Among the environmental factors, soil salinity is one of the most detrimental factors affecting plant growth and productivity. Nutritional-imbalance is also known as one of the negative effects of salinity on plant growth and productivity. Among the essential plant nutrients, phosphorus (P) is a nutrient in which the uptake, transport, and distribution in plant is adversely affected by salinity-stress. Salinity-stress-mediated low a P availability limits the crop production. Adding additional P fertilizer is generally recommended to manage P deficit in saline-soils; however, the low-efficiency of available P fertilizer use in salt-affected soils, restricts P availability, and P fertilizers are also a cause of significant environmental concerns. The application of salinity-tolerant phosphate–solubilizing-bacteria (ST-PSB) can be as a greatly effective and economical way to improve the P availability, and recover the P-deficit in saline-land. This review focuses on soil salinization and its effect on P availability, the mechanisms of P solubilization by ST-PSB, ST-PSB diversity, their role in alleviating salinity stress in plants, the current and future scenarios of their use, and the potential application of this knowledge to manage the sustainable environmental system. According to this review, adding ST-PSB to saline soils could be an alternative for alleviating the negative effects of salinity on plants and may ameliorate salinity tolerance.

Recently developed non-invasive environmental DNA-based (eDNA) techniques have enlightened modern conservation biology, propelling the monitoring/management of natural populations to a more effective and efficient approach, compared to traditional surveys. However, due to rapid-expansion of eDNA, confusion in terminology and collection/analytical pipelines can potentially jeopardize research progression, methodological standardization, and practitioner adoption in several ways. Present investigation reflects the developmental progress of eDNA (sensu stricto) including highlighting the successful case studies in conservation management. The eDNA technique is successfully relevant in several areas of conservation research (invasive/conserve species detection) with a high accuracy and authentication, which gradually upgrading modern conservation approaches. The eDNA technique related bioinformatics (e.g., taxon-specific-primers MiFish, MiBird, etc.), sample-dependent methodology, and advancement of sequencing technology (e.g., oxford-nanopore-sequencing) are helping in research progress. The investigation shows that the eDNA technique is applicable largely in (i) early detection of invasive species, (ii) species detection for conservation, (iii) community level biodiversity monitoring, (iv) ecosystem health monitoring, (v) study on trophic interactions, etc. Thus, the eDNA technique with a high accuracy and authentication can be applicable alone or coupled with traditional surveys in conservation biology. However, a comprehensive eDNA-based monitoring program (ecosystem modeling and function) is essential on a global scale for future management decisions.

Plant–animal interactions (PAIs) are critical in natural and agricultural ecosystems, mediating energy flow with both positive and negative interactions. Traditional methods of tracking PAIs, such as morphological identification and camera trapping, are limited in speed and scalability, posing challenges for comprehensive biodiversity monitoring. Recently, environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding has emerged as a promising technique for detecting species interactions non‐destructively. This pilot study explores the application of eDNA metabarcoding to investigate frugivorous interactions involving 18 partially consumed and three intact fruits of each Carica papaya and Ananas comosus . Metabarcoding of mitochondrial COI gene fragments generated 796,234 paired‐end reads representing 117 ASVs spanning diverse taxonomic groups, including Metazoans, Protozoans, Algae, Fungi, and Bacteria. After filtering for animal taxa, 41 ASVs were retained, dominated by Arthropoda (~97%). Major frugivores included Drosophila , Zaprionus , and Bactrocera species. Additional detections included beetles, ants, parasitoid wasps, and vertebrates such as Acridotheres javanicus , Callosciurus erythraeus , and Bandicota indica . Moreover, consumed fruits showed high insect (~90%–95%) and mammal (~4%–5%) DNA, while intact fruits were dominated by rotifers (~75%–80%). Distinct communities were found between pineapple and papaya, with 15 and 11 unique ASVs, respectively, and only one ASV was unique to intact fruits. Alpha and beta diversity analyses confirmed the differences in community structure between fruit types. Despite the limited sample size, our findings demonstrate the potential of fruit‐surface eDNA to monitor frugivory and species interactions. Future studies should scale this approach across seasons and crop types to assess its potential in long‐term biodiversity and pest management monitoring.

The cryptic invasion of golden apple snails (Pomacea canaliculata and P. maculata) in Taiwan has caused significant ecological and economical damage over the last few decades, however, their management remains difficult due to inadequate taxonomic identification, complex phylogeny, and limited population genetic information. We aim to understand the current distribution, putative population of origin, genetic diversity, and potential path of cryptic invasion of Pomacea canaliculata and P. maculata across Taiwan to aid in improved mitigation approaches. The present investigation conducted a nationwide survey with 254 samples collected from 41 locations in 14 counties or cities across Taiwan. We identified P. canaliculata and P. maculata based on mitochondrial COI and compared their genetic diversity across Taiwan, as well as other introduced and native countries (based on publicly available COI data) to understand the possible paths of invasion to Taiwan. Based on mitochondrial COI barcoding, sympatric and heterogeneous distributions of invasive P. canaliculata and P. maculata were noted. Our haplotype analysis and mismatch distribution results suggested multiple introductions of P. canaliculata in Taiwan was likely originated directly from Argentina, whereas P. maculata was probably introduced from a single, or a few, introduction event(s) from Argentina and Brazil. Our population genetic data further demonstrated a higher haplotype and genetic diversity for P. canaliculata and P. maculata in Taiwan compared to other introduced regions. Based on our current understanding, the establishment of P. canaliculata and P. maculata is alarming and widespread beyond geopolitical borders, requiring a concerted and expedited national and international invasive species mitigation program.

Angiostrongylus cantonensis (Rat Lungworm) is a major pathogen of Eosinophilic Meningitis in humans worldwide. A. cantonensis completes its life-cycle in two hosts: the rodent definitive and the gastropod intermediate hosts. Among the wide range of intermediate gastropod hosts, the invasive Pomacea canaliculata (Golden apple snails), which have caused numerous outbreaks of neuroangiostrongyliasis worldwide, especially China and Taiwan. While there have been numerous surveys on the prevalence of A. cantonensis larvae in P. canaliculata in China, there are an inadequate number of studies in Taiwan. This review gives an overview of the current status of A. cantonensis prevalence and infection in general, along with focusing on the status and developments regarding neuroangiostrongyliasis in Taiwan. Additionally, the present study concentrated on the implications of a well-known invasive vector of the parasite, Pomacea spp. and its effects on disease transmission to humans. Results show that P. canaliculata has been the source of approximately 15.5% infections in Taiwan. Furthermore, due to rapidly growing invasive Pomacea spp. populations in waterlogged areas, disease transmission through water cannot be neglected. Thus, as a precautionary measure, we suggest that environmental DNA-based monitoring should be implemented to detect parasites.