Climatic Conditions Research Articles

The Last Grand Külliye of Istanbul: The Yeni Valide Mosque Complex and the Little Ice Age

The construction of the Yeni Valide Mosque complex, located on the northern edge of Istanbul’s historical peninsula in the district of Eminönü, began in 1597 under the patronage of Sultan Mehmed III’s mother Safiye Sultan. The project was halted abruptly in 1603 at the foundation phase and stood dormant for almost six decades. Between 1661 and 1663, another royal woman patron, Valide Hatice Turhan, supported the revision and completion of the project. Although scholars have long examined the construction process, architecture, and decoration of the project in detail, I reevaluate our knowledge of the monument based on recent scientific discoveries regarding the climate change phenomenon known as the ‘Little Ice Age’, which reached its peak in the seventeenth century. As we address another major climate change event today, this study provides insight into our understanding of the social, cultural, and historical impacts of such dramatic changes to climate conditions on architectural projects and urban dynamics in the Ottoman Empire.

Collective fishing with representatives of indigenous peoples of the North as a legalization of fishing for non-indigenous rural residents in the Primorsky Krai

Rural population who lives in the same natural and cultural landscape, and sometimes within the same vil-lage, are differentiated in their rights to access natural resources. People classified as indigenous population of the North, Siberia and the Far East (KMNS), unlike officially non-indigenous population, receive legal access to various biological resources. Positive discrimination of particular groups, for various reasons attributed to ‘more’ indigenous, has been causing controversy among anthropologists and sociologists for several decades, espe-cially regarding the situation of non-indigenous residents of multi-ethnic rural areas who do not have the right of access to natural resources, while living in the same environment. In Russia, this problem is specifically relevant for the coastal regions of the Far East, where fish and salmon roe have been historically the most important re-source of self-sustainment for both indigenous residents and resettlers. Using the example of one of the coastal areas of Primorsky Krai, where representatives of indigenous and non-indigenous peoples live alongside each other, we show how unequal distribution of rights to extract natural resources affects communication between them. Based on semi-structured interviews, informal conversations and observations collected during the field research, we have found that individual salmon fishing quotas are becoming a way to partially legalize informal fishing. Villagers go out fishing with their fellow villagers, and in case of the appearance of law enforcement agen-cies, fishermen from among KMNS take full responsibility for the catch and fishing gear on themselves. Regard-less of nationality, rural residents consider it unfair that non-indigenous peoples, who live in the same natural and climatic conditions, and have similar to KMNS economy, have no rights to catch salmonids. Thus, against the background of allocation of quotas for salmonid catching only to indigenous fishermen, new practices of reproduc-tion of solidarity and reciprocity are emerging in multiethnic rural communities.

Climate change scenario analysis in Spree catchment, Germany using statistically downscaled ERA5-Land climate reanalysis data

This study focuses on the statistical downscaling of ERA5-Land reanalysis data using the Statistical DownScaling Model (SDSM) to generate climate change scenarios for the Spree catchment. Linear scaling was used to reduce the biases of the Global Climate Model for precipitation and temperature. The statistical analyses demonstrated that this method is a promising and straightforward way of correcting biases in climate data. SDSM was used to generate climate change scenarios, which considered three emission scenarios: RCP 2.6, RCP 4.5, and RCP 8.5. The results indicated that higher precipitation is expected under higher emission scenarios. Specifically, the summer and autumn seasons were projected to experience up to 50 mm more rainfall in the next 80 years, and the temperature was projected to increase by up to 1∘C by 2100. These projections of climate data for different scenarios are useful for assessing water management studies for agricultural and hydrologic applications considering changing climate conditions. This study highlights the importance of statistical downscaling and scenario generation in understanding the potential impacts of climate change on water resources. The results of this study can provide valuable insights into water resource management, especially on adapting to changing climate conditions.

A large-scale transcontinental river system crossed West Antarctica during the Eocene.

Extensive ice coverage largely prevents investigations of Antarctica's unglaciated past. Knowledge about environmental and tectonic development before large-scale glaciation, however, is important for understanding the transition into the modern icehouse world. We report geochronological and sedimentological data from a drill core from the Amundsen Sea shelf, providing insights into tectonic and topographic conditions during the Eocene (~44 to 34 million years ago), shortly before major ice sheet buildup. Our findings reveal the Eocene as a transition period from >40 million years of relative tectonic quiescence toward reactivation of the West Antarctic Rift System, coinciding with incipient volcanism, rise of the Transantarctic Mountains, and renewed sedimentation under temperate climate conditions. The recovered sediments were deposited in a coastal-estuarine swamp environment at the outlet of a >1500-km-long transcontinental river system, draining from the rising Transantarctic Mountains into the Amundsen Sea. Much of West Antarctica hence lied above sea level, but low topographic relief combined with low elevation inhibited widespread ice sheet formation.

Molecular screening and genetic diversity of tick-borne pathogens associated with dogs and livestock ticks in Egypt.

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) offer optimal climatic conditions for tick reproduction and dispersal. Research on tick-borne pathogens in this region is scarce. Despite recent advances in the characterization and taxonomic explanation of various tick-borne illnesses affecting animals in Egypt, no comprehensive examination of TBP (tick-borne pathogen) statuses has been performed. Therefore, the present study aims to detect the prevalence of pathogens harbored by ticks in Egypt. A four-year PCR-based study was conducted to detect a wide range of tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) harbored by three economically important tick species in Egypt. Approximately 86.7% (902/1,040) of the investigated Hyalomma dromedarii ticks from camels were found positive with Candidatus Anaplasma camelii (18.8%), Ehrlichia ruminantium (16.5%), Rickettsia africae (12.6%), Theileria annulata (11.9%), Mycoplasma arginini (9.9%), Borrelia burgdorferi (7.7%), Spiroplasma-like endosymbiont (4.0%), Hepatozoon canis (2.4%), Coxiella burnetii (1.6%) and Leishmania infantum (1.3%). Double co-infections were recorded in 3.0% (27/902) of Hy. dromedarii ticks, triple co-infections (simultaneous infection of the tick by three pathogen species) were found in 9.6% (87/902) of Hy. dromedarii ticks, whereas multiple co-infections (simultaneous infection of the tick by ≥ four pathogen species) comprised 12% (108/902). Out of 1,435 investigated Rhipicephalus rutilus ticks collected from dogs and sheep, 816 (56.9%) ticks harbored Babesia canis vogeli (17.1%), Rickettsia conorii (16.2%), Ehrlichia canis (15.4%), H. canis (13.6%), Bo. burgdorferi (9.7%), L. infantum (8.4%), C. burnetii (7.3%) and Trypanosoma evansi (6.6%) in dogs, and 242 (16.9%) ticks harbored Theileria lestoquardi (21.6%), Theileria ovis (20.0%) and Eh. ruminantium (0.3%) in sheep. Double, triple, and multiple co-infections represented 11% (90/816), 7.6% (62/816), and 10.3% (84/816), respectively in Rh. rutilus from dogs, whereas double and triple co-infections represented 30.2% (73/242) and 2.1% (5/242), respectively in Rh. rutilus from sheep. Approximately 92.5% (1,355/1,465) of Rhipicephalus annulatus ticks of cattle carried a burden of Anaplasma marginale (21.3%), Babesia bigemina (18.2%), Babesia bovis (14.0%), Borrelia theleri (12.8%), R. africae (12.4%), Th. annulata (8.7%), Bo. burgdorferi (2.7%), and Eh. ruminantium (2.5%). Double, triple, and multiple co-infections represented 1.8% (25/1,355), 11.5% (156/1,355), and 12.9% (175/1,355), respectively. The detected pathogens' sequences had 98.76-100% similarity to the available database with genetic divergence ranged between 0.0001 to 0.0009% to closest sequences from other African, Asian, and European countries. Phylogenetic analysis revealed close similarities between the detected pathogens and other isolates mostly from African and Asian countries. Continuous PCR-detection of pathogens transmitted by ticks is necessary to overcome the consequences of these infection to the hosts. More restrictions should be applied from the Egyptian authorities on animal importations to limit the emergence and re-emergence of tick-borne pathogens in the country. This is the first in-depth investigation of TBPs in Egypt.

North and South in Medieval Iberia: A historical and environmental estimate through isotopic analyses.

The Middle Ages in the Iberian Peninsula is a period of special interest for studying the relationship of climate change with historical and socioeconomic processes. Between the 8th and 15th centuries AD, the Peninsula was characterized not only by complex political, cultural, and social transitions but also by major variations in the climate. The objective of this study was to examine differences in diet and mobility between distinct populations of the Peninsula and explore the possible relationship of diet, mobility, and culture with environmental variables and geographical settings. For this purpose, we obtained stable isotopic ratios of carbon and oxygen (δ13C and δ18O) from the enamel apatite of first upper incisors from 145 individuals at eight archeological sites that represent both Christian and Islamic communities and both rural and urban social settings. Results revealed a dietary difference between Christian and Islamic populations, observing a greater contribution of C4 plants, possibly sorghum, in the diet of the latter, especially in a rural setting. The disparity in oxygen isotopic ratios between populations from the North and South of the Peninsula is consistent with modern climatic differences between these regions. In this line, intraregional variability in oxygen isotopic ratios may hint at diachronic occupation phases under varying climatic conditions. The few isotopic outliers in our sample suggest overall low mobility levels.

Caught in the Act: Incipient Speciation at the Southern limit of Viburnum in the Central Andes.

A fundamental objective of evolutionary biology is to understand the origin of independently evolving species. Phylogenetic studies of species radiations rarely are able to document ongoing speciation; instead, modes of speciation, entailing geographic separation and/or ecological differentiation, are posited retrospectively. The Oreinotinus clade of Viburnum has radiated recently from north to south through the cloud forests of Mexico and Central America to the Central Andes. Our analyses support a hypothesis of incipient speciation in Oreinotinus at the southern edge of its geographic range, from central Peru to northern Argentina. Although several species and infraspecific taxa of have been recognized in this area, multiple lines of evidence and analytical approaches (including analyses of phylogenetic relationships, genetic structure, leaf morphology, and climatic envelopes) favor the recognition of just a single species, V. seemenii. We show that what has previously been recognized as V. seemenii f. minor has recently occupied the drier Tucuman-Bolivian forest region from Samaipata in Bolivia to Salta in northern Argentina. Plants in these populations form a well-supported clade with a distinctive genetic signature and they have evolved smaller, narrower leaves. We interpret this as the beginning of a within-species divergence process that has elsewhere in the neotropics resulted repeatedly in Viburnum species with a particular set of leaf ecomorphs. Specifically, the southern populations are in the process of evolving the small, glabrous, and entire leaf ecomorph that has evolved in four other montane areas of endemism. As predicted based on our studies of leaf ecomorphs in Chiapas, Mexico, these southern populations experience generally drier conditions, with large diurnal temperature fluctuations. In a central portion of the range of V. seemenii, characterized by wetter climatic conditions, we also document what may be the initial differentiation of the leaf ecomorph with larger, pubescent, and toothy leaves. The emergence of these ecomorphs thus appears to be driven by adaptation to subtly different climatic conditions in separate geographic regions, as opposed to parapatric differentiation along elevational gradients as suggested by Viburnum species distributions in other parts of the neotropics.

Assessing the eco-environmental aspects of fossil fuels-based units substitution of Point Aconi thermal power plant by green-based energies: a case study of Canada

AbstractCanada possesses significant potential in harnessing renewable energy from its vast and diverse geography, which can generate clean electricity. This paper presents a model that replaces fossil fuels used in a proposed thermal power plant in Point Aconi, Nova Scotia, with photovoltaic and wind turbine units based on the region’s climate conditions. The research results are based on evaluating multiple thermal power plants worldwide and examining various wind turbines and PV panels from different companies to ensure accuracy. The chosen units that best suit the location’s geographical and biological conditions, transmission, and operation costs demonstrate that the power plant currently consumes approximately 47 tons of coal and petroleum coke per hour. Replacing these materials with the proposed green units makes it possible to reduce environmental pollution by eliminating almost 165 tons of CO2 and other pollutants per hour while increasing the plant’s efficiency and independence from fossil fuel price variations. The presented structure’s ROI is approximately 20 years, which is reasonable compared to the economic and environmental benefits of utilizing such a structure and converting the thermal power plant to green units.

Curvature-Based Active Region Segmentation for Improved Image Processing of Aspergillus Species

Aspergillus is one of the most ubiquitous of the airborne saprophytic fungi that can withstand various climatic conditions and could cause multiple type of illness. It can be beneficial to humankind and also can be infectious to humans and animals. Direct microscopic is used by trained microscopist as one of the alternatives in identification process to any specimen that suspected of having fungal infection. Confirmation towards identification is often necessary as the structure of Aspergillus is complex and dissimilar in each cycle. In addition, the structure of some species of Aspergillus are the almost same, which can be incorrectly recognized. In prevention of misidentification, computer-based Aspergillus species identification is proposed. The detection process is the earliest and important process hence, this paper proposed an active region-based segmentation method in order to detect the presence of fungi. This method is literally not depending on the gradient or sharp edges of the object and implementing level set function for curve evolution which able to reduce the computational cost. Originally, this function was developed for tracking fluid interfaces but in this study, this function has been applied to fungi database. Two different methods were tested and compared to observe their ability to segment different 80 of Aspergillus images which included four species. Experiments conducted have been compared with the baseline technique and the proposed method is outperformed in terms of accuracy, specificity with average of 90% and PSNR value of greater than 40dB. Meanwhile the active contour (snake) was slightly underperformed but well performed particularly in terms of sensitivity with greater than 80% for all the species. Moreover, upon scrutinizing the dice coefficients provided in both tables, it becomes apparent that there is a lack of significant variance in the values, except in the instance of Aspergillus fumigatus (active region-based) that which produces a result below 36%.

Interplay of Hydroperiod on Root Shear Strength for Coastal Wetlands

AbstractThe evolution of coastal wetlands is a complex process which is difficult to forecast, made more complicated by the addition of changing climatic conditions. Here, long term ecological and geomorphological data are coupled to geotechnical measurements at a coastal wetland in North Inlet estuary, South Carolina. The coupled methodology is presented and discussed in context of understanding coastal wetland system evolution in a changing climate. Specifically, the root shear strength of Spartina alterniflora across a range of elevations was investigated using a cone penetrometer test. Elevation, shear strength, and biomass are shown to be critically interconnected. Root strength was shown to decrease with increased inundation time and decreased elevation (i.e., mudflats). Conversely, the data set illustrates the importance of maintaining key elevation ranges in relation to sea‐level to optimize wetland resilience.

Implications of germination tolerances on invasion potential of Arthraxon hispidus.

Arthraxon hispidus is an introduced, rapidly spreading, and newly invasive grass in the eastern United States, yet little is known about the foundational biology of this aggressive invader. Germination responses to environmental factors including salinity, pH, osmotic potential, temperature, and burial depth were investigated to better understand its germination niche. Seeds from six populations in the Mid-Atlantic US germinated 95% with an average mean time to germination of 3.42 days of imbibition in the dark at 23°C. Germination occurred across a temperature range of 8-37°C and a pH range of 5-10 (≥83%), suggesting that neither pH nor temperature will limit germination in many environments. Arthraxon hispidus germination occurred in high salinity (342 mM NaCl) and osmotic potentials as low as -0.83MPa. The NaCl concentration required to reduce germination by 50% exceeded salinity concentrations found in soil and some brackish water saltmarsh systems. While drought adversely affects A. hispidus, 50% germination occurred at osmotic potentials ranging from -0.25 to -0.67 MPa. Given the climatic conditions of North America, drought stress is unlikely to restrict germination in large regions. Finally, emergence greatly decreased with burial depth. Emergence was reduced to 45% at 1-2 cm burial depths, and 0% at 8 cm. Emergence depths in concert with adequate moisture, germination across a range of temperatures, and rapid germination suggests A. hispidus' seed bank may be short-lived in moist environments, but further investigation is warranted. Given the broad abiotic tolerances of A. hispidus and a widespread native range, A. hispidus has the potential to germinate in novel territories beyond its currently observed invaded range.

Performance Evaluation of Air-Based Photovoltaic Thermal Collector Integrated with Dual Duct and Semicircular Turbulator in Actual Climate Conditions

An air-based photovoltaic thermal collector (PVTC) is a system that generates both electricity and heat using air flowing over a photovoltaic (PV) module. This system offers the advantage of easy maintenance; however, it suffers from lower thermal efficiency compared to other PVTCs, mostly owing to the low heat capacity of air. Thus, this study introduces a novel PVTC incorporating dual ducts and semicircular turbulators, which were experimentally evaluated under actual weather conditions in the Republic of Korea. The proposed PVTC was compared with two other types of PVTC: one is a single-duct PVTC with semicircular turbulators, and the other is a dual-duct PVTC without turbulators. The results showed that the thermal efficiency of the proposed PVTC increased by approximately 88.7% compared to the single-duct PVTC with a turbulator and by 9.3% compared to the dual-duct PVTC without a turbulator. The electrical efficiency showed a slight decrease of about 7.2% compared to the single-duct PVTC but an increase of 1.4% compared to the dual-duct PVTC without a turbulator. Overall, the total efficiency of the proposed PVTC increased by 54.2% and 7.7% compared to the single-duct PVTC and the dual-duct PVTC without a turbulator, respectively. These experimental results demonstrate that attaching dual ducts and semicircular turbulators to an existing PVTC increases the daily thermal energy output, which ultimately enhances the total daily energy output.

Sustainable design of photo-Fenton-like oxidation process in actual livestock wastewater through the highly dispersed FeCl3 anchoring on a g-C3N4 substrate

Photocatalytic technology emerges as a promising solution for the sustainable treatment of contaminated wastewater. However, the practical implementation of designed photocatalysts often faces challenges due to the intricate ‘high carbon footprint’ process and limited outdoor laboratory investigations. Herein, a simple yet versatile impregnation approach is proposed to anchor highly dispersed FeCl3 on a g-C3N4 substrate (Fe-C3N4) with minimal energy consumption and post-processing. Fe-C3N4 enhances photocatalytic reactivity for antibiotic degradation via a synergistic photo-Fenton-like oxidation technique, efficiently removing antibiotic pollutants from actual livestock wastewater. The Fe-C3N4 catalyst exhibited consistent degradation performance over five cycles in laboratory conditions, maintaining a degradation efficiency exceeding 90 % for tetracycline hydrochloride (TCHCl). Furthermore, we engineered a straightforward Fe-C3N4Na2SiO3 reactor for treating livestock wastewater, achieving an 81.8 % removal of TCHCl in outdoor field tests conducted in the winter and summer in China. The Fe-C3N4 catalyst demonstrated high feasibility in treating antibiotic-contaminated livestock wastewater under year-round climatic conditions, leveraging synergistic effects. The stabilization of Fe-C3N4 for the degradation of antibiotic-containing wastewater under sunlight represents a significant advancement in the practical application of photocatalysts, marking a crucial milestone from experimental conception to implementation. Acute toxicity estimation suggested that intermediates/products generated exhibited lower toxicity compared to TCHCl, indicating their practical applicability. Density functional theory (DFT) analysis successfully predicted significant electron transfer between Fe-C3N4 and TCHCl, indicating efficient interfacial interactions on the TCHCl surface. To ensure the environmental sustainability of Fe-C3N4, a life cycle assessment (LCA) was conducted to compared this photocatalyst with other commonly used emerging photocatalysts. The results demonstrated that Fe-C3N4 exhibits a two orders of magnitude lower CO2 equivalent emission compared to the ZnO photocatalyst, indicating a cost-effective and efficient synergistic photo-Fenton-like catalytic approach. This low-cost photocatalyst, moving from the laboratory to real-world wastewater applications, provides a powerful and more sustainable solution for the efficient treatment of wastewater containing antibiotics from livestock farming.

Range‐wide prediction of habitat suitability for king cobras under current and future scenarios

Abstract Ophiophagus hannah, commonly known as the king cobra, is listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and is protected under national laws in most countries. This charismatic species faces multiple threats, including habitat loss, human persecution, illegal trafficking, and climate change. Due to the king cobra's sensitivity to environmental conditions, its population status and trends are barely understood. This study used the MaxEnt algorithm to predict the potential distribution of king cobras across Asia, a method that has been successfully implemented in modeling distributions of various species in the region. The findings showed that Evergreen Broadleaf Trees emerged as the most influential variable for the distribution of Ophiophagus hannah with a 27.3% contribution, followed by the Mean Diurnal Range and Urban/Built‐up areas. Jackknife analysis identified the Mean Diurnal Range as having the highest testing gain. Approximately 413,268 km2 were found to have the most suitable climatic conditions for sustaining this species. Countries such as India, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, and Malaysia were identified as having favorable conditions. Under the future climate scenario SSP5‐8.5, the extent of suitable habitats (maximum) for the king cobra is projected to decrease in the periods 2041–2060 and 2081–2100. This report provides valuable insights that could inform conservation strategies for O. hannah in these regions.

Development of machine learning models for estimation of daily evaporation and mean temperature: a case study in New Delhi, India

ABSTRACT Accurate prediction of pan evaporation and mean temperature is crucial for effective water resources management, influencing the hydrological cycle and impacting water availability. This study focused on New Delhi's semi-arid climate, data spanning 31 years (1990–2020) were used to predict these variables using advanced algorithms such as Bagging, Random Subspace (RSS), M5P, and REPTree. The models were rigorously evaluated using 10 performance metrics, including correlation coefficient, mean absolute error (MAE), and Nash–Sutcliffe Efficiency (NSE) model coefficient. The Bagging model emerged as the best model with performance indices values as r, MAE, RMSE, RAE, RRSE, MBE NSE, d, KGE, and MAPE as 0.86, 0.76, 1.43, 32.70, 49.44, 0.03, 0.85, 0.96, 0.90, and 22.0, respectively, during model testing phase for pan evaporation prediction. In predicting mean temperature, the Bagging model reported the best results with performance indices values as r, MAE, RMSE, RAE, RRSE, MBE NSE, d, KGE, and MAPE as 0.86, 0.76, 1.43, 32.70, 49.44, 0.03, 0.85, 0.96, 0.90 and 22.0, respectively, during the model testing phase. These findings offer valuable insights for enhancing relative humidity prediction models in diverse climatic conditions. The Bagging model's robust performance underscores its potential application in water resource management.

Forecasting the Expansion of Bactrocera tsuneonis (Miyake) (Diptera: Tephritidae) in China Using the MaxEnt Model.

The invasive pest, Bactrocera tsuneonis (Miyake), has become a significant threat to China's citrus industry. Predicting the area of potentially suitable habitats for B. tsuneonis is essential for optimizing pest control strategies that mitigate its impact on the citrus industry. Here, existing distribution data for B. tsuneonis, as well as current climate data and projections for four future periods (2021-2040, 2041-2060, 2061-2080, and 2081-2100) from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) were obtained. The distribution of B. tsuneonis under current and different climate change scenarios in China was predicted using the optimized MaxEnt model, ArcGIS, and the ENMeval data package. Model accuracy was assessed using ROC curves, and the primary environmental factors influencing the distribution of the pest were identified based on the percent contribution. When the regularization multiplier (RM) was set to 1.5 and the feature combination (FC) was set to LQH, a model with lower complexity was obtained. Under these parameter settings, the mean training AUC was 0.9916, and the mean testing AUC was 0.9854, indicating high predictive performance. The most influential environmental variables limiting the distribution of B. tsuneonis were the Precipitation of Warmest Quarter (Bio18) and Temperature Seasonality (standard deviation ×100) (Bio4). Under current climatic conditions, potentially suitable habitat for B. tsuneonis in China covered an area of 215.9 × 104 km2, accounting for 22.49% of the country's land area. Potentially suitable habitat was primarily concentrated in Central China, South China, and East China. However, under future climatic projections, the area of suitable habitat for B. tsuneonis exhibited varying degrees of expansion. Furthermore, the centroid of the total suitable habitat for this pest gradually shifted westward and northward. These findings suggest that B. tsuneonis will spread to northern and western regions of China under future climate changes. The results of our study indicate that climate change will have a major effect on the invasion of B. tsuneonis and have implications for the development of strategies to control the spread of B. tsuneonis in China.

Humidity and temperature preference in two Neotropical species of sand flies

BackgroundArthropods vector a multitude of human disease-causing organisms, and their geographic ranges are shifting rapidly in response to changing climatic conditions. This is, in turn, altering the landscape of disease risk for human populations that are brought into novel contact with the vectors and the diseases they carry. Sand flies in the genera Lutzomyia and Pintomyia are vectors of serious disease-causing agents such as Leishmania (the etiological agent of leishmaniasis) and may be expanding their range in the face of climate change. Understanding the climatic conditions that vector species both tolerate physiologically and prefer behaviorally is critical to predicting the direction and magnitude of range expansions and the resulting impacts on human health. Temperature and humidity are key factors that determine the geographic extent of many arthropods, including vector species.MethodsWe characterized the habitat of two species of sand flies, Lutzomyia longipalpis and Pintomyia evansi. Additionally, we studied two behavioral factors of thermal fitness–thermal and humidity preference in two species of sand flies alongside a key aspect of physiological tolerance–desiccation resistance.ResultsWe found that Lu. longipalpis is found at cooler and drier conditions than Pi. evansi. Our results also show significant interspecific differences in both behavioral traits, with Pi. evansi preferring warmer, more humid conditions than Lu. longipalpis. Finally, we found that Lu. longipalpis shows greater tolerance to extreme low humidity, and that this is especially pronounced in males of the species.ConclusionsTaken together, our results suggest that temperature and humidity conditions are key aspects of the climatic niche of Lutzomyia and Pintomyia sand flies and underscore the value of integrative studies of climatic tolerance and preference in vector biology.Graphical

Multidisciplinary Perspective: A Review of the Importance of Communication in Managing Climate Change Challenges

Climate change is a national and global issue that affects the entire world, associated with greenhouse gas emissions and resulting in long-term changes in climate conditions. Understanding and effectively communicating the primary causes of climate change is critical for identifying solutions that can help address it. Scientists conduct numerous research studies focused on climate change and mitigating its effects, making it a central topic of discussion. Overall approaches are typically centered around sustainability and reducing greenhouse gas emissions through green and innovative technologies. However, these approaches and scientific expressions can appear complex and abstract to the public, governments, and civil society organizations. In this regard, the role of communication is significant in creating long-term awareness among the public and generating action-oriented solution proposals. The use of effective language and storytelling techniques, localization, visualization, and effective use of media can help contextualize climate change issues, raise awareness, and build consciousness. The role of communication is undeniable in breaking down barriers between scientists and the public, ensuring that solutions to climate change problems are sustainable and effective, and facilitating the development of appropriate policies by governments and civil society organizations. It is essential to prioritize and conduct advanced research and develop innovative strategies for coordinated efforts between scientists and communication experts in addressing climate change and developing effective solutions.

Predicting potential and quality distribution of Anisodus tanguticus (Maxim.) Pascher under different climatic conditions in the Qinghai-Tibet plateau.

Anisodus tanguticus (Maxim.) Pascher, a distinctive medicinal plant native to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, China, has garnered attention due to increasing market demand. This study explores the impact of environmental factors on the distribution and levels of active compounds namely anisodamine, anisodine, and atropine within A. tanguticus. Our goal was to identify suitable cultivation areas for this plant. This study employs the maximum entropy model to simulate the suitable area of A. tanguticus under current conditions and three climate change scenarios during the 2050s and 2070s. The finding revealed that altitude, precipitation in the warmest season (Bio 18), the average annual temperature (Bio 1) exerted significant influences on the distribution of A. tanguticus. Among the environmental factors considered, temperature difference between day and night (Bio 2) had the most substantial impact on the distribution of anisodamine, temperature seasonal variation variance (Bio 4) predominantly influenced anisodine distribution, and Bio 1 had the greatest effected on the distribution of atropine. The suitable areas primarily exist in the eastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in China, encompassing a total area of 30.78 × 104 km2. Under the climate scenarios for the future, the suitable areas exhibit increasing trends of approximately 30.2%, 30.3%, and 39.8% by the 2050s, and 25.1%, 48.8%, and 60.1% by the 2070s. This research would provide theoretical suggestions for the protection, and cultivation management of A. tanguticus resources to face the challenge of global climate change.

Hydrological and climate intensification induces conservative behavior in the Hydrochorea corymbosa xylem production in a Central Amazon floodplain forest

IntroductionTrees from flooded forests have to adjust their xylem hydraulic structure to face the annual flooding and the climatic conditions of the atmosphere. Usually, this adjustment of anatomical tissues in the tropics is driven by drought events inducing conservative behavior and can be recorded annually in tree rings. However, how the flood pulse and the climatic conditions influence the xylem hydraulic structure in floodplain trees is unknown.MethodsTo fill this gap, we explore if flooded periods and monthly climate variation affect the annual tree growth and xylem anatomy structure for the tree species Hydrochorea corymbosa (Fabaceae) from the várzea flooded forest in the Central Amazon. We developed a 41-year ring width chronology (1971–2018) and a 30-year time series of xylem anatomy parameters (1988–2018) as mean hydraulic vessel diameter (Dh), vessel frequency (VF), and parenchyma quantity (PQ). We correlated the series with monthly hydrological and climatic data.ResultsThe hydrological regime did not correlate with annual tree growth in that species as we previously expected but showed correlations with the xylem anatomical structure. High flood levels during the end of the flooding period induced conservative patterns of the anatomical structure, with a negative correlation with Dh (rho June = −0.40, p < 0.05) and a positive correlation with the PQ (rho September/October = 0.42, p < 0.05). These responses show that these trees are responding to flooding similar to the tree responses to drought. Regarding the climatic variation, the annual tree growth showed a negative correlation with the vapor pressure deficit (VPD), after the second half of the flooded period with the strongest correlation happening during the non-flooded period (rho December = −0.66, p < 0. 01). These conservative patterns in tree behavior also happened when the maximum temperature negatively affected the vessel diameter (rho September = −0.42, p < 0.05).DiscussionIn that case, we recognized two different moments that the environment is inducing conservative patterns in the xylem structure of those trees: 1) increasing the flood levels and 2) the high evaporative demand during the non-flooded period. In this way, the intensification of the hydrological regime, as well as the strong drought conditions during the non-flooded periods, can be a risk for H. corymbosa in the Central Amazonian floodplains.