This study aimed to analyze the effect of pollution caused by stone quarries on the morpho-anatomy, biochemistry, and physiology of a medicinal wild bramble Rubus plicatus Weihe & Nees. Samples were collected from two natural protected areas: Iron Gates Natural Park and Jiu Gorge National Park, both located in the southwestern part of Romania, and two unpolluted areas from these parks as background sites. We carried out the following analyses on the collected leaves of this taxon: morphology, micromorphology, anatomy, assimilating pigments, heavy metals (Pb, Ni, Cr, Fe), dry mass, bioactive compounds (total phenols and flavonoids), and antioxidant capacity. The results showed more stomata, higher amounts of assimilating pigments, higher amounts of heavy metals (especially lead), less dry mass, less phenols, and more flavonoids in Rubus plicatus leaves from polluted areas compared to areas without sources of pollution. The increased number of stomata and the amounts of assimilator pigments revealed the mechanisms developed by this species in order to survive in polluted conditions.

Dry subtropical (DST) regions that share similar climatic and topographic conditions exhibit today significant disparities in population density, agricultural intensity, wealth and cultural values. In addition, they are also facing increasing pressures on their natural resources. These attributes collectively shape individuals' varying dependence on natural resources and may influence their perception of ecosystem services (ES). In this study, we conducted a systematic literature review, focusing on the DST regions, to address two main questions: 1) What is the current state, temporal trends and regional variability in scientific research on ES and 2) What are the potential drivers of the variability in ES research? Amongst the 471 publications found in our review, 53% focused on provisioning services, followed nearly equally by cultural (33%) and regulating (30%) services. Only 13% addressed more than one ES category and approximately 33% mentioned economic valuation. Our study reveals that research on ES in the dry subtropics experienced a significant increase from 2005 onwards. Approximately 45% of the publications included the term 'ecosystem service' and its frequency has risen substantially over time. Most publications primarily focus on African dry subtropics (over 60%), followed by South and North American ones. Publications from southern Asia and NE Australia were more scarce. Importantly, we found no clear relationship between the number of publications, publication density or representativeness and the variables used as indicators of human pressure (e.g. population density). Consequently, research efforts in the DST regions appear to be influenced by a diverse range of financial and institutional constraints, international research agendas, as well as the personal interests of researchers, contributing to the idiosyncratic nature of this field.