Global challenges such as climate change,biodiversity loss,and health crises necessitate a shift towards sustainable diets.Incorporating sustainability into food-based dietary guidelines(FBDGs)is essential for this sh...Global challenges such as climate change,biodiversity loss,and health crises necessitate a shift towards sustainable diets.Incorporating sustainability into food-based dietary guidelines(FBDGs)is essential for this shift,and cultural considerations also play a vital role,as food culture significantly influences dietary habits.Considering that Asia and Europe exhibit distinct food cultures,tailored approaches are necessary.Additionally,countries face diverse nutritional challenges,ranging from malnutrition to diet-related diseases,and regional variation in environmental impact necessitates context-specific strategies.Achieving sustainable nutrition depends on understanding cultural influences and regional dynamics.This paper compares China’s and Germany’s dietary guidelines and dietary patterns and their impact on sustainability.It shows that Chinese and German FBDGs only slightly differ,despite the different eating cultures and habits of each country.Alone the recommended amounts for eggs and fish are considerably higher in China than in Germany.However,in both China and Germany,actual dietary patterns deviate from the dietary guidelines.In China,concomitant with economic growth and urbanization,a dietary shift towards increased consumption of animal products and decreased consumption of vegetables and cereals has been observed in the last decades,which has led to a decline in nutritional deficiencies but an increase in obesity and overweight.Obesity and overweight are also on the rise in Germany.A dietary shift could therefore also be beneficial for public health.While following the respective national guidelines would benefit the environment,alternative diets such as a plant-based diet offer even lower environmental footprint.Revising guidelines to prioritize sustainability in addition to health aspects while considering regional contexts and cultural preferences is recommended to foster sustainable eating habits globally.This approach is pivotal for promoting dietary shift towards sustainability on a global scale.展开更多
Background:Companioned by economic development,a dietary shift toward higher meat consumption is seen in developing countries and transitional economies,where the demand for livestock production has been increasing in...Background:Companioned by economic development,a dietary shift toward higher meat consumption is seen in developing countries and transitional economies,where the demand for livestock production has been increasing in response to such a dietary shift.In the Asian Dryland Belt,approaches to meet this demand have focused on grazing intensification,cropland conversion for animal feed,and supplemental feeding.With the scarcity of water,energy,and food in the region,a key question is whether or not the current approaches are sustainable.If not,what are the pathways to increase livestock production while protecting the region’s environment for a sustainable future?We provide our reviews and discuss current approaches in response to these dietary shifts and assess their environmental resilience with a focus on the grassland ecosystems in the Asian Dryland Belt.Results:While current approaches alleviate the urgent need for short-term livestock production,they lead to longterm vulnerability in food security.Trade-offs between short gains and long-term losses,between food for humans and for animals,and between agricultural intensification and environmental degradation need to be holistically examined for the sustainable development of the region.A grassland water,energy,and food nexus framework is proposed with specific recommendations to increase livestock production while considering other ecosystem services of the dryland grassland ecosystems in the Asian Dryland Belt.Conclusions:Current practices to increase livestock production are likely to lead to long-term,large-scale ecological degradation of the grassland ecosystems in the Asian Dryland Belt and are thus unsustainable.By considering the trade-offs in the nexus of water,land,food,and livelihoods,sustainable pathways were articulated and recommended.Future pilot studies are needed for validation and adoption.展开更多
Diet composition and its ecological drivers are rarely investigated in coexisting closely related species.We used a molecular approach to characterize the seasonal variation in diet composition in four spiny lizard sp...Diet composition and its ecological drivers are rarely investigated in coexisting closely related species.We used a molecular approach to characterize the seasonal variation in diet composition in four spiny lizard species inhabiting a mountainous ecosystem.DNA metabarcoding revealed that the lizards Sceloporus aeneus,S.bicanthalis,S.grammicus,and S.spinosus mostly consumed arthropods of the orders Hemiptera,Araneae,Hymenoptera,and Coleoptera.The terrestrial lizards S.aeneus and S.bicanthalis mostly predated ants and spiders,whereas the arboreal–saxicolous S.grammicus and saxicolous S.spinosus largely consumed grasshoppers and leafhoppers.The taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity of the prey was higher during the dry season than the rainy season,likely because reduced prey availability in the dry season forced lizards to diversify their diets to meet their nutritional demands.Dietary and phylogenetic composition varied seasonally depending on the species,but only dietary composition varied with altitude.Seasonal dietary turnover was greater in S.spinosus than in S.bicanthalis,suggesting site-specific seasonal variability in prey availability;no other differences among species were observed.S.bicanthalis,which lives at the highest altitude in our study site,displayed interseasonal variation in diet breadth.Dietary differences were correlated with the species’feeding strategies and elevational distribution,which likely contributed to the coexistence of these lizard species in the studied geographic area and beyond.展开更多
The demersal fish populations constitute a valuable commercial resource in the Beibu Gulf,northern South China.However,our understanding of the ontogenetic dietary shifts of fish,particularly Lagocephalus spadiceus,wh...The demersal fish populations constitute a valuable commercial resource in the Beibu Gulf,northern South China.However,our understanding of the ontogenetic dietary shifts of fish,particularly Lagocephalus spadiceus,which is the most widely distributed fish in the northern South China Sea,is lacking.Therefore,we conducted a study using high-throughput sequencing and stable isotope analyses to examine the diet of L.spadiceus.The individuals were collected during 2 bottom trawl surveys in April and August 2022.The length distribution showed that small L.spadiceus was more abundant in shallow water,whereas large fish were generally found in offshore water.High-throughput sequencing indicated that L.spadiceus mainly fed on crustaceans and fish.Ontogenetic changes in diet composition and stable isotope values were also observed.As L.spadiceus grew,they started preying on larger individuals,specifically fish.The^(15)N enrichment in large fish supported to small fish supports these findings.The trophic niche indicated a segregation between individuals in shallow waters(mostly small fish)and offshore waters(mostly large fish),which helps in reducing the competition within the species.The L.spadiceus occupied the role of mid-predator(trophic level~3.66)and increased with body length and water depth.Consequently,both high-throughput sequencing and stable isotope analyses provided evidence of intraspecific dietary variation and trophic niche partitioning of L.spadiceus in the Beibu Gulf,South China Sea.展开更多
文摘Global challenges such as climate change,biodiversity loss,and health crises necessitate a shift towards sustainable diets.Incorporating sustainability into food-based dietary guidelines(FBDGs)is essential for this shift,and cultural considerations also play a vital role,as food culture significantly influences dietary habits.Considering that Asia and Europe exhibit distinct food cultures,tailored approaches are necessary.Additionally,countries face diverse nutritional challenges,ranging from malnutrition to diet-related diseases,and regional variation in environmental impact necessitates context-specific strategies.Achieving sustainable nutrition depends on understanding cultural influences and regional dynamics.This paper compares China’s and Germany’s dietary guidelines and dietary patterns and their impact on sustainability.It shows that Chinese and German FBDGs only slightly differ,despite the different eating cultures and habits of each country.Alone the recommended amounts for eggs and fish are considerably higher in China than in Germany.However,in both China and Germany,actual dietary patterns deviate from the dietary guidelines.In China,concomitant with economic growth and urbanization,a dietary shift towards increased consumption of animal products and decreased consumption of vegetables and cereals has been observed in the last decades,which has led to a decline in nutritional deficiencies but an increase in obesity and overweight.Obesity and overweight are also on the rise in Germany.A dietary shift could therefore also be beneficial for public health.While following the respective national guidelines would benefit the environment,alternative diets such as a plant-based diet offer even lower environmental footprint.Revising guidelines to prioritize sustainability in addition to health aspects while considering regional contexts and cultural preferences is recommended to foster sustainable eating habits globally.This approach is pivotal for promoting dietary shift towards sustainability on a global scale.
基金This study was supported by the NSF Belmont forum(1531086)the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Land Cover Land Use Change program(NASA LCLUC)(#NNX15AD51G)+1 种基金the Monsoon Integrated Regional Studies,with funding from USDA through AgBioResearch(#MICL02264)at Michigan State University,and the“Dynamics of Coupled Natural and Human Systems(CNH)”Program of the NSF(#1313761)We thank Gabriela Shirkey for editing the language and format of the manuscript.
文摘Background:Companioned by economic development,a dietary shift toward higher meat consumption is seen in developing countries and transitional economies,where the demand for livestock production has been increasing in response to such a dietary shift.In the Asian Dryland Belt,approaches to meet this demand have focused on grazing intensification,cropland conversion for animal feed,and supplemental feeding.With the scarcity of water,energy,and food in the region,a key question is whether or not the current approaches are sustainable.If not,what are the pathways to increase livestock production while protecting the region’s environment for a sustainable future?We provide our reviews and discuss current approaches in response to these dietary shifts and assess their environmental resilience with a focus on the grassland ecosystems in the Asian Dryland Belt.Results:While current approaches alleviate the urgent need for short-term livestock production,they lead to longterm vulnerability in food security.Trade-offs between short gains and long-term losses,between food for humans and for animals,and between agricultural intensification and environmental degradation need to be holistically examined for the sustainable development of the region.A grassland water,energy,and food nexus framework is proposed with specific recommendations to increase livestock production while considering other ecosystem services of the dryland grassland ecosystems in the Asian Dryland Belt.Conclusions:Current practices to increase livestock production are likely to lead to long-term,large-scale ecological degradation of the grassland ecosystems in the Asian Dryland Belt and are thus unsustainable.By considering the trade-offs in the nexus of water,land,food,and livelihoods,sustainable pathways were articulated and recommended.Future pilot studies are needed for validation and adoption.
基金Funding was provided by the Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología(CONACyT)through the Infraestructura project(205945)the Ciencia de Frontera project(137748)+2 种基金the Cátedras CONACyT project(883)by the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México(UNAM).M.H.received PhD scholarship(967648)S.H.-P.,postdoctoral grant(929602)from CONACyT.
文摘Diet composition and its ecological drivers are rarely investigated in coexisting closely related species.We used a molecular approach to characterize the seasonal variation in diet composition in four spiny lizard species inhabiting a mountainous ecosystem.DNA metabarcoding revealed that the lizards Sceloporus aeneus,S.bicanthalis,S.grammicus,and S.spinosus mostly consumed arthropods of the orders Hemiptera,Araneae,Hymenoptera,and Coleoptera.The terrestrial lizards S.aeneus and S.bicanthalis mostly predated ants and spiders,whereas the arboreal–saxicolous S.grammicus and saxicolous S.spinosus largely consumed grasshoppers and leafhoppers.The taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity of the prey was higher during the dry season than the rainy season,likely because reduced prey availability in the dry season forced lizards to diversify their diets to meet their nutritional demands.Dietary and phylogenetic composition varied seasonally depending on the species,but only dietary composition varied with altitude.Seasonal dietary turnover was greater in S.spinosus than in S.bicanthalis,suggesting site-specific seasonal variability in prey availability;no other differences among species were observed.S.bicanthalis,which lives at the highest altitude in our study site,displayed interseasonal variation in diet breadth.Dietary differences were correlated with the species’feeding strategies and elevational distribution,which likely contributed to the coexistence of these lizard species in the studied geographic area and beyond.
基金supported by the Key Research and Development Program of Guangxi(Guike AB22035050)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(U20A2087)the Guangxi Key Laboratory of Beibu Gulf Marine Biodiversity Conservation,Beibu Gulf University(2022KA01)
文摘The demersal fish populations constitute a valuable commercial resource in the Beibu Gulf,northern South China.However,our understanding of the ontogenetic dietary shifts of fish,particularly Lagocephalus spadiceus,which is the most widely distributed fish in the northern South China Sea,is lacking.Therefore,we conducted a study using high-throughput sequencing and stable isotope analyses to examine the diet of L.spadiceus.The individuals were collected during 2 bottom trawl surveys in April and August 2022.The length distribution showed that small L.spadiceus was more abundant in shallow water,whereas large fish were generally found in offshore water.High-throughput sequencing indicated that L.spadiceus mainly fed on crustaceans and fish.Ontogenetic changes in diet composition and stable isotope values were also observed.As L.spadiceus grew,they started preying on larger individuals,specifically fish.The^(15)N enrichment in large fish supported to small fish supports these findings.The trophic niche indicated a segregation between individuals in shallow waters(mostly small fish)and offshore waters(mostly large fish),which helps in reducing the competition within the species.The L.spadiceus occupied the role of mid-predator(trophic level~3.66)and increased with body length and water depth.Consequently,both high-throughput sequencing and stable isotope analyses provided evidence of intraspecific dietary variation and trophic niche partitioning of L.spadiceus in the Beibu Gulf,South China Sea.
