Plant extract-based green synthesis of nanoparticles is an emerging class of nanotechnology that has revolutionized the entire field of biological sciences. Green synthesized nanoparticles are used as super-growth promoters and antifungal agents. In this study, selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) were synthesized usingMelia azedarachleaves extract as the main reducing and stabilizing agent and characterized by UV–visible spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX), and fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR). The green synthesized SeNPs were exogenously applied onMangifera indicainfected with mango malformation disease. The SeNPs at a concentration of 30μg/mL were found to be the best concentration which enhanced the physiological (chlorophyll and membrane stability index), and biochemical (proline and soluble sugar) parameters. The antioxidant defense system was also explored, and it was reported that green synthesized SeNPs significantly reduced the biotic stress by enhancing enzymatic and non-enzymatic activities.In vitroantifungal activity of SeNPs reported that 300μg/mL concentration inhibited theFusarium mangiferaethe most. This study is considered the first biocompatible approach to evaluate the potential of green synthesized SeNPs to improve the health of mango malformation-infected plants and effective management strategy to inhibit the growth ofF.mangifera.

Our understanding of the diversity and distribution of living things is crucial to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. Because biological invasions by alien species pose a significant threat to native biodiversity, tracking alien species at various geographical scales has recently gained prominence. The current study is designed to evaluate the diversity and composition of invasive plants in different habitats of Mandi Bahuddin, Punjab, Pakistan. The investigation explores the impact of environmental factors on the distribution of alien species in association with edaphic and geographic patterns. Diversity patterns, ecological impact, and the distribution of alien species with respect to environmental variables were recorded. A randomized sampling technique was used taking data from 120 sites with triplet quadrates in each, 360 overall, between 2019 and 2021 to record the data on alien flora and associated environmental variables. Important value indices for each alien species were determined with respect to environmental data, by cluster and ordination analysis. Overall, 43 invasive alien plants from 37 genera and 18 families were documented in the district Mandi Bahuddin. The prominent family was Poaceae with ten species (23.25%) followed by Leguuminosae with six species (13.95%), Compositae with five species (11.62%), Amaranthaceae with three species (6.97%), and Convolvulaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Malvaceae, Polygonaceae, and Scrophulariaceae with two species each (4.65%). Out of 65 alien species comprised herbs 52.13%, grasses 23.25%, shrubs 9.30%, and trees 9.30%. In case life form Therophyte (48.83%) was leading, followed by Chamaephyte with (16.27%) species, Nanophanerophyte and Megaphanerophyte with (11.62%) species each, Geophyte with (6.97%) species, and Hemicryptophyte with (4.65%) species. With leaf size spectra, microphylls (41.86%) were dominating and followed by mesophylls (27.90%), leptophylls (13.95%), nanophylls (11.62%), and macrophylls (4.65%). PCA was applied in order to further understand the species distribution and abundance pattern and to find significant connections among the species with sampling locations comprising various habitats. Ward’s agglomerative clustering technique classified the one hundred and twenty transects into four major groups. Ordination analysis showed that different ecological factors had a significant (p ≤ 0.002) influence on vegetation. The current study provides a foundation from which to comprehend the influences of environmental variables on alien plants’ composition, diversity, structure, and links. These will be useful for developing scientifically informed management strategies for use by administrative agencies in the ecological restoration of the degraded habitat of the studied area.

Salinity stress is one of the primary abiotic stresses limiting crop growth and yield. Plants respond to salinity stress with several morphophysiological, molecular, and biochemical mechanisms, however, these mechanisms need to be improved further to cope with salt stress effectively. In this regard, the use of plant growth-promoting (PGP) and halotolerant bacteria is thought to be very efficient for enhancing growth and salinity tolerance in plants. The current study aims to assess Bacillus safensis PM22 for its ability to promote plant growth and resistance to salt. The PM22 produced substantial amounts of exopolysaccharides, indole-3-acetic acid, siderophore, and 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid deaminase (ACC-deaminase) under saline conditions. Additionally, inoculation of the halotolerant bacteria PM22 reduced the severity of salinity stress in plants and increased root and shoot length at various salt concentrations (0, 180, 240, and 300 mM). Furthermore, PM22-inoculated plants showed markedly enhanced photosynthetic pigment, carotenoid, leaf relative water content, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) activity, salt tolerance index, total soluble sugar, total protein, and ascorbic acid contents compared to non-inoculated control maize plants. PM22 substantially increased antioxidant (enzymatic and non-enzymatic) activities in maize plants, including ascorbate peroxidase, peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, catalase, total flavonoid, and phenol levels. Maize plants inoculated with PM22 also exhibited a significant reduction in electrolyte leakage, hydrogen peroxide, malondialdehyde, glycine betaine, and proline contents compared to non-inoculated control plants. These physiological appearances were further validated by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), which revealed the upregulation of expression in genes responsible for stress tolerance. In the current investigation, Bacillus safensis PM22 showed plant growth-promoting and salt tolerance attributes and can be utilized as a bio-inoculant to improve yield in salt stress affected areas.

Species distribution modelling (SDM) is an important tool to examine the possible change in the population range and/or niche-shift under current environment and predicted climate change. Monotheca buxifolia is an economically and ecologically important tree species inhabiting Pakistan and Afghanistan in dense patches, and species range is contracting rapidly. This study hypothesize that predicted climate change might remarkably influence the existing distribution pattern of M. buxifolia in the study area. A total of 75 occurrence locations were identified comprising M. buxifolia as a dominant tree species. The Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt) algorithm was utilized to perform the SDM under current (the 1970s-2000s) and two future climate change scenarios (shared socioeconomic pathways: SSPs 245 and 585) of two time periods (the 2050s and 2070s). The optimal model settings were assessed, and simulation precision was assessed by examining the partial area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (pAUC-ROC). The results showed that out of 39 considered bio-climatic, topographic, edaphic, and remote sensing variables which were utilized in the preliminary model, 6 variables including precipitation of warmest quarter, topographic diversity, global human modification of terrestrial land, normalized difference vegetation index, isothermality, and elevation (in order) were the most influential drivers, and utilized in all reduced SDMs. A high predictive performance (pAUC-ROC; >0.9) of all the considered SDMs was recorded. A total of about 67,684 km² of geographical area was predicted as suitable habitat (p > 0.8) for M. buxifolia, and Pakistan is the leading country (with about 54,975 km² of suitable land area) under the current climate scenario. Overall, the existing distribution of the tree species in the study area might face considerable loss (i.e. rate of change %; -27 to -107) in future, and simultaneously a northward (high elevation) niche shift is predicted for all the considered future climate change scenarios. Hence, development and implementation of a coordinated conservation program is required on priority basis to save the tree species in its native geographic range.

Species distribution modeling and niche dynamics of alien plants can aid in understanding the existing and future invasion potential in the wake of climate change. We describe the niche dynamics of S. viarum Dunal, and report on its present and predicted future distribution in Pakistan under scenarios of climate change. The results revealed that S. viarum had an extensive range of prospective distribution zones in Pakistan, with Central Punjab, Eastern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Southern Balochistan being the most suitable. According to ROC curve data, the MaxEnt model has a great prediction precision and credible outcomes. The most important variables influencing S. viarum latent distribution may be precipitation and temperature. The current potential area of S. viarum is approximately 105,750 km² (12%). Under climate change regimes, the highly suitable area for S. viarum increases by 2–9% under two Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5). The outcomes of this study could help to develop control of regional invasions and climate change approaches in Pakistan. More importantly, the findings of niche dynamics in native and invaded S. viarum areas contribute to a better understanding of the nature of niche modifications in invasive species and the potential for invasion under climate change.

Background: In the Himalayas, traditional knowledge and biodiversity are strongly linked due to the symbiotic interaction between plant and cultural diversity, as well as the support provided by cultural memories, ecological awareness, and social norms. Our study was focused on documenting the vanishing knowledge in the Kashmir Himalaya with the following main objectives: 1) to document the ethnomedical and cultural knowledge of the local flora, 2) to evaluate the cross-cultural use of the flora in the region, and, finally, 3) to identify the key indicator species utilized by each ethnic group using multivariate statistical analysis. Methods: We used semi-structured questionnaires to conduct interviews with people of different ethnicity, gender, age, and occupational categories. The intercultural relationships of species utilization among ethnic groups were examined using a Venn diagram. The overall trends between the indicator values and the plant species used by diverse ethnic groups were illustrated using the linear regression model. Results: We recorded 46 species belonging to 25 different families used by the local people of the Kashmir Valley belonging to four ethnic groups (Gujjar, Bakarwal, Pahari, and Kashmiri). The dominant families recorded were Asteraceae and Ranunculaceae followed by Caprifoliaceae. Rhizomes were the most utilized plant part, followed by leaves. A total of 33 ailments were treated with plants, and gastrointestinal disorders were treated with most species followed by musculoskeletal diseases and dermatological problems. Across cultural relationships, the Gujjar and Pahari showed greater similarity (17%). This may be due to the fact that both ethnic groups share a common geographical landscape and are exogamous to each other. We identified key indicator species used by different ethnic groups with significant (p ≤ 0.05) values. For instance, in the Gujjar ethnic group, Aconitum heterophyllum and Phytolacca acinosa had significant indicator value, which was due to the fact that these plants were easily accessible and also had a wide range of uses. In contrast, the Bakarwal ethnic group showed different indicator species, with Rheum spiciforme and Rhododendron campanulatum being highly significant (p ≤ 0.05), because this ethnic group spends the majority of their time in high-altitude pastures, using a particularly wide variety of plant species for medicine, food, and fuelwood. While indicator values and plant usage were positively correlated for the Gujjar, Kashmiri, and Pahari ethnic groups, they were negatively correlated for the Bakarwal. The positive correlation indicates cultural preferences for certain plant use and underlines the cultural significance of each species. The current study reported new uses for the following species: raw roots of Jurinea dolomiaea used for tooth cleaning, seeds of Verbascum thapsus applied for respiratory diseases, and flowers of Saussurea simpsoniana given to anyone as a good luck wish. Conclusion: The current study highlights historical ethnic group stratifications and cultural standing while comparing reported taxa across cultures. Each ethnic group made extensive ethnomedical use of plants, and knowledge, originally transmitted verbally, is now available in writing for reference. This could pave the way for providing incentives to local communities to showcase their talents, celebrate them, and gain from potential development initiatives.