Anthropic Activities Research Articles

Changes in guanaco distribution from Late Holocene to present times in Northwest Patagonia: connecting archaeological, ethnohistoric and current data

Context The guanaco (Lama guanicoe) is one of the four species of South American camels, and is the largest native mammal inhabiting arid and semi-arid environments in South America. Although the guanaco was abundant and widely distributed in the past, currently its density and distribution range are substantially reduced, inhabiting mainly Southern Patagonia in small isolated groups. The decline in guanaco populations is most likely related to the Anthropocene defaunation process that is affecting large mammals in developing countries worldwide, but the extent and causes of these changes are not well understood. Aims To explore both the changes in the distribution of guanaco populations in Northwest Patagonia and the environmental and anthropic factors that shaped the distribution patterns, by employing a long-term perspective spanning from the end of the Late Holocene to present times (i.e. the last 2500 years). Methods We combine archaeological information, ethnohistorical records and current observations and apply Species Distribution Models using bioclimatic and anthropic factors as explanatory variables. Key results Guanaco spatial distribution in Northwest Patagonia changed significantly throughout time. This change consisted in the displacement of the species towards the east of the region and its disappearance from northwest Neuquén and southwest Mendoza in the last 30 years. In particular, the high-density urban settlements and roads, and secondly, competition with ovicaprine livestock (goats and sheep) for forage are the main factors explaining the change in guanaco distribution. Conclusions Guanaco and human populations co-existed in the same areas during the Late Holocene and historic times (16th to 19th centuries), but during the 20th century the modern anthropic impact generated a spatial dissociation between both species, pushing guanaco populations to drier and more unproductive areas that were previously peripheral in its distribution. Implications As with many other large mammal species in developing countries, Northwest Patagonia guanaco populations are undergoing significant changes in their range due to modern anthropic activities. Considering that these events are directly related to population declines and extirpations, together with the striking low density recorded for Northwest Patagonia guanaco populations, urgent management actions are needed to mitigate current human impacts.

Development of environmental education: As a culture of sustainable development

The study of the environment involves a certain natural phenomenon and the interactions that exist between man and his environment. Environmental Education, as a culture of sustainable development, with the aim of ensuring that resources are sufficient for the present and future generation. Anthropic activities, both individual and collective, have affected the environment. Advances in technology have brought advantages to man, generating goods and services to improve the quality of life and making life easier. However, collective actions by industry have contributed to a greater negative impact on the environment. Therefore, various strategies have been proposed to mitigate the damage caused, such as: generating educational programs to promote changes in values ​​and attitudes in society about the environment, generating cleaner productions, environmental reviews, eco-balances, impact assessment, among others; educational institutions have focused on environmental education, with the purpose of establishing a culture of sustainable development as a strategy for social change.

Assessing Salinity, Drought and High Temperature Stress in Maize (Zea mays L.) and Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Varieties: Theoretical Combination as Multifactorial Stress

ABSTRACTMaize and wheat are two important cereal crops for the food security of the world population. However, constant climate change and the intensification of anthropic activities have intensified the emergence of stressful environmental in the various agricultural production systems around the world. Therefore, in this study we evaluate the chlorophyll content, photosynthesis, transpiration and grain yield of maize and wheat crops exposed to soil salinity, drought and high temperatures and determine the damage intensity of these stressing conditions and the theoretical multifactorial damage intensity. Field experiments were conducted during the 2022 and 2023 agricultural seasons in the Yaqui Valley, Sonora, Mexico. The treatments consisted of the cultivation of maize and wheat in three stressful production environments (soil salinity, drought and high temperatures) and a non‐stressful production environment (Control), with four repetitions. The tolerance and intensity index of abiotic stresses, as well as the intensity of theoretical multifactorial stress (salinity, drought and high temperatures), for morphological traits and grain yield, were calculated. The results reported that physiological traits and yield of maize and wheat are severely affected by drought stress conditions. High temperatures are the second abiotic stress factor that most limits physiological traits and grain yield of maize and wheat crops, being more harmful than soil salinity. The theoretical multifactorial stress has a greater negative impact on the yield of the elite maize and wheat varieties. The sum of a stressful environmental factor increases the intensity of multifactorial stress on grain yield of both cereal crops, especially for maize crop.

Consequences of anthropization in the Veredas environments in the Brazilian Cerrado

The Veredas are considered a wet savanna phytophysiognomy that is important for the preservation of the Cerrado. This study aims to evaluate the impacts of anthropic actions on soil and vegetation degradation in the Veredas environments in the Environmental Protection Area (EPA). Two environments of preserved and anthropized Veredas were selected. Anthropized environments are understood as areas of Veredas that had their vegetation cover lost due to the occurrence of recurrent forest fires associated with the presence of domestic animals. In these areas, samples were collected to evaluate soil characteristics, and floristic surveys were conducted to characterize vegetation. It was found that the uncontrolled anthropization process driven by forest fires and domestic animals in the Veredas environments led to the degradation of the land cover and soils of these environments. Vegetation removal is manifested by a reduction in the number of individuals and species present in anthropized environments. Organic matter content and fertility have decreased, while soil density has increased. These results are explained by the accelerated decomposition and (or) by the deposition of biomass burning products in anthropized environments. We also analyzed statistics of fire foci and found the highest values in relation to soil classes in the Entisols and the Oxisols environments. The highest bulk density of fire foci was observed in the Entisols environments and is influenced by the presence of an herbaceous stratum composed of grasses. Thus, an understanding of the anthropization processes of the Veredas environments in conservation units for sustainable use, such as the EPA, is urgently required. Our results facilitate the development and enaction of environmental policies for the most effective preservation and protection of these areas.

A phenotypic study of the resistome in a peri-urban ecosystem

Since the discovery of antibiotics, the dispersion of resistance genes has increased exponentially, leading to the current state in which it has become increasingly difficult to achieve an effective treatment for infectious diseases. The enormous capacity for genetic exchange between microorganisms is causing resistance genes to be able to reach all environments, even those where there is no anthropogenic impact or exposure to these drugs. In this work, a phenotypic study of the resistome has been conducted in a peri-urban ecosystem (Granada, Spain), wherein the resistance to 32 antibiotics of 710 bacterial strains isolated from 70 samples from different ecological niches with varying levels of exposure to antibiotics and anthropic action has been determined. The study of resistances using phenotypic procedures constitutes a very useful and complementary alternative to genomic methods. The obtained results show a high percentage of resistance in all the subsystems analysed, stating high multi-resistance profiles. Vancomycin and erythromycin were the antibiotics to which the highest levels of resistance were observed, whereas the lowest levels were obtained in chloramphenicol. Regarding the environments studied, the highest percentages of resistance were found in wastewater, farms and food. It should be noted that in natural soil samples (not exposed to antibiotics or anthropogenic activities), worrying levels of resistance to practically all the groups of antibiotics analysed were detected. These results support the generally accepted conclusion that an appropriate control and management of wastewater and solid waste that may contain antibiotics or resistant bacteria is really important to prevent the wide propagation of the resistome in the environment.

Characterization of Synanthropic Habitats on Shallow Seabeds Using Map Clustering Techniques: A Case Study in Taranto, Apulia, Italy

The Mar Piccolo is a transitional water system located in Taranto city (Southern Italy); it is a semi-enclosed basin affected by severe pollution issues due to the presence of various industrial, agricultural and other anthropic activities that require careful monitoring and management. The pollution levels reached over time have harmed marine biodiversity and human health, repeatedly requiring timely actions for its mitigation. Characterization methodologies and techniques today play a fundamental role in supporting the decision-making phase, processing large quantities of data and identifying complex patterns and correlations. An approach focused on gaining detailed knowledge of complex environmental contexts through clustering map techniques enables highly precise results, capturing even the smallest variations in the features of the study object and strongly correlating them with possible sources of pollution. The use of these techniques improves the precision of the analyses and can significantly contribute to improving the understanding of the environmental state in the Mar Piccolo area. This study addresses the issue of pollution in Mar Piccolo due to marine litter, which has led to the formation of synanthropic habitats on the seabed. It also highlights the value of clustering maps and other characterization techniques for achieving detailed insights at various levels of analysis. Data processing through the proposed methodology can generate very detailed mapping useful for planning precision reclamation interventions that also include species conservation actions, as well as a better understanding of how synanthropic habitats are distributed and evolve. In summary, this study demonstrates how it is possible to improve the precision of data processing, providing crucial details for the management and conservation of highly threatened marine ecosystems.

Sedimentary and geomorphological evolution of a young tidal flat in the northern part of the Po delta (Italy)

Due to anthropic activities of the last centuries, coastal wetlands worldwide lost wide portions of salt marshes. Since these ecosystems provide fundamental services and benefits to both natural and anthropic components, the natural restoration of these habitats is becoming one of the main objectives of these days, and the opening of new connections between land and sea is becoming a highly used technique to restore portions of intertidal areas. According to recent studies based on analysis of long-term satellite imagery datasets and bathymetric surveys, the Po River Delta (Northern Italy) is currently subjected to a positive sedimentation trend and a constructive process is ongoing at the main river branches. Following an evolution similar to restoration projects, new tidal flats are building up around the tip of the delta, where agricultural fields were inundated by strong floods in the 1950s and the 1960s. This study focuses on a young tidal flat of about 8 ha, located in the Southernmost part of the Barbamarco lagoon. Sediment granulometric distribution and sedimentary pattern were investigated between May 2019 and March 2021 through coring, sediment traps, and orthophotos. The results show that the system is undergoing a progradation and an extended crevasse splay is developing. This covers the central part of the flat and it has developed from the early 2000s, due to human intervention on levees as well as river floods. The levees of the eastern channel stabilized between 2008 and 2012 thanks to vegetation growth, allowing the floods to focus in the NW direction, leading to the development of this recent feature. The presence of the crevasse splay confirms the importance of the river floods on the tidal flat formation. The calculated depositional rates suggest that sedimentation is higher during summer (average 66.89 g/m2 per submersion event) and lower during winter (18.86–20.65 g/m2 per submersion event). These trends are opposite to the seasonal trends observed in the literature, showing that the deposition controlled by the tide is lower compared to the river influence and suggesting that the river is the dominant factor.

Natural and Human Impacts on Coastal Areas

Coasts are the most densely populated regions in the world and are vulnerable to different natural and human factors, e.g., sea-level rise, coastal accretion and erosion processes, the intensification of sea storms and hurricanes, the presence of marine litter, chronic pollution and beach oil spill accidents, etc. Although coastal zones have been affected by local anthropic activities for decades, their impacts on coastal ecosystems is often unclear. Several papers are presented in this Special Issue detailing the interactions between natural processes and human impacts in coastal ecosystems all around the world. A better understanding of such natural and human impacts is therefore of great relevance to confidently predict their negative effects on coastal areas and thus promote different conservation strategies. The implementation of adequate management measures will help coastal communities adapt to future scenarios in the short and long term and prevent damage due to different pollution types, e.g., beach oil spill accidents, through the establishment of Environmental Sensitivity Maps.

Anthropic Actions in the Boa Vista Community, Niterói-Rj: A Critical Evaluation on Informal Occupation

Objective: to analyze the influence of antopic actions in the community of Boa Vista Niterói-RJ. Method: descriptive, observational research, carried out by an interdisciplinary team in the Community of Boa Vista, Niterói-RJ, on July 23, 2016. Results and discussion: based on the authors' interdisciplinary knowledge, referring to social and environmental themes and sanitary, they highlight the vulnerabilities of the study area in terms of human interventions created by informal occupation. In general, the Boa Vista community has a slightly urbanized infrastructure, characterized by the distribution of electricity, masonry constructions and the paving of a few streets. Attention is paid to precarious solid waste (garbage) collection and poor basic sanitation. Conclusion: It is concluded that integrated disaster risk management is necessary, with structural and non-structural actions in this community to reduce local vulnerabilities and mitigate problems found in the study area, minimizing future disasters, which can lead to the development of regular urbanization.

Una propuesta para el Manejo Basado en Ecosistemas (MBE) del Área Natural Protegida “Reserva de la Biósfera Pantanos de Centla, Tabasco” (Sureste Mexicano) como ecosistema vulnerable

This article represents a review of studies carried out in the Reserva de la Biosfera Pantanos de Centla (RBPC), a Protected Natural Area (ANP for its Spanish acronym) with important ecosystems of which a large amount of representative flora and fauna species of the Tabasco state (southern Mexico) are living. Present revision revealed that the anthropic activities that take place within and outside the Reserve, such as livestock farming, urbanization, pollution by private companies and the overexploitation of natural resources, degrade the habitats found there, altering the ecosystem services it offers. Therefore, here in an Ecosystem-Based Management is proposed (EBM) with strategies aimed at restoring and conserving the natural resources of the RBPC. Keywords: RBPC, pollution, urbanization, over exploitation, EBM, restoration and conservation.

Expecting the expected – learning from the past to provide forward scenarios through geomorphic change detection, monitoring and modeling

This paper tells the story of a landslide, its origins, its activity and the actions undertaken to mitigate the risks that it poses. The Rotolon landslide is a large Deep-seated Gravitational Slope Deformation (DGSD), located in the Eastern Italian Alps, whose unremitting movements provide a sediment supply for large-scale debris flow events. It has been active since at least 1789, threatening the valley where the thermal baths town of Recoaro Terme is located. In 2010, a major reactivation of the landslide channelled 320,000 m3 of material towards the town causing significant concern, the evacuation of the exposed population and threatening several buildings. A few days after the emergency, the personnel of the Research Institute for Geo-Hydrological Protection of the Italian Research Council (IRPI-CNR) deployed a monitoring system consisting of an automatic total station, several extensometers and web cameras to monitor the evolution of the unstable slope and set up an early warning and alarm system equipped with sirens to warn the local population. Subsequently, after the emergency phase, the 2010 event was studied through multi-temporal LiDAR Digital Terrain Models (DTMs) and modeling. The authors have continued monitoring and actively studying this landslide ever since. In 2020, a new LiDAR survey of the area allowed assessment of the sediment dynamics within the catchment through the comparison with the post-2010 event LiDAR DTM. Based on DEM of difference maps, new insight into the behaviour of the catchment emerged, which appears to be influenced both by natural processes and anthropic activities. The authors were able to assess the amount of sediment that could be stored in the channel without causing overflooding and to calculate the expected damage to the built environment should another event occur. Furthermore, the considerable amount of data collected by the monitoring system throughout the years has allowed identification of two active sectors of the DGSD that may be prone to detachment, and through numerical modeling, future hazard scenarios were produced. Based on these outcomes, a second-tier targeted monitoring campaign was implemented, consisting of a network of four permanent GNSS receivers, additional topographic benchmarks and web cameras, and a new early warning protocol, in an ever-updating cycle of monitoring, modeling and mitigation.

Knowledge, attitude, and perceptions of farmers in the Maranhão Amazon regarding the ecological importance of bees

Bees perform an essential pollination service on more than half of all plants worldwide. However, a global decline in bee and other pollinator populations due to anthropic activities threatens these services. Understanding the interactions between farmers and bees is essential for developing policies to protect pollinators. This study sought to investigate and document the knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of farmers in the Maranhão Amazon in Brazil regarding the relevance and function of bees. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 567 farmers from 54 rural communities, located in six counties. The results showed that participating farmers understood the importance of bees, acknowledging the pollination of plants and honey production as their primary functions. Farmers also observed that bee populations have reduced over the years and cited anthropic actions (deforestation, slash-and-burn agriculture, and pesticide use) as the most impacting elements. Although farmers recognized the ecological functions of bees, none were willing to implement any novel practices on their properties to preserve bee populations. Our results identified a need to stimulate the implementation of activities that safeguard bees, for instance via projects that train local farmers and encourage them to contribute to bee preservation, implement sustainable agricultural practices, and reduce pesticide use. Such projects can assist farmers in the recovery and reforestation of degraded areas in the region.

Monitoring Coastal Evolution and Geomorphological Processes Using Time-Series Remote Sensing and Geospatial Analysis: Application Between Cape Serrat and Kef Abbed, Northern Tunisia

The monitoring of coastal evolution (coastline and associated geomorphological features) caused by episodic and persistent processes associated with climatic and anthropic activities is required for coastal management decisions. The availability of open access, remotely sensed data with increasing spatial, temporal, and spectral resolutions, is promising in this context. The coastline of Northern Tunisia is currently showing geomorphic process, such as increasing erosion associated with lateral sedimentation. This study aims to investigate the potential of time-series optical data, namely Landsat (from 1985–2019) and Google Earth® satellite imagery (from 2007 to 2023), to analyze shoreline changes and morphosedimentary and geomorphological processes between Cape Serrat and Kef Abbed, Northern Tunisia. The Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS) was used to quantify the multitemporal rates of shoreline using two metrics: the net shoreline movement (NSM) and the end-point rate (EPR). Erosion was observed around the tombolo and near river mouths, exacerbated by the presence of surrounding dams, where the NSM is up to −8.31 m/year. Despite a total NSM of −15 m, seasonal dynamics revealed a maximum erosion in winter (71% negative NSM) and accretion in spring (57% positive NSM). The effects of currents, winds, and dams on dune dynamics were studied using historical images of Google Earth®. In the period from 1994 to 2023, the area is marked by dune face retreat and removal in more than 40% of the site, showing the increasing erosion. At finer spatial resolution and according to the synergy of field observations and photointerpretation, four key geomorphic processes shaping the coastline were identified: wave/tide action, wind transport, pedogenesis, and deposition. Given the frequent changes in coastal areas, this method facilitates the maintenance and updating of coastline databases, which are essential for analyzing the impacts of the sea level rise in the southern Mediterranean region. Furthermore, the developed approach could be implemented with a range of forecast scenarios to simulate the impacts of a higher future sea-level enhanced climate change.

Anthropogenic disturbances alter the trophic niche structure and ecological relationships of understory bat communities in the Ecuadorian Andean Chocó

Human disturbances have reduced the three basic niche dimensions for the survival of some mammalian species (space, time, and resources). Anthropic activities cause the extinction of ecological functionalities faster than species extinctions. In this study, we identified four types of habitats in the Ecuadorian Andean Chocó: primary forest (PF), secondary forest in natural regeneration (SF1), secondary forest in assisted regeneration (SF2), and pastures for cattle (P). The main objective was to determine the responses in the trophic niche and the ecological relationships of understory phyllostomid bat communities. We captured bats with mist nets and obtained fecal samples from 21 species. These were analyzed to quantify seeds, pollen, insects, and vertebrates consumed by each individual, with counts organized by species and habitat type. We conducted an ecological relationship analysis to understand the structure of bat–fruit networks and their dietary preferences. We calculated niche breadth and niche overlap to understand the trophic niche composition of each species. We applied null models to evaluate if there is evidence of trophic niche partitioning among these species. Despite a relatively small sample size, the results obtained are nevertheless interesting. While niche breadth was not useful for detecting the effects of human disturbances, niche overlap was significantly higher in disturbed habitats (SF1, SF2 and P), where ecological relationships were weaker. Most of the species were related to the consumption of seeds from the genus Piper. These results indicate that bat communities and their ecosystem services may be highly endangered due to anthropogenic disturbances. Network interactions in bats are highly variable in geographic space and time, and little is known about the community structure of bat–seed interactions. Studying mutualistic networks in bats and seeds is crucial because of their role in ecosystem support, supply, and regulation services that depend on them.

What is hidden under our pontoons? Abundance and distribution of filter feeders (bivalves and tunicates) in the port area revealed. Artificial intelligence: an interesting analysis tool?

Urbanization is particularly prevalent along the coast, causing a considerable change in the ecology of the habitats found there. Ports, docks and all the structures linked to this anthropization modify the coastal environment by providing new niches, but also new constraints. Thus, ports are ecosystems in their own right, although they are rarely studied as such. In Europe’s largest marina (La Rochelle, France), among the multitude of organisms inhabiting it, four taxa seem particularly interesting to study: Mytilidae, Ostreïdae, Pectinidae and ascidiacea. Because these taxa, which belong to the bivalve and tunicate groups, are the stewards of the health of the port environment both as bio-indicators and as engineering species. The establishment of a systematic and regular census allows us to study the evolution of their populations and to determine what influences their distribution. To have as less impact as possible on the fauna studied, the census was carried out by underwater photography. The study shows that the populations are partly conditioned by the hydrodynamics of the environment and by the anthropic activity which is carried out there. Indeed, this study, which was carried out in a particular context (before and after the COVID-19 health crisis), shows the importance of anthropic pressure, particularly on the bivalve communities. A large amount of data is needed to understand what precisely governs bivalve and tunicate populations. Therefore, an innovative method, using artificial intelligence to automate the analyses, was tested in this study. This promising method should facilitate the census by reducing the analysis time.

The last 20,000 years of climate change in the Iberian Peninsula characterized by the small-mammal assemblages

Climate and environments have undergone significant changes throughout the Earth's history, which are reflected in the faunal record. In that sense, small mammals provide valuable palaeoecological insights due to their close relationship with their associated environments. Our research investigates the dynamics of small mammal communities in the Iberian Peninsula from the Late Pleistocene to the Holocene, comparing regional environmental variations as well as anthropogenic impacts. Our review of the small mammal assemblages from 26 archaeological sites across the Iberian Peninsula revealed a differential response of the small mammal communities between the northern and southern areas. The colder climatic conditions which characterized the Late Pleistocene favoured the presence of mid-European species (e.g., Alexandromys (Oecomicrotus) oeconomus, Chionomys (Chionomys) nivalis) in northern regions until the Mid Holocene, while other taxa today restricted to northern Iberia (e.g., Arvicola amphibius, Microtus gr. (Euarvicola) arvalis, Sorex araneus-coronatus) reached southern regions during the Last Glacial Maximum but disappeared at the beginning of the Holocene period. Palaeoenvironmental reconstructions indicate predominantly open landscapes and colder climates in the Late Pleistocene, with increased forest cover during the Early-Mid Holocene in northern areas. In contrast, the southern regions exhibited more stable environments compared to the northern ones. Our results underscore how the great environmental diversity and interactions between natural and anthropogenic factors affected the composition of Iberian small mammal communities during the last 20,000 years. Most specifically, during the Late Holocene, biogeographical patterns of the small mammals are mostly affected by anthropic activities, with changes in the distribution of some species (Microtus (Iberomys) cabrerae), and the entrance of new ones (synanthropic species).

Geochemical fractionation of trace elements in ostreid and gastropod shells: A potential proxy for heavy metal pollution in Ghana’s coastal environment

The content of trace elements from Crassostrea tulipa (Ostreidae, Bivalvia) from four localities (Pra Estuary, Densu Estuary, Kpone Beach, and Anyanui Creek) along the coast of Ghana has been used as a bioindicator of environmental pollution. The lowest values of heavy metals correspond to the Crassostrea shells from Densu Estuary and Anyanui Creek, whereas the highest contents are recorded in the shells from Pra Estuary and Kpone Beach. Densu Estuary and Anyanui Creek are located in areas not affected by major industries, and only Densu is located in a densely urbanized setting. Crassostrea shells from Densu Estuary are only enriched in Ni. However, the Total Organic Carbon content of the sediments of the Densu Estuary indicates anthropogenic organic pollution not evidenced by the composition of Crassostrea shells. The Crassostrea shells from the Pra Estuary show enrichment in most of the analysed trace elements (Li, Be, V, Cu, Cr, Zn, Ga, Y, Sn, Pb, U, Th, ∑REE, and As) compared with other studied sites. This enrichment is related to heavy metals influx to the Pra River by the mining activities, extensive forest clearance, and loss of soil minerals. The Crassostrea shells from Kpone Beach present comparatively high content of some trace elements (Be, Ba, Cu, Zn, Nb, Pb, and REE). The metal pollutants are related to the input of the Heavy Industrial Area of Tema (located around 3.5 km west of Kpone Beach) and urban effluences from the Greater Accra Region. The high content of Ba, Cu, Zn, and Pb in Crassostrea is directly related to high phytoplankton productivity (mainly for diatoms) linked to the input of trace metals transferred into the marine food webs. In addition, some analyses of gastropod shells from Kpone Beach indicate that Cerithium and Nerita are more sensitive to accumulating Ni and As than Crassostrea. The values of trace metals from the Crassostrea shells of the Densu Estuary and Anyanui Creek are comparatively low. Considering the role of Crassostrea shells as bioindicators for heavy metals pollution, the less polluted localities are Anyanui Creek and Densu Estuary, whereas Pra Estuary and Kpone Beach are affected by anthropic activities such as mining, urban effluents, and industry.

Does soil type influence the occurrence of fire outbreaks in Cerrado, Brazil?

Forest fires associated with anthropic activities in Cerrado, Brazil, have been the main cause of the degradation of the biome. Thus, this study aims to understand the dynamics of fire foci and Gross Primary Production as a function of soil classes in an Environmental Preservation Area. This study combined soil types with meteorological variables of rainfall, soil moisture and air temperature to relate to fire occurrences and Gross Primary Production (GPP) for the years 2001–2020. For the evaluated period, there was an increase in temperature (±0.5 ºC) and a reduction in rainfall (±50 % in the driest years). The highest numbers of fire outbreaks were recorded in the areas corresponding to the Neossolos (Arenosols), followed by Latossolos (Ferralsols) between August and October. The future projection of the occurrence of foci for the next 10 years indicated that there would be an increase in the number of fire foci in all soil classes (700 %), especially for Neossolos. The future projection of GPP for the next 10 years indicates that there would be a reduction in coverage, especially for Gleissolo (Gleysol, 40–80 %). As a prevention strategy, attention should be doubled between August and October, as these months are the most conducive to fire outbreaks in the Cerrado.

Application of remote sensing and electrical resistivity technique for delineating groundwater potential in North Western Nigeria

Improving the living condition of residents of Palladan and Basawa community requires access to drinking water. The main objectives of this paper are to identify suitable groundwater zones for productive drilling and to assess groundwater mineralization in the coastal aquifers of the study area. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) were used in the methodology to generate the groundwater potential map. Slope, landcover/land use, lineament density, rainfall, soil cover and drainage density were taken into account to characterize the groundwater potential zones. Weights were assigned to the various parameters and their characteristics according to their impact on groundwater recharge. The groundwater potential map was classified into five zones namely: poor, fair, moderate, good, excellent. Based on the lineament density map, the distribution of these lineaments reveals the degree of porosity or permeability in each area and, consequently, its groundwater potential. Aeromagnetic data filtering permits the construction of a structural map that illustrates various geophysical lineaments that are known to be fault systems in the research area. These faults are the main routes via which groundwater seeps into the subsurface and granitoid-type magnetic rocks intrude into the basement. The research region is badly fractured/failed and made up of four lithologic units, including the aquifer layer (clayey sands in the cracked basement) with thicknesses varying from 12–55 m, according to the vertical electrical sounding (VES) applications. According to geoelectric cross-sections, the subsurface structures are made of granitic rocks that are surrounded by normal faults that trend both NW and NE. It is believed that groundwater flows into the hard rock aquifers in the studied locations through these notable geological features, such as faults and fractures. Two phenomena are responsible for the mineralization of water: a process of interaction between water and rock; and a process of salinization resulting from natural phenomena or anthropic activities. The present study could guide hydrogeological investigations and groundwater resource management planning in the study area.

Effectiveness of wetlands as reservoirs for integrated water resource management in the Ruzizi plain based on water evaluation and planning (WEAP) approach for a climate-resilient future in eastern D.R. Congo

It is widely predicted that climate change’s adverse effects will intensify in the future, and along with inadequate agricultural practices, settlement development, and other anthropic activities, could contribute to rapid wetland degradation and thus exert significant negative effects on local communities. This study sought to develop an approach based on the Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) in the Ruzizi Plain, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where adverse effects of the climate change are increasingly recurrent. Initially, we analyzed the trends of climate data for the last three decades (1990–2022). Subsequently, the Water Evaluation and Planning (WEAP) approach was employed on two contrasting watersheds to estimate current and future water demands in the region and how local wetlands could serve as reservoirs to meeting water demands. Results indicate that the Ruzizi Plain is facing escalating water challenges owing to climate change, rapid population growth, and evolving land-use patterns. These factors are expected to affect water quality and quantity, and thus, increase pressure on wetland ecosystems. The analysis of past data shows recurrence of dry years (SPI ≤ − 1.5), reduced daily low-intensity rainfall (Pmm < 10 mm), and a significant increase in extreme rainfall events (Pmm ≥ 25 mm). The WEAP outcomes revealed significant variations in future water availability, demand, and potential stressors across watersheds. Cropland and livestock are the main water consumers in rural wetlands, while households, cropland (at a lesser extent), and other urban uses exert significant water demands on wetlands located in urban environments. Of three test scenarios, the one presenting wetlands as water reservoirs seemed promising than those considered optimal (based on policies regulating water use) and rational (stationary inputs but with a decrease in daily allocation). These findings highlight the impact of climate change in the Ruzizi plain, emphasizing the urgency of implementing adaptive measures. This study advocates for the necessity of the IWRM approach to enhance water resilience, fostering sustainable development and wetland preservation under changing climate.