerted effort to tackle the problem across the region. This can mainly be ascribed to a lack of policy, little awareness and limited capacity at a national and regional level. The UN Environment-Global Environment Facility project, 'Removing Barriers to Invasive Species Management in Production and Protection Forests in SE Asia', which was active in Cambodia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam, identified these barriers and produced this Guide which will go a long way to creating awareness about invasive plants, their impacts and how best to manage them. This Guide will serve as an invaluable aid in the identification, mapping, monitoring, and management of IAS that are already present in ASEAN member states, or which may become problematic in the future, due to increased trade and travel, economic development and climate change. It is hoped that this Guide would trigger similar efforts in other countries in Southeast Asia as the region moves toward socio-economic integration.

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While providing a basis for all ecosystems, bugs such as insects and arachnids also destroy crops and indirectly kill humans and other animals by the millions. This book illuminates the many ways in which human lives affect and are affected by bugs as part of a wider network of species. 14 chapters reveal how knowledge, ideas, and emotions related to bugs are historically and culturally formed. With many bug populations in free fall, how can humans and bugs coexist? This book examines this question and offers a new ethics for this coexistence. Contributors are Michaela Fenske, Minna Santaoja, Concepción Cortés Zulueta, Heidi Mikkola, Laura Hollsten, Sophie FitzMaurice, Otto Latva, Marianne Mäkelin, Taina Syrjämaa, Suvi Rytty, Sanna Lillbroända-Annala, Emily Webster, Karine Aasgaard Jansen, Heta Lähdesmäki, and Tuomas Räsänen.

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This book shows recent and innovative applications of the use of hyperspectral technology for optimal quantification of crop, vegetation, and soil biophysical variables at various spatial scales, which can be an important aspect in agricultural management practices and monitoring. The articles collected inside the book are intended to help researchers and farmers involved in precision agriculture techniques and practices, as well as in plant nutrient prediction, to a higher comprehension of strengths and limitations of the application of hyperspectral imaging to agriculture and vegetation. Hyperspectral remote sensing for studying agriculture and natural vegetation is a challenging research topic that will remain of great interest for different sciences communities in decades.

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Forest pests have diverse negative impacts on forestry economy, ecosystem services, biodiversity, and sustainable ecosystem management. The first step towards effectively managing forest pests would be to monitor their occurrence and assess their impact on forest ecosystems. The monitoring results can provide basic information for effective management strategies. The data from monitoring programs can result in the development of new methods for monitoring, assessing impact, and developing management techniques. This special issue aims to share information to assist in the effective management of forest pests, by understanding the responses of forest pests to natural and anthropogenic changes, and discussing new studies on the monitoring, assessment, and management of forest pests. The fourteen papers included in this issue focus on monitoring, assessing, and managing forest pests, including one editorial providing an overall idea of the monitoring, assessment and management of forest pests, two articles reviewing long-term changes in forest pests and forests, four papers focusing on the monitoring of forest pests, three papers on the assessment of forest pests, and four papers on the management of forest pests. These papers provide a better understanding of the structures and processes in forest ecosystems and fundamental information for the effective management of forest pests.

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This eBook is a collection of articles from a Frontiers Research Topic. Frontiers Research Topics are very popular trademarks of the Frontiers Journals Series: they are collections of at least ten articles, all centered on a particular subject. With their unique mix of varied contributions from Original Research to Review Articles, Frontiers Research Topics unify the most influential researchers, the latest key findings and historical advances in a hot research area! Find out more on how to host your own Frontiers Research Topic or contribute to one as an author by contacting the Frontiers Editorial Office: frontiersin.org/about/contact

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Invasive alien plants pose a major threat to agriculture, the natural environment and livelihoods worldwide and create challenges for development. This is especially the case for those who live and work in rural areas. This book, for the first time, brings together a wide range of invasive plant specialists from the Asia-Pacific region who shares their experience in addressing the problem and delivering solutions. Mikania micrantha is used as case study in the book as it exemplifies many of the issues that need to be addressed. This neotropical vine is a major weed across the tropical humid zones of the region, where it smothers agroforestry, home gardens, natural forests and plantation production systems. The book emphasises the social and economic implications of plant invasion, and discusses direct impacts on livelihoods and biodiversity. It explains how various approaches to management including traditional ecological knowledge and classical biological control can be keys to the delivery of sustainable solutions, focusing on experiences in India, Nepal, Papua New Guinea and China. The use of policy frameworks in biological control and other management measures are also described.

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Invasive alien plants pose a major threat to agriculture, the natural environment and livelihoods worldwide and create challenges for development. This is especially the case for those who live and work in rural areas. This book, for the first time, brings together a wide range of invasive plant specialists from the Asia-Pacific region who shares their experience in addressing the problem and delivering solutions. Mikania micrantha is used as case study in the book as it exemplifies many of the issues that need to be addressed. This neotropical vine is a major weed across the tropical humid zones of the region, where it smothers agroforestry, home gardens, natural forests and plantation production systems. The book emphasises the social and economic implications of plant invasion, and discusses direct impacts on livelihoods and biodiversity. It explains how various approaches to management including traditional ecological knowledge and classical biological control can be keys to the delivery of sustainable solutions, focusing on experiences in India, Nepal, Papua New Guinea and China. The use of policy frameworks in biological control and other management measures are also described.

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A virus (from the Latin word ‘v?rus’ meaning ‘venom’ or ‘poison’) is a microorganism invisible to the naked eye. Viruses can multiply exclusively by entering a cell and using the cell’s resources to create copies of themselves. As the origin of their name suggests, viruses are generally considered dangerous, harmful and often deadly. Some of the most well-studied and widely known viruses, such as HIV and influenza, infect humans. However, viruses can also infect animals, plants and microorganisms, including fungi. Many fungi are medically, ecologically and economically significant, for example, causing diseases to humans, plants and insects or being used in industry to produce bread, cheese, beer and wine. Viruses that infect fungi are called mycoviruses (from the Greek work ‘myco’, meaning ‘fungus’). Mycoviruses do not cause harm to or kill the infected fungus; in contrast, they are ‘friendly’ viruses and we can utilize them to control the growth, pathogenicity and toxin production of fungi. This book describes a range of different mycoviruses and their geographical distribution, transmission and evolution, together with their effects on the fungal hosts and how these are brought about.

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