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In this paper, we advance the question: What are the semiotic (meaning-making) and learning opportunities offered by student-produced films? Our point of departure is a pedagogical project in which we invited management students to produce films on scalar issues related to global environmental change. Our analytical lens and our empirical findings (examined through a template analysis and a multimodal video transcription) help us make three contributions. First, we synthesize a new ontological and epistemological foundational "positioning" that portrays the nature of learning processes as revolving on meaning-making activities (a positioning that we have termed a performative, design-oriented multimodality). Second, we provide a framework that advances understanding of the "inner workings" of student film-making as resting on a triple engagement (cognitive-affective, behavioral, and relational), anchored on underpinning multimodal composing activities. These conceptual moves and empirical work allow us to distill several implications, or "provocations": film-making fosters radical openness in management learning curricula, gives new momentum to the instructor's role change ("from sage on the stage to guide on the side") and expands existing cultures of recognition around what gets valued and can be assessed as (signs of) learning. Third, we offer a pedagogical prototype containing practical teaching guidelines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the intensification of global climate change and environmental degradation, the goals of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality have become crucial strategies for promoting sustainable development in various countries. However, most studies on ecological environment quality (EEQ) focus on urban areas, with limited attention to county-level analyses, particularly regarding the complex interactions between climate, topography, and human activities. This study aims to address this gap by investigating the spatiotemporal evolution and multidimensional driving factors of EEQ in 107 counties of Shaanxi Province, China. Using the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform and MODIS imagery, along with methods such as the Remote Sensing Ecological Index (RSEI), Hurst exponent, and GeoDetector, this study analyzed the evolutionary characteristics and driving mechanisms of county-level EEQ, and explored improvement and management strategies for different types of county EEQ within the framework of dual carbon goals. The results indicate that: 1) From 2000 to 2020, the overall EEQ in Shaanxi Province showed a fluctuating upward trend, improving from a moderate level to a good level, although some counties experienced slight degradation from 2010 to 2020. 2) The spatial distribution of county-level EEQ displayed a "low-high-low-high" gradient from north to south, indicating superior ecological conditions in the southern and central-northern counties, while northern regions faced significant ecological challenges. 3) The future trend of EEQ in Shaanxi Province is expected to be one of continuous improvement, although attention must be paid to the ongoing degradation risks in highly urbanized areas. 4) The spatial differentiation of county-level EEQ is primarily driven by climate factors and influenced by the synergistic effects of multiple factors. For counties with varying levels of EEQ, it is essential to comprehensively consider the interactions between climate, topography, and human factors, and to implement tailored carbon sequestration enhancement strategies. The results not only propose targeted approaches to reinforce carbon storage but also offer valuable policy guidance, thereby making a significant contribution to achieving the dual carbon goals at the county level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land use land cover (LULC) is considered as one of the most important driving factors behind the global environmental change. The rapid changes in the LULC patterns than ever before, mostly in developing countries, are frequently considered by widespread urban sprawling, land degradation, reduction of agricultural land, and alteration into other land use categories, resulting in enormous costs to the environment. Using a combined remote sensing and GIS technique, this study investigates the spatial urban expansion and its impacts on other LULC categories from 1987 to 2016 in Jamshedpur, India, based on the acquired multispectral satellite imageries, field observations, and demographic data. A visual-based image analysis technique was employed to develop a LULC map for the period of 1987, 2004, and 2016, and the precision of the maps was determined by overall accuracy and kappa statistic methods. The compact urbanization over the city was quantified using both landscape metrics and Shannon's entropy method. The results of the change detection showed that the built-up area has experienced more than fifty percent growth during the 1987 – 2016 period. It is the main driving factor behind the reduction in the area of other land use categories: agricultural land (−87.12 %), vegetation (−67.51 %), riverbed (−46.25 %), and forest cover (−27.92 %). Although barren land and fallow land were the most dynamic land use categories, it increased by 281.84 % and 119.66 %, respectively. The change matrix between 1987 and 2016, indicated the maximum transformation (+455.23 %) of fallow land to settlement. Geographically, there is a continuous growth in the built-up area from the city center to the fringes as a result of suburbanization. The values of Shannon's entropy during 1987, 2004, and 2016 were 1.11, 1.19, and 1.57, respectively. The demographic analysis shows that the annual population for the period of 1971–1981, 1981–1991, 1991–2001, and 2001–2011 has changed by + 3.89 %, +2.09 %, +2.91 %, and + 1.95 % per year, respectively. The population growth, aggregated settlements and land scarceness in Jamshedpur were found to be the key reasons behind the urban growth and development. This study emphasizes the critical need for sustainable urban development practices and robust land use strategies to alleviate the environmental impacts of rapid urban expansion. It will lay a valuable groundwork for future research focused on integrating land use management with urban growth frameworks to achieve balanced and resilient development in Jamshedpur. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is a global environmental threat, directly affecting biodiversity. Terrestrial gastropods are particularly susceptible to alterations in temperature and humidity and have develop morph-physiological and behavioural adaptations in this regard. Shell colour polymorphism and its potential implication for thermoresistance constitute an unexplored field in Neotropical land snails. The variation in shell colour luminance is characterized in the threatened endemic Eastern Cuban tree snails Polymita picta and Polymita muscarum using digital tools; being able to discriminate shell luminance between colour morphs for both species, under different image-taking conditions. For P. muscarum, the albino morph presented the highest luminance values (152.7 ± 0.4); while the lowest values correspond to the brown morph with dark bands (112.9 ± 0.8). Otherwise, for P. picta, the morphs showing the highest luminance were yellow with a pink sutural band (112.8 ± 7.1) and pale yellow (112.6 ± 10.3) and the lowest luminance corresponded to the black morph (44.5 ± 1.2). The presence of dark bands decreased the luminance values regardless of their position in the shell, the morph and the species analysed. In general, the shells of P. muscarum have higher luminance than those of P. picta. Luminance variations demonstrate the 'indiscrete' nature of this trait and highlight the complex interactions between evolutionary mechanisms and shell color polymorphism in Polymita. This supports the hypothesis that colour has adaptive value for thermoregulation, encompassing not only the background colour but also the coloration of the bands. The differences in the shell luminance in both species suggest a correlation with the geographical distribution and corresponding habitats. Based on our findings, yellowish morphs will be more resistant to future climatic conditions in their respective habitats on the island. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of global environmental change and tourism market volatility, the livelihood resilience in World Heritage Site (WHS) faces serious challenges. We designed a combinatorial assessment model aimed at analyzing and enhancing the household livelihood resilience in WHS. By combining barrier degree model and fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis, we provide an identification of the key factors determining the livelihood resilience in WHS and selects Yulong River National Area in Guangxi, China, as a case site. Results suggested that (i) The livelihood resilience in WHS is generally low, with relatively high self-organization capacity, medium levels of psychological perception and buffer capacity, and the weakest learning capacity; (ii) The Livelihood Resilience Index varies according to the type of main livelihood activity of the household, which is ranked in ascending order as tourism livelihood, worker livelihood, farming livelihood, and multi-income source livelihood; (iii) On different livelihood dimensions, buffer capacity has the most significant impact among tourism livelihood and farming livelihood, while self-organization capacity plays a key role among farming livelihood and multi-income source livelihood. In addition, the size of tourism operated house, voice in rural tourism development, social connectivity and household educational inputs were the major barriers to livelihood resilience among all types of households; (iv) Through configurational analysis, we further reveal three main pathways for achieving high livelihood resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global geographical, climatic, and ecological diversity has given rise to a wealth of domestic animals, which are essential for food security and agricultural sustainability. Since the 1960s, these critical genetic resources have declined significantly due to overdevelopment, ecological degradation, and climate change, posing a serious threat to global food security. In the face of these challenges, we emphasize the critical importance of promoting indigenous livestock and poultry germplasm resources in biodiversity conservation to enhance the adaptability and resilience of agricultural systems. To promote the sustainable management and conservation of genetic resources, a multistakeholder international cooperation framework is needed. Globally, many national and international institutions have initiated a variety of conservation measures, legislation, and technical strategies. In particular, genebanks play an indispensable role in the conservation of important livestock and poultry genetic resources. These banks not only aid in maintaining biodiversity but also provide valuable genetic material for future breeding programmes and scientific research. Through systematic collection, conservation and evaluation, genebanks ensure the long-term availability and sustainable use of genetic resources and provide an important foundation for addressing global environmental change and agricultural challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gender as unequal power relations intersects with global environmental change threatening agriculture-based livelihoods, including land degradation, increasing climate variability, and invasive alien plants. Commonly overlooked, invasive alien plants may have gendered impacts on everyday life that disproportionately affect the less powerful. Drawing on experiences of smallholder farmers in Ethiopia's Oromia region with an invasive, transboundary weed, Parthenium hysterophorus L., this paper illustrates how environmental change interacts with pre-existing vulnerabilities to shape individual and household-level impacts and responses. We applied a feminist perspective in livelihoods and environmental change research and praxis to explore the intersection of gendered livelihoods and parthenium management in spaces of everyday life. While invasive plants, including parthenium, may be easily perceptible in the field, understanding impacts on livelihoods requires consideration of women's and men's roles and responsibilities within the broader household compound as well as intra-household decision-making. Parthenium can be harmful to environmental, animal, and human health, but unduly impacts women's labor, spaces, and assets, including cows whose milk may be tainted by grazing in parthenium-infested fields. We demonstrate the importance of considering women's social networks and so-called reproductive space and labor to understand gendered and place-based inequities of climate change. This study reveals intimate connections between environmental stressors and gendered livelihoods. Our findings demonstrate how inequalities can be reinforced by new forms of vulnerability, with response options socially differentiated. We argue that a feminist livelihood lens helps bridge the global scale of environmental change with local scales of gendered livelihood adaptation embedded within broader socio-environmental change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several previous studies of marine fish stocks have demonstrated time‐varying recruitment productivity and indicated that including time‐varying parameters can track process variation in recruitment. Few studies have synthesized signal‐to‐noise ratios and underlying reasons for time‐variation across stocks and regions. Using Peterman's productivity method (PPM), we provide a broad synthesis of time‐varying density‐independent productivity in 84 stocks across five regions of the United States. Of all stocks investigated, 50 were found to have time‐varying productivity, challenging assumptions on the stationarity of recruitment parameters and dependent reference points. Our results demonstrate the power of PPM for synthesizing the form and pattern of recruitment time‐variation among regions, including general summaries of directional change over time. Furthermore, our results show regional differences in time‐varying patterns, particularly the signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR) of low‐ to high‐frequency variation. The SNR was lower in the California Current region than in two Atlantic regions and two Alaska regions. Generalized linear modelling used to synthesize results suggests that stocks with higher contrast in spawning stock biomass over time, standardized regardless of actual spawning stock size, were more likely to have time‐varying productivity than stocks with low contrast. The likelihood of time‐variation in productivity of a given stock was also found to be closely related to the autocorrelation of the recruitment time series. Such inter‐regional and inter‐stock comparisons of variation are vital in understanding the roles of local and global environmental change on fish productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Ediacaran-Cambrian (E-C) transition period witnessed one of the most important environmental changes in Earth's history. The western margin of the South China Block (SCB), a shallow-water environment, shows a complete sedimentary record of the E-C transition. Section surveys revealed that dolostone, microbial carbonate, chert, and phosphorite predominantly compose the lithologies of the western margin of the SCB during the E-C transition. Petrological analysis indicates that microbial carbonates in this region exhibit stromatolitic, thrombolytic, cavitated, and sporadic microbial structures. Microbial carbonates with stromatolitic, thrombolytic/cavitated, and sporadic structures correspond to strong, moderate, and weak hydrodynamic conditions, respectively. Microcrystalline dolomites crystallize during the syngenesis stage, while meso- to macrocrystalline and sparry dolomites develop during the burial diagenesis stage. Analysis of major elements and rare earth elements anomalies (δCe: 0.580 ~ 0.753; δEu: 1.234 ~ 1.433) suggests that the siliceous component originates from hot-water sources and is transported into shallow-water environments by upwelling. The absence of a δEu anomaly and the morphology of peloids indicate that the phosphatic component is primarily influenced by biological activity and upwelling. During the Tongwan Movement (545–535 Ma) in the E-C transition period, cyclical upwelling transported increased amounts of deep-source materials into shallow platform waters, leading to higher concentrations of siliceous components and widespread microbial mortality. Following the widespread microbial mortality, the phosphatic component became enriched in deep-water environments. Subsequently, the upwelling transported siliceous- and phosphatic-rich fluids back into the shallow-water environments. The phosphatic component was ultimately assimilated by small shelly fauna and deposited in the phosphatic-rich strata of the early Cambrian period. This study elucidates the origins of complex lithological compositions and the sedimentary evolution model in shallow water environments of the E-C transition period in western SCB, offering evidence for global environmental changes during this period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the realm of global climate change and environmental protection, the precise estimation of forest ecosystem carbon density is essential for devising effective carbon management and emission reduction strategies. This study employed forest inventory, soil carbon, and remote sensing data combined with three models—Random Forest (RF), Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR), and the innovative Geographically Weighted Random Forest (GWRF) model—integrated with remote sensing technology to develop a framework for assessing the regional spatial distribution of the forest vegetation carbon density (FVC) and forest soil carbon density (FSC). The findings revealed that the GWRF model outperformed the other models in estimating both the FVC and FSC. The data indicated that the FVC in Heilongjiang Province ranged from 4.91 t/ha to 72.39 t/ha, with an average of 40.88 t/ha. In contrast, the average FSC was 182.29 t/ha, with a range of 96.01 t/ha to 255.09 t/ha. Additionally, the forest ecosystem carbon density (FEC) varied from 124.36 t/ha to 302.18 t/ha, averaging 223.17 t/ha. Spatially, the FVC, FSC, and FEC exhibited a consistent growth trend from north to south. The results of this study demonstrate that machine learning models that consider spatial relationships can improve predictive accuracy, providing valuable insights for the future spatial modeling of forest carbon storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the importance of environmental monitoring in the face of increasing anthropogenic pressures on ecosystems. It highlights the role of technological advancements in improving monitoring efforts, emphasizing the need for sustainable innovations in ecological research and conservation. The article also reflects on the challenges faced in developing an automated phenology monitoring device, underscoring the importance of interdisciplinary collaborations, transparency about failures, and dedicated research funding for sustainable technological innovations in ecological research and conservation. [Extracted from the article]

Nitrogen (N) deposition and climate change are both known to threaten global biodiversity. However, we still have a limited understanding of how interactions between these global change drivers affect individuals and populations of specialist species, such as geophytes, within their natural habitat. We explored possible interactive effects of N, drought, and warming on population vitality (mean leaf length, leaf density, flowering probability) and morpho‐physiological traits (e.g., leaf and bulb size, N allocation to leaves and bulbs) of the globally rare forest geophyte Gagea spathacea (Liliaceae) in deciduous forests of northern Germany by applying experimental N addition across a climate gradient over a 5‐year period. Mean leaf growth and leaf density were not affected by N addition but were enhanced by warmer and drier conditions in the months before leaf emergence. N addition increased N allocation of individual plants towards their subterranean bulbs. Importantly, effects of N addition on morpho‐physiological traits depended on warming and drought, with N‐fertilized plants showing increased leaf length and decreased specific leaf and bulb N concentration after drier autumns and warmer winters. This indicates that N deposition may partially compensate for increased N demands during warming‐induced growth, although this growth‐promoting interaction effect is not (yet) reflected in population vitality. Our results highlight the importance of considering multiple global environmental change drivers and a whole plant perspective (above‐ and belowground traits) to predict long‐term growth responses of (endangered) forest spring geophytes and to develop adapted long‐term protection strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water scarcity is one of the most critical global environmental challenges. Addressing this challenge requires implementing economically-profitable and environmentally-sustainable water management interventions across scales globally. This study presents the development of the global version of the ECHO hydro-economic model (ECHO-Global version 1.0), for assessing the economic and environmental performance of water management options. This global version covers 282 subbasins worldwide, includes a detailed representation of irrigated agriculture and its management, and incorporates economic benefit functions of water use in the agricultural, domestic and industrial sectors calibrated using the positive mathematical programming procedure alongside with the water supply cost. We used ECHO-Global to simulate the impact of alternative water management scenarios under future climate and socio-economic changes, with the aim of demonstrating its value for informing water management decision making. Results of these simulations are overall consistent with previous studies evaluating the global cost of water supply and adaptation to global changes. Moreover, these results show the changes in water use and water supply and their economic impacts in a spatially-explicit way across the world, and highlight the opportunities for reducing those impacts through improved water management. Overall, this study demonstrates the capacity of ECHO-Global to address emerging research and practical questions related to future economic and environmental impacts of global changes on water resources and to translate global water goals (e.g., SDG6) into national and local policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Societal Impact Statement Summary Common mycorrhizal networks (CMN) capture the imagination of researchers and the public alike and have played a large role in communicating about mycorrhiza in general. With many of the claims about the functional importance of CMN recently under intense scrutiny, it becomes important to assess the literature on this topic. We systematically map experimental approaches, uncovering large data gaps, with evidence from field studies and data on ecosystem processes lacking. Very few studies meet the strictest recommended criteria, limiting our understanding of CMN‐mediated effects on plants and soils. A renewed research effort needs to unravel the contribution of CMNs under global environmental change. Common mycorrhizal networks (CMN) are a research area within mycorrhizal ecology, studying the effects of mycorrhizal fungi linking plant roots. Experimentally studying the functioning of such networks is challenging because of the presence of many different types of network links that give rise to potentially confounding effects. Here, we collect, collate, and describe the research evidence for common mycorrhizal networks, specifically for arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM), using a systematic mapping approach. We find that not all studies tested networks formed exclusively by AM fungi, but that other filamentous fungi were present and that very few articles report on experiments fulfilling the current stringent definition (demanding hyphal continuity between plant roots). Furthermore, most research is limited to controlled environmental conditions with certain plant, fungal, and resource‐transfer variables measured, while microbial community responses or ecosystem processes are neglected. Given the broad interest in this topic, we see a need to strengthen the evidence base on “common mycorrhizal networks” in AM fungi, necessitating a renewed research effort focusing on a range of levels of mechanistic resolution (from simple to complex networks with and without hyphal continuity). Additionally, neglected experimental situations (e.g., field studies in general) and microbial community or ecosystem‐level responses should be included in future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates toxic algal blooms (TABs) and their management as an example of a complex emerging contaminant (EC) problem through the lens of interconnected social, technical, ecological systems (SETS). We use mixed methods including analysis of a national survey of public drinking water systems and interviews with drinking water managers and state regulators. For the first time, we extend SETS to the drinking water context to advance a holistic understanding of the complexity of TABs as a problem for drinking water systems and identify specific intervention points to ease TABs management difficulty. We find that management challenges arise at the intersection of SET domains, and often coincide with circumstances where water managers and existing technologies are pushed outside of their traditional operating spheres or when new technologies are introduced creating cascading SET challenges. ECs that do not behave like traditional contaminants and pollutants require adapting social and technical systems to be responsive to these differences. Understanding how management difficulties arise within SET domains and their intersections will help drinking water managers and state regulators mitigate management difficulties in the future. These findings have implications for understanding and mitigating other EC management challenges as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the potential benefits that invasive plant species may derive from pollution with synthetic organic chemicals. It discusses how certain traits, such as rapid growth, root development, antioxidant systems, and phenotypic plasticity, may enable invasive plants to thrive in polluted environments. The study emphasizes the need for further research to understand the complex interactions between invasive species and chemical pollution, suggesting that invasive plants could play a role in the recovery of heavily polluted areas. Collaboration across disciplines is recommended to address the combined challenges of plant invasion and soil pollution effectively. [Extracted from the article]

This study examines the resilience and sustainability of household-level Food-Energy-Water (FEW) systems in the face of increasing natural disasters exacerbated by climate change. With the backdrop of escalating natural hazards and heightened vulnerabilities, this research explores innovative approaches to enhancing household resilience through the implementation of sustainable FEW systems such as rainwater harvesting, sand filtration, solar energy, geothermal energy, gas-powered and solar generators, hydroponic food production, and small greenhouses. Three primary scenarios, food disruption, energy scarcity, and water shortage are analyzed to evaluate the effectiveness of various household-level FEW systems within a residential context. These systems are compared in terms of cost-effectiveness and performance, highlighting their capacity to supply essential needs during crises. The paper also introduces an integrated nexus approach, considering the interdependencies among food, energy, and water systems, and evaluates the compounded impact of simultaneous disruptions. This comprehensive analysis aims to provide actionable insights into the development of resilient infrastructures at a micro-scale, which can significantly mitigate the adverse effects of global environmental changes on local scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In light of global climate change and environmental challenges, reducing agricultural carbon emissions while maintaining food security has become a critical concern for sustainable agricultural development. This study examines 13 provinces in primary grain-producing regions, utilising data from 1999 to 2022 to analyse the spatio-temporal heterogeneity and driving factors of the coupled and coordinated development of agricultural carbon emission efficiency and food security. The findings indicate that: 1) The proportion of carbon emissions from agricultural inputs in primary grain-producing regions exceeds 80%, whereas the contribution of carbon sinks from rice, maise, and wheat surpasses 95%. Both agricultural carbon emissions and carbon sinks in the Yellow River Basin are significantly elevated; 2) The general trend of agricultural carbon emission efficiency and food security is increasing, spatially characterised by a pattern of high levels in the north and south, and low levels in the south and high levels in the north, respectively. The integration of the two systems is progressing positively, and the trailing form of food security has emerged as a developmental trend, with the degree of food security limiting the coordinated advancement of both. 3) The overall spatial disparity exhibits a declining tendency, with hypervariable density being the primary contributor to this spatial difference. The overall polarisation of the primary grain-producing regions has diminished. The level of heterogeneity in the Songhua River basin progressively intensifies; 4) Rural human capital and financial support for agriculture, urbanisation rate and soil erosion control, agricultural machinery power and soil erosion control are the main interaction factors. The economic status and rural human capital will facilitate the integrated and harmonious development of the two systems, while the agricultural disaster rate will impede this integrated and harmonious development. Ultimately, policy solutions are proposed to optimise agricultural inputs and raise their utilisation efficiency, adopt diversified regional development strategies, promote regional connection and coordinated development, and reinforce the management of drivers and policy support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims Methods Results Conclusions Healthcare foodservices substantially impact global environmental changes. This study investigated environmentally sustainable practices in Australian health foodservices; and perceptions of the influence of COVID‐19 on foodservice environmental sustainability.An observational study was undertaken collecting data at two time points (2019 and 2022) via a pre‐workshop survey with healthcare foodservice stakeholders. The survey used rating scales and free text options to explore sustainable practices, perceived barriers and enablers to sustainable practices, and a free‐text response on the impact of COVID‐19. Analysis included independent samples t‐tests (continuous, normally distributed), Mann–Whitney U tests (continuous non‐normally distributed data), and Pearson chi‐squared tests (categorical data). A qualitative analysis of free text responses to a single question about the impact of COVID‐19 was used to identify, analyse, and report positive and negative aspects of COVID‐19 for sustainable foodservice practices.Demographic and employment characteristics were similar between timepoints n = 37 (2019) and n = 30 (2022), except for number who had attended sustainability training (n = 14, 38.8% vs n = 19, 63.3%; p = 0.038). There were fewer private hospital (n = 6, 16.2% vs n = 0), (0%) and more rural site representation in 2022 (n = 2, 5.4% vs n = 13, 43.3%; p <0.001). Sustainable foodservice practices were consistent across timepoints (overall mean (SD) sum score for sustainable practices 63.3 (20.7) vs 61.3 (20.4); p = 0.715), with recycling cardboard (n = 27, 90.0% vs n = 22, 84.6%), and the use of reusable cutlery (n = 26, 86.7% vs n = 22, 84.6%) the most prevalent practices at both timepoints. A ‘lack of equipment’ was the primary reported barrier while passionate staff (“champions”) was the primary reported enabler. Participants reported that the COVID‐19 pandemic led to an increase in single‐use disposable items.This study describes negligible changes in reported environmental sustainability practices by Australian healthcare foodservice stakeholders from 2019 to 2022. The study provides useful information on sustainability beliefs and practices in healthcare foodservices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on global environmental change, primarily through the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution due to the sharp decline in economic activity, particularly in the transportation and industrial sectors. While these changes brought temporary environmental improvements, such as better air quality and reduced water pollution, they did not offset long-term environmental challenges. The pandemic’s effects on human health have been mixed: on one hand, improved air quality may have reduced respiratory illness-related morbidity, while on the other hand, the economic downturn and disruptions in healthcare services negatively affected public health. The long-term implications of the pandemic highlight the need for a transition toward more sustainable economic activities and improved natural resource management to mitigate future health and environmental risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a comparative analysis of attitudes towards environmental issues in real life and in the digital environment. The authors attempted to evaluate 10,000 statements regarding environmental issues by VK users not only from the point of view of content analysis, but also from the point of view of the psychological characteristics of this digital trace of individuality. On the other hand, when analyzing attitudes towards environmental issues in real life, we applied traditional methods of psychological personality diagnostics, which were taken by 80 VK users. To compare the results obtained, we used data from the diagnostics of emotional attitudes - positive, negative and neutral. The results obtained in this study allow us to evaluate and compare attitudes towards environmental issues in real life and the digital environment, which contributes to understanding and identifying ways to solve problems of the ecosystem as a whole. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Governments and intergovernmental organizations support scientific research to produce the knowledge and tools needed to monitor and mitigate global environmental changes (GEC). However, GEC-related policy decisions are often not based on scientific evidence, and GEC research is often not based on policy-relevant questions, resulting in a science-policy gap. Assessing the GEC policy priorities of researchers and policymakers is an essential step towards closing this gap. This task was undertaken by the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI), an intergovernmental organization pursuing science and capacity building to reach the vision of a sustainable Americas. The assessment included survey consultations, listening sessions, and an analysis of policy documents for 17 countries of the Americas. Three key findings emerged from this assessment. First, the top current priority for policymakers was Climate action, and Biodiversity and ecosystem services for researchers, with a poor alignment between the priorities of these social actors at the country level. Second, clusters of non-neighboring countries had a profile of GEC priorities more similar than clusters of neighboring countries, although there were some sub-regional clusters around particular GEC goals. Third, researchers and policymakers agreed that the lack of cross-sectoral collaboration and communication between technical and non-technical actors are important barriers. A key opportunity for policymakers was the growing funding and international cooperation for GEC, while for researchers, the growing body of evidence to inform GEC decision-making. These findings have implications for the design of research and capacity-building actions targeted to the priorities and needs of the region. Policy highlights: The Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) assessed policy priorities related to global environmental change (GEC) of policymakers and researchers in 17 countries of the Americas. Addressing GEC challenges requires science-policy interfaces with multi-directional interactions among social actors and multiple scales of intervention so that policy actions match the scale and complexity of GEC challenges. Science diplomacy emerges as a pivotal strategy to foster collaboration across sectors and seize policymakers' growing interest in transboundary and international cooperation. Creating incentives for developing and practicing transdisciplinary science is essential to overcoming the lack of communication between technical and non-technical audiences. Considering the growing severity of GEC challenges and the limited capacity of national and inter-governmental organizations, assessments of GEC policy priorities become essential to aligning scientific knowledge demand and supply and fostering regional cooperation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land use change is related to a series of core issues of global environmental change, such as environmental quality improvement, sustainable utilization of resources, energy reuse and climate change. In this study, Google Earth Engine (GEE), a remote sensing natural environment monitoring and analysis platform, was used to realize the combination of Landsat TM/OLI data images with spectral features and topographic features, and the random forest machine learning classification method was used to supervise and classify the low-cloud composite image data of Ordos City. The results show that: (1) GEE has a powerful computing function, which can realize efficient and high-precision in-depth analysis of long-term multi-temporal remote sensing images and monitoring of land use change, and the accuracy of acquisition can reach 87%. Compared with other data sets in the same period, the overall and local classification results are more distinct than ESRI (Environmental Systems Research Institute) and GlobeLand 30 data products. Slightly lower than the Institute of Aerospace Information Innovation of the Chinese Academy of Sciences to obtain global 30 m of land cover fine classification products. (2) The overall accuracy of the land cover data of Ordos City from 2003 to 2023 is between 79–87%, and the Kappa coefficient is between 0.79–0.84. (3) Climate, terrain, population and other interactive factors combined with socio-economic population data and national and local policies are the main factors affecting land use change between 2003 and 2023. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article provides a comprehensive analysis of the interplay between climate change and global policy frameworks. It delves into the evolution of international climate policy, examining pivotal agreements like the Kyoto Protocol and Paris Agreement, and their impacts on global climate action. The article highlights the economic and social challenges posed by climate change, emphasizing its farreaching effects on various sectors and the exacerbation of global inequalities. It discusses the critical role of international organizations and national governments in shaping and implementing climate policies, while also underscoring the significance of technological advancements and sustainable development initiatives in combating climate change. Through various case studies, the article presents a nuanced understanding of the successes and failures in policy implementation, offering valuable insights and lessons. It identifies emerging trends in global environmental policy, including the shift toward net-zero emissions and the integration of climate justice. The article concludes with strategic recommendations for future policy development, advocating for a collaborative, adaptive, and integrated approach to effectively address the multifaceted challenges of climate change in a globalized world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eric Wolf is conventionally credited with reframing the term "political ecology" through the lens of political economy in the early 1970s. However, he never engaged with what by the 1980s was already a growing transdisciplinary field. An inspiring book in the genealogy of political ecology, Europe and the people without history said little about the emerging approach. Nevertheless, I argue that despite its limited focus on ecological issues, the book's vision and method can still provide insights for envisioning an anthropologically minded political ecology of value that combines the heuristic skills of ethnographic research with the systemic analysis of global capitalist-driven environmental change. To this end, the article brings Wolf's strategic use of Marxian frameworks into conversation with the Marxian ecological critique of value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A century of beech bark disease (BBD) in North America has transformed hardwood forests by reducing the canopy biomass of American beech (Fagus grandifolia), even as beech has come to dominate the sapling layer of many forests. We do not understand the extent to which environmental change drivers such as climate, acidic atmospheric deposition (and its legacy of acidified soils), and invasive disease (BBD) may have contributed to this transformation. We investigated how BBD effects and tree community composition varied along a well-documented soil acidity gradient in the northeastern United States. We surveyed overstory and sapling layer tree species composition, BBD effects, and soil chemistry on 30 watersheds in forests co-dominated by beech and sugar maple (Acer saccharum). We analyzed potential drivers of community composition, BBD, and beech sapling density using linear models and non-metric multidimensional scaling. Predictors accounted for soil chemistry, climate, overstory beech (importance value, IV), mortality, and BBD defect. Overall overstory species composition varied most along the acidity gradient, while beech and BBD severity varied along their own distinct environmental gradient. Species composition of the overstory and sapling layers diverged significantly, with the latter dominated by beech. Beech sapling density was positively related to the proportion of standing dead overstory beech and soil exchangeable aluminum, but was unrelated to the overall proportion of overstory beech or their BBD severity. The dominance of sapling layers by beech may have resulted from a gradual accumulation of canopy-opening events precipitated by BBD and sugar maple decline, the latter driven by stressors such as acidification and climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sea ice thickness is an important component of the Arctic environment, bearing crucial significance in investigations pertaining to global climate and environmental changes. This study employs data from the HaiYang-2B satellite altimeter (HY-2B ALT) for the estimation of Arctic Sea ice thickness from November 2021 to April 2022. The HY-2B penetration coefficient is calculated for the first time to correct the freeboard in areas with sea ice concentration greater than 90%. The estimation accuracy is improved by enhancing the data on sea ice density, seawater density, snow depth, and snow density. The research analyzed the effects of snow depth and penetration coefficient on sea ice thickness results. The results of sea ice type classification were compared with OSI-SAF ice products, and the sea ice thickness estimation results were compared with four satellite ice thickness products (CryoSat-2 and SMOS (CS-SMOS), Centre for Polar Observation and Modelling Data (CPOM), CryoSat-2 (CS-2), and Pan-Arctic Ice-Ocean Modeling and Assimilation System (PIOMAS)) as well as two validation ice thickness data sets (Operation IceBridge (OIB) and ICEBird). The accuracy of sea ice classification exceeds 92%, which is in good agreement with ice type product data. The RMSD of sea ice thickness estimation is 0.56 m for CS-SMOS, 0.68 m for CPOM, 0.47 m for CS-2, 0.69 m for PIOMAS, and 0.79 m for validation data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microbes regulate many dimensions of plant performance with multiscale implications for plant fitness, competition, coexistence, and ecosystem functioning. Yet, this fascinating and diverse arena of study has been limited to a few thematic areas, ecosystems, and regions. In particular, despite growing evidence that microbes may be critical players in the dynamics of plant communities in tropical and subtropical ecosystems, these regions remain poorly represented in studies of plant–microbe interactions. Such geographical gaps limit our ability to draw general inferences to comprehend how microbial effects on plant community dynamics may vary with context and, by extension, respond to global environmental change. In this special section of the American Journal of Botany, we bring together a diverse set of research on plant–microbe interactions from tropical and subtropical ecosystems. These papers explore intraspecific variation of soil microbial communities, the context dependency of host‐specific assembly of microbial communities on plants, and the new and exciting frontier of the microbiome of epiphytic plants. We hope that this compilation will fuel deeper forays into the many dimensions of plant–microbe interactions in megadiverse tropical and subtropical forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainability researchers are writing much about levers for transformations towards sustainability but too little about the most powerful means available for obstructing and activating them: mass-reaching media systems. How media systems are structured and governed form a profoundly important meta-level layer of decision-making that ought to be central in the study of environmental politics and in environmental policymaking. A politics- and media-focused account of the rise of Jair Bolsonaro to the presidency of Brazil illustrates the essential role of media systems and the need for new principles, structures, and policies for their governance if the interlinked goals of democracy, equity, and environmental protection are to be achieved. The pervasive inattention to this in environmental research reinforces hegemonic forces and needs to be widely discussed, understood, and overcome to achieve much needed just transformations towards sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alpine grasslands on the Tibetan Plateau (TP) are highly vulnerable to various treatments and face significant degradation risks due to global environmental changes. However, the response of these grasslands to different external treatments remains uncertain, and the patterns behind functional group responses are unclear, impeding our ability to restore alpine grasslands under changing climate. To address this gap, we compiled a comprehensive database of 797 experimental observations of alpine grasslands in the TP, classified these communities into four common functional groups (e.g., grass and sedge), and conducted a meta-analysis to evaluate the response of aboveground biomass (AGB) to nine different treatments (e.g., grazing and nitrogen addition). Meta-regression was used to analyze the changes in AGB with treatment intensity and duration. We also used functional group asynchrony and unevenness to describe the complementary effects (CEs) and selection effects (SEs) of communities under these treatments. We found that among all the nine treatments, grazing had the biggest negative impact on the alpine grassland community by reducing AGB by 40.3%, mainly through decreasing the biomass of grass and sedge. Conversely, nitrogen and phosphorus addition had the largest positive effect, increasing AGB by 39.4% mainly by promoting the growth of grass. However, the increase in AGB was not significant in the interactive experiments involving grazing and nitrogen addition. The unevenness of the community decreased as grazing time prolongs, simplifying the structure of the community, with severe nutrient losses and weakened CE, while nitrogen addition could rapidly increase the AGB of grass and enhance the SE. CE or SE of communities can be enhanced through the restoration of specific functional groups, favoring the recovery of vegetation. Our study also revealed the potential of nitrogen compensation for repairing the damage caused by overgrazing on alpine grasslands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global environmental change is rapidly altering the dynamics of terrestrial vegetation, with consequences for the functioning of the Earth system. Recent studies show that climate change is influencing the phenology and distribution of plants. Airborne pollen reflects the flowering period of the plant, which is influenced by meteorological variables such as temperature and rainfall. The analysis of pollen trends is a very useful tool for understanding the effects of climate change on vegetation. In fact, it is accepted that the onset and peak abundance of certain pollen types should be used as possible bioindicators of climate change. The aim of the work is to analyze the presence of various pollen in Rome—from their release from the anthers to their permanence in the atmosphere, the trends of phenological (start, length, and end of the pollen season) and production (pollen abundance and pollen peaks) pollen indicators, the trends of the meteorological variables mainly involved (temperature and precipitation), and any relationships between pollen and meteorological variables, also based on the variation in vegetation. In the period considered, the analysis of the pollen spectra shows an increasing trend in herbaceous taxa, probably attributed to a gradual abandonment of farming practices in the neighboring area, which in recent years has been the subject of intense new construction activity and to a progressive deterioration in the maintenance of green areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As global climate change and environmental challenges intensify, governments across the globe are increasingly concerned about the sustainable development of the energy industry, with the identification of risk spillover directions and characteristics among energy companies playing a pivotal role in effective risk management within the sector, particularly in the context of carbon neutrality. This study uses the TVP-VAR-DY (Time-Varying ParametereVector Auto RegressioneDynamic) model to comprehensively investigate the intricate transmission mechanisms of risk spillover effects among energy companies from both static and dynamic perspectives. The results indicate that: 1) A small number of coal energy companies are net risk spillover exporters, playing a crucial role in the risk spillover among similar energy companies. 2) There exist differences in the network topological structure characteristics of energy companies during different events, and different types of energy companies play different roles in the network. 3) In the context of carbon neutrality, cooperation between traditional energy companies and new energy companies has increasingly become a trend. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article calls attention to the critical potential of heritage and Critical Heritage Studies to contribute to what I argue are urgent entwined critical justice issues of Indigenous rights in the Anthropocene. Recent shifts in recognition and affirmation of Indigenous rights, during a period of rapid acceleration of climate and environmental change, demand (k)new approaches in Critical Heritage Studies. The article questions what heritage does and can do, highlighting the potential for positive transformation through recognition of Indigenous rights, laws, relational kinship obligations, and ecocultural heritage stewardship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fire plays a pivotal role in driving ecological shifts between Mediterranean‐type vegetation and subtropical ecosystems in South Africa. This study investigates long‐term environmental dynamics and ecological regime changes at the Mediterranean‐type vegetation /subtropical boundary using a 6000‐year palaeoecological sequence from the Baviaanskloof – a region of South Africa characterized by high levels of biodiversity and climate dynamism. Combining fossil pollen and microcharcoal data from a rock hyrax Procavia capensis midden, we analyse vegetation responses to environmental changes. Our findings reveal that Mediterranean‐type vegetation resilience prevailed until ca 2800 cal year BP when a major fire event triggered a transition to a subtropical thicket‐dominated environment. This abrupt ecological turnover underscores the significance of fire as a major driver of vegetation change at the Mediterranean‐type vegetation /subtropical boundary. Our study emphasizes the vulnerability of Mediterranean‐type vegetation ecosystems to global environmental change, suggesting potential implications for similar biome boundaries worldwide. By integrating multi‐proxy palaeoecological evidence, we gain insights into the resilience and vulnerability of these ecosystems, aiding in understanding future responses to climate change scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maintaining soil health is fundamental to sustaining agricultural productivity, however, the intricate role of soil microbial diversity in this process is not fully understood. Current research acknowledges that soil microorganisms including bacteria, fungi, and archaea are pivotal in driving essential soil functions such as nutrient cycling, organic matter decomposition, and disease suppression. However, the impacts of global environmental changes and intensive agricultural practices on the diversity of these microorganisms remain a critical gap in the literature. This gap is significant because a decline in microbial diversity could severely compromise soil health, and consequently crop productivity. Here, we provide a comprehensive review of the factors influencing soil microbial diversity and examine their implications for crop performance. We assess both natural factors such as soil pH, moisture, temperature, and vegetation type as well as human-induced factors including tillage systems and fertilizer application. The review synthesizes recent findings on how these factors shape microbial communities and their functional roles in nutrient cycling, soil structure formation, and disease suppression. Our analysis highlights the mechanisms by which microbial diversity enhances plant growth and yield, addressing the gap in understanding the direct links between microbial diversity and agricultural outcomes. Our findings underscore the urgent need for sustainable agricultural practices that protect and enhance microbial diversity to safeguard long-term soil fertility and crop productivity. By addressing the challenges in manipulating soil microbial communities and integrating microbial ecology with crop management practices, this research advances our ability to sustain agricultural systems in the face of global environmental changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What are the limits of Left Wittgensteinianism's point‐ and need‐based account of conceptual change? Based upon Wittgenstein's account of certainty and the riverbed analogy for conceptual change in On Certainty, the question is raised whether Queloz and Cueni's redevelopment of Left Wittgensteinianism can account for the multiplicitous forms of change these concepts are subject to. I argue that Left Wittgensteinianism can only partially do so, because it overemphasises the role of criticism‐driven conceptual change, due to its focus on the reason‐based contingency of the practices of a local 'we'. In response, it is argued that Left Wittgensteinianism should be fortified with (i) gradual changes to concepts' sociocultural constraints that concept‐users are unaware of and (ii) evolutionary and environmental changes to the biological determinants of natural constraints of conceptual cores. In the end, there are conceptual practices like holding for certain that are generally, and fully contingent, but simultaneously inevitable not only for 'us' but also for many other delimitations of 'we'. Subsequently, the compatibility of this Wittgensteinian account of conceptual change with pragmatic genealogy is discussed. It is concluded that thinking about conceptual changes to practices cannot be about the possibility of criticism alone nor succeed without the inclusion thereof. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The long-term sequestration of biogeochemical elements in the sediment of inner bays can effectively record changes in ancient climate environments. Nevertheless, our understanding of the responses of biogeochemical elements to environmental shifts remains insufficient. By analysing the multi-proxy data from an 1800-cm long sediment core from Xinghua Bay, the paleoenvironmental changes during the mid-to-late Holocene were elucidated in this study. The chronology of 5.9 cal ka BP was established from six accelerator mass spectrometer (AMS) radiocarbon dates on foraminifera. A thin terrestrial stratum (1700–1800 cm) and a thick marine stratum (0–1700 cm) were recognized. It is inferred that at approximately 5.9 cal ka BP, the study area underwent a transition from land to ocean due to geological subsidence. According to analyses of the TOC, TN, BSi, δ13C and grain size, the patterns of paleoenvironmental changes in the marine sedimentary layer are as follows: 5.9–5.2 cal ka BP, warm, fluctuating sea-level rise; 5.2–3.6 cal ka BP, cold, decreasing sea-level fluctuations; 3.6–3.3 cal ka BP, small sea-level rise, warm climate; and 3.3 cal ka BP-present, cyclical warm and cold climates, small fluctuations in sea level. Additionally, the changes in the terrestrial/marine organic carbon contribution of core ZK5 corresponded with fluctuations in the East Asian monsoon, indicating that the East Asian monsoon played a substantial role in determining the origin of organic material in Xinghua Bay throughout the mid-late Holocene. The records of environmental evolution in Xinghua Bay match well with those of coastal South China, which has a good response to regional environmental changes and global climate events. The results provide new perspectives and substantial evidence for understanding the response of biogeochemical elements in the inner bay region to environmental changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Saudi Aramco's influence upon the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia cannot be overstated. After the discovery of oil in 1938, a nationwide metamorphosis began to infiltrate desert communities, sleepy fishing villages, and traditional urban centres ultimately influencing the people and their environments in unimaginable ways. Becoming one of the world's largest oil producers has meant the loss and/or transformation of traditional ways of life. Shepherds, pearl divers, fishermen, and farmers are today's business owners, executives, and international leaders. How could the development of a single company influence a country and its populace so dramatically? Besides the financial gains, how were individuals, families, and ecosystems affected? What were some of the personal challenges experienced by Saudi citizens? In this paper, the authors address these questions and others using local Saudi knowledge. In total, 20 female university students who participated in an oral history project interviewed their family members to learn how Saudi Aramco affected them personally, their traditions, landscapes, and society more generally. Excerpts from the interviews are highlighted to expose the nuances experienced by the various research participants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review highlights the potential of a political ecology that approaches socionatures more experimentally and speculatively. We first consider theoretical frameworks which can help elucidate a conceptual and methodological pathway for more experimental and speculative political ecology scholarship. Next, we bring together and systematize multiple threads of political ecology scholarship that already lean into experimentation and speculation. We highlight what we see as their potential, particularly focusing on ongoing struggles for climate and environmental justice. First, we conclude that experimental and speculative approaches are critical for laying the foundations of a future-oriented and reparative mode of critique that illuminates emerging possibilities for alternative worlds. Second, these approaches can generate new registers of consciousness that make room for hope, possibility, creativity, and action. Third, experimental and speculative approaches reconfigure political ecological praxis by fostering a more proactive role for the researcher in addressing socioecological challenges as they emerge. It is our hope that this intervention inspires others to do work that is intentionally more experimental or speculative, creating conditions that could potentially lead to a more equitable society in the present with ramifications for a more just future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Species facing novel temperature, precipitation, and nitrogen (N) deposition regimes must move or adapt to persist. For long-lived plants, a primary form of climate acclimation is through shifting geographic range limits or establishing in favorable microclimates. One commonly assumed but rarely tested hypothesis is that these shifts can be predicted by environmental matching: that the environmental characteristics that define a current distribution should predict how a population will shift with environmental changes. To test this hypothesis, we transplanted four alpine and two subalpine plant species into environments with experimentally increased temperature, snow, and N. We predicted that species would perform best when environmental change matched their geographic distributional characteristics: increased temperature, snow, and N (two subalpine species), increased temperature (two dry meadow specialists), and increased snow (two snowbed specialists). Our results provided limited support for the environmental matching hypothesis. Snowbed specialists did not benefit from increased snow, dry meadow specialists' performance did not consistently differ among the treatments, and subalpine plants' survival was not affected by treatments while their growth response was variable among species. Our results suggest that global change effects will vary among species and distributional shifts are not easily predicted by species environmental preference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, land use and land cover change (LULCC) dynamics are critical in the sustainability of global environmental change. In this study, we performed a comprehensive intercomparison of different hybrid models, employing several performance metrics. This study aims to determine the best modeling approach for predicting future land use and land cover changes. The methodology is demonstrated in the Rengali catchment of the Brahmani basin in India, using Landsat imagery from 1990, 2005, and 2020. The analysis of temporal mapping from 1990 to 2020 showed a substantial decrease in the forest area (from 40.96% to 33.78%) and a significant increase in both agricultural land (31.39% to 41.77%) and built-up area (3.63% to 16.96%). Three hybrid models, namely artificial neural network-cellular automata (ANN-CA), multilayer perceptron-cellular automata-Markov chain (MLP-CA-MC), and logistic regression-cellular automata-Markov chain (LR-CA-MC) were assessed to determine the effectiveness in predicting future land use and land cover (LULC) changes in the basin. Among the three models, the MLP-CA-MC model showed superior performance following the validation phase. Later, the MLP-CA-MC model was employed to estimate the future LULC projections for 2050 and 2075 by considering the nonstationary relationship between selected driving variables and LULC. The model forecasts that by 2075, the forest area, water bodies, and barren land may decrease by 27.20%, 3.82%, and 2.38%, respectively, compared to the observed LULC in 2020. On the other hand, agricultural land and built-up areas are expected to increase by 45.21% and 21.39%, respectively. The results of this study can provide land use planners, environmentalists, and policymakers with essential information to formulate effective management strategies and laws that will serve the public better. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of interspecific competition in biotic communities remains understudied. This paper examines transformations in the Korean field mouse/stripped field mouse taxocene, including the expansion of the stripped field mouse distribution range amid global environmental change. The main goal of this study was to perform a comparative assessment of the length of main intestinal segments in the Korean field mouse and the stripped field mouse with respect to the competitive asymmetry of these species and analyze the role of this asymmetry in the dynamics of their taxocene. Korean field mouse intestine significantly more efficiently assimilates the carbohydrates prevailing in plant tissues when compared to stripped field mouse intestine, while there is not much difference between them in protein and lipid assimilation. We conclude that, the Korean field mouse is a stronger trophic competitor in the taxocene, and competition plays an important role in its transformation. However, the expansion of the stripped field mouse range cannot be solely attributed to competition or global environmental change. This paper discusses the mechanism determining the interaction between these factors resulting in transformations in the Korean field mouse/stripped field mouse taxocene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This paper investigates toxic algal blooms (TABs) and their management as an example of a complex emerging contaminant (EC) problem through the lens of interconnected social, technical, ecological systems (SETS). We use mixed methods including analysis of a national survey of public drinking water systems and interviews with drinking water managers and state regulators. For the first time, we extend SETS to the drinking water context to advance a holistic understanding of the complexity of TABs as a problem for drinking water systems and identify specific intervention points to ease TABs management difficulty. We find that management challenges arise at the intersection of SET domains, and often coincide with circumstances where water managers and existing technologies are pushed outside of their traditional operating spheres or when new technologies are introduced creating cascading SET challenges. ECs that do not behave like traditional contaminants and pollutants require adapting social and technical systems to be responsive to these differences. Understanding how management difficulties arise within SET domains and their intersections will help drinking water managers and state regulators mitigate management difficulties in the future. These findings have implications for understanding and mitigating other EC management challenges as well.