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Property development otherwise referred to as real estate development or investment appears to be facing challenges in recent times due to the effects of the twin challenges of global warming and climatic change. No thanks to man’s activities on land and exploration to natural resources. Exploration of natural resources and human activities have continued to impact the ecosystem which has created great concerns. This paper reviewed literature on property development amidst global warming and climate change. A number of issues were raised including concern about how investors’ confidence can further be secured on real estate development. With the above mind, there are initiatives to reduce the impact of flooding and other weather events via incorporation of green infrastructure and storm water management, build resilient structures that can withstand extreme weather events, incorporate green spaces into the landscape, conduct risk assessments, create emergency plans, build infrastructure that can withstand extreme weather events, use recycled materials, utilize green spaces, and minimize disruption of natural habitats to reduce the impact of development on the environment, use drought-tolerant landscaping, and incorporate green infrastructure such as rain gardens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Featured Application: The integrated analysis method for understanding the main driving factors shaping forested areas proposed in this paper can provide helpful insight into sustainable and long-term land use systems in Senegal. Understanding the factors influencing the vulnerability of forested areas is crucial for human well-being and effective governance of ecosystem supply and demand. Based on remote sensing data, this study also considered ten natural and human variables as indexes to explore the main influencing factors that may impact the vulnerability of the Thies region's forested areas. The 2005, 2010, 2015, and 2020 satellite image data were processed using ArcGIS 10.6 and ENVI 5.1 software. The methodology includes using the transfer matrix approach and calculating the geographic landscape index to describe the dominant morphology of forested areas. Furthermore, a mixed linear regression model was built to establish the connection between forested areas and the potential contributing components. Our study revealed that the forested areas led to relative fragmentation, with an average of 88 patches for Aggregation Index (AI), 3.25 for Largest Patch Index (LPI), 2.50 for Patch Density (PD), and 112 for Landscape Shape Index (LSI) between 2005 and 2020. In addition, the transfer matrix indicated that the loss of forestry areas was about −78.8 km2 for agricultural land, −127.8 km2 for bare land, and −65.3 km2 for artificial surfaces. The most critical factors that influenced forested areas were agricultural and manufactural added value, rainfall (p < 0.05), slope, distance to the road, and agricultural sown area (p < 0.001). Overall, this investigation has revealed that the effective management of forested areas in the Thies region requires an understandable assessment. It was observed that both human anthropogenic and natural factors significantly contribute to the decline in forested areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista INVI is the property of Universidad de Chile and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Only 1.82% of the Czech forests are covered by the introduced (exotic, non-native) tree species, they represent only a very minor part of the forest area in the Czech Republic. Despite this fact under certain circumstances and locally, they can play an important role in the forest restoration of declined forests. The main non-native tree species used in the Czech Republic are: black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.), Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii [Mirbel] Franco), grand fir (Abies grandis [Douglas ex D. Don] Lindl.), black walnut (Juglans nigra L.), northern red oak (Quercus rubra L.), and blue spruce (Picea pungens Engelm.). Other tree species are cultivated on very small areas, despite their much larger potential. The aim of the presented review paper is to summarize information on the introduced tree species, available especially from national sources, and give comprehensive information concerning the potential and risk of their use in the conditions of the Czech Republic. The authors mention also other tree species eligible for silviculture under current as well as future climatic circumstances. The current area and silvicultural potential in the climate changing conditions are analysed and summarized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research aims at analysing the extent to which climate change affects cotton and cashew nuts production and exports in West African countries in the presence of intermediary market power. To that end, the paper uses a combination of approaches to calibrate a price endogenous regional bio-economic optimisation model and handles uncertainties inherent to future socioeconomic scenarios through Monte Carlo simulations. The results show that the effects of climate change on cotton and cashew nuts land use are mixed under the two simulated climate change scenarios. In fact, the effects vary across countries, ranging from experiencing only a decline, or only an increase to both a decline and an increase in land use. Similarly, the effects of climate change on the quantities of cotton and cashew nuts exported are also mixed, with the positive effects being more pronounced for cotton. Simulations of reductions in the market power exerted by intermediaries on cotton producers also show that such a scenario could to some extent mitigate the negative effects of climate change on cotton exports for some countries. Therefore, actions that include corrections to cotton market imperfection could be undertaken to mitigate the negative effects of climate change on cotton and cashew nuts production in West Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Ecology & Rural Environment is the property of Journal of Ecology & Rural Environment Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

There is a clear need for an understanding of the perceptions of climate change among those whose lives are most affected to inform national discourse and in particular, development and implementation of adaptation strategies. The paper is the outcome of a qualitative study among the local people of Charhajari, Anuliya and Nitpur unions of Bangladesh. The key informant technique, along with in-depth interview, had been exploited for gaining holistic perceptions on climatic scenario in the localities, while focus group discussion and case study were used for mapping out collective social consensus on the subject. The study has elucidated the threats climate change poses to established long-term beliefs, practices and perceptions by instigating erratic changes in weather patterns, shifting seasons, and questioning efficacy and authority of traditional interpretation of local weather. Local inhabitants have their own way of internalization and symbolic interpretation of climate induced debacles. Of the indicators demonstrating the impacts of climate change on local communities, seasonal diversity decline is central for affecting every aspects of socio-economic life including rituals and festivals. Apart from these, inhabitants have explored a number of independent and dependent climatic hazards they are under exposed. The paper concludes that experience of climate change impacts is for most cases ecosystem based but perception appears to be culturally specific. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to report on the South East European Regional Council of CIGRECIGRE (SEERC) activities related to resilience of electrical power networks. Based on the results of an organized SEERC workshop focusing on resilience of network issues during which member countries of the region presented their own experiences in resilience planning, the paper presents new measures recently put into force in SEERC countries as well as endeavours to immediate technical modifications of assets imposed by lessons learned during past emergency events. The first part of the paper presents the SEERC region of CIGRECIGRE, the energy data, the size of the T&D electrical network, the emission of the CO2 equivalent due to the potential impact on future transition planning of the energy sector, and consequences to the resilience of electric networks. The second part of the paper deals with resilience experiences of different countries in the region after large weather disasters as well as with threatening events caused by cyber attacks. The last part of the paper analyses innovative measures for strengthening resilience in selected systems as it was presented at the SEERC workshop in Rome (2018). The paper also deals with the assessment of loading limits of selected essential network components aiming to reduce system vulnerability during emergencies, hence increasing its resilience. The majority of the experienced emergencies were produced by harsh weather conditions during winter. There were many cases of Overhead Line (OHL) failures which triggered detailed analyses to determine the encountered mechanical loads. A suitable refurbishing of critical parts of OHL has been done respecting the new standards for the construction of electrical overhead lines in Europe. Aiming to allow the expedited restoring of OHL operating capability in emergencies, the introduction of using emergency (modular) towers was selected and successfully implemented. Intensive support to asset management was provided, e.g., maintenance optimization, state-of-the-art approaches, condition monitoring of HV equipment, life cycle assessment, evaluation of assets etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this era of climate change and global warming, forest fires are increasing around the world and especially in areas with arid and semi-arid climate. Hence, prevention is vital and it is considered as the best solution to protect forest areas. This paper presents a multi-criteria approach for the assessment and mapping of fire risk using three indicators: topomorphology index, climatic index, and human one. For each indicator, sub-indicators such as slope, morphology, exposure, number of fires, groundwater reserve, and evapotranspiration are chosen to generate a forest fire risk index in Bizerte region. Spatial data on all these indicators have been aggregated and organized in a geographic information system (GIS) framework. Results show that 33% of the total area of Bizerte forest is highly vulnerable to fire risk and an increasing of risk from 2013 to 2016. Sensitivity analyses indicated that the removal of the climatic (ICL) and the human indexes (HI) from the forest fire risk index causes large variation in the risk assessment. As a consequence, it should have higher weights than other indicators, which proves that triggering of wildfires is in the whole part caused by human activities and accelerated by climatic conditions. The remote sensing approach using NBR index confirms that severity of burned area increases throughout the time and the most changes are observed in the Northeast of Bizerte forest. These results can serve as a planning tool for decision makers to save the lives of residents and forest resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we evaluate a single-index polymorphic production function that relates agricultural output to temperature and precipitation. The advantage of this new approach to measuring agricultural vulnerability under climatic change is that a single-index measure of vulnerability can capture a range of climate responses including plateau effects. The approach identifies plateau effects in the crop yield-weather relationship and provides overall fits consistent with higher-order polynomial fitting. We apply the technique to corn, soybeans, wheat, and cotton at the USA county level. We illustrate its computation and use as a critical policy variable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sanjiang Plain is the largest marsh distribution area of China, and marshes in this region significantly affect regional carbon cycle and biodiversity protection. The vegetation phenology of marsh significantly affects the energy exchange and carbon cycle in that region. Under the influence of global climatic change, identifying the changes in phenology and their responses to climatic variation in marshes of Sanjiang Plain is essential for predicting the carbon stocks of marsh ecosystem in that region. Using climate and NDVI data, this paper analyzed the spatiotemporal variations in the start (SOS), end (EOS), and length (LOS) of vegetation growing season and explored the impacts of climatic variation on vegetation phenology in marshes of Sanjiang Plain. Results showed that the SOS advanced by 0.30 days/a, and EOS delayed by 0.23 days/a, causing LOS to increase significantly (p <.05) by 0.53 days/a over marshes of Sanjiang Plain. Spatially, the large SOS advance and EOS delay resulted in an obvious increasing trend for LOS in northern Sanjiang Plain. The rise of spring and winter temperatures advanced the SOS and increased the LOS, and the rise in temperature in autumn delayed the EOS in marshes of Sanjiang Plain. Our findings highlight the necessity of considering seasonal climatic conditions in simulating marsh vegetation phenology and indicate that the different influences of climatic variation on marsh vegetation phenology in different regions should be fully considered to assess the marsh ecosystem response to climatic change in Sanjiang Plain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Holocene history of the forest-alpine tundra ecotone in Central Sweden (Scandes Mountains) is inferred from radiocarbon analyses of subfossil wood remains. Pinus sylvestris was the dominant subalpine tree species during the early Holocene, when it ascended almost 200 m higher than currently. A short climatic episode (less than 100 years) is postulated to have triggered erosional processes around 6300 B.P., and extinguished the upper part of the subalpine pine woodland. Subsequently, a subalpine belt of Betula pubescens ssp. tortuosa and Alnus incana developed. A Holocene thermal optimum occurred around 6100 B.p., when the birch/alder belt flourished and the tree-limits probably reached their highest levels during the Holocene. Shortly after 6000 B.P., a long-term pine forest retrogression started and the birch/alder belt was disrupted by expanding snow-beds. Pine receded slightly at its tree-limit, but the uppermost belt of closed pine forest (presently dominated by birch) remained intact until c. 3300 B.p., when a severe climatic deterioration occurred. The present-day subalpine belt of pure birch forest developed successively and increased in vertical extent after c. 5300 B.P., when summer temperature declined. The evolution of the birch belt is postulated to have been ultimately a response to decreased seasonality, which favoured birch at the expense of pine. Because of the 'inertia' characterizing the highest pine forest, the birch belt was relatively narrow until a major thermal decline c. 3300 B.P., when it made a massive downslope expansion. The latest phase of pine recession was during the Little Ice Age, 800-300B.P. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Net primary production (NPP) is an essential component of the terrestrial carbon cycle and an essential factor of ecological processes. In global change research, it was the core content to study the driving forces of NPP change. In this paper, we focused on the Southwest Karst area of China and analyzed the response mechanisms of NPP to topography, land-use types, climatic change, and human activities. Our results showed that (1) changes in elevation and slope lead to significant differences in the spatial distribution of NPP. With the increase of elevation and slope, NPP first increased and then decreased, their critical values were 2000 m and 15°, respectively. (2) NPP varied significantly among different land-use types. The average NPP of the forest was the highest, and the average NPP of cultivated land increased fastest. (3) Temperature and precipitation had the most substantial influence on NPP, both of them promoted the increase of NPP, and the effect of temperature was more obvious in the Southwest Karst area. (4) Ecological engineering significantly promoted the change of NPP, while animal husbandry significantly inhibited the change of NPP. (5) There were significant spatial differences in the driving effects and corresponding contributions of climatic change and human activities; both of them promoted the increase of NPP in the Southwest Karst area of China. Under climatic change and human activities, NPP increased by 1.24 gC·m−2·year−1 and 2.29 gC·m−2·year−1, respectively. The contributions rates of climatic change and human activities separately accounted for 35% and 65%. The contribution of human activities on NPP was much higher than that of climatic change in the Southwest Karst area, and the results suggested that we should focus on the role of human activities on NPP change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the past few decades, climatic changes led by environmental pollution, the emittance of greenhouse gases, and the emergence of brown energy utilization have led to global warming. Global warming increases the Earth's temperature, thereby causing severe effects on human and environmental conditions and threatening the livelihoods of millions of people. Global warming issues are the increase in global temperatures that lead to heat strokes and high-temperature-related diseases during the summer, causing the untimely death of thousands of people. To forecast weather conditions, researchers have utilized machine learning algorithms, such as autoregressive integrated moving average, ensemble learning, and long short-term memory network. These techniques have been widely used for the prediction of temperature. In this paper, we present a swarm-based approach called Cauchy particle swarm optimization (CPSO) to find the hyperparameters of the long short-term memory (LSTM) network. The hyperparameters were determined by minimizing the LSTM validation mean square error rate. The optimized hyperparameters of the LSTM were used to forecast the temperature of Chennai City. The proposed CPSO-LSTM model was tested on the openly available 25-year Chennai temperature dataset. The experimental evaluation on MAT-LABR2020a analyzed the root mean square error rate and mean absolute error to evaluate the forecasted output. The proposed CPSO-LSTM outperforms the traditional LSTM algorithm by reducing its computational time to 25 min under 200 epochs and 150 hidden neurons during training. The proposed hyperparameter-based LSTM can predict the temperature accurately by having a root mean square error (RMSE) value of 0.250 compared with the traditional LSTM of 0.35 RMSE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Ecologia Austral is the property of Asociacion Argentina de Ecologia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Observations in Romania show that the months of January and February are starting to show an increasing interest for tourists in areas known for winter sports involving snow. This observation is at odds with the period hitherto considered traditional for winter tourism in Romania, i.e., from the end of December to the first few days of January, when school holidays and employee holidays are frequently scheduled. Analysis of the climatic data of recent years shows a shortening of the period when natural weather conditions are favorable for this type of tourism. In this paper it was statistically determined that the maximum share of negative temperature coverage of Romania's territory tends to occur at present in the second half of January. It is therefore necessary to correlate the school and labor law timetables with the new climatic conditions and other measures to adapt to current conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the context of climate change and land use in the second Songhua River basin with the goal of improving runoff. The report begins by introducing the history of watershed runoff and the study area. The differences between various land use types and land use efficiency are examined using the watershed hydrology model from previous literature. The novelty of the paper is to compare the evapotranspiration of the model in different periods with the depth data of surface runoff. The results show that the simulation analysis and collaborative response strategy proposed here can adapt to the meteorological changes in the basin. The evapotranspiration of a watershed that was converted from woodland to grassland in 1970 was 34 mm, while that of a watershed that was converted from grassland to woodland was 32 mm, according to the results of the model test. The evapotranspiration of a watershed that gone from woodland to grassland in 2010 is 45 mm, compared to 39 mm for a watershed that has gone from grassland to woodland. The second Songhua River basin's surface water yield data can therefore be used to model and study the basin's runoff in real time. HIGHLIGHTS The overall change of runoff in the second Songhua River basin from 1970 to 2020 shows a certain growth trend.; The evapotranspiration of the second Songhua River basin fluctuated greatly from 1970 to 2020.; A runoff simulation and collaborative response model was constructed.;

The freshwater Buir Lake in Khalkh Gol soum, Dornod aimag, is located (47° 51' 47° N, 117° 51' 29° E) on the border of Mongolia and Inner Mongolia, China. The northwest and northeast part of the lake is swampy, and is flat in the rest part. This research paper reveals the lithology and some major elements content (SiO2, Al2O3, TiO2, Fe2O3, MgO, K2O, Na2O, MnO and P2O5) of the core sediments and their distribution along the depth and the Chemical Index of Alteration (CIA), which will be a significant factor in restoring environmental change. According to the data of analysis of major elements of Buir Lake sediments, the concentration of SiO2 ranges from 42.92 to 58.29%; Al2O3 = 9.25-12.83%; Fe2O3 = 3.66-4.79%; TiO2 = 0.46-0.62%; MnO = 0.08-0.13%; CaO = 5.73-11.56%; MgO = 1.34-1.81%; Na2O = 0.72-1.50%; K2O = 1.58-2.31%; and P2O5 = 0.14-0.26% respectively. The chemical index of alteration is basically the same as the distribution of SiO2, Al2O3, TiO2, Fe2O3, MgO, K2O and Na2O in the sediments of the lake, but their content at 32.5 cm interval of the core sharply decreases and also increases. This is perhaps due to global climate change. The content and distribution patterns of water-soluble elements, such as CaO, MnO, and P2O5, are negatively correlated with the chemical index of alteration. These lead to conclude that major elements of Buir Lake sediment and Chemical Index of Alteration are closely related to climatic changes in eastern Mongolia pertaining to the Upper Pleistocene and the Holocene epochs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This Special Issue of The Holocene contains 16 research papers based on a symposium at the 11th International Meeting of the European Union of Geosciences held in Strasbourg in April 2001. The aim of the symposium was a state-of-the-art assessment of empirical studies of postglacial marine and terrestrial climatic archives and their integration with numerical climate models. This editorial places the individual papers in the broader context of natural climate variability and anthropogenic impacts on the global climate system, regional differences in climate between maritime and continental areas, and the need for an improved theoretical basis for understanding the underlying causes of environmental change. The focus of the Special Issue is the dynamic and relatively well-understood climate of the North Atlantic and the European realm, where, in relation to the steepest offshore temperature gradient on Earth, observational data are abundant and many recent advances have been made in climate reconstruction from proxy archives. The editorial also contains a summary and overview of the papers included in the four main sections of the Special Issue, which emphasize: (1) numerical modelling experiments; (2) models of glacier buildup and equilibrium-line altitude; (3) marine and terrestrial proxy records of climatic change; and (4) multiproxy palaeoenvironmental reconstruction of a Portuguese lagoonal system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Professor Zhu Kezhen (Co-Ching Chu, 1890-1974) was an outstanding scientist and educator. His research covered three fields including meteorology, geography and history of natural science. He published about 300 papers related to these fields. The historic climatic change in China was a subject which he most intensively studied. Eight papers related to this subject were published by Professor Zhu Kezhen from 1925 to 1972. The last brilliant paper on the title, 'A Primary Study on Climatic Change in Past 5000 Years in China' reconstructed the climatic change history based on temperature index, particularly on winter temperature index. He concluded that the temperature was 2°C higher in 5,000-3,000 a B.P. than at present and temperature in January was 3-5°C higher then. He found that, in the latest 3000 years, there were major cycles of 400-800 years with an amplitude of 1-2°C and small cycles of 50-100 years with an amplitude of 0.5-1°C. The temperature curves of the past 5,000 years which Zhu Kezhen reconstructed in China basically alike the δO record from camp Century Ice Core in Greenland. He was particularly good at analysing and summarizing historic data of phenology, archeology and meteorology and comparing with that at present. He also closely followed the international progress in science and technology. He considered that the study of historic climtic change was very useful to the forecast of future climatic change. His method in research and achievement opened up a new path for study of the climatic change in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract There is a clear need for an understanding of the perceptions of climate change among those whose lives are most affected to inform national discourse and in particular, development and implementation of adaptation strategies. The paper is the outcome of a qualitative study among the local people of Charhajari, Anuliya and Nitpur unions of Bangladesh. The key informant technique, along with in-depth interview, had been exploited for gaining holistic perceptions on climatic scenario in the localities, while focus group discussion and case study were used for mapping out collective social consensus on the subject. The study has elucidated the threats climate change poses to established long-term beliefs, practices and perceptions by instigating erratic changes in weather patterns, shifting seasons, and questioning efficacy and authority of traditional interpretation of local weather. Local inhabitants have their own way of internalization and symbolic interpretation of climate induced debacles. Of the indicators demonstrating the impacts of climate change on local communities, seasonal diversity decline is central for affecting every aspects of socio-economic life including rituals and festivals. Apart from these, inhabitants have explored a number of independent and dependent climatic hazards they are under exposed. The paper concludes that experience of climate change impacts is for most cases ecosystem based but perception appears to be culturally specific.

This paper evaluates the combined impacts of climatic and demographic changes on a multipurpose reservoir system in the Harz mountains in northern Germany. For this purpose, the spatially distributed hydrological model PANTA RHEI was firstly calibrated and validated with gridded observational data. Secondly, the hydrological model was forced with data from two regional climate models. The possibilities and limitations of using current regional climate models as an input for hydrological modelling in very high resolution in space and time were evaluated. Their applicability in reservoir operation optimization on an hourly time step was demonstrated. For an increase in extreme events, indicated by one regional climate model, the impact of an adaptation of operation rules with respect to flood protection on the other uses of the system was assessed. Furthermore, a new method was presented, how economic information from national accounting in combination with demographic scenarios can be used in exposure analysis. The paper ends with a demonstration of the importance of combining the impacts of climatic and demographic change, while developing sound and cost-efficient water resources management strategies for the near and distant future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper completes the cycle of the research devoted to the development of the experimental bifurcation analysis (not computer simulations) in order to answer the following questions: whether qualitative changes occur in the dynamics of local climate systems in a centennial timescale?; how to analyze such qualitative changes with daily resolution for local and regional space-scales?; how to establish one-to-one daily correspondence between the dynamics evolution and economic consequences for productions? To answer the questions, the unconventional conceptual model to describe the local climate dynamics was proposed and verified in the previous parts. That model (HDS-model) originates from the hysteresis regulator with double synchronization and has a variable structure due to competition between the amplitude quantization and the time quantization. The main advantage of the HDS-model is connected with the possibility to describe 'internally' (on the basis of the self-regulation) the specific causal effects observed in the dynamics of local climate systems instead of 'external' description of three states of the hysteresis behavior of climate systems (upper, lower and transient states). As a result, the evolution of the local climate dynamics is based on the bifurcation diagrams built by processing the data of meteorological observations, where the strange effects of the essential interannual daily variability of annual temperature variation are taken into account and explained. It opens the novel possibilities to analyze the local climate dynamics taking into account the observed resultant of all internal and external influences on each local climate system. In particular, the paper presents the viewpoint on how to estimate economic damages caused by climate-related hazards through the bifurcation analysis. That viewpoint includes the following ideas: practically each local climate system is characterized by its own time pattern of the natural qualitative changes in temperature dynamics over a century, so, any unified time window to determine the local climatic norms seems to be questionable; the temperature limits determined for climate-related technological hazards should be reasoned by the conditions of artificial human activity, but not by the climatic norms; the damages caused by such hazards can be approximately estimated in relation to the average annual profit of each production. Now, it becomes possible to estimate the minimal and maximal numbers of the specified hazards per year in order, first of all, to avoid unforeseen latent damages. Also, it becomes possible to make some useful relative estimation concerning damage and profit. We believe that the results presented in the cycle illustrate great practical competence of the current advances in the experimental bifurcation analysis. In particular, the developed QHS-analysis provides the novel prospects towards both how to adapt production to climatic changes and how to compensate negative technological impacts on environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper critically assesses the geopolitical and geo-economic impact of novel fuel resources on both resource exporters and importers. Presently, very strong political and economic forces drive the utilisation of domestic, unconventional oil and gas recovery in the West as these enhance energy security and ease balance of payment issues. The additional capacity generated by this trend has, supported by other effects such as Saudi Arabia's decision to maintain current production, triggered a significant reduction of oil prices. Consequently, it is now oil exporters that struggle with the balance of payment issues and often these countries base their fiscal budget completely on fossil fuel revenues. In fact, these unconventional resources help turn the tide while oil exporters are now politically significantly weakened due to the increased energy sufficiency of the West. The catch is that the extraction of unconventional types of oil has many environmental implications. So, internalising the environmental externalities have to be considered. This paper, therefore, assesses, next to geopolitics and geo-economics, the environmental implications of this trend. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the historical records of the drought and flood disasters during 1480–1940AD, this paper reconstructs the sequences of wetness index (WI) and drought and flood disasters. We find a good identical relationship between the fluctuation of WI sequence and the δ18O record of the GISP2 ice core in Greenland, which shows an apparent monsoonal disposal pattern of moisture and temperature. By applying the Morlet Wavelet Transform Method to deal with the data, several apparent periodicities, such as 7-8a, 11-15a, 20-23a and ca 50a, are revealed, among which some can be attributed to the solar forcing. Based on results of Cluster Analysis of dry-wet changes, we resume the regional differentiation pattern of flood-drought disasters all over Guangdong during different climatic intervals in the LIA and, find the western and northern parts of Guangdong have undergone drastic changes in drought-flood regional differentiation, but the eastern part is relatively stable, and the area of the Pearl River Delta shows stable condition of more flood disasters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• 5210 forestry Brazilian theses and 2228 forestry articles were evaluated. • Climate change on forest environments are understudied given its relevance. • Three key opportunities to improve science about climate change are presented. This article explores the extent to which research in forestry is directly related to the issue of climate change. The study conducted two surveys, one analyzing 5,210 theses from Brazilian forestry-related postgraduate programs between 2013 and 2022, and another examining 2228 articles published in ten forestry journals in 2022. We classified the extent of a focus on climate change in four classes: strong focus, relevant focus, using it as a context and not considered. Given the pervasive impacts of changing climates, we found a small representation of the topic within the theses with only 2% with a strong focus, 2% of relevant focus and 5% mentioned climate change as a contextual factor but provided no clear connections or inferences about climate change and forests. The focus on climate change was developed better in the forest journals. Almost one-third at least justified their projects based on connections to climate change, and 14% directly studied climate change and its impacts. Six percent of the papers with a direct focus on climate change also incorporated climate change effects into their experimental designs. We propose three key opportunities for improve the science about climate change related directly with forestry. Firstly, an opportunity is related with the writing of papers by itself, where articles might have substantive connections and insights connected with the core theme of the research. Secondly, taking Brazil as an example, there should have an increment in the number of graduate students working directly with the theme of climate change given its relevance. Lastly, we identified an opportunity for a more balanced science in the distinct types of forests. Tropical forest represents 45% of the forests worldwide but comprises only 14% of studies in our sample. By addressing these opportunities, we will not only benefit the forests but also contribute to a more sustainable and climate-resilient future for both forests and communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sedimentary sequence of La Narce du Béage Basin is one of the few natural archives covering the last 18 ka cal. BP in the French Massif Central. This paper focuses on the palaeoecological reconstruction of environmental and climatic changes affecting this shallow periglacial lake from the Late-Glacial to the Early Holocene. After field surveys and geophysical mapping, two cores (cores A and D) were extracted and dated. Plant macrofossils, pollen, non-pollen palynomorphs (NPPs) and diatom assemblages were compared within the cores to study vegetation, temperature, pH, water level and ice cover changes through time. During the Oldest Dryas (18–14.75 ka cal. BP), climatic conditions were the coldest with a short ice-free season allowing the development of periphytic diatoms only (ecologically comparable to Arctic ones). A cold and dry steppe landscape – exposed to severe erosion – comprised an herbaceous and shrub flora (e.g. Artemisia , Chenopodiaceae, Helianthemum, Ephedra, Hippophaë, Juniperus). Animal presence is suggested by coprophilous fungi. Periphytic diatoms and allochtonous pollen (Cedrus) underline windy conditions, and the possible erosion of neo-formed soils. Then, during the Bølling-Allerød interstadial (14.75–12.7 ka cal. BP), the ice-free season increased and some trees/shrubs (Salix, Betula and Juniperus) established locally within open grasslands. During the Younger Dryas (12.7–11.7 ka cal. BP) cooler conditions favoured steppe taxa again (Helianthemum, Achillea, Artemisia , Caryophyllaceae, Ranunculaceae) and erosion increased. The ice cover on the lake prevailed even if the conditions were not as cold as during the Oldest Dryas. During the Preboreal (11.7–10 ka cal. BP) Isoëtes echinospora and I. lacustris developed in the eulittoral zone of the lake, which was surrounded by a swamp forest (with Betula nana and B. pubescens). Pinus sylvestris, Betula pendula, Corylus avellana and trees from the Quercetum mixtum rapidly established in the uplands. Occurrences of Gaeumannomyces and Xylomyces fungi – both phytopathogens on broadleaved trees – and decreasing herb values indirectly hint at a close forest canopy. At the beginning of the Boreal (10 ka cal. BP), aquatic and semi-aquatic taxa developed on open water due to longer ice-free seasons (diatoms, micro-algae, Alisma plantago-aquatica, Potamogeton, Typha). The final terrestrialization towards a mire occurred as a consequence of the Holocene warming and related to water chemistry changes (acidification, eutrophication). • During the last deglaciation, a very shallow lake established as demonstrated by palaeoecological data, such as epiphytic diatoms, living on rocks. • Late-Glacial steppe landscape with severe erosion, open grassland and possible mega-herbivore presence. Arctic-like conditions. • Development of shrubs or trees during the Bølling-Allerød interstadial and reduced ice-free season. • Dry and cold conditions persisted from the Younger Dryas to the Early Preboreal. Oligotrophic flora (Isoetids) established in the eulittoral zone. • During the post-glacial warming, the lake tended to acidify. Peat flora and organic matter accumulated and led to the terrestrialization of the lake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to evaluate the biocontrol potential of Meyerozyma guilliermondii (CECT13190), an endophytic yeast, and its role in mitigating the adverse effects of abiotic and biotic stress in cucumber plants. The relevance of this study lies in addressing the threat of Fusarium wilt, a major fungal disease that impacts cucumber crop productivity, as well as the exacerbation of food scarcity caused by climate change-induced abiotic stress factors such as high temperatures and drought. The study was conducted in a greenhouse environment where Cucumis sativus seedlings were exposed to biotic (F. oxysporum inoculation) and abiotic stress conditions (heat and water deficit). The impact of M. guilliermondii on treated plants' physiology, growth, development, and flowering was assessed. The study confirmed the biocontrol activity of M. guilliermondii against F. oxysporum and highlighted its positive effects as a plant growth promoter. It enhanced overall plant health, activated natural defense mechanisms against F. oxysporum, and alleviated the detrimental impacts of abiotic stress. Notably, M. guilliermondii also induced early flowering in cucumber plants. This research underscores the potential of M. guilliermondii as a biocontrol agent for managing Fusarium wilt, enhancing stress tolerance, promoting early flowering, and offering promising prospects for sustainable crop production amidst fungal diseases and climate change-induced stressors. The findings emphasize the importance of utilizing M. guilliermondii to improve cucumber crop productivity and address food scarcity challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article illustrates the conceptual limitations within conflict resolution attempts in Transboundary protected areas (TBPAs) in Uganda. Using the case of Namatala wetland in Eastern Uganda, this paper analyses the conflict resolution initiatives by government of Uganda to-date; and highlights the conceptual gaps within these initiatives as a reason for the unending conflicts among those using the wetland. Although institutionalized approaches to conflict resolution are given priority by many countries, they often prescribe a public administrative structure model. This article illustrates how such approaches contradict tacit factors that underlie the different dimensions of conflicts in TBPAs. Adopting a retrospective qualitative approach, a review of secondary sources and 7 key informant interviews were conducted. Previous conflict resolution attempts in Namatala have involved resurveying of the contested land, dividing wetland territories based on administrative units; organizing meetings based on districts and providing security to people in conflict zones. Invoking the relative deprivation theory, the article highlights five issues of historical injustices, cultural claims; boundary definition; effects of climate change and language discourse that have been contradicted by this approach. The article demonstrates that all these limitations need to be appreciated and factored into the resolution initiatives in order to yield meaningful and sustainable results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transition of plants and animals from sea to land required adaptation to a very different physical and chemical environment. In this paper, we focus on the consequences of the differences between the magnitude of the variability of ocean and atmospheric dynamics, with the ocean environment (in particular temperature and currents) being two to three orders of magnitude less variable than that on land. We suggest that greater insights on possible responses of marine vs. terrestrial systems to rapid climate change can be gained by considering that terrestrial vertebrates, invertebrates and plants have evolved from marine organisms that, pre-Cambrian, had early life history developmental stages as planktonic larvae. Marine larvae were/are adapted to the predictable and minimal range of temperature changes and regularities in ocean currents, as most organisms utilize the energy in these currents as an "auxiliary" source for predictable gamete and larvae dispersal. Post-Cambrian, on land, no such simple strategy was available; instead, most terrestrial organisms have evolved reproductive strategies and behaviours to eliminate, or at least minimize, the consequences of much larger atmospheric variability. Adapting our future use of these systems sensibly will require greater understanding of how the two regimes respond to rapid climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Ingeniería Agrícola is the property of Instituto de Investigaciones de Ingenieria Agricola and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Increases in greenhouse gases caused by human activities have raised global temperature. Global warming affects water resources systems and the hydrologic cycle and may impact the performance of water resource systems. Water resources managers face challenges balancing conflicting goals in reservoir operation given the uncertainties introduced by climatic change. The HadCM3 climate model is used in this paper to estimate temperature and precipitation for early (2025-2039), middle (2055-2069) and late (2085-2099) periods of the 21st century under the A2 greenhouse gases emission scenario. The estimated temperature and precipitation from the climate model are input to a calibrated hydrologic model (IHACRES) to simulate inflow in a river basin draining to the Karoon-4 reservoir in Iran. A meta-heuristic multi-objective optimization algorithm (NSGA-II) is used in conjunction to predicted hydrologic variables to optimize dynamic operation rules in the Karoon-4 reservoir. The Karoon4 reservoir is operated non-adaptively and adaptively under climatic change. Our results show that adaptive reservoir management increases the reliability and reduces the vulnerability associated with hydropower generation in early, middle, and late simulation periods of the 21st century. These findings establish the importance of factoring in climatic change and considering adaptive strategies in future reservoir operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a recent paper, the author demonstrated that, in contrast with the prevailing view of eventual gradual regional differentiation from a hypothetical Cretaceous pantropical mangrove belt around the Tethys Sea, the Caribbean mangroves originated de novo in the Eocene after the evolutionary appearance of the first mangrove-forming tree species known for the region, the ancestor of the extant Pelliciera. This paper represents a second step in the analysis of the evolution of Caribbean mangroves dealing with the most important change experienced by these communities, occurring across the Eocene Oligocene transition (EOT), which is termed here the Caribbean mangrove revolution. This shift consisted of the disappearance of the primeval Pelliciera mangroves and their replacement by mangrove communities dominated by Rhizophora , a newly emerged mangrove tree that still dominates extant Caribbean mangroves. This paper first reviews the available literature on the EOT global disruption (tectonic and paleogeographic reorganizations, ocean circulation, cooling, Antarctic glaciation, sea-level fall) and its regional manifestations in the study area, along with the corresponding biotic responses. This provides the paleoenvironmental framework with which to analyze the EOT mangrove revolution using the >80 pollen records available for the region. In the circum-Caribbean region, cooling of 3–6 °C and a sea-level fall of 67 m were recorded between 33.8 and 33.5 Ma, which led to significant shifts in dispersal pathways and barriers, as well as in marine paleocurrents. Late Eocene mangroves were dominated by the autochthonous Pelliciera (up to 60% of pollen assemblages), while Rhizophora , which likely arrived from the Indo-Pacific region by long-distance dispersal, was absent or very scarce. After the EOT, the situation was radically different, as the mangroves were widely dominated by Rhizophora, and Pelliciera , when present, was a subordinate mangrove element (<10%). At the same time, Pelliciera , which had been restricted to a small patch (Central America and NW South America or CA/NWSA) during the Eocene, expanded its range across the Caribbean and beyond, always as a minor component of Rhizophora mangroves. The dominance shift could have been due to the EOT cooling, by favoring the expansion of the euryclimatic and vagile Rhizophora over the stenoclimatic Pelliciera , of limited dispersal ability. This is considered a case of competitor coexistence by niche segregation. In addition, Rhizophora could have facilitated the expansion of Pelliciera by providing refuge against environmental and biotic stressors, notably light intensity and salinity. The Eocene Pelliciera mangroves never returned, but this species survived to the present as a minor element and experienced significant range shifts along three main phases, namely, EOT–Miocene expansion to the whole Neotropics, Mio-Pliocene contraction to the southern Caribbean margin and Pliocene to recent reorganization to the original Eocene CA/NWSA location. The potential role of Neogene and Pleistocene climatic shifts and human activities in these biogeographical loops (taxon cycles) is discussed, with an emphasis on precipitation. The paper ends by suggesting some prospects for future research. • The major evolutionary turnover of Caribbean mangroves occurred during the EOT. • The primeval Caribbean mangroves were replaced by modern-like mangroves. • Cooling and sea-level fall were the main external drivers of this mangrove revolution. • The most important biotic drivers were competition, facilitation and niche segregation. • The EOT global disruption was essential for the shaping of extant mangrove ecosystems. • The disappearance of the primeval mangroves followed the predictions of the taxon cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tourism climate research is of great significance to the tourism industry because tourism is closely linked to climate. Based on an analysis of related core papers, this paper reviews the research progress on tourism climate in China in terms of research method, research process, and research topic. Research on tourism climate in China started later than similar research in some Western countries and the topics mainly focused on tourism climate resources, climate comfort for tourism, the impact of climate on tourists' behavior and emotion, climate and tourism seasonality, climate change and tourism development, etc. To provide scientific support for the sustainable development of China's tourism industry, we propose the following for future research, based on our review of the literature: (1) strengthening the theoretical study of tourism climatology, (2) constructing and improving the research content system, and (3) enriching relevant research in climate-sensitive areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the relationship between surface air temperature and glacial discharge has been studied in the Northern Hemisphere for at least a century, similar studies for Antarctica remain scarce and only for the past four decades. This data scarcity is due to the extreme meteorological conditions and terrain inaccessibility. As a result, the contribution of glacial discharge in Antarctica to global sea-level rise is still attached with great uncertainties, especially from partly glaciated hydrological basins as can be found in the Antarctic Peninsula. In this paper, we propose a simplified model based on the Monte Carlo method and Fourier analysis for estimating discharge in partly glaciated and periglacial hydrological catchments with a summer melt period. Our model offers the advantage of scarce data requirements and quick recognition of periglacial environments. Discharge was found to be highly correlated with surface air temperature for the partially glaciated hydrological catchments on Potter Peninsula, King George Island (Isla 25 Mayo). The model is simple to implement and requires few variables to make most versatile simulations. We have obtained a monthly simulated maximum flow estimates between 0.74 and 1.07m³ s-1 for two creeks (South and North Potter) with a very good fit to field observations. The glacial mean monthly discharge during summer months was estimated to 0.44 ± 0.02m³ s-1 for South Potter Creek and 0.55 ± 0.02m³³ s-1 for North Potter Creek. This article is part of the theme issue 'The marine system of the West Antarctic Peninsula: status and strategy for progress in a region of rapid change'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista de Biologia Marina y Oceanografía (RBMO) is the property of Universidad de Valparaiso, Facultad de Ciencias del Mar and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Cuadernos de Investigación Geográfica is the property of Universidad de la Rioja, Servicio de Publicaciones and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Northeast China (NEC) is one of the most important national agricultural production bases, and its agricultural water dynamics are essential for food security and sustainable agricultural development. However, the dynamics of long-term annual crop-specific agricultural water and its crop type and climate impacts remain largely unknown, compromising water-saving practices and water-efficiency agricultural management in this vital area. Thus, this study used multi-source data of the crop type, climate factors, and the digital elevation model (DEM), and multiple digital agriculture technologies of remote sensing (RS), the geographic information system (GIS), the Soil Conservation Service of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA-SCS) model, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Penman–Monteith (FAO P-M) model, and the water supply–demand index (M) to map the annual spatiotemporal distribution of effective precipitation (Pe), crop water requirement (ETc), irrigation water requirement (IWR), and the supply–demand situation in the NEC from 2000 to 2020. The study further analyzed the impacts of the crop type and climate changes on agricultural water dynamics and revealed the reasons and policy implications for their spatiotemporal heterogeneity. The results indicated that the annual average Pe, ETc, IWR, and M increased by 1.56%/a, 0.74%/a, 0.42%/a, and 0.83%/a in the NEC, respectively. Crop-specifically, the annual average Pe increased by 1.15%/a, 2.04%/a, and 2.09%/a, ETc decreased by 0.46%/a, 0.79%/a, and 0.89%/a, IWR decreased by 1.03%/a, 1.32%/a, and 3.42%/a, and M increased by 1.48%/a, 2.67%/a, and 2.87%/a for maize, rice, and soybean, respectively. Although the ETc and IWR for all crops decreased, regional averages still increased due to the expansion of water-intensive maize and rice. The crop type and climate changes jointly influenced agricultural water dynamics. Crop type transfer contributed 39.28% and 41.25% of the total IWR increase, and the remaining 60.72% and 58.75% were caused by cropland expansion in the NEC from 2000 to 2010 and 2010 to 2020, respectively. ETc and IWR increased with increasing temperature and solar radiation, and increasing precipitation led to decreasing IWR in the NEC. The adjustment of crop planting structure and the implementation of water-saving practices need to comprehensively consider the spatiotemporally heterogeneous impacts of crop and climate changes on agricultural water dynamics. The findings of this study can aid RS-GIS-based agricultural water simulations and applications and support the scientific basis for agricultural water management and sustainable agricultural development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enhancing resilience against flooding events is of great importance. Eastern Iberian Peninsula coastal areas are well known for high intensity rainfalls known as DANA or "cold drop". Extreme records in 24 h can exceed the annual average of the historical series. This phenomenon occurs normally in autumn due to convective storms generated by the existence of cold air in the upper layers of the atmosphere combined with warm winds coming from the Mediterranean Sea. In many coastal areas of the Eastern Iberian Peninsula, their flat topography, sometimes of a marsh nature, and the natural (e.g., dune ridges) and man-made (e.g., infrastructures) factors, result in devastating flooding events of great potential damage and risk for urban and rural areas. In this context, this paper presents the case study of the town of Oliva (Valencia, Spain) and how in a flooding event the flow tends to spread and accumulate along the flat coastal strip of this populated area, causing great potential damage. From that point, the paper discusses the particular issues that flood studies should consider in such flat and heavy rainy areas in terms of the hydrological and hydraulic models to be conducted to serve as the key tool of a correct risk assessment. This includes the correct statistical simulation of rainfalls, the hydrological model dependency on the return period and the correct geometry definition of all possible water barriers. An analysis of the disturbance that climatic change effects may introduce in future flooding events is also performed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the geochemical elements Rb and Sr in sediments with three different grain size fractions from profile H3 on the northern lacustrine bottomland 13 m above the Huangqihai Lake surface in 1986, the paper investigates the record of palaeolake stand state, sedimentary environmental evolution, and winter monsoon change. First, these samples are separated into three different grain size fractions, i.e., total sediments, 77-20 μm and <20 μm. Second, the chemical elements—Rb and Sr—of the grain size separation were tested and analyzed systematically in this paper. Then the elements compositions of these samples are measured using VP-320 mode fluorescence spectrum instrument, respectively. The magnetic susceptibility of these samples is measured using Kappabridge KLY-3 mode instrument made in Czech AGICO Company. The results showed the elements and the ratios varied regularly with the grain size. But the ratio of Rb/Sr in the sediments <20 μm correlates positively with the magnetic susceptibility of these samples. Therefore, the ratio of Rb/Sr in the fraction <20 μm from the lake sediments reflected the strengthening of the weathering in the deposition sites. It is a good indicator of the summer monsoon-induced weathering and pedogenesis fluctuations and can be used to reconstruct the conditions of the paleoclimate and paleoenvironment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Meteorological and climatic processes in mountain regions play a key role in many environmental systems, in particular the quantity and quality of water that influences both aquatic ecosystems and economic systems often far beyond the boundaries of the mountains themselves. This paper will provide a general overview of some of the particular characteristics of mountain weather and climate, to highlight some of the unique atmospheric features that are associated with regions of complex topography. The second part of the paper will focus upon characteristics of climate and climatic change in the European Alps, a region with a wealth of high quality data that allows an assessment on how climate and dependent environmental systems have evolved in the course of the 20th century and how alpine climate may undergo further changes to “global warming” in the 21st century, as the atmosphere responds to increasing levels of greenhouse gases that are expected in coming decades. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Variation characteristics of temperature and precipitation in January and July and annual mean temperature and annual precipitation are analyzed with the help of cumulative anomalies, Mann-Kendall analysis and wavelet analysis. The research results indicate that January precipitation presents an increasing trend after 1990, wavelet analysis result suggests that this increasing trend will continue in the near future. The changes of July precipitation present different features. During 1900–1960, July precipitation is in a rising trend, but is in a declining trend after 1960. Wavelet analysis shows that this declining trend will go on in the near future. Temperature variations in Shanghai are in fluctuations with 2 to 3 temperature rising periods. Mann-Kendall analysis indicates that temperature variations have the obvious abrupt change time when compared with precipitation changes in Shanghai during the past 100 years. The abrupt change time of January temperature lies in 1985, and that of July temperature lies in 1931–1933 and annual mean temperature has the abrupt change time in 1923–1930. Except July precipitation, the precipitation in January, temperature in January, July and annual mean temperature, and annual precipitation are also in a rising trend in the near future. The research results in this paper may be meaningful for future further climatic changes of Shanghai and social mitigation of climatic disasters in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]