Anthropogenic Causes Research Articles

Patterning ecological restoration after weeds

The United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration aims to prevent, halt, and reverse the degradation of ecosystems on every continent. Disturbances stemming from anthropogenic or natural causes make plant community restoration challenging. The introduction of fast‐growing weeds that generate high biomass and produce copious seed is most threatening to plant communities. A paradigm shift in ecosystem restoration is needed that emphasizes traits and affected ecological processes similar to weeds. The repeated introduction of seed from native plants with weedy characteristics follows the propagule pressure and evolution of invasiveness hypotheses. In targeting areas with heavy weed populations, native plants could establish and more successfully develop into functioning plant communities.

WATER QUALITY OF SMALL RIVERS IN THE PRIPYAT BASIN: ENVIRONMENTAL AND FISHERY ASSESSMENT

The study of anthropogenic causes of the deterioration of the state of small rivers is the first step towards their conservation and restoration, improving the human environment as a whole. The aim of the study is the fishery and environmental assessment of water quality of small rivers in the Pripyat River basin (the area of right-bank tributaries in the middle part of the river) within the Rivne region in the northern-west region of Ukraine. The initial data for the assessment have been the results of monitoring (27 physical and chemical indicators) during 2010–2018. The assessment by the integral ecological index (Ie) has shown that the rivers belonged to the II quality class in terms of average values and were characterized as “clean” and “clean enough”. According to the worst values, the rivers belonged to the II-III quality classes and were characterized as “fairly clean” – “slightly polluted” – “moderately polluted”. The best water quality by the Ie index was established for the Zhabichi River within the urban-type settlement of Demydivka. Water quality of the Ustia River below the runoff of the cities of Rivne and Zdolbuniv has corresponded to IV-V classes i.e. was "dirty" and "very dirty" (high content of phosphates, nitrogen compounds, copper, manganese, and zinc). In terms of trophic state, the water of the rivers is mesotrophic (according to average values) and eutrophic (according to the worst values), except for the part of the Ustia River below the runoff of the city of Rivne, where the water is polytrophic. The rivers have failed to meet water quality standards for fishery water use by COD, BOD5, and heavy metals content (Cu, Mn, Fe, Zn).

Climate change education in China: a pioneering case of its implementation in tertiary education and its effects on students’ beliefs and attitudes

PurposeIn view of a lack of evidence on the effectiveness of climate change education (CCE) in China, this study aims to evaluate if a CCE course newly designed based on research recommendations and implemented with established pedagogy was effective in changing the beliefs and attitudes of first-year science students.Design/methodology/approachThis study took a simple longitudinal approach with surveys administered at the beginning and the end of the course and the differences in the responses analyzed with nonparametric statistical analyses.FindingsThe results showed that the course produced significant changes in the beliefs concerning the anthropogenic causes of climate change and vulnerability to its impacts, which results in inequality of the impacts received. However, the course did not produce significant attitudinal changes among the students. Spearman’s correlation, which affirmed the belief–attitude association, revealed that the students already had desirable attitudes toward climate change and these attitudes had not been reinforced. The students’ perception of the importance of local government in climate action increased by the end of the course. Multimedia-aid learning, debates and discussions were useful in conveying the concepts of responsibility, ethics and vulnerability, but the addition of student-led community projects will increase personal significance of the course.Research limitations/implicationsThis study is instrumental for the development of a regional model of CCE in the mainstreaming of education for sustainable development in China, knowing that the regional approach is crucial to address the nuances in climate change knowledge, hence conceptions and beliefs across regions and, even, between different sectors of a region. This regional experience could also serve as a reference for other similar settings, particularly those of the developing countries.Originality/valueThis study presents one of the very few studies dedicated to gauging the effects of CCE in China, particularly of a newly developed climate change course, on the beliefs and attitudes of students. This permits pedagogical development and continuous improvement of CCE in China.

Potential triggers for large earthquakes in open‐pit mines: A case study from Kuzbass, Siberia

AbstractThe extraction and movement of rock during mining operations is considered a possible trigger for slip along the fault. In this study, possible anthropogenic causes were analyzed for triggering the earthquake with the local magnitude of ML = 6.1 (at a depth of 4 km just beneath the quarry), in the vicinity of the large coal open‐pit mine in Russia. This event was the largest earthquake associated with a quarry (an open pit). A sufficiently deep occurrence of the source testified that seismic vibrations were produced in a dynamic slip along a preexisting and prestressed tectonic fault. Analytical calculations were conducted of increments of normal and shear stresses at fault planes with several dip angles at depths corresponding to the probable location of the hypocenter of the Bachat earthquake. As the results show, long‐term rock excavations bring a prestressed thrust fault closer to the ultimate Coulomb strength, and stress variations at those depths may suffice to initiate a movement along the fault. By measuring seismic vibrations at different quarries and mines in Russia, the dynamic effect at the supposed depth of the source occurrence could be reliably estimated. As is shown, the ultimate anticipated dynamic deformations are noticeably lower than corresponding values produced by seismic waves of distant earthquakes in the case when the effects of dynamic triggering were observed. Accordingly, the seismic effect of explosions cannot trigger a large earthquake with deep source occurrence. Operations in open‐pit mines can only bring forward the moment of an earthquake at a potentially seismogenic fault. At the same time, the numerical calculations reveal that a branching network of underground tunnels located at several horizons can noticeably reduce the effective shear modulus of the host rock. This effect can even provoke a dynamic movement at a previously aseismic fault.

Hydro-chemical assessment of groundwater pollutant and corresponding health risk in the Ganges delta, Indo-Bangladesh region

Groundwater is the most important source of water among the various water form on the earth's surface. It supports life on the earth and is therefore treated as more significant than surface water. The groundwater of the Ganges delta aquifers has suffered immensely in the last few decades due to various anthropogenic causes apart from natural causes. The high density of population, urbanization, industrialization, and deforestation along the Ganges delta region have been forced to increase the As and F− concentration as human-induced causes apart from natural processes such as high infiltration rate, excessive sedimentation, seawater intrusion, geological formation, etc. The concentration of As and F− in the groundwater aquifers of the Ganges delta increases the vulnerability to various health issues. Extreme exposure to various heavy metals in the groundwater aquifers caused to affect negatively on human health and created different life-losing chronic diseases. Therefore, the present study focused on the assessment of GWQ, evaluation of ecological status, and estimation of probable health risks in the Ganges delta region due to high exposure of As and F− into the groundwater aquifer. The field-based statistical techniques such as degree of contamination (CD), groundwater quality index (GWQI), ecological richness index (ERI), and health risk index (HRI) have been adopted for assessing the As and F− vulnerability including multi-collinearity and correlation matrix. The result illustrates that nearly 50–55% and 60–70% of the Ganges delta region is immensely suffering from poor groundwater quality, ecological diversity, and various health issues in dry and wet seasons respectively in terms of As and F− vulnerability. The USSL and Wilcox diagram confirmed that more than 50% of groundwater aquifers are not suitable for drinking and irrigation. The applied techniques and the outcomes of the current research can be beneficial to the researchers, management authorities, water scientists, and decision-makers in managing the vulnerability of As and F− exposure by adopting sustainable strategies and policies.

The spatial distribution of physicochemical parameters in coastal sediments along the Bay of Bengal Coastal Zone with statistical analysis.

The current study focused on the monitoring of pollution loads in the Kalpakkam coastal zone of India in terms of physico-chemical characteristics of sediment. The investigation took place at 12 sampling points around the Kalpakkam coastal zone for one year beginning from 2019. The seasonal change of nutrients in the sediment, such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, total organic carbon, and particles size distribution, was calculated. Throughout the study period, the pH (7.55 to 8.99), EC (0.99 to 4.98 dS/m), nitrogen (21.74 to 58.12kg/ha), phosphorus (7.5 to 12.9kg/ha), potassium (218 to 399kg/ha), total organic carbon (0.11 to 0.88%), and particle size cumulative percent of sediments (from 9.01 to 9.39%) was observed. A number of multivariate statistical techniques were used to examine the changes in sediment quality. The population means were substantially different according to the three-way ANOVA test at the 0.05 level. Principal component analysis and cluster analysis showed a substantial association with all indicators throughout all seasons, implying contamination from both natural and anthropogenic causes. The ecosystem of the Kalpakkam coastal zone has been affected by nutrient contamination.

Natural cycles in South Pacific Gyre strength and the Southern Annular Mode

The South Pacific Gyre (SPG) plays a vital role in regulating Southern Hemisphere climate and ecosystems. The SPG has been intensifying since the twentieth century due to changes in large scale wind forcing. These changes result from variability in the Southern Annular Mode (SAM), causing warming along the eastern SPG which affects local ecosystems. However, our understanding of SPG variability on timescales greater than several decades is poor due to limited observations. Marine sediment cores are traditionally used to determine if recent ocean trends are anomalous, but rarely capture centennial variability in the southwest Pacific and limit our understanding of SPG variability. Here we capture centennial SPG dynamics using a novel high-resolution paleocirculation archive: radiocarbon reservoir ages (R) and local reservoir corrections (∆R) in SPG deep-sea black corals. We find black coral R and ∆R correlates with SAM reconstructions over 0–1000 cal BP and 2000–3000 cal BP. We propose this correlation indicates varying transport of well-ventilated subtropical waters resulting from SPG and SAM interactions. We reconstruct several ‘spin up’ cycles reminiscent of the recent gyre intensification, which has been attributed to anthropogenic causes. This implies gyre strength and SAM show natural co-variability on anthropogenic timescales which should factor into future climate projections.

Evaluating earthworms as candidates for remediating pesticide contaminated agricultural soil: A review

Alterations of soil characteristics that result in reduction in ecosystem services invariably cause soil quality degradation. Such changes could be caused due to a variety of stressors, which might be physical, chemical, or biological and come from both anthropogenic and natural causes. Out of the wide variety of soil pollutants, agrochemicals contaminate soil biota the most. Numerous research’ findings have confirmed that soil has been the most preferred site for the disposal of xenobiotics and therefore is likely to be the source of contamination for other natural resources like ground and surface waters. The ecological risk associated with contaminated soils depends on many physicochemical and biological processes that govern the transport and transformation of pesticides. Nevertheless, the persistence of pesticides in soil is a serious threat to both below and above ground organisms which play key roles in sustaining soil functions. One of the viable methods to decontaminate soil is by utilizing living soil biota selectively. This process called. Bioremediation has traditionally been employed to remove chemical residues from soil or to lessen their toxicity levels. Although microbes have been extensively used for bioremediation, chemical breakdown and remediation are significantly aided by certain dominant soil fauna, such as earthworms. Since they modify soil quality, earthworms are regarded as soil engineers. Earthworms can participate in the degradation of pesticide residues, either directly through the release of detoxifying enzymes in their gut or indirectly through their positive influence on microbial populations which could degrade pesticides. The earthworm supported pesticide degradation is largely confined to the gut microenvironment and the soil processed by the worms. The impact of earthworm species on pesticide degradation is widely variable which could be related to their feeding habits and microhabitats. Molecular docking studies have provided evidence in support of binding of organic molecules with agrochemicals. High level of organic matter in soil is expected to increase the binding of hydrophobic pesticides to organic ligands with consequent reduction in their bioavailability to microorganisms and increasing their persistence. Activities of earthworms is likely to induce growth of aerobic microbes capable of pesticide degradation. Among the various earthworm species, Lumbricus terrestris, Perionyx excavatus and Metaphire posthuma have shown promising results as remediating agents of pesticides contaminating farm soils. The present article focuses on the remediation process of hazardous pesticide polluted soil using biological agent like earthworm. This approach may be both efficient and environmentally beneficial.

Uptake, distribution, and elimination of selenite in earthworm Eisenia fetida at sublethal concentrations based on toxicokinetic model

Natural and anthropogenic causes have promoted the rapid increase in environmental selenium (Se) levels, and the complex Se metabolism and dynamic in organisms make it challenging to evaluate the toxicity and ecological risks. In this study, the kinetics of selenite in earthworm Eisenia fetida were investigated based on toxicokinetic (TK) model (uptake-elimination phases: 14–14 days). The results showed the highest sub-tissue Se concentrations in pre-clitellum (PC), post-clitellum (PoC) parts, and total earthworms were 95.71, 70.40, and 79.94 mg/kg, respectively, which indicates the distinctive Se uptake capacities of E. fetida. Se kinetic rates in PCs were faster than that of the total E. fetida for both uptake (Kus = 0.30–0.80 mg/kg/day) and elimination phases (Kee = 0.024–0.056 mg/kg/day). Longer half-life times (LT1/2) were observed in the total earthworms (17.85–47.15 d) than PCs (12.28–29.22 d), while non-significant difference was found for the kinetic Se bioaccumulation factor (BAFk) in PC and total earthworms (12–19), which demonstrates that Se can be efficiently bioaccumulated and eliminated in earthworm PC part. Besides, the significant increase Se concentration in PoC with rapid elimination in PC also illustrates that earthworms can alleviate the Se stress by the transformation strategy of Se from the head to tail tissues. In conclusion, the investigation of Se kinetic accumulation and elimination characteristics in this study is helpful for understanding the metabolism and detoxification processes of Se in earthworms, and also providing a theoretical basis for further Se risk assessment using TK model.

Application of novel hybrid model for land subsidence susceptibility mapping

Land subsidence (LS) is one of the challenging geo‐hazards in several regions of the world that is mainly caused by the overexploitation of groundwater and subsequent collapse of underground cavities. The prediction of LS is difficult due to limitations in monitoring, proper surveys, and knowledge related to the functioning and behaviour of the phenomenon. The application of remote sensing (RS) and global positioning system (GPS) for the proper location identification of LS in the ground and its implementation in susceptibility mapping can help to better constrain this geohazard. However, proper LS susceptibility maps to identify LS prone areas and to mitigate this problem in a way are generally lacking. Several methodologies have been developed for preparing LS susceptibility maps through RS techniques coupled with statistical and machine learning (ML) algorithms. Furthermore, different regions have unique natural and anthropogenic causes for the occurrence of LS, such as subsidence due to groundwater over‐exploitation, road construction, consolidation of alluvial soil, mining activities, and so forth, resulting in severe economic losses. The LS susceptibility mapping (LSSM) can help to prevent natural and human catastrophes and reduce the economic damages. ML techniques are becoming increasingly proficient at modelling such occurrences and have wide application in LSSM. This study compares the performances of single and hybrid ML models to predict and map the susceptible areas prone to LS. A combination of several algorithms helps to improve the overall results. In order to achieve this, the gradient‐boosting machine‐evolutionary genetic algorithm (GBM‐EG) was adopted in this study for LS assessment and compared to three algorithms, namely random forest, artificial neural networks, and alternating decision tree, that stand as commonly used benchmarks. This case study on LSSM was carried out in the Abozidabad watershed, Isfahan Province, Iran, and a total of 155 LS locations were identified by using GPS. Measures of 12 conditioning factors were compiled for each of the sites. These data were input into the models in five different training‐to‐validation configurations of sample ratios: D1 (90%:10%), D2 (80%:20%), D3 (70%:30%), D4 (60%:40%), and D5 (50%:50%). The performance of the algorithms were evaluated with the receiver operating characteristic curve and seed cell area index (SCAI). The results show that the best area under curve value (0.989) and SCAI value were achieved by the GBM‐EG hybrid model in an 80:20 ratio. The results demonstrate that LSSMs can be effectively produced to support planning and land use for management decisions.

Relational Verbal Behavior and Eco-Friendly Purchasing: A Preliminary Translational Analysis and Implications.

Consumer behavior is impacting Earth’s climate, and solving the climate change crisis will necessarily involve influencing the anthropogenic causes of behavior. The present study evaluated relational frames involving comparative climate relations on consumer choices in a simulated purchasing task. In baseline, participants selected among common household commodities that differed along three dimensions: color, an unfamiliar symbol (Y and Z), and price. Price was sequentially increased for the product with the Z symbol. All participants showed maximum sensitivity to price in baseline, where any increase for Z led to selection of Y across commodities. Relational training involved selecting among climate related stimuli in the presence of the symbols Y and Z, where correct responding occurred when participants selected the more harmful stimulus in the presence of Y and the less harmful stimulus in the presence on Z. A generalization test showed that correct responding transferred to novel stimulus arrangements based on climate impact. In the post-training purchasing phase, six of the seven participants showed reduced sensitivity to increases in price, where price and symbol appeared to interact to influence purchasing. These results have implications for a science of consumer behavior related to climate change from an RFT account.

Characteristics of natural and anthropogenic mortality of an endangered brown bear population

Large carnivores’ far ranging habits and their requirements for wide areas often led them to move into unprotected lands, making them especially vulnerable to various human threats. Therefore, it is crucial to better understand their mortality characteristics and potential threats so to help guide conservation efforts. Brown bear is a protected species in Iran, however, knowledge on its population structure and causes of mortality are sparse. The main objective of this study was to understand the causes and spatio-temporal patterns of brown bear mortality in Iran. We carried out a systematic survey of internet media sources to answer (1) the mortality of which age and sex group is reported in the media; (2) what are the most common causes of mortality; (3) what are the temporal and spatial patterns of brown bear mortality?. Overall, we found 135 mortalities of brown bears in Iran from 2004 to 2019. Our findings showed that 84% of mortalities were related to anthropogenic causes and being shot (59%) was the most common cause followed by vehicle collisions (18.7%). Only 2% of reported mortalities were due to natural causes, and no information on the causes of mortality was available for 14%. We further found no differences in the sex distribution of bears killed, but adults (68%) were more commonly killed than subadults (22%); and age was unknown in 9% of mortalities. Most mortalities (75%) were reported in summer and autumn. We found that the number of bear mortality increased with increasing elevation, road density, proportion of forest cover, and that it was higher in areas with a higher proportion of protected areas (PA). However, most reported mortality cases were found outside of PAs. The main takeaway messages from our study are that the conservation of large carnivores in Iran must occur in co-existence with humans in a human-dominated landscape. It is also essential to obtain reliable data on population structure as well as more data on mortality rates and causes. We propose, among other conservation actions, the establishment of a central database for the systematic collection of data on human-carnivore conflicts as well as a compensation scheme for reimbursement of damages by large carnivores.

Wildfires disproportionately affected jaguars in the Pantanal

The Pantanal wetland harbours the second largest population of jaguars in the world. Alongside climate and land-use changes, the recent mega-fires in the Pantanal may pose a threat to the jaguars’ long-term survival. To put these growing threats into perspective, we addressed the reach and intensity of fires that have affected jaguar conservation in the Pantanal ecoregion over the last 16 years. The 2020 fires were the most severe in the annual series, burned 31% of the Pantanal and affected 45% of the estimated jaguar population (87% of these in Brazil); 79% of the home range areas, and 54% of the protected areas within home ranges. Fires consumed core habitats and injured several jaguars, the Pantanal’s apex predator. Displacement, hunger, dehydration, territorial defence, and lower fecundity are among the impacts that may affect the abundance of the species. These impacts are likely to affect other less mobile species and, therefore, the ecological stability of the region. A solution to prevent the recurrence of mega-fires lies in combating the anthropogenic causes that intensify drought conditions, such as implementing actions to protect springs, increasing the number and area of protected areas, regulating fire use, and allocating fire brigades before dry seasons.

Pathological findings in stranded harbor porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) with special focus on anthropogenic causes

Humans impact natural systems at an unprecedented rate. The North Sea is one of the regions in the world with the highest levels of anthropogenic activity. Here, the harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) is an abundant species and is often regarded as an ecosystem sentinel. A post-mortem surveillance program was established in the Netherlands aimed at increasing knowledge of the effects of human activities on harbor porpoises. In this study, we describe the pathological findings related to anthropogenic and natural causes of death categories in 612 harbor porpoises that stranded between 2008 and 2019, and assess their relations to age, sex, season, and location. The largest anthropogenic category was bycatch (17%), with mainly juveniles affected and peak periods in March and September–October. Other, infrequently diagnosed anthropogenic causes of death were trauma (4%), largely most likely due to ship collisions, and marine debris ingestion and entanglement (0.3%). The risk of dying from anthropogenic causes was highest for juveniles. Lesions compatible with noise-induced hearing loss were investigated in carcasses which were fresh enough to do so (n = 50), with lesions apparent in two porpoises. Non-direct human-induced threats included infectious diseases, which were by far the largest cause of death category (32%), and affected mainly adults. Also, gray seal (Halichoerus grypus) attacks were a frequently assigned cause of death category (24%). There were more acute predation cases in the earlier study years, while porpoises with lesions that suggested escape from gray seal attacks were diagnosed more recently, which could suggest that porpoises adapted to this threat. Our study contributes to understanding porpoise health in response to persisting, new, emerging, and cumulative threats. Building up such knowledge is crucial for conservation management of this protected species.

Grizzly bear (Ursus arctos) movements and habitat use predict human-caused mortality across temporal scales

While the location of wildlife mortalities provides some insight on the cause of death, identifying the risk factors associated with mortality events and in which cases these factors result in death requires information on individual behaviour prior to death. With access to a long-term database of grizzly bear ( Ursus arctos L., 1758) GPS locations, we investigated how behaviour differed between individuals that died of anthropogenic causes and those that survived across different temporal scales. We analyzed movement (diurnality and daily displacement) and habitat use (modelled risk and habitat quality) of grizzly bears residing in Alberta, Canada, from 2005 to 2021 to determine whether grizzly bears that died and grizzly bears that survived differed in these behaviours 2–4 years, 1 year, and 1 week prior to death, and whether patterns changed over time. We found that diurnality increased in the last year of life, while displacement increased in the last week of life, with differences becoming greater nearer the day of death. Grizzly bears that died used high-risk and low-quality habitat at all time scales, and these behaviours increased as death approached. Our analysis suggests that grizzly bear mortalities do not occur randomly but happen at times when individuals exhibit high-risk behaviours. This information can be used to make management decisions related to habitat management, road use, and human access.

Status, Activity Pattern and Habitat Use of Rusty-Spotted Cat (Prionailurus rubiginosus) in Gir Protected Area, Gujarat, India.

Lack of ecological information apart from anthropogenic causes like habitat fragmentation is among the major hindrances in proper conservation planning of endemic rusty-spotted cat ( Prionailurus rubiginosus) . The present study assessed the status, fine scale habitat use, and activity pattern of the rusty-spotted cat using camera traps at 50 sites in Gir protected area, Gujarat, India. Camera traps were placed in a systematic grid of 4 km 2 and resulted in a total 2003 trap night effort. The rusty-spotted cat status was assessed using relative abundance indices, while the activity pattern was assessed using circular statistics. Generalized linear model with binomial distribution and logit link was used to assess the variables affecting habitat use of rusty-spotted cat. A total of 30 captures of the rusty-spotted cat were obtained, resulting in a RAI of 1.49 captures/100 trap nights. Activity pattern of rusty-spotted cat was nocturnal (mean activity =01:06 hours (S.E.=00:29)) and non-uniform (Z=17.84, p<0.05). Habitat use of rusty-spotted cat was found to be positively related to the rodent abundance and shrub height and negatively related to the tree abundance. Rusty-spotted cat used mixed habitat most followed by moist mixed, teak acacia ziziphus and thorn woodland habitat. The present study can act as a baseline for future studies on rusty-spotted cat in the Gir landscape.

Status, Activity Pattern and Habitat Use of Rusty-Spotted Cat (Prionailurus rubiginosus) in Gir Protected Area, Gujarat, India.

Lack of ecological information apart from anthropogenic causes like habitat fragmentation is among the major hindrances in proper conservation planning of endemic rusty-spotted cat ( Prionailurus rubiginosus) . The present study assessed the status, fine scale habitat use, and activity pattern of the rusty-spotted cat using camera traps at 50 sites in Gir protected area, Gujarat, India. Camera traps were placed in a systematic grid of 4 km 2 and resulted in a total 2003 trap night effort. The rusty-spotted cat status was assessed using relative abundance indices, while the activity pattern was assessed using circular statistics. Generalized linear model with binomial distribution and logit link was used to assess the variables affecting habitat use of rusty-spotted cat. A total of 30 captures of the rusty-spotted cat were obtained, resulting in a RAI of 1.49 captures/100 trap nights. Activity pattern of rusty-spotted cat was nocturnal (mean activity =01:06 hours (S.E.=00:29)) and non-uniform (Z=17.84, p<0.05). Habitat use of rusty-spotted cat was found to be positively related to the rodent abundance and shrub height and negatively related to the tree abundance. Rusty-spotted cat used mixed habitat most followed by moist mixed, teak acacia ziziphus and thorn woodland habitat. The present study can act as a baseline for future studies on rusty-spotted cat in the Gir landscape.

Waterbody status of upper Ganga basin and its major tributaries using enviro‐assessment techniques

AbstractIn the past two decades, freshwater bodies and their water quality have deteriorated rapidly due to several natural and anthropogenic causes, as well as rapid urbanization and industrialization. Using environmental assessment tools, eight sampling stations were used to assess the water quality of the upper Ganga and its major headstreams between January 2019 and December 2021 and to assess the impact of human‐led activities on the environment and the suitability of the catchment basin to perpetuate aquatic ecological diversity. During the current study period, water quality indices such as the Water Quality Index (WQI), Nemerow Pollution Index (NPI), and the Overall index of pollution (OIP) were employed to assess water quality. Twelve physicochemical parameters were examined using appropriate techniques and then compared to international standards. A small increase was observed in some physicochemical parameters, such as pH, Turbidity, Dissolved Oxygen, and Biological Oxygen Demand, at sampling stations 7 and 8. In the upper Ganga basin, all three indices (WQI, NPI, and OIP) accurately recorded numerous natural and human events at the selected sample sites. The water quality demonstrated that aquatic species were abundant. The water quality at some sample stations was also negatively affected by human activities, such as riverbed mining. However, these types of activities must be monitored and assessed.

RSB: Robust Successive Binarization for Change Detection in Bitemporal Hyperspectral Images

The Earth’s observation programs, through the acquisition of remotely sensed hyperspectral images, aim at detecting and monitoring any relevant surface change due to natural or anthropogenic causes. The proposed algorithm, given as input a pair of hyperspectral images, produces as output a binary image denoting in white the changed pixels and in black the unchanged ones. The presented procedure relies on the computation of specific dissimilarity measures and applies successive binarization techniques, which prove to be robust, with respect to the different scenarios produced by the chosen measure, and fully automatic. The numerical tests show superior behavior when other common binarization techniques are used, and very competitive results are achieved when other methodologies are applied on the same benchmarks.

Awareness, Knowledge and Perception of Forest Dependent Communities on Climate Change in Malawi: A Case of Mchinji and Phirilongwe Forest Reserves in Malawi

ABSTRACT Projected climate change presents many challenges and opportunities for individuals, households and wider society on how to adapt. Local knowledge is key to help smallholder farmers to cope with climate change and variability to attain sustainable forest management. However, there is limited understanding of what shapes human adaptation to climate change in various sectors at local level including forestry in sub-Saharan Africa. Therefore, this study explored the awareness, knowledge and perception of forest-dependent communities on climate change and variability around Phirilongwe and Mchinji forest reserves in Malawi. Empirical data was collected using household surveys (n = 422), key informant interviews (16), and focus group discussions (8). Results suggest that 60% of respondents in Mchinji were aware of climate change as compared to only 35% in Mangochi. Results record that respondents perceived increased erratic rainfall, high temperatures and strong winds and changes in seasons. The main factors influencing their climate perception includes possession of farming skills (p = .002), Education (P = .04), gender (P = .002) and possession of livestock keeping skills (p = .02). However, the cube root stratification method indicates that their level of knowledge falls in the low-level category. Although negligible proportion of climate skepticisms was exposed, a strong belief in anthropogenic causes of climate change and willingness to adopt environmental friendly intervention measures were revealed. However, the presence of the believers in the cultural and spiritual causes of climate change in the study area presents a challenge to mobilize them toward implementation of climate intervention measures and forest management. We therefore recommend their participation in the climate adaptation intervention designs and multiple use of various strategies and methods that will help to address their livelihoods at the same time improve their climate information and knowledge.