Seasonal Changes Research Articles

Dynamics of Phytoplankton in Bangladesh’s Largest Freshwater Lake: Seasonal Shift and Environmental Drivers

This study examines the seasonal shift of the phytoplankton assemblage of Kaptai Lake, Bangladesh, to elucidate the underlying drivers and ecological integrity. In 2020 and 2021, phytoplankton and physiochemical parameters were collected. There were found to be 59 genera of phytoplankton, with the pre-monsoon Zygnematophyceae having the highest seasonal dominance, followed by the monsoon Cyanophyceae and post-monsoon Chlorophyceae. The range of abundance was 0.89-2.95×106 cells/L, respectively. Alpha diversity indices revealed the phytoplankton community was highly diversified. Zygnematophyceae, Dinophyceae, and Bacillariophyceae were identified by SIMPER analysis as major contributors to community variation. Significant correlations were found between temperature, total dissolved solids, alkalinity, conductivity, and transparency, indicating their impact on the dynamics of phytoplankton with seasonal changes. These results demonstrate how the phytoplankton community of Kaptai Lake is rich and dynamic, influenced by seasonal variations in temperature and the resulting changes in the water’s chemistry. This information helps to build successful conservation plans and offers an insightful understanding of the ecology of freshwater lakes.

Utilising fatty acid prediction equations and mid‐infrared spectroscopy to estimate the seasonality changes in bovine milk from pasture‐based systems

The aim of this study was to utilise mid‐infrared spectroscopy with fatty acid (FA) predictions to characterise the seasonality‐associated changes to the FA profile of milk from Irish spring‐calving pasture‐based dairy cow production systems. A total of 546 454 individual milk records were collected from the Years 2015 to 2020, from 264 003 cows in 2400 commercial dairy farms. Significant changes occur to the predicted FA profile of milk across the year, such as increases in unsaturated FAs including C18:1 n‐9 until April. This can be associated with the increasing proportion of fresh pasture in the cows' diet, and a decrease between September and October as the cows begin to transition indoors for the winter period. The opposite trend was noted for saturated FAs and in particular C16:0, where proportions decreased until April and increased between September and November. Milk produced between April and September also coincided with the lowest spreadability index, indicating a more beneficial milk FA profile for more spreadable butter texture during this period. This work provides a valuable reference resource at a national level of the FA profile of milk from pasture‐based spring‐calving dairy systems.

Assessment of the effectiveness of coarse resolution fire products in monitoring long-term changes in fire regime within protected areas in South Africa

Although high-resolution satellite and in situ airborne observations are becoming a common data source for fire monitoring, reconstruction of the historical fire record is based on less suitable data. In many regions, managers and policy-makers rely solely on coarse resolution global fire datasets. This study assessed the suitability of readily available products to accurately depict several fire metrics by comparing them to the manually derived fire scars within three natural reserves in South Africa (2003–2020). Contrary to previous findings, we showed that MCD64A1 and FireCCI51 products detected the majority of the burned area (70–97 %) within protected areas and showed high temporal consistency. Additionally, active and burned area products accurately detected the length and the peak of the fire season. Nonetheless, we found neither medium nor coarse resolution data suitable for evaluating long-term changes in fire size distribution. Coarse resolution burned area products demonstrated a very limited capacity to detect fires smaller than 100 ha, while a lack of sufficient non-cloudy Landsat images led to substantial gaps in fire reconstruction, bringing an unknown level of uncertainties in fire metrics estimates. Similarly, the only available medium-resolution burned area product (GABAM) was unsuitable for fire monitoring since unmapped areas were classified as unburned, making no distinction between regions with an absence of data and an absence of fires. Meanwhile, the performance of FireCCILT11 was ranked the lowest among all the available fire products. Given the lack of resources in many protected areas in South Africa and the pressing need to evaluate current and historical fire management practices and policies, we conclude that, in the absence of a more accurate higher-resolution alternative, MCD64A1 was the most suitable product for capturing year-to-year fluctuations in fire activity and a combination of MODIS and VIIRS active fire products for monitoring changes in fire seasonality.

Trophic ecology and habitat use of an overexploited commercial snapper (Lutjanus jocu) in a tropical nursery estuary elucidated by stable isotopes

Despite the economic importance and susceptibility to overfishing of the dog snapper Lutjanus jocu, information on their first life stages and the use of nursery habitats remains scarce. Herein, we assessed the seasonal and ontogenetic changes on trophic ecology and habitat use of juveniles in a tropical estuary. Trophic position, prey assimilation, and trophic connectivity across dry and wet seasons and different size classes (< 100 and > 100 mm of total length – TL) were investigated using stable isotope analysis. A total of 57 individuals of 101.8 ± 51.9 mm (mean ± SD) of TL, ranging from 29 mm to 245 mm, had their trophic ecology and habitat use analyzed using dorsal muscle’s carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) stable isotope ratios. Significant differences were observed for δ13C according to the season (ANOVA, p < 0.001), but this pattern was not observed for δ15N (ANOVA, p = 0.471). In contrast, significant differences were observed for δ13C (ANOVA, p = 0.045) and δ15N (ANOVA, p < 0.001) according to the size classes. Trophic position increased according to body size (from 3.01 ± 0.09 to 3.57 ± 0.08 in smaller and larger individuals, respectively), although it remained similar between wet and dry seasons. Mangrove crab (Goniopsis cruentata) was the most assimilated prey across seasons, with a shift towards shrimps for the larger dog snappers. Our Bayesian mixing models revealed that juvenile dog snappers depend predominantly on trophic sources from sheltered estuarine habitats. However, smaller individuals have an isotopic composition more similar to marine sources, therefore, suggesting their recent ingression into the estuarine nursery habitat. In conclusion, our findings may serve as a basis for conservation plans, reinforcing the critical importance of preserving habitat connectivity during the early stages of fish species that use estuaries as nursery grounds and face threats from overexploitation.

Self-supervised learning unveils urban change from street-level images

Cities around the world are grappling with multiple interconnected challenges, including population growth, shortage of affordable and decent housing, and the need for neighborhood improvements. Despite its critical importance for policy, our ability to effectively monitor and track urban change remains limited. Deep learning-based computer vision methods applied to street-level images have been successful in the measurement of socioeconomic and environmental inequalities but did not fully utilize temporal images to track urban change, as time-varying labels are often unavailable. We used self-supervised methods to measure change in London using 15 million street images taken between 2008 and 2021. Our novel adaptation of Barlow Twins, Street2Vec, embeds urban structure while being invariant to seasonal and daily changes without manual annotations. It outperformed generic pretrained embeddings, successfully identified point-level change in London's housing supply from street-level images, and distinguished between major and minor change. This capability can provide timely information for urban planning and policy decisions towards more liveable, equitable, and sustainable cities.

Seasonal dynamics of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in microplankton from Kaohsiung Harbor (Taiwan Strait, northeastern South China Sea)

The impact of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) on the marine food web is crucially understudied in the primary trophic system. We evaluated the seasonal dynamics of PAHs in microplankton in a polluted environment (Taiwan), northeastern South China Sea. Replicate size-fractionated microplankton (55–1000 μm) were freeze-dried, and PAHs were extracted with a 1:1 v/v ratio of acetone: n-hexane, then analyzed using GC–MS. Total PAHs ranged between 68 and 2548 ng/g dw in microplankton, greatest during spring (130–2548 ng/g), followed by autumn (135–772 ng/g) and summer (44–423 ng/g). Spatial distribution varied through seasons but was higher in the southern part (S6 > S4 > S5 > S2 > S3 > S1 > S7), dominated by higher-ring PAHs from mixed pyrogenic and petrogenic sources. PAHs are significantly correlated with environmental factors, especially in colder seasons and lower salinity areas. Suspended matter and plankton influenced PAH transport and partitioning seasonally. Plankton's PAHs seasonal changes and environmental influences are revealed in an anthropic environment.

The effects of seasonal climate change on the safflower genotypes productivity under Central Anatolian conditions

The effects of seasonal climate change on the safflower genotypes productivity under <scp>Central Anatolian</scp> conditions

Martian atmospheric hydrogen and deuterium: Seasonal changes and paradigm for escape to space.

Mars' water history is fundamental to understanding Earth-like planet evolution. Water escapes to space as atoms, and hydrogen atoms escape faster than deuterium giving an increase in the residual D/H ratio. The present ratio reflects the total water Mars has lost. Observations with the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) and Hubble Space Telescope (HST) spacecraft provide atomic densities and escape rates for H and D. Large increases near perihelion observed each martian year are consistent with a strong upwelling of water vapor. Short-term changes require processes in addition to thermal escape, likely from atmospheric dynamics and superthermal atoms. Including escape from hot atoms, both H and D escape rapidly, and the escape fluxes are limited by resupply from the lower atmosphere. In this paradigm for the escape of water, the D/H ratio of the escaping atoms and the enhancement in water are determined by upwelling water vapor and atmospheric dynamics rather than by the specific details of atomic escape.

Metal/Metalloid Presence and Health Risks in Drinking Water Plants—Insights from Nanjing, China

Metal contamination in drinking water is well known; however, detailed insights into the metals/metalloids in finished water and their health effects are lacking. Water samples collected over four seasons from August 2022 to April 2023 from three locations in the Yangtze River basin in Nanjing were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry to detect 33 metal/metalloid types. This study assessed seasonal and spatial variations and evaluated the removal efficiencies of advanced treatment processes. Health risks from metal/metalloid ingestion were calculated using a risk assessment model from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). No significant regional differences in total metal/metalloid concentrations were found between the source and finished waters. Metals such as Cr, Ga, Hg, Pb, and Rb varied seasonally, peaking in winter. The advanced treatment process outperformed the conventional process for As removal. However, the removal efficiencies were lower for Mn, Cd, Hg, Se, and Zn than those of the conventional process. Positive correlations were observed among several metals, suggesting that metals may have similar sources of contamination. The main carcinogenic risk exceeded the acceptable levels in children according to the USEPA. Non-carcinogenic risks were below the threshold values, but As, Tl, and V were highlighted as key risk elements. Seasonal changes markedly influenced metal/metalloid concentrations and distributions in water, necessitating risk management focused on arsenic.

UPAYA PENCEGAHAN DEMAM BERDARAH MELALUI LINTAS PROGRAM BERTERNAK IKAN CUPANG (BETTA SPLENDENS) DI DUSUN MERTOSANAN DESA POTORONO BANTUL

The area of Banguntapan Sub-district is a lowland area with a high density, every change of season the incidence of Dengue Fever is quite high, efforts are needed to suppress the development of mosquitoes. One way to break the chain of mosquito breeding is to raise Betta fish, which aims to increase economic income from fish farming. Counseling on fish farming activities in order to prevent mosquito breeding. A total of 23 participants in the Pre-test and Post-test Evaluation of Health Counseling Activities on DHF and its prevention were in the good range. While the results of the evaluation of counseling activities by training participants were in the satisfactory range. Efforts are needed to prevent DHF using simple technology not only to have an impact on reducing incidence and increasing family economy through Betta farming.

Effect of photoperiod and illuminance on daily activity patterns, physiology and NPY peptide expression in migratory redheaded buntings (Emberiza bruniceps).

Introduction Light is the primary source of energy and regulates seasonal changes in physiology and behavior. The role of photoperiod has been much investigated in several bird species, but the role of illumination in seasonal adaptations of passerine finches is less understood. We, therefore, investigated the effects of photoperiod and illuminance on migratory physiology in a Palearctic-Indian migratory finch, redheaded bunting (Emberiza bruncieps). Methods Photosensitive buntings maintained under short days (8L:16D) were divided into three groups receiving 5, 25, and 100 lux of white daytime illuminance respectively. Thereafter, using photoperiodic manipulation three life history states, i.e., nonmigratory (NM), premigratory (PM), and migratory (MIG) states were induced in the buntings. The birds in the MIG state were consecutively perfused after seven nights of Zugunruhe (nighttime migratory restlessness) for NPY-immunohistochemistry, which is involved in a wide range of functions including energy homeostasis, vision, and fat deposition in birds. Results We found differential effects of illuminance on locomotor activity and physiology. Photostimulated birds showed intense nighttime activity in the MIG state. We observed premigratory hyperphagia in the birds, with increased food intake in the 100 lux group, which was reflected in the body mass gain in the MIG state. NPY neuropeptide expression on the periphery of the n. rotundus (pROT), suggests its potential role in visual acuity, where the NPY-cell count significantly decreased under 25 lux illumination. Conclusion We demonstrate that migrating birds may also experience physiological effects from changes in daytime illumination. We observed illuminance-dependent variations in the quantity of food consumed by the birds. It indicates that the illuminance may also impact the encephalic centers that control food intake.

Clusters of Regional Precipitation Seasonality Change in the Community Earth System Model version 2

Clusters of Regional Precipitation Seasonality Change in the Community Earth System Model version 2

A Fresh Take: Seasonal Changes in Terrestrial Freshwater Inputs Impact Salt Marsh Hydrology and Vegetation Dynamics

AbstractSalt marshes exist at the terrestrial-marine interface, providing important ecosystem services such as nutrient cycling and carbon sequestration. Tidal inputs play a dominant role in salt marsh porewater mixing, and terrestrially derived freshwater inputs are increasingly recognized as important sources of water and solutes to intertidal wetlands. However, there remains a critical gap in understanding the role of freshwater inputs on salt marsh hydrology, and how this may impact marsh subsurface salinity and plant productivity. Here, we address this knowledge gap by examining the hydrologic behavior, porewater salinity, and pickleweed (Sarcocornia pacifica also known as Salicornia pacifica) plant productivity along a salt marsh transect in an estuary along the central coast of California. Through the installation of a suite of hydrometric sensors and routine porewater sampling and vegetation surveys, we sought to understand how seasonal changes in terrestrial freshwater inputs impact salt marsh ecohydrologic processes. We found that salt marsh porewater salinity, shallow subsurface saturation, and pickleweed productivity are closely coupled with elevated upland water level during the winter and spring, and more influenced by tidal inputs during the summer and fall. This seasonal response indicates a switch in salt marsh hydrologic connectivity with the terrestrial upland that impacts ecosystem functioning. Through elucidating the interannual impacts of drought on salt marsh hydrology, we found that the severity of drought and historical precipitation can impact contemporary hydrologic behavior and the duration and timing of the upland-marsh hydrologic connectivity. This implies that the sensitivity of salt marshes to climate change involves a complex interaction between sea level rise and freshwater inputs that vary at seasonal to interannual timescales.

Seasonal Variability in the Relationship between the Volume-Scattering Function at 180° and the Backscattering Coefficient Observed from Spaceborne Lidar and Biogeochemical Argo (BGC-Argo) Floats

The derivation of the particulate-backscattering coefficient (bbp) from Lidar signals is highly influenced by the parameter χp(π), which is defined by χp(π) = bbp/(2πβp(π)). This parameter facilitates the correlation of the particulate-volume-scattering function at 180°, denoted βp(π), with bbp. However, studies exploring the global and seasonal fluctuations of χp(π) remain sparse, largely due to measurement difficulties of βp(π) in the field conditions. This study pioneers the global data collection for χp(π), integrating bbp observations from Biogeochemical Argo (BGC-Argo) floats and βp(π) data from the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP) spaceborne lidar. Our findings indicate that χp(π) experiences significant seasonal differences globally, peaking during summer and nadiring in winter. The global average χp(π) was calculated as 0.40, 0.48, 0.43, and 0.35 during spring, summer, autumn, and winter, respectively. The daytime values of χp(π) slightly exceeded those registered at night. To illuminate the seasonal variations in χp(π) in 26 sea regions worldwide, we deployed passive ocean color data MODIS bbp and active remote sensing data CALIOP βp(π), distinguishing three primary seasonal change patterns—the “summer peak”, the “decline”, and the “autumn pole”—with the “summer peak” typology being the most common. Post recalibration of the CALIOP bbp product considering seasonal χp(π) variations, we observed substantial statistical improvements. Specifically, the coefficient of determination (R2) markedly improved from 0.84 to 0.89, while the root mean square error (RMSE) declined from 4.0 × 10−4 m−1 to 3.0 × 10−4 m−1. Concurrently, the mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) also dropped significantly, from 31.48% to 25.27%.

Seasonal Muscular Power Changes: Considerations of Concurrent Resistance and Field-Based Training in Professional Rugby League.

Redman, KJ, Wade, L, Whitley, R, Connick, MJ, Kelly, VG, and Beckman, EM. Seasonal muscular power changes: considerations of concurrent resistance and field-based training in professional rugby league. J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000-000, 2024-A rugby league player's ability to develop or maintain lower-body power will be significantly influenced by the resistance and field-based training loads completed. This study aimed to examine the power changes across a rugby league season and to investigate the relationship of concurrent training and training experience on power changes. Eighteen rugby league players participated in this study. Lower-body power was evaluated using a countermovement jump throughout the season. Four measures of external training loads were collected. A Friedman's test was used to assess differences in power throughout different phases of the season. A series of Spearman's rank-order correlations were conducted to assess the relationship between percentage changes in power during the training block, external training loads, and training experience. Countermovement jump peak velocity significantly decreased from the start (p = 0.006) and end of pre-season (p = 0.022) to the late competition. Correlation analysis revealed a large significant association between early competition field-based external loads (relative (rs = -0.571) and total distance (rs = -0.628)) and change in peak power. Very large significant negative relationships were also observed between mid-competition volume load with change in peak force (rs = -0.825) and peak power (rs = -0.736). Training experience was not significantly associated with changes in muscular power variables throughout this study. Coaches should seek to monitor changes in peak power when competition begins and to assist with decision-making for potential adjustments to running volume and intensity during field-based sessions.

Study on Optimization Method for InSAR Baseline Considering Changes in Vegetation Coverage

Time-series Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) technology, renowned for its high-precision, wide coverage, and all-weather capabilities, has become an essential tool for Earth observation. However, the quality of the interferometric baseline network significantly influences the monitoring accuracy of InSAR technology. Therefore, optimizing the interferometric baseline is crucial for enhancing InSAR’s monitoring accuracy. Surface vegetation changes can disrupt the coherence between SAR images, introducing incoherent noise into interferograms and reducing InSAR’s monitoring accuracy. To address this issue, we propose and validate an optimization method for the InSAR baseline that considers changes in vegetation coverage (OM-InSAR-BCCVC) in the Yuanmou dry-hot valley. Initially, based on the imaging times of SAR image pairs, we categorize all interferometric image pairs into those captured during months of high vegetation coverage and those from months of low vegetation coverage. We then remove the image pairs with coherence coefficients below the category average. Using the Small Baseline Subset InSAR (SBAS-InSAR) technique, we retrieve surface deformation information in the Yuanmou dry-hot valley. Landslide identification is subsequently verified using optical remote sensing images. The results show that significant seasonal changes in vegetation coverage in the Yuanmou dry-hot valley lead to noticeable seasonal variations in InSAR coherence, with the lowest coherence in July, August, and September, and the highest in January, February, and December. The average coherence threshold method is limited in this context, resulting in discontinuities in the interferometric baseline network. Compared with methods without baseline optimization, the interferometric map ratio improved by 17.5% overall after applying the OM-InSAR-BCCVC method, and the overall inversion error RMSE decreased by 0.5 rad. From January 2021 to May 2023, the radar line of sight (LOS) surface deformation rate in the Yuanmou dry-hot valley, obtained after atmospheric correction by GACOS, baseline optimization, and geometric distortion region masking, ranged from −73.87 mm/year to 127.35 mm/year. We identified fifteen landslides and potential landslide sites, primarily located in the northern part of the Yuanmou dry-hot valley, with maximum subsidence exceeding 100 mm at two notable points. The OM-InSAR-BCCVC method effectively reduces incoherent noise caused by vegetation coverage changes, thereby improving the monitoring accuracy of InSAR.

Preserving isohydricity: vertical environmental variability explains Amazon forest water use strategies.

Increases in hydrological extremes, including drought, are expected for Amazon forests. A fundamental challenge for predicting forest responses lies in identifying ecological strategies which underlie such responses. Characterization of species-specific hydraulic strategies for regulating water use, thought to be arrayed along an 'isohydric-anisohydric' spectrum, is a widely used approach. However, recent studies have questioned the usefulness of this classification scheme, because its metrics are strongly influenced by environments, hence can lead to divergent classifications even within the same species. Here, we propose an alternative approach positing that individual hydraulic regulation strategies emerge from the interaction of environments with traits. Specifically, we hypothesize that the vertical forest profile represents a key gradient in drought-related environments (atmospheric vapor pressure deficit, soil water availability) that drives divergent tree water use strategies for coordinated regulation of stomatal conductance (gs) and leaf water potentials (ΨL) with tree rooting depth, a proxy for water availability. Testing this hypothesis in a seasonal eastern Amazon forest in Brazil, we found that hydraulic strategies indeed depend on height-associated environments. Upper canopy trees, experiencing high VPD, but stable soil water access through deep rooting, exhibited isohydric strategies, defined by little seasonal change in the diurnal pattern of gs and steady seasonal minimum ΨL. By contrast, understory trees, exposed to less variable VPD but highly variable soil water availability, exhibited anisohydric strategies, with fluctuations in diurnal gs that increased in the dry season along with increasing variation in ΨL. Our finding that canopy height structures the coordination between drought-related environmental stressors and hydraulic traits provides a basis for preserving the applicability of the isohydric-to-anisohydric spectrum, which we show here may consistently emerge from environmental context. Our work highlights the importance of understanding how environmental heterogeneity structures forest responses to climate change, providing a mechanistic basis for improving models of tropical ecosystems.

Variation and Interaction of Distinct Subgenomes Contribute to Growth Diversity in Intergeneric Hybrid Fish.

Intergeneric hybridization greatly reshapes regulatory interactions among allelic and non-allelic genes. However, their effects on growth diversity remain poorly understood in animals. In this study, we conducted whole-genome sequencing and RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) analyses in diverse hybrid varieties resulting from the intergeneric hybridization of goldfish (Carassius auratus red var.) and common carp (Cyprinus carpio). These hybrid individuals were characterized by distinct mitochondrial genomes and copy number variations. Through a weighted gene correlation network analysis, we identified 3693 genes as candidate growth-regulated genes. Among them, the expression of 3672 genes in subgenome R (originating from goldfish) displayed negative correlations with growth rate, whereas 20 genes in subgenome C (originating from common carp) exhibited positive correlations. Notably, we observed intriguing patterns in the expression of slc2a12 in subgenome C, showing opposite correlations with body weight that changed with water temperatures, suggesting differential interactions between feeding activity and weight gain in response to seasonal changes for hybrid animals. In 40.31% of alleles, we observed dominant trans-regulatory effects in the regulatory interaction between distinct alleles from subgenomes R and C. Integrating analyses of allelic-specific expression and DNA methylation data revealed that the influence of DNA methylation on both subgenomes shapes the relative contribution of allelic expression to the growth rate. These findings provide novel insights into the interaction of distinct subgenomes that underlie heterosis in growth traits and contribute to a better understanding of multiple allele traits in animals.

Engineering Evaluation of Laterite Derived from Sedimentary Rock for Use as Subgrade and Sub-Base Materials

Geotechnical assessment of lateritic soils obtained from along the Ojota and Shagamu ends of the Lagos–Ibadan expressway was conducted to evaluate their suitability for use as sub-grade and sub-base materials. Laboratory tests, including moisture content, specific gravity, particle size distribution, fabric/plasticity, compaction, and California Bearing Ratio (CBR), were performed on eight (8) soil samples following British Standards (BS) 1377 methods for soil testing. The lateritic soils were classified as clayey sand, silty clay, and silty to clayey sand. They exhibited moderate plasticity and semi-pervious characteristics, suggesting suitability for use as sub-grade materials. Samples 3, 5, 7, and 8 were identified as more suitable for road construction materials, while Samples 1, 2, 4, and 6 showed susceptibility to seasonal volume changes due to high clay content. These samples would require minor soil stabilization to mitigate the effects of their active clay contents. Adequate drainage systems were recommended to prevent water accumulation, soil volume changes, loss of load-bearing capacity, and potential material failure beneath road pavements. The geotechnical properties of the lateritic soils from the tropical area of Ojota–Shagamu differed significantly from those of other lateritic soils found in southwestern Nigeria.

Overlooked cooling effects of albedo in terrestrial ecosystems

Abstract Radiative forcing (RF) resulting from changes in surface albedo is increasingly recognized as a significant driver of global climate change but has not been adequately estimated, including by IPCC assessment reports, compared with other warming agents. Here, we first present the physical foundation for modeling albedo-induced radiative forcing (RF¬) and the consequent global warming impact (GWI∆α). We then highlight the shortcomings of available current databases and methodologies for calculating GWI∆α at multiple temporal scales. There is a clear lack of comprehensive in situ measurements of albedo due to sparse geographic coverage of ground-based stations, whereas estimates from satellites suffer from biases due to the limited frequency of image collection, and estimates from Earth System Models suffer from very coarse spatial resolution land cover maps and associated albedo values in pre-determined lookup tables. Field measurements of albedo show large differences by ecosystem type and large diurnal and seasonal changes. As indicated from our findings in southwest Michigan, GWI∆α is substantial, exceeding the RF∆α values of IPCC reports. Inclusion of GWIΔα to landowners and carbon credit markets for specific management practices are needed in future policies. We further identify four pressing research priorities: developing a comprehensive albedo database, pinpointing accurate reference sites within managed landscapes, refining algorithms for remote sensing of albedo by integrating geostationary and other orbital satellites, and integrating the GWI∆α component into future Earth System Models.