Urban forests are widely recognised as a nature-based solution to mitigate the effects of climate change; however, urban forests are also vulnerable to climate change. Therefore, there is a need to improve species selection to ensure the delivery of ecosystem services by urban forests now and in the future. Research on the impacts of climate change on urban forests requires investigation to capture the complexities associated with species identity and growing conditions. Yet, such studies remain rare in urban contexts, highlighting the need for expanding collaborative research in cities. Here, we present a nation-wide urban trial network established across four states in Australia, showcasing stakeholder collaboration aimed at advancing urban forest research. The network consists of 11 standardised plantings of tree and/or shrub species aimed at testing species' growth and performance (i.e., stress tolerance) in cities across a range of climatic conditions. To test these differences, we measured height and diameter relative growth rates (RGR) and leaf damage caused by stress at each site one month after planting (2018-2020) and at the end of the austral summer in 2024. We used generalised linear mixed-effects models for RGR and ordinal logistic regressions for leaf damage to test the effects of annual maximum temperature (TMAX) and the Pinna Combinative Index (IP, a climate-drought index). By 2024, across all sites, we found 23 % of the originally planted individuals had died or were missing. We recorded significant differences in height and diameter RGR and leaf damage among sites, and IP was significantly and negatively related to both RGR and leaf damage. The network serves as an example of how stakeholder collaboration can broaden the scope of urban forest research that evaluates plant growth and performance across regions and environmental conditions.

In order to improve carrot quality and soil nutrition and reduce the environmental pollution caused by intensive carrot production, more comprehensive combined water-fertilizer management strategies are necessary. This study hypothesizes that optimal management of water and fertilizer can improve carrot yield and quality and reduce greenhouse gas emissions and soil nutrient residues. Thus, coordinated water-fertilizer management strategies were tested for carrot production on the North China Plain over two consecutive growing seasons. Four treatments were tested: local standard fertilization and irrigation practices (FNP); optimized irrigation and chemical nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium fertilizer (OPT); OPT treatment with partial replacement of chemical fertilizer with peanut shell (PS); and OPT treatment with partial replacement of chemical fertilizer with mushroom residue (M). Compared to the FNP treatment, there were statistically significant increases in soluble sugars (12-27%) and free amino acids (14-26%), and decreases in the nitrate content (7-17%) of fleshy root in the OPT, PS, and M treatments. In autumn carrots, the OPT and M treatments decreased yield, whereas PS increased yield; spring carrot yield was significantly decreased in the OPT, PS, and M groups compared to the FNP group. There were no significant effects of the treatment group on carrot growth rates, nutrient accumulation, or nutrient distribution. However, the OPT, PS, and M treatments were associated with significantly increased partial productivity of phosphate fertilizer (233-363%), reduced residual levels of nitrate and available phosphorus in the top 80 cm of soil, and decreased greenhouse gas emissions by 8-18% compared to the FNP treatment. These results highlight the effectiveness of partial organic fertilizer substitution and integrated water-fertilizer management to produce high-quality carrots with minimal environmental damage.

Allolobophora caliginosa, , an earthworm, was exposed to caffeine (CAF) via artificial soil to evaluate the effects on antioxidant enzymes in animals treated to 0, 10, 20, 40, and 80 mg CAF/kg soil after 7, 14, 28, and 56 d of exposure. There is evidence that antioxidant enzymes protect cells from free radical damage. A high CAF concentration generated changes in the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and guaiacol peroxide (POD), but had slight effects on malondialdehyde (MDA) levels after 56 d of exposure. Earthworms' ' MDA levels elevated somewhat after 7, 14, and 28 d. Earthworms treated with CAF were unable to induce the cytotoxic action over a very long period of time (56 d), as three enzymes [polyphenol oxidase (PPO), acetyl cholinesterase (AChE), and cellulose] were significantly inhibited. These data support the notion that oxidative stress plays a role in the response of earthworms to CAF poisoning.