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The increasing global warming trend has resulted in the mass loss of most glaciers. The Urumqi Vally, located in the dry and cold zone of China, and its widely dispersed glaciers are significant to the regional ecological environment, oasis economic development, and industrial and agricultural production. This is representative of glaciers in Middle Asia and represents one of the world's longest observed time series of glaciers, beginning in 1959. The Urumqi Headwater Glacier No. 1 (UHG-1) has a dominant presence in the World Glacier Monitoring Service (WGMS). This paper supplies a comprehensive analysis of past studies and future modeling of glacier changes in the Urumqi Valley. It has received insufficient attention in the past, and the mass balance of UHG-1 was used to verify that the geodetic results and the OGGM model simulation results are convincing. The main conclusions are: The area of 48.68 ± 4.59 km2 delineated by 150 glaciers in 1958 decreased to 21.61 ± 0.27 km2 delineated by 108 glaciers in 2022, with a reduction of 0.47 ± 0.04 km2·a−1 (0.96% a−1 in 1958–2022). The glacier mass balance by geodesy is −0.69 ± 0.11 m w.e.a−1 in 2000–2022, which is just deviating from the measured result (−0.66 m w.e.a−1), but the geodetic result in this paper can be enough to reflect the glacier changes (−0.65 ± 0.11 m w.e.a−1) of the URB in 2000–2022. The future loss rate of area and volume will undergo a rapid and then decelerating process, with the fastest and slowest inflection points occurring around 2035 and 2070, respectively. High temperatures and large precipitation in summer accelerate glacier loss, and the corresponding lag period of glacier change to climate is about 2–3 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increase in global temperature, the global change situation dominated by climate warming is becoming more and more serious. Climate change will cause differences in the suitable areas of species in different periods. Ginkgo biloba L., a rare and endangered wild plant protected at the national level in China, is the oldest relict plant in the world. Because of severe climate change, only China's wild Ginkgo biloba has been preserved, yet China's wild Ginkgo biloba population is facing extinction risk. Ginkgo biloba has rich ornamental value, application value, economic value, medicinal value and ecological value. Not only can it produce economic and ecological benefits, but it can also produce huge social benefits. Based on the data of Ginkgo biloba sample distribution, bioclimatic variables and soil variables, this paper uses the MaxEnt model to simulate Ginkgo biloba suitable area under current and future different climate scenarios, and analyzes the changes in the potential suitable area of Ginkgo biloba in the future through ArcGIS 10.6. The results are as follows: (1) the results simulated by the MaxEnt model are AUC > 0.9, showing that the simulation results have a high accuracy; (2) the min temperature of the coldest month, precipitation of the wettest month, elevation, and temperature seasonality are the main environmental variables affecting the change in the Ginkgo biloba suitable area; (3) under future climate scenarios, the suitable area of Ginkgo biloba is predicted to expand in the future, covering most of the south and some northeast regions, and moderate temperature and precipitation changes under climate change are conducive for the growth of Ginkgo biloba; and (4) in the future, the distribution center of the suitable area will move to the northeast. According to the conclusions in this paper, it is expected to provide theoretical reference for cultivation and management, sustainable utilization and solution of ecological environment problems of Ginkgo biloba. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The serious consequences of climate warming have increasingly become a globe agenda in recent decades. China has been actively participating in various initiatives to address global climate change and has made commitments to reduce carbon emissions. Although the logistics industry is regarded as the "new driving force of national economic development", its carbon intensity is relatively high. Therefore, whether the logistics industry can develop in a green and low-carbon way is very crucial. This paper takes the green logistics efficiency of China's provincial logistics industry as the research object. The Super-SBM model is used to measure the China's green logistics efficiency, then the general dynamic characteristics is depicted by kernel density analysis. With the GML (Global Malmquist-Luenberger) index model, the reasons for the changes in green logistics efficiency are explained. Finally, Moran's I index is used to analyze the spatial correlation of green logistics efficiency in each province. The results show that the green logistics efficiency in China is at a low level, but with an upward trend. China's green logistics efficiency has a significant positive spatial correlation, showing a zonal pattern of high in the east and low in the west, and a polarization phenomenon. In addition, the bottleneck of the overall development of green logistics efficiency in China depends on the level of green technology. Furthermore, the results also imply that green technology advancement is an inherent key factor for green logistics efficiency to achieve growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 2015 Paris Agreement has set out the climate change target of limiting global warming to 1.5 °C, which poses a serious challenge to countries to reduce emissions. As the world's largest carbon emitter, promoting the realization of the "dual-carbon" goal is the key to realizing China's green transformation and high-quality development. Chinese asset managers play active roles in the capital market as an important channel of asset allocation. Currently, the vast majority of Chinese asset managers hold high percentages of high-carbon industries in their portfolios, and lack quantitative data of their carbon footprints embodied in equity investments, which faces huge carbon-related risks. Therefore, it's an urgent need to comprehensively and scientifically measure financed emissions of Chinese asset managers, which is of great significance for asset managers' carbon risk management and sustainable investment. This paper develops a detailed inventory of carbon emissions for equity portfolios managed by Chinese asset managers from 2010 to 2020, which stands as a pivotal reference for in-depth analysis of emission characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rainfall distribution in southwest China is uneven, and the rainstorm threshold cannot use in a unified standard. This paper synthesizes a calculation method for the extremely heavy precipitation threshold and the provision of the rainstorm threshold in meteorological operation. It calculates the daily precipitation rainstorm threshold at 400 national ground stations in southwest China. The rainstorm events from 1961 to 2021 were statistically analyzed using the rainstorm threshold and analyzing the spatial-temporal variation characteristics. The results show that the number of single-station rainstorm events and the average precipitation of single-station rainstorm events in southwest China decreased from east to west. The number and frequency of single-station rainstorm events in Guizhou, Sichuan, Tibet, and Chongqing are increasing, while the number of single-station rainstorm events in Yunnan is decreasing. There is no apparent spatial distribution pattern for the continuous rainstorm events in the southwest region. From 1961 to 2021, the number and frequency of rainstorm events at a single station in southwest China followed an upward trend. The number of rainstorm events at a single station increased by 16.7 times · (10a)−1, and the frequency of rainstorms increased by 9.9% · (10a)−1. The continuous rainstorm events show an increasing trend, with an increase of 0.1 times · (10a)−1. Using the rainstorm threshold in southwest China, the early warning threshold for rainstorm disasters can be adjusted. The temporal and spatial characteristics of rainstorm events since 1961 can analyze the changes occurring in rainstorm events under global warming and provide data to support the response of southwest China to climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: After almost 10 years, people wonder if green finance has been able to attain its objectives in terms of controlling climate change. Persistent global warming and climate deregulation manifested by melting glaciers, droughts and floods, are all of these determinants that have called into question the efficiency of green finance. Design/methodology/approach: Green finance is a way to support climate action through investments. It has proven that this is a viable financial instrument and that it can be used by governments and private companies to plan for the future of our planet. Findings: Based on an analysis of articles published in top international journals from 2016 to 2022, about the relationship between green technology and financial services in China, this paper aims to present an overview of green finance, its importance for the planet, its objectives and its instruments. Research limitations/implications: This study's contribution is to shed light on the aspects that may have limited its effectiveness, such as the absence of incentives, the absence of climate costs and above all the absence of finance green standards. Originality/value: The results have shown that there is still a significant gap in green finance before inclusive green growth can be achieved. Inclusive green growth. All stakeholders need to increase the level of investment in green finance. The green investment financing gap is the result of inconsistencies in sustainability and policies. Therefore, governments must intervene to impose appropriate policies and regulations to compel the financial sector to engage in sustainable development. All of these factors make the concept of green finance just an illusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The economic and financial risks of global warming have become a hot issue of academic interest. This article analyzes global warming, financial risk, and the economic statistics of 30 provinces in China from 2010 to 2020 as a sample to assess the influence of the severity of global warming on financial risk. Global warming is found to affect financial risk and to have a substantial favorable influence on the amount of financial risk. Global warming also has significant effects on households, enterprises, financial institutions, and governments. There is heterogeneity in the effects of climate variation on financial risk. Global warming will cause a greater accumulation of financial risk in economically developed regions. Additionally, it will lead to financial risks by causing a decline in the incomes of residents, a decline in the profits of enterprises, growth in the number of loans that financial institutions consider to be nonperforming, and a widening of the gap between government revenue and expenditures. All of these effects will have an adverse domino effect on the economy. To reduce the financial risks caused by global warming, countermeasures are being offered to ensure social cohesion, conduct risk stress testing, create risk mitigation instruments, and encourage environmentally responsible development. This paper discusses policies and provides policymakers with recommendations on how to cope with the systematic financial risks induced by climate variation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to global warming, the overheating risk in the severe cold region of China has attracted attention, but so far, no studies have examined summer overheating in this region. This paper aims to reveal the overheating risk in recent and future climates in the severe cold region of China. An 18-storey residential building in the severe cold region of China was monitored from May to September 2021 to validate the simulation data of the indoor temperature. Weather files of the typical meteorological year (TMY) from 2007 to 2020, observations in 2021, and forecasts for the climate in different carbon emission scenarios (2030, 2060) were used to simulate the indoor temperature and assess the overheating risk. The results revealed the severity of the overheating risk; the overheating hours in the south-facing bedroom were recorded as 884 h (24.07%) with the TMY weather data and 1043 h (28.40%) in 2030 and 1719 h (46.81%) in 2060 under the RCP8.5 carbon emission scenario. Thus, the low carbon emissions policy may significantly alleviate overheating. Moreover, to cope with climate change, it is suggested that the Chinese local design standards should consider the summer overheating risk and make the necessary adjustments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to global warming and other climate changes, it is increasingly important to study the response of regional environmental changes and dynamic changes in vegetation to climate change. Based on meteorological data from the last 60 years, this paper calculates the humidity index of western China under a wide range of long time series in different regions and explores the cross-correlation effect between series by offering a comparison with NDVI data, to analyze the cross-correlation between wet and dry changes and changes in vegetation in western China on a spatial scale. The results show that the spatial distribution of the interdecadal humidity index is different between different regions in western China. For example, the semi-arid and the semi-humid zones of the Weihe River region exhibit significant changes, while the Xinjiang and Qinghai–Tibet regions show a trend of constant wetness, on the whole, and the Sichuan and Yunnan–Guizhou regions are relatively humid and the distribution of wetness and dryness is relatively stable. The distribution of high and low values of the humidity index is very obvious and consistent with that of the distribution of desert bare land and precipitation in western China. In common with the distribution in the humidity index, the maximum correlation number between the NDVI and the humidity index in the whole western region is also significantly different in spatial distribution. There is a positive correlation between the NDVI and the humidity index in 99% of the study area. However, the delay in response time of the NDVI to changes in the humidity index in each region is inconsistent. For example, changes in the NDVI lag changes in the humidity index in the Menggan region by generally either 2 months or 5 months, while in the Sichuan region the delay in response time is generally 3 months. The variation and trend in dry and wet areas are closely related to the geographical location, climate zone, and topographic terrain, which may be the reason for the differences in the distribution of vegetation types and the response time to dry and wet changes. There is significant interaction between the humidity index and the vegetation type or precipitation distribution in western China. The positive correlation between the NDVI and the humidity index means that the positive effect is more sensitive, and the response of grassland is the most sensitive in the ecosystem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rice production system is one of the most climate change sensitive agroecosystems. This paper reviews the effects of current and future climate change on rice production in China. In recent decades, thermal resources have increased during the rice growing season, while solar radiation resources have decreased, and precipitation heterogeneity has increased. The increasing frequency of high-temperature stress, heavy rainfall, drought, and flood disasters may reduce the utilization efficiency of hydrothermal resources. Climate change, thus far, has resulted in a significant northward shift in the potential planting boundaries of single- and double-cropping rice production systems, which negatively affects the growth duration of single-, early-, and latecropping rice. Studies based on statistical and process-based crop models show that climate change has affected rice production in China. The effects of climate change on the yield of single rice (SR), early rice (ER), and late rice (LR) were significant; however, the results of different methods and different rice growing areas were different to some extent. The trend of a longer growth period and higher yield of rice reflects the ability of China's rice production system to adapt to climate change by adjusting planting regionalization and improving varieties and cultivation techniques. The results of the impact assessment under different climate scenarios indicated that the rice growth period would shorten and yield would decrease in the future. This means that climate change will seriously affect China's rice production and food security. Further research requires a deeper understanding of abiotic stress physiology and its integration into ecophysiological models to reduce the uncertainty of impact assessment and expand the systematicness of impact assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Petrocodon Hance is one of the famous ornamental flowers, but most of them are assessed as extremely dangerous (CR), or at least above vulnerable (VU) due to climate turbulence and strong interference of human activities. To reconstruct the temporal and spatial changes of the potential suitable areas of Petrocodon since the last interglacial period, and explore the response of the suitable areas to environmental changes, which provided theoretical guidance for the origin of Petrocodon, the study of geographical differentiation, the conservation of unique germplasm resources in China, and the development and utilization of gardens. In this paper, combined with 120 distribution records and 17 environmental variables, the optimal MaxEnt model and geographic information technology (ArcGIS) were used to simulate the suitable areas and distribution pattern of Petrocodon in China and Indo-China Peninsula. Based on stepwise multiple linear regression analysis, redundancy analysis and Monte-Carlo test, the dominant variables affecting the current geographical distribution of Petrocodon were evaluated. The results were as follows: (1) The prediction accuracy of the optimized MaxEnt model was high, and the AUC value was greater than 0.96. The potential suitable areas of Petrocodon for the present distribution are continuous from Southwest China to North Vietnam, scattered in central and southern China and blocky in North Myanmar, of which the South Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau in China was the most suitable. (2) The environmental variables which restrict the geographical distribution of Petrocodon included precipitation of the driest month (bio14), precipitation of the warmest quarter (bio18), precipitation of the wettest quarter (bio16), SD of the temperature seasonality (bio4), min temperature of the coldest month (bio6) and altitude (alt). (3) Under the climate change scenario, the expansion and contraction areas of the suitable habitat of Petrocodon were located in the north and northeast of the current potential distribution area, which were sensitive areas susceptible to climate change. During the last interglacial period, the suitable area of Petrocodon expanded on a large scale, but there was almost no suitable distribution area of Petrocodon in the dry and cold environment during the last glacial maximum. After that, with the aggravation of climate warming, the suitable habitats of Petrocodon increased rapidly to high latitudes, while the suitable habitat in low latitudes decreased. (4) The centroid position of the suitable area for Petrocodon migrated northwards from Yongfu County, Guangxi (110.10° E, 24.69° N) to Chengbu County, Hunan (110.29° E, 26.05° N). To sum up, global warming has a positive impact on the potential distribution area of Petrocodon, but extreme warming will cause the suitable habitat of Petrocodon to shrink, and the niche of Petrocodon will narrow. Southwest China to North Vietnam, which has the advantage of mature karst landform, may be its main refuge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Different geographical zones have regional heterogeneity in underlying earth surface structure and microclimate which result in different evolution trends and their response to climate change varies in extreme rainfalls in these zones. In the Guizhou province of China, there are complex landforms, which lead to spatial redistribution of rainfall, frequent extreme rainfall, and disasters high risk of geologic disasters. Research on extreme climate in Guizhou mostly paid attention to its spatio-temporal characteristics and modeling, but lack of analysis on its characteristics of extreme rainfall variability and response to temperature changes under different subsurface conditions. This study investigated the characteristics of the extreme rainfall spatiotemporal and recurrence periods in Guizhou province and discussed the relationship between the response of extreme rainfall to temperature change. Daily rainfall data from 1990 to 2020 and 2021–2100 at 31 meteorological observation stations throughout the province were collected to calculate extreme precipitation. This research had the following results. (1) Both historical and future periods show an upward trend in extreme rainfall in Guizhou province, with a spatial distribution pattern of "high in the south and low in the north, high in the east and low in the west" and "high in the southeast and low in the northwest", respectively; the spatial distribution of extreme rainfall under each recurrence period is consistent with the non-recurrence period. (2) Both historical and future periods show an upward trend in temperature in Guizhou province, with a spatial distribution consistent with that of the extreme rainfall in the corresponding period. (3) The change in extreme rainfall intensity with increasing temperature is almost always greater than the C–C rate for different periods and underlying earth surface structure; Extreme rainfall has a Hook response structure to temperature change, and the climate response structure shifts to the right with climate warming. The results of the study can provide a basis for decision-making on regional disaster prevention and mitigation in the context of temperature change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iron isotope compositions, along with the partial extraction of iron in its various forms, can be utilized to investigate the complex interplay of iron migration and transformation with respect to iron isotope patterns. This study investigated the iron composition of a typical loess-paleosol sequence in Northeast China and aimed to understand the influence of iron migration and transformation of the typical loess-paleosol sequence on iron isotopes and environmental and climatic changes that occurred in the region over time by analyzing the distribution and characteristics of iron compositions in sedimentary layers. Samples were collected from Chaoyang in Northeast China, and the iron isotopic composition was analyzed using the multi-receiver inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (MC-ICP-MS). The findings revealed depth-dependent variations in the content of different iron forms, reflecting paleoclimatic shifts primarily through pedogenic transformation processes. Notably, iron migration within the section was observed to be limited. The variations in the reddening index and magnetic susceptibility of the loess-paleosol were primarily influenced by the presence of free iron (Fed), exhibiting a range of colors from yellow to red-yellow and red. The δ56Fe values for loess and paleosols ranged from 0.097 ± 0.035‰ to 0.167 ± 0.010‰, with an average of 0.133 ± 0.024‰ and a coefficient of variation (CV) of 15.66% at the stratum scale. These values indicated a systematic enrichment of heavy iron isotopes and a significant negative correlation with the slightly fluctuating total iron content. Specifically, our analysis highlighted distinct differences in δ56Fe values between paleosol (0.126 ± 0.024‰) and loess (0.146 ± 0.021‰). The δ56Fe in Fed was negative, averaging −0.101 ± 0.022‰, while the δ56Fe in silicate-bound iron was positive, averaging 0.156 ± 0.032‰. Intense pedogenesis, driven by warm and wet climates, facilitated iron transformations and migrations, resulting in the accumulation of light iron isotopes in the paleosols. These transformations and migrations were predominantly observed in microdomains characterized by iron depletions and concentrations, as reflected in the profile morphologies. However, the limited iron transformations and migrations did not result in significant Fe redistribution within the soil section, as evidenced by the limited variations in δ56Fe with soil depth at the stratum scale. Sampling from the stratum or pedogenic horizon could potentially create the illusion of the minimal fractionation of iron isotopes within the sequence. Therefore, a detailed examination of the iron isotope composition in the micro-domains of the loess-paleosol sequence is crucial to elucidate the fractionation processes and mechanisms of iron isotopes during the formation of these sequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The extent of flooding in China is greater than in any other country. • Nearly 66% of China's landmass is submerged by flooding. • Financial toll of flooding accounts for approximately 1.42% of the annual GDP. • Various forms of climatic change contribute to flooding. The extent of flooding in China is more significant than in any other country. Our research reveals that approximately 66 % of China's landmass is submerged by flooding, affecting about 50 % of the population. Furthermore, the financial toll of flooding now accounts for approximately 1.42 % of the annual gross domestic product (GDP), which is almost 40 times higher than the corresponding figure for the United States. We have observed that Zhengzhou city in Henan province, which faced a devastating flood in 2021, received a significant amount of rainfall, specifically a total of 552.5 mm within a 24-hour period. The floods in Henan province in 2021 caused considerable damage, including impacting nearly 15 million people, resulting in almost 400 deaths, damaging over 10,000 square kilometers of agricultural land, causing almost $19 billion in economic losses, and leading to the collapse of over 35,000 households and damage to various properties. In a similar manner, the significant flooding that occurred in southern China in 2020 impacted approximately 7.1 million individuals across eight provinces and resulted in 54 fatalities, the collapse of 6,700 houses, and incurred a direct economic loss of US$3.33 billion. We found that rainstorms have significantly increased to 10 % in the last 60 years in China. In this paper, we delved into exploring the existing published articles, reports, and government and authoritative legal texts to analyze the causes and impacts of flooding in China's flood-prone regions and potential mitigation strategies to reduce the repercussions of distressing flood events. We believe this study will help policymakers by providing new insights while formulating policy to reduce the loss caused by high-level flooding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global warming has accentuated the effects of extreme heat on health. Health insurance, functioning as a risk management tool, has the potential to alleviate these impacts. Consequently, this paper investigates the correlation between extreme heat events and the demand for health insurance in China. Using data from the China Health and Nutrition Survey, we have observed a substantial increase in the likelihood of residents purchasing health insurance during extreme heat events. To be specific, for every extra day of extreme heat events annually, there is a 0.3% increase in the probability of purchasing health insurance. This effect is not uniform across different demographic groups. It is particularly pronounced among middle-aged and elderly individuals, rural residents, those with lower educational levels, higher income brackets, and individuals residing in underprivileged areas with limited access to green spaces and healthcare facilities. Furthermore, our study indicates that the increased frequency of extreme heat events not only impacts individuals' physical health but also triggers negative emotions, which in turn drive risk-averse behavior related to health insurance purchases. These findings carry substantial policy implications for mitigating the economic consequences of climate change. • Extreme heat increases the likelihood of residents purchasing health insurance. • Each additional day of extreme heat boosts health insurance purchases by 0.3%. • This effect varies among different populations. • Mechanistic analyses indicate extreme heat impacting physical and mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate warming is believed to have irreversible effects on biodiversity and ecosystem functions. Secondary forests are non-negligible ecosystems in northern China that have attracted much attention because of their instability and sensitivity to global change. However, there is no consensus on the impact of warming on secondary forest succession. In this study, we explored the response of tree species diversity to climate warming in northern secondary forests in China using a series of field surveys combined with annual meteorological data from 2015 to 2021. Our results indicate that the temperature in the study area increased in spring and autumn, while the precipitation increased in spring, summer, and autumn from 2015 to 2021. Changes in species composition in the study area and climate warming were significant in the northern region of China. The importance values of many broadleaf tree species increased, whereas those of local coniferous and broadleaf tree species decreased. The Shannon–Wiener, Simpson, and Margalef indices for the pure forest were significantly lower than those for the broadleaf mixed forest and the conifer–broadleaf mixed forest (p < 0.05) in 2015 and 2021. The highest value for the Pielou index was in the conifer–broadleaf mixed forest (p < 0.05), whereas it was not significantly different between the pure forest and broadleaf mixed forest in 2021. Surprisingly, the secondary broadleaf mixed forest in northern China showed an unfavorable degradation trend under the influence of climate change, just the same as the secondary pure forest. Our work provides an experimental data source for research on secondary forests under various climate change scenarios and is an important reference for predicting and dealing with the impact of global climate change on the adaptive management and protection of secondary ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agroclimatic regionalization is an effective way to utilize agricultural climate resources in a reasonable manner. Accurate and objective agroclimatic regionalization plays a great directive role in ecological layout and decision support for agriculture farming. The purpose of this article was to investigate the influence of climate change on agroclimatic regions in China. Following the same regionalization principle concept as the theory and techniques of agroclimatic regionalization, three agroclimatic regions, the Tibetan High Cold Region (THCR), Northwest Arid Region (NAR), and Eastern Monsoon Region (EMR) were identified in China. The changes in the three agroclimatic regions were analyzed from 1961 to 2020 in the past and from 2006 to 2060 in the future. Future changes in agroclimatic regions were estimated from 2006 to 2030 and from 2031 to 2060 under scenarios RCP2.6, RCP4.5, and RCP8.5 for greenhouse gas emissions. The borders of agoclimatic regions had changed as a result of global climate warming and precipitation variability. There was a surplus in the geographical displacement and range of agroclimatic region borders in 1991 to 2020, especially when compared to those in 1961–1990. The TCHR exhibited significant spatial variation, with its northeast corner shifting nearly 170 km to the southwest. In the future, the area ratio of the THCR will be 26% by 2031–2060 under the RCP8.5 scenario, with the highest decline (1% compared to that in the reference period of 1981–2005), while under the RCP4.5 and RCP2.6 scenarios it will stabilize the area ratio at 27%. The eastern boundary of the NAR will migrate south or east, while the center boundary will rise northward. Under all three climatic scenarios, the area ratio will be 25% (down 1%). The range of the EMR will expand. The area ratio of the EMR will increase by 1% under the RCP2.6 and RCP4.5 scenarios and by 2% under the RCP8.5 scenario. Overall, our study may facilitate an in-depth understanding of agroclimatic regions changes and thus provide a scientific reference for the distribution of agricultural production and sustainable development under climate change in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Although two warming phases have been confirmed over the past century, the responses of tree growth in drylands remain uncertain. To investigate this, we utilized the tree-ring chronology in the Loess Plateau of China to explore the changes in tree growth–climate relationships during these warming phases. Our findings indicate that tree growth rates primarily increased during the first warming phase (1910–1940) and decreased during the second phase (1970–2000). Furthermore, we observed that temperature was the main influencing factor for tree growth during the first phase, whereas drought played a more significant role during the second phase. These temporal changes emphasize the importance of water availability for tree growth in drylands and suggest that reductions in precipitation will further exacerbate the adverse effects of climate warming on tree growth. Ongoing climate warming poses significant threats to forest ecosystems, particularly in drylands. Here, we assess the intricate responses of tree growth to climate change across two warming phases (1910–1940 and 1970–2000) of the 20th century in the Loess Plateau of China. To achieve this, we analyzed a dataset encompassing 53 ring-width chronologies extracted from 13 diverse tree species, enabling us to discern and characterize the prevailing trends in tree growth over these warming phases. The difference in the primary contributors over two warming phases was compared to investigate the association of tree growth with climatic drivers. We found that the first warming phase exerted a stimulating effect on tree growth, with climate warming correlating to heightened growth rates. However, a contrasting pattern emerged in the second phase as accelerated drought conditions emerged as a predominant limiting factor, dampening tree growth rates. The response of tree growth to climate changed markedly during the two warming phases. Initially, temperature assumed a dominant role in driving the tree growth of growth season during the first warming phase. Instead, precipitation and drought stress became the main factors affecting tree growth in the second phase. This drought stress manifested predominantly during the early and late growing seasons. Our findings confirm the discernible transition of warming-induced tree growth in water-limited regions and highlight the vulnerability of dryland forests to the escalating dual challenges of heightened warming and drying. If the warming trend continues unabated in the Loess Plateau, further deterioration in tree growth and heightened mortality rates are foreseeable outcomes. Some adaptive forest managements should be encouraged to sustain the integrity and resilience of these vital ecosystems in the Loess Plateau and similar regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improved understanding of the responses of stem radial growth to climates is necessary for modeling and predicting the response of forest ecosystems to future climate change. We used dendrochronological methods to study climate effects on the radial growth of a subalpine deciduous conifer, Larix potaninii. Tree-ring residual chronologies were developed for five sites at the upper distributional limits in the Central Hengduan Mountains, Southwestern China. Redundancy analysis and response function were used to compare inter-annual variability in growth sensitivity among the chronologies and to identity key climatic factors controlling tree radial growth. The results showed that both precipitation and temperature influenced tree growth, and response patterns were consistent for five chronologies. During the current year's early growing season (Tmean in May and Tmax in June), temperature positively affected the radial growth of L. potaninii, while September Tmin and October precipitation in the previous year and May and June precipitation in the current year all had negative impacts on its radial growth. L. potaninii growth appeared to be mainly limited by photothermal conditions in May and June. In the context of increasing CO2 concentrations accompanied with warmer temperatures, future climate change would likely stimulate the radial growth of L. potaninii in Central Hengduan Mountain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Heihe River basin in northwest China depends heavily on both anthropogenic and natural storage (e.g., surface reservoirs, rivers and groundwater) to support economic and environmental functions. The Qilian Mountain cryosphere in the upper basin is integral to recharging these storage supplies. It is well established that climate warming is driving major shifts in high-elevation water storage through loss of glaciers and permafrost. However, the impacts on groundwater–surface-water interactions and water supply in corresponding lower reaches are less clear. We built an integrated hydrologic model of the middle basin, where most water usage occurs, in order to explore the hydrologic response to the changing cryosphere. We simulate the watershed response to loss of glaciers (glacier scenario), advanced permafrost degradation (permafrost scenario), both of these changes simultaneously (combined scenario) and projected temperature increases in the middle basin (warming scenario) by altering streamflow inputs to the model to represent cryosphere-melting processes, as well as by increasing the temperature of the climate forcing data. Net losses to groundwater storage in the glacier scenario and net gains in the permafrost and combined scenarios show the potential of groundwater exchanges to mediate streamflow shifts. The result of the combined scenario also shows that permafrost degradation has more of an impact on the system than glacial loss. Seasonal differences in groundwater–surface-water partitioning are also evident. The glacier scenario has the highest fraction of groundwater in terms of streamflow in early spring. The permafrost and combined scenarios meanwhile have the highest fraction of streamflow infiltration in late spring and summer. The warming scenario raises the temperature of the combined scenario by 2 ∘ C. This results in net groundwater storage loss, a reversal from the combined scenario. Large seasonal changes in evapotranspiration and stream network connectivity relative to the combined scenario show the potential for warming to overpower changes resulting from streamflow. Our results demonstrate the importance of understanding the entire system of groundwater–surface-water exchanges to assess water resources under changing climatic conditions. Ultimately, this analysis can be used to examine the cascading impact of climate change in the cryosphere on the resilience of water resources in arid basins downstream of mountain ranges globally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The existence of global warming is common knowledge. However, it can be predicted that there may be cooling zones worldwide based on the mechanism of terrestrial biophysical processes. Here, the Theil–Sen median trend, the Mann–Kendall trend test method, continuous wavelet transformation, and the Hurst exponent were used to study the cooling trends, abrupt change times, periodicity, and future sustainability of temperature changes in different cooling zones since the 1900s based on the CRU dataset. We found an amazing result; 8,305,500 km2 of land surface had been cooling since the 1900s, covering five continents and 32 countries, accounting for 86% of land area in China, and distributed over 16 zones. The average cooling rate of the cooling zones was −0.24 °C/century. The maximum cooling rate was −1.40 °C/century, and it was 1.43 times the average rate of global land warming (0.98 °C/century). The cooling zones near the sea were greatly influenced by ocean currents and were mainly affected by a small time scale periodicity of less than 30 years, whereas the cold zones located relatively far from the sea and less affected by ocean currents were mainly affected by medium time scales of more than 30 years. Moreover, 32.33% of the cooling zones, involving 2,684,900 km2, will be continuously cooling in the future, and the rest will probably warm up in 2114, 2041, 2096, 2099, 2119, 2073, 2048, and 2101, respectively. The study will help us to further understand the essential characteristics of global climate change, and to find more theoretical bases for mitigating global warming and exploring surface cooling mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Frequent droughts may have negative influences on the ecosystem (i.e., terrestrial vegetation) under a warming climate condition. In this study, the linear regression method was first used to analyze trends in vegetation change (normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI)) and drought indices (Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) and Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI)). The Pearson Correlation analysis was then used to quantify drought impacts on terrestrial vegetation in the Weihe River Basin (WRB); in particular, the response time of vegetation to multiple time scales of drought (RTVD) in the WRB was also investigated. The trend analysis results indicated that 89.77% of the area of the basin showed a significant increasing trend in NDVI from 2000 to 2019. There were also significant variations in NDVI during the year, with the highest rate in June (0.01) and the lowest rate in January (0.002). From 2000 to 2019, SPI and SPEI at different time scales in the WRB showed an overall increasing trend, which indicated that the drought was alleviated. The results of correlation analysis showed that the response time of vegetation to drought in the WRB from 2000 to 2019 was significantly spatially heterogeneous. For NDVI to SPEI, the response time of 12 months was widely distributed in the north; however, the response time of 24 months was mainly distributed in the middle basin. The response time of NDVI to SPI was short and was mainly concentrated at 3 and 6 months; in detail, the response time of 3 months was mainly distributed in the east, while a response time of 6 months was widely distributed in the west. In autumn and winter, the response time of NDVI to SPEI was longer (12 and 24 months), while the response time of NDVI to SPI was shorter (3 months). From the maximum correlation coefficient, the response of grassland to drought (SPEI and SPI) at different time scales (i.e., 6, 12, and 24 months) was higher than that of cultivated land, forestland, and artificial surface. The results may help improve our understanding of the impacts of climatic changes on vegetation cover. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global warming has become one of the major threats to the security of human survival, security, and sustainable development. Agricultural production has been widely suspected as one of the main sources of anthropogenic carbon emissions. Analyzing the changing characteristics and influencing factors of agricultural carbon emissions is of great significance for the mitigation of global climate change and the sustainable development in agriculture. Taking China, a large agricultural country, as an example, this study used the empirical model to quantify carbon emissions from agricultural inputs from 1991 to 2019, and analyzed the driving factors using ridge regression. We found that agricultural carbon emissions in China have been on the rise in the past 30 years, but at a markedly slower pace. From 2008 to 2019, the average annual growth rate of agricultural carbon emissions was 1.47%, down significantly from 2.92% between 1991 and 2007. The carbon emissions per unit of planting area showed an overall increasing trend, which grew from 179.35 t ce/km2 to 246.26 t ce/km2, with an average annual growth rate of 1.13%. The carbon emissions per unit of agricultural output mainly showed a decreasing trend, which decreased from 0.52 kg ce/CNY to 0.06 kg ce/CNY, with an average annual rate of change of −7.42%. China's agricultural carbon emissions were closely related to macro-policies. Fertilizer inputs, agricultural industry structure, and energy use intensity were significantly positively correlated with carbon emission intensity. The degree of urban feedback to rural areas, public investment in agriculture, and large-scale planting were significantly negatively correlated with carbon emission intensity, but the impacts of these factors had a "lag effect". In order to reduce carbon emissions from agriculture and promote development in green agriculture, we suggest that the government should further increase the degree of urban feedback to rural and public investment in the agricultural sector. In addition, large-scale agricultural production should be encouraged to increase resource efficiency and reduce carbon emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Satellite-derived Land Surface Temperature (LST) dynamics have been increasingly used to study various geophysical processes. This review provides an extensive overview of the applications of LST in the context of global change. By filtering a selection of relevant keywords, a total of 164 articles from 14 international journals published during the last two decades were analyzed based on study location, research topic, applied sensor, spatio-temporal resolution and scale and employed analysis methods. It was revealed that China and the USA were the most studied countries and those that had the most first author affiliations. The most prominent research topic was the Surface Urban Heat Island (SUHI), while the research topics related to climate change were underrepresented. MODIS was by far the most used sensor system, followed by Landsat. A relatively small number of studies analyzed LST dynamics on a global or continental scale. The extensive use of MODIS highly determined the study periods: A majority of the studies started around the year 2000 and thus had a study period shorter than 25 years. The following suggestions were made to increase the utilization of LST time series in climate research: The prolongation of the time series by, e.g., using AVHRR LST, the better representation of LST under clouds, the comparison of LST to traditional climate change measures, such as air temperature and reanalysis variables, and the extension of the validation to heterogenous sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, coastal areas have been threatened by many potential hazards due to global warming, glacier melting and sea level rise. Understanding their evolutionary history and development trends can help predict disasters and further reduce the corresponding losses. The Hanjiang River delta in the southeastern part of China is the second largest delta in Guangdong Province and has such challenges. Studying the sedimentary evolution and delta initiation of the Hanjiang Delta is beneficial for understanding the response of the Hanjiang Delta to present and future sea level and climate changes. In this research, we drilled a series of cores from the Hanjiang subaqueous delta, which contains information on the sedimentary environment, climate change and sea level change during the late Quaternary. Combined with previous research results and under the constraint of high-precision and high-resolution AMS14C and OSL, we carried out a multi-proxy analysis that included micropaleontology and grain size to obtain information on the sedimentary environment, sea level change and climate change. We then further discussed the initiation of the Hanjiang delta and its primary factors. The Quaternary sediments began depositing in the early Late Pleistocene (MIS5), and three sedimentary cycles can be recognized from bottom to top. The dating results also indicate that the first two cycles were formed during the late Pleistocene, while the last cycle was formed during the Holocene. The initiation of the Hanjiang Delta was indicated by a progradation in the process of a transition from estuary to a typical delta. At this time, the rate of delta progradation seaward was fast, and increasing amounts of sediments moved through the third line of islands into the sea. The barrier–lagoon system began to develop in the estuary of Hanjiang during this period. With the sequential construction of the delta, the lagoon was filled and covered by delta deposition, and the barrier bar moved to the sea; thus, the barrier-coast delta depositional model was established in the study area. Since the last glacial period (LGM), the Hanjiang River Delta and other river deltas in the region seem to have experienced similar evolutionary histories, including the filling of incised paleo-valleys and estuaries in the Early Holocene and deltaic progradation in the Middle to Late Holocene, controlled by sea level change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vaccinium uliginosum L. is a wild fruit tree, mainly distributed in the extremely cold climate region of China, such as the Greater Khingan Mountains, Lesser Khingan Mountains, and Changbai Mountains. Most fruit trees are largely unsustainable in these regions, but wild V. uliginosum thrives in the region. Therefore, it is necessary to protect the precious wild V. uliginosum resources. With the effect of global warming, the suitable habitat of V. uliginosum has also changed. A total of 287 pieces of data with 22 environmental variables were collected on the geographical distribution of wild V. uliginosum. The Maxent model was applied to predict the potential distribution of V. uliginosum in China under different climate scenarios (Socioeconomic Pathways 1-2.6 (SSP1-2.6), SSP2-4.5, SSP3-7.0 and SSP5-8.5) in the current and future two periods (the 2050s and 2070s). The predicted results show that the distribution and area of the suitable area-change range is small. The results show that the cumulative contribution rates of BIO07 (annual temperature range), BIO12 (annual precipitation), and BIO10 (mean temperature of warmest quarter) reach 74.1%, indicating that temperature and precipitation are the key factors affecting the distribution of V. uliginosum. This study can provide a reference for relevant departments to take conservation measures with respect to climate change and the adaptation of V. uliginosum to habitat changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evident climate jump after 2000 in China may have greatly influenced the production of winter wheat, which is one of the nation's major grain crops. To evaluate the impacts of climate change on winter wheat production and identify the climatic factors primarily responsible, we used daily meteorological data from 2244 stations and integrated indicators to examine the decadal changes in the potential plantable zone (PPZ), growth periods, and climatic suitability for winter wheat in China from 1985 to 1999 and from 2000 to 2014. The results showed the following: (1) The PPZ has decreased by approximately 9%, and the main reason may be the increased frequency of extreme cold events in northern China from 2000 to 2014. (2) In most of the PPZ, the suitable sowing date has been delayed, the potential maturity date has advanced, and total days during the potential growing season have significantly decreased because of the increasing temperature. (3) The suitable area and optimal area of winter wheat have significantly decreased by 9% and 13%, respectively. The changes in climatic suitability are affected by both temperature and radiation in the north, whereas the impact is more from precipitation in the south. The climate may be changing in a direction unsuitable for winter wheat. As global warming and climate extremes intensify in the future, winter wheat production may become more challenging, and adequate measures should be adopted to guarantee reliable and high yields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the evolution of heatwaves is important for their prediction, mitigation, and adaptation. While most studies focused on either their temporal variability at individual station (or grid point) or the spatial variation over fixed durations, their daily joint evolution over space and time remains largely unexplored. Here, we investigate multi‐dimensional characteristics of spatiotemporally contiguous heatwaves across China during 1961–2018 using observational data from a 3D perspective (i.e., latitude × longitude × time). Results obtained by the 3D identification show that large contiguous heatwaves in China exhibit distinct characteristics in different geographical locations and time periods. Heatwaves in northern areas prefer to move from west to east at a faster speed, persist longer, and have greater extent and intensity than southern heatwaves, which are generally originated from the east and move westward. It is also found that contiguous heatwaves are growing in frequency, magnitude, areal extent, duration, and traveling distance across China. Plain Language Summary: Known as episodes with temperature exceeding a certain threshold, heatwaves exert severe detrimental impacts on human health. Understanding their joint evolution at both temporal and spatial dimensions is beneficial for us to mitigate the adverse effects and adapt ourselves to future heatwave increases under global warming. However, previous studies mainly focused on either the temporal or spatial changes of heatwaves rather than their co‐variability over both time and space. Here we introduce a new method, the 3D connected component algorithm, to track the 3D evolution of spatiotemporally contiguous heatwaves over China during 1961–2018 using observational data. We find that contiguous heatwaves over northern China prefer to move eastward at a faster speed, persist longer, and have greater extent and intensity than southern heatwaves, which are generally originated from the east and move westward. Contiguous heatwaves show significant increases in frequency, magnitude, coverage, duration, and traveling distance. Key Points: True 3D structure and spatiotemporal evolution of large contiguous heatwave over China are tracked by the 3D connected component labeling algorithmContiguous heatwaves in China exhibit distinct characteristics and evolution patterns in different geographical locations and time periodsSubstantial increases are observed in the frequency, area, magnitude, duration, and moving distance of contiguous heatwaves since the 1960s [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to global warming, global and regional extreme precipitation events occur frequently, causing severe drought and flood disasters. This has a significant impact on productivity and human life. Therefore, it is of great significance to study the characteristics of extreme precipitation and its spatiotemporal variation. In this study, we investigate the dominant variation patterns of extreme precipitation (EP), which is characterized by indices, and also analyze its potential causes in the Shandong province of China during 1961–2015 using the daily precipitation data from 123 metrological stations. The results show that there has been a dry trend in the Shandong Province in the past 55 years, that is, with the decrease in precipitation, most of the extreme precipitation index has basically showed a downward trend to varying degrees. In particular, the increase in the number of consecutive dry days (CDD) and the decrease in the number of consecutive wet days (CWD) can better explain the drought in this region. After the 1980s, the extreme precipitation index basically showed an upward trend to varying degrees, indicating that extreme precipitation events have shown an increasing trend in recent years. The spatial distribution of each extreme precipitation index generally increased from north to south. The mutation of each extreme precipitation index occurred in the 1970s and 1990s, and there was a main period of 0.9–2.2 years. In terms of influencing factors, the NINO3 area can be used as the critical sea area for the response of extreme precipitation to SSTAs in the Shandong Province. The research results are helpful to understand the temporal and spatial variations of extreme precipitation and have very important reference value for the prediction of and response to climate change and extreme events in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China is the largest source of carbon emissions in the world, and the Chinese iron and steel sector is the main contributor to the growth in greenhouse gas emissions. In addition to excessive greenhouse gas emissions, climate change and global warming have seriously threatened the survival of animals, plants and even humans. To cope with global climate problems, it is our responsibility to establish environment-friendly iron and steel enterprises. In this study, data envelopment analysis (DEA) is used to evaluate the environmental protection performance of China's iron and steel enterprises based on the panel data during 2015–2017. We first establish an environment-related index system for the industry and build a range-adjusted measure model. Then, the global Malmquist productivity index based on DEA is introduced to analyse environmental efficiency and environmental productivity. The results show that most Chinese iron and steel enterprises achieved high environmental efficiency. However, many enterprises exhibited low environmental productivity and especially Shougang Group, HBIS Tangsteel and Anyang Iron and Steel continued to decline from 2015 to 2017. In general, Valin Hengyang and Shaanxi Iron and Steel achieved better performance in environmental protection. Based on the above results, the environmental problems in our country are still very serious. Thus, the government needs to formulate suitable environmental regulations to reduce the gap between the global frontier and contemporaneous frontier over two periods. Furthermore, entrepreneurs should introduce some advanced environmental technologies to improve their technical level and environmental protection level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Yarlung Zangbo River is the largest river on the Tibetan Plateau and a major international river in South Asia. Changes in the blue and green water resources in its basin are of great importance to the surrounding local and Asian regions in the context of global warming. This research used the Soil and Water Assessment Tool model to estimate blue and green flows (BWF and GWF) and analyze the spatial-temporal distribution characteristics under different hypothetical climate change scenarios. The results show that (1) the multi-year average BWF in the middle and upper reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River Basin is 176.2 mm, the GWF is 213.1 mm, and the difference between precipitation and total water resources is only 5.4 mm; (2) both BWF and GWF in this basin showed a slightly increasing trend from 1980 to 2010, but the distribution of subbasins from upstream to downstream is decreasing; and (3) GWF has a positive correlation with both precipitation and temperature, but BWF only increases with precipitation and decreases with increasing temperature. Moreover, the change in blue and green water resources is more sensitive to the changes in precipitation than to changes in the temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the spatiotemporal trends of temperature in the context of global warming is significant for public health. Although many studies have examined changes in temperature and the impacts on human health over the past few decades in many regions, they have often been carried out in data-rich regions and have rarely considered acclimatization explicitly. The most frequent temperature (MFT) indicator provides us with the ability to solve this problem. MFT is defined as the longest period of temperature throughout the year to which a human is exposed and therefore acclimates. In this study, we propose a new method to estimate the number of heat exposure days from the perspective of temperature distribution and MFT, based on the daily mean temperature readings of 2142 weather stations in eight major climate zones in China over the past 20 years. This method can be used to calculate the number of heat exposure days in terms of heat-related mortality risk without the need for mortality data. We estimated the distribution and changes of annual mean temperature (AMT), minimum mortality temperature (MMT), and the number of heat exposure days in different climate zones in China. The AMT, MMT, and number of heat exposure days vary considerably across China. They all tend to decrease gradually from low to high latitudes. Heat exposure days are closely related to the risk of heat-related mortality. In addition, we utilized multiple linear regression (MLR) to analyze the association between the risk of heat-related mortality and the city and its climatic characteristics. Results showed that the number of heat exposure days, GDP per capita, urban population ratio, proportion of elderly population, and climate zone were found to modify the estimate on heat effect, with an R2 of 0.71. These findings will be helpful for the creation of public policies protecting against high-temperature-induced mortalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]