Estonian University of Life Sciences

Long-term patterns in phenotypic plasticity of chironomid head capsules in small high-elevation subarctic lakes: exploring possible mechanisms using multi-proxy paleolimnological records

Abstract We quantified temporal variation in the head capsule (HC) length of subfossil chironomids from two high-elevation subarctic lakes in northern Sweden and explored its potential drivers using chironomid assemblages, sedimentary pigments, and stable isotope analyses. Althou...

Diapausing adult female mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) in overwintering sites in Estonia in 2023–2024: Species composition and variation

In temperate regions, several mosquito species overwinter as diapausing females in sheltered habitats, enabling them to serve as early-season vectors of mosquito-borne pathogens. While overwintering species compositions have been documented in several parts of Europe, no comprehe...

Biodiversity footprints and handprints in agricultural life cycle assessment a review of methods and field-based evidence

Abstract Biodiversity loss is a critical component of the current planetary crisis, yet it remains insufficiently represented in life cycle assessment (LCA) and in related sustainability metrics. This paper presents a narrative literature review of how biodiversity is currently i...

Toward high-efficiency photovoltaic energy harvesting: experimental validation of continuous, hybrid, and sensorless dual-axis tracking systems with fixed-tilt solar system

Solar tracking systems have gained considerable attention due to their potential to increase the energy yield of photovoltaic (PV) systems by maintaining the PV module at a favorable orientation relative to the Sun. However, conventional dual-axis trackers often rely on high-powe...

Efficient pulsed lights for herbaceous and woody plants with different light demands

Effect of many different pulsed lights (PLs) on photosynthetic rate was measured in several temperate herbaceous and woody species. Pulsed lights with light/dark cycle periods (CPs) ranging from 100 to 0.004 ms and duty (light) phase ratios (DRs) between 88 and 43% were used. Eac...

Environmental drivers of litter- and soil-dwelling springtail communities across European forests, assessed by morphotaxonomy and soil DNA metabarcoding

Springtails are abundant in forest litter and soils, where they play a crucial role in the transformation and decomposition of organic matter. However, most data on springtail communities originates from studies at the local and regional levels, while larger-scale studies are lac...

Towards resilient forest establishment in Europe: functional traits, genetic diversity and multifunctional design

Abstract Forest restoration and afforestation across Europe are accelerating, yet the decision-making processes governing forest establishment remain unevenly examined, especially from a biodiversity perspective. Considering this and the global environmental changes of climate sh...

A Scoping Review of Virtual Reality in Blue Space Research

This study aims to systematically review the current applications and development trends of virtual reality (VR) technology in blue space research. It clarifies the main research methods, technical pathways, application scenarios, and existing knowledge gaps, and integrates the a...

Mechanistic Investigationof Visible-Light-DrivenPhotocatalysis in Bio-Synthesized Graphitic Carbon Nitride/MgO NanocompositesToward Safranine Orange Dye

Abstract In this work, we report a sustainable strategy for the synthesis of magnesium oxide (MgO) nanoparticles, graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4), and MgO/g-C3N4 nanocomposites derived from orange peel waste, with MgO loadings ranging from 28 to 76 wt %. Comprehensive physicoch...

A Comprehensive Review of Sequence and Generative Models in Motor Imagery (MI) Classification for Brain–Computer Interfaces (BCIs)

Motor imagery (MI) classification serves as the backbone to brain–computer interfaces (BCIs) by strengthening the communication bridge between the human brain and external peripheral devices. The past two decades have witnessed unprecedented success in MI-BCIs, with applications...

The Zooplankton International Geospatial dataset: A global repository of spatiotemporal freshwater zooplankton community composition data from lakes and reservoirs to support ecological research

Abstract Zooplankton transfer substantial energy in aquatic food webs and are used as indicators of environmental change. Syntheses of zooplankton community dynamics globally require datasets that span a wide range of environmental gradients; however, these datasets are limited d...