In this study, shrimp shell-derived chitosan (CS) and rice husk-derived biochar (RHB) were produced; CS and RHB were then used to synthesize chitosan-modified biochar (CSBC) hydrogel beads. N₂ adsorption (77K), SEM-EDX and FT-IR techniques were used to evaluate the physicochemical properties of the adsorbents. A batch experiment was conducted to test the methyl orange (MO) adsorption performance of RHB and CSBC. The results showed that the MO adsorption process was strongly pH-dependent. The kinetics were well described by the pseudo-second-order and intra-particle diffusion models, assuming the chemisorption and intraparticle diffusion mechanisms govern the adsorption process. Homogeneous adsorption for MO on the surface of RHB and CSBC was also assumed since the isotherm data showed the best-fit to the Langmuir model. Under the experimental conditions of initial pH 3, dosage 0.2 g, contact time 240 min and temperature 298 K, the maximum adsorption capacity of CSBC and RHB for MO dye adsorption was 38.75 mg.g⁻¹ and 31.63 mg.g⁻¹, respectively. This result demonstrated that biochar had better performance after modification with chitosan, which provided more functional groups (i.e., −NH₂ and −OH groups) for enhanced electrostatic interactions and complexation between MO and CSBC. Overall, CSBC is an effective adsorbent for the removal of MO from aqueous solution.

This study investigates the adsorption of Safranin O (SO) from aqueous solution by both biochar and magnetic biochar derived from rice straw. Rice straw biochar (RSB) was made by pyrolysis in a furnace at 500 °C, using a heating rate of 10 °C·min⁻¹ for 2 h in an oxygen-limited environment, whilst the magnetic rice straw biochar (MRSB) was produced via the chemical precipitation of Fe²⁺ and Fe³⁺. The physicochemical properties of the synthesized biochars were characterized using SEM, SEM- EDX, XRD, FTIR techniques, and N₂ adsorption (77 K) and pH_pzc measurements. Batch adsorption experiments were used to explore the effect of pH, biochar dosage, kinetics, and isotherms on the adsorption of SO. Experimental data of RSB and MRSB fit well into both Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models, and were also well-explained by the Lagergren pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The maximum SO adsorption capacity of MRSB was found to be 41.59 mg/g, while for RSB the figure was 31.06 mg/g. The intra-particle diffusion model indicated that the intra-particle diffusion may not be the only rate-limiting step. The collective physical and chemical forces account for the adsorption mechanism of SO molecules by both RSB and MRSB adsorbents. The obtained results demonstrated that the magnetic biochar can partially enhance the SO adsorption capacity of its precursor biochar and also be easily separated from the solution by using an external magnet.

Compared with non‐invasive species, invasive plant species may benefit from certain advantageous traits, for example, higher photosynthesis capacity and resource/energy‐use efficiency. These traits can be preadapted prior to introduction, but can also be acquired through evolution following introduction to the new range. Disentangling the origins of these advantageous traits is a fundamental and emerging question in invasion ecology. We conducted a multiple comparative experiment under identical environmental condition with the invasive haplotype M lineage of the wetland grassPhragmites australisand compared the ecophysiological traits of this invasive haplotype M in North America with those of the European ancestor and the conspecific North American native haplotype E lineage,P. australisssp. americanus. The invasive haplotype M differed significantly from the native North American conspecific haplotype E in several ecophysiological and morphological traits, and the European haplotype M had a more efficient photosynthetic apparatus than the native North AmericanP. australisssp. americanus. Within the haplotype M lineage, the introduced North AmericanP. australisexhibited different biomass allocation patterns and resource/energy‐use strategies compared to its European ancestor group. A discriminant analysis of principal components separated the haplotype M and the haplotype E lineages completely along the first canonical axis, highly related to photosynthetic gas‐exchange parameters, photosynthetic energy‐use efficiency and payback time. The second canonical axis, highly related to photosynthetic nitrogen use efficiency and construction costs, significantly separated the introducedP. australisin North America from its European ancestor.Synthesis. We conclude that the EuropeanP. australislineage was preadapted to be invasive prior to its introduction, and that the invasion in North America is further stimulated by rapid post‐introduction evolution in several advantageous traits. The multicomparison approach used in this study could be an effective approach for distinguishing preadaptation and post‐introduction evolution of invasive species. Further research is needed to link the observed changes in invasive traits to the genetic variation and the interaction with the environment.