Changing Climatic Conditions Research Articles

Coupling HEC-RAS and AI for River Morphodynamics Assessment Under Changing Flow Regimes: Enhancing Disaster Preparedness for the Ottawa River

Despite significant advancements in flood forecasting using machine learning (ML) algorithms, recent events have revealed hydrological behaviors deviating from historical model development trends. The record-breaking 2019 flood in the Ottawa River basin, which exceeded the 100-year flood threshold, underscores the escalating impact of climate change on hydrological extremes. These unprecedented events highlight the limitations of traditional ML models, which rely heavily on historical data and often struggle to predict extreme floods that lack representation in past records. This calls for integrating more comprehensive datasets and innovative approaches to enhance model robustness and adaptability to changing climatic conditions. This study introduces the Next-Gen Group Method of Data Handling (Next-Gen GMDH), an innovative ML model leveraging second- and third-order polynomials to address the limitations of traditional ML models in predicting extreme flood events. Using HEC-RAS simulations, a synthetic dataset of river flow discharges was created, covering a wide range of potential future floods with return periods of up to 10,000 years, to enhance the accuracy and generalization of flood predictions under evolving climatic conditions. The Next-Gen GMDH addresses the complexity and limitations of standard GMDH by incorporating non-adjacent connections and optimizing intermediate layers, significantly reducing computational overhead while enhancing performance. The Gen GMDH demonstrated improved stability and tighter clustering of predictions, particularly for extreme flood scenarios. Testing results revealed exceptional predictive accuracy, with Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) values of 4.72% for channel width, 1.80% for channel depth, and 0.06% for water surface elevation. These results vastly outperformed the standard GMDH, which yielded MAPE values of 25.00%, 8.30%, and 0.11%, respectively. Additionally, computational complexity was reduced by approximately 40%, with a 33.88% decrease in the Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) for channel width and an impressive 581.82% improvement for channel depth. This methodology integrates hydrodynamic modeling with advanced ML, providing a robust framework for accurate flood prediction and adaptive floodplain management in a changing climate.

WOODY SPECIES CULTIVATED FOR ORNAMENTAL PURPOSES WITH INVASIVITY CAPACITIES IN OLTENIA, ROMANIA

Changes in climatic conditions influence the expansion on ever larger surfaces as well as the exacerbated development of populations of invasive species introduced in southern Romania initially for ornamental purposes. In the last decades, an increasing number of species that were cultivated for different purposes but also that accidentally entered Oltenia became successful invaders in different habitats. Many factors may contribute to the increased invasiveness of these species, including seed production, germination, and their relatively high growth rate. The impact of invasive species on native vegetation in a region can have different intensities, but they can increase with the accentuation of the drought and the aridification of the lands in the south of Oltenia, this may lead to the loss or irreversible degradation of habitats or species populations. In recent years in Oltenia, especially in the southern part, in the large hydrographic basins of the Danube, Jiu and Olt, the number of invasive species has increased considerably, their ability to spread and invasiveness being very high. Some of these species exert a high degree of aggression on wet, practical and forest habitats, influencing the structure and functionality of edifying phytocoenoses. Among the invasive species introduced for ornamental purposes in Oltenia, particularly important populations have developed: Acer negundo, Rhus typhina, Amorpha fruticosa, Ailanthus altissima, Eleagnus angustifolia, Fraxinus pensylvanica, F. americana, Parthenocissus inserta, P. quinquefolia, Robinia hispida. It should be noted that in recent years the species Albizia julibrissin was introduced for ornamental purposes in Romania, but also in Oltenia. This species is cultivated excessively, in gardens, green spaces, private yards and especially in the open spaces in front of private yards in most locations in Oltenia. Following the studies carried out regarding the invasive potential of this species, we can mention the fact that this species has a very high spreading power, quickly conquering new territories, each individual produces a very large number of seeds that have a very high germination power, is a species extremely resistant to drought, to various anthropogenic factors, including atmospheric pollution, to harmful mechanical factors, very high temperatures of over 400 during the summers in the south Oltenia, growing on the sides of roads, alleys, on several types of soil, including sandy. Around each individual, but also at distances between 2-80 m from it, vigorous saplings were identified, with increased vitality and accelerated growth, being able to reach up to 30-40 cm in height in one year of vegetation. Thus, we can specify that this species can be considered a new invasive species for Romania.

Динамика земельного фонда Российской Федерации и Краснодарского края по категориям земель, составу и площади сельскохозяйственных угодий

The presented study is aimed at quantifying the dynamic characteristics of the land fund of the Russian Federation and the Krasnodar Territory in the period from 2018 to 2023. The work analyzes statistical data characterizing the distribution of land by category, changes in the composition and area of agricultural land. The methodological approach used makes it possible to identify spatial and temporal trends and differentiate them at the level of the territorial units under consideration. An analysis of official data from the State (national) Land Status and Use report revealed key trends in land transformation by category and agricultural land. At the federal level, there is a steady tendency to reduce agricultural land in parallel with an increase in the areas of specially protected natural territories and forest resources. This situation requires careful analysis from the point of view of ensuring the country's food security. In the Krasnodar Territory, known as a region with intensive agricultural production, an in-depth analysis of the dynamics of land categories revealed the main trends, taking into account possible causal factors affecting changes in the structure of land use. The results obtained made it possible to evaluate the effectiveness of existing land use strategies and identify potential ways to increase the area of agricultural land. Based on the analysis, specific recommendations are formulated to optimize spatial development both for the whole country and for the Krasnodar Territory, identifying the goal as sustainable and efficient use of land resources. Further research should focus on clarifying the contribution of individual factors and developing adaptive land-use strategies taking into account changing climatic conditions.

Reducing Fire Severity and Extent Bolsters Subalpine Forest Resilience to Global Change Through Key Demographic Pathways.

High-elevation subalpine forests are experiencing rapid changes in climatic conditions, biological disturbances, and wildfire regimes. Despite this, evidence is mixed as to whether they will undergo major ecological transformation or be resilient to a confluence of global change drivers. Here we use subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa) and Englemann spruce (Picea engelmannii), which form co-dominant forests through much of the western United States, to investigate how species' demographic responses to global change influence forest community-wide resilience. We do this by adapting and building on an existing framework for post-disturbance ecological reorganization. With forest inventory data from the United States Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program, we quantify population trends for subalpine fir and Engelmann spruce across their joint distribution and organize them in a new conceptual framework for categorizing forest community trajectories. We then build hierarchical Bayesian demographic models of subalpine fir and Engelmann spruce mortality, regeneration, and recruitment as functions of climate, disturbance extent and severity, and forest structural predictors. We bring demographic predictions together in a multinomial classification model to quantify how combinations of demographic rates influence overall forest community trajectories. Finally, we apply future climate and disturbance scenarios to our demographic models to explore how subalpine forest resilience may change in the future. We found strong negative relationships between the demography of both species and disturbance extent and severity, and climatic responses in line with an energy-limited forest system. Future scenario model predictions indicate that reducing wildfire extent and severity can greatly bolster overall subalpine forest resilience; the preferred way to do this will vary according to fire history, forest type, biophysical setting, and land tenure. Opportunities for high-impact management interventions are concentrated in the northern Rocky Mountains, with centers of ongoing resilience in parts of the Oregon and Washington Cascades.

BBX22 enhances the accumulation of antioxidants to inhibit DNA damage and promotes DNA repair under high UV-B.

Under changing climatic conditions, plant exposure to high-intensity UV-B can be a potential threat to plant health and all plant-derived human requirements, including food. It's crucial to understand how plants respond to high UV-B radiation so that proper measures can be taken to enhance tolerance towards high UV-B stress. We found that BBX22, a B-box protein-coding gene, is strongly induced within one hour of exposure to high-intensity UV-B. Our metabolomics data indicated that BBX22 promotes the accumulation of antioxidants like ascorbic acid and proline. These antioxidants play a vital role in shielding plants exposed to high UV-B from the detrimental effects of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS), including DNA damage. Additionally, BBX22 promotes DNA damage repair by inducing the expression of DNA repair genes like UVR1 and UVR3. BBX22 directly binds to the promoter of UVR1 to regulate its expression. Furthermore, BBX22 indirectly induces the expression of UVR1 and UVR3 by enhancing the binding of HY5 to their promoters. Together, these results suggest a multi-pronged role of BBX22 in protection against high-intensity UV-B. Enhancing BBX22 levels or its orthologs in different plant species can potentially offer DNA damage protection and tolerance against intense UV radiation.

Numerical modelling of biogeomorphological processes in salt marsh development: Do short-term vegetation dynamics influence long-term development?

Salt marshes are critical coastal ecosystems that provide numerous services. They are governed by complex biogemorphological interactions on multiple spatiotemporal scales. To simulate long-term salt marsh development in numerical models, smaller- and shorter-term vegetation processes are often neglected. This study investigates the importance of spatiotemporally and seasonally varying vegetation dynamics on decadal salt marsh development in an integrated numerical biogeomorphological model simulating a representative, idealized case of the Dutch Western Scheldt Estuary. The focus lies on the influence of seasonal vegetation dynamics, interspecific interactions between two salt marsh species, and the stabilizing effect of below-ground biomass with increasing vegetation age on critical shear stress, which results in spatially non-uniform erosion resistance of sediment and vegetation. By incorporating seasonal growth periods and varying characteristics of vegetation, we demonstrate the impact of species-specific traits on vegetation stability and morphological changes. Introducing an additional pioneer species that can establish further seaward reveals the sheltering effect and the long-term implications of this zonation for marsh development. Additionally, the influence of spatially and temporally varying below-ground biomass on sediment stability and vegetation's resistance to uprooting is significant for the biogeomorphological interactions. Comparison of the different model simulations to topographical data from the Dutch Western Scheldt Estuary shows that the model results are representing the morphological variability occurring in the field. Our findings highlight the complex biogeomorphological feedback that govern salt marsh development and show that models that neglect shorter-term seasonal and grid-scale (25 m2) spatially varying processes may overlook critical interactions that influence the lateral extent and overall morphological development of salt marshes. Therefore, this study underscores the need to integrate seasonal dynamics, species diversity, and below-ground biomass variability into biogeomorphological models to enhance predictive accuracy. This approach provides a more comprehensive understanding of the large-scale, long-term consequences of seasonal and spatiotemporally varying vegetation processes, which is essential for informing conservation and management strategies under changing climatic conditions.

Biochemical, photosynthetic and metabolomics insights of single and combined effects of salinity, heat, cold and drought in Arabidopsis.

Ensuring food security is one of the main challenges related to a growing global population under climate change conditions. The increasing soil salinity levels, drought, heatwaves, and late chilling severely threaten crops and often co-occur in field conditions. This work aims to provide deeper insight into the impact of single vs. combined abiotic stresses at the growth, biochemical and photosynthetic levels in Arabidopsis thaliana (L.). Reduced QY max was recorded in salinity-stressed plants, NPQ increased in heat and salinity single and combined stresses, and qP decreased in combined stresses. MDA and H2O2 content were consistently altered under all stress conditions, but higher values were recorded under salinity alone and in combination. Salinity alone and in stress combinations (especially with cold) provided a stronger hierarchical effect. Despite glycine and GABA osmolytes not significantly changing, proline highlighted the hierarchically stronger impact of salinity, while glycine-betaine was decreased under drought combinations. Untargeted metabolomics pointed out distinct metabolic reprogramming triggered by the different stress conditions, alone or in combination. Pathway analysis revealed that abiotic stresses significantly affected hormones, amino acids and derivates, and secondary metabolites. Flavonoids accumulated under drought (alone and combined with heat and cold stresses), while N-containing compounds decreased under all combined stresses. Looking at the interactions across the parameters investigated, antagonistic, additive, or synergistic effects could be observed depending on the biochemical process considered. Notwithstanding, these results contribute to delving into the impact of various stress combinations, hierarchically highlighting the stress-specific effects and pointing out different combinations.

Designing climate-resilient sustainable drainage system (SuDS) for mass rapid transit (MRT) development: A hydrodynamic modelling approach

The progressive industrialisation and urbanisation of urban areas have significantly altered hydrological factors such as terrain, imperviousness, and surface flow. These developments, accompanied by increased traffic congestion and carbon emissions, contribute to climate change. Consequently, implementing Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) systems is crucial for alleviating traffic congestion and reducing carbon emissions globally. However, the changes in urban hydrology following development, combined with increased rainfall due to climate change, exacerbate risks of flooding, erosion, and sedimentation for the MRT development and surrounding low-lying areas. Therefore, researching urban drainage systems under climate change conditions for MRT development is essential. This study utilised 1D/2D hydrodynamic modelling and simulation to investigate the performance of an existing MRT drainage system designed with a control-at-source concept and a new sustainable drainage system incorporating infiltration engineering and flow-retarding techniques, including porous layers and a bioecological system to mitigate urban flooding erosion and sedimentation. The results show that the new sustainable drainage system, featuring permeable pavements and bioretention facilities, effectively integrates 30% of the MRT-developed land typology without requiring additional land acquisition, which is cost-effective and practical for mitigating major flooding and reducing total suspended solids, thereby controlling erosion and sedimentation.

Hydrological Response of Land Use and Climate Change Impact on Sediment Rate in Upper Citarum Watershed

The Citarum Watershed is indeed a critical water resource in Indonesia, playing a significant role in providing water to Jakarta and other areas in West Java. However, it faces severe environmental stress due to land use changes and climate changes. The Upper Citarum Watershed, considered to be a conservation area, has experienced rapid development due to human activities and economic growth. Climate change not only affects the rainfall value but also the rainfall patterns and sediment flow. The sedimentation process significantly impacts the soil characteristics around the river body. Several factors such as topography, flow velocity, and soil texture influence the sediment characteristics. Given the critical condition of climate and land use change, this study aims to analyse the impacts of the hydrological response of land use and climate change on the sediment rate in the Upper Citarum Watershed. The land use change analysis was conducted by comparing the land use data in 2000, 2010, and 2023 in the Upper Citarum Watershed. The deposition process of solid particles such as sand, silt, and gravel that are transported in the Upper Citarum River were examined in a soil investigation. The sediment rate and deposition by river flow were analysed using HEC-RAS quasi-unsteady flow. The impact of climate change in this study was assessed by simulating the discharge in three conditions, with the first simulation using the discharge from 2000 to 2010, the second simulation using the discharge from 2011 to 2023, and the last simulation using the discharge from 2000 to 2023. Due to the land use change, the developed area increased from 4% to 24% between 2000 until 2023. The magnitude of low flow during the simulation step for three discharge gauges (Majalaya, Dayeuhkolot, and Nanjung) decreased up to 48%, but, on other hand, the sediment rate increased by 20% in Dayeuhkolot.

The need for health equitable climate adaptation policies in Northern Europe.

Socioeconomic conditions remain an important factor in determining health outcomes in Northern Europe. In this commentary, we argue for evidence-based temperature-related climate adaptation policies in Northern Europe that account for disparities in socioeconomic conditions and aim at universal health coverage. We highlight the role of spatial and occupational disparities in urban areas that can be important factors in increased physical and mental health impacts related to heat and cold. We further highlight how these factors interplay with exposure to air pollution and access to green areas and worsen health conditions. Adaptation to changing climatic conditions requires both physiological acclimatization and behavioral adaptation, both of which are difficult to assess for socioeconomically deprived communities. We argue for more equitable climate adaptation strategies that include i) better integration of health in climate change adaptation plans; ii) building climate resilient communities, and iii) integrated surveillance and health systems. These actions could be vital in spearheading research in new cross-cutting areas like climate change, migration, and health.

A Framework for Fourth Industrial Revolution Adoption by Small-Scale Rural Farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Systematic Literature Review

Climate change is witnessed in unpredictable weather conditions that negatively affect human lives, economies, and farming worldwide. This results in severe heat waves and a shift in rainfall patterns. This is a major global threat to agriculture and food security, especially for rural farmers. Small-scale rural-based farmers contribute immensely to local communities’ socio-economic well-being and food security. However, most of the small-scale rural farmers are constrained, especially regarding resources. There is a need for the agricultural industry in rural areas to adopt the fourth industrial revolution (4IR) technologies to predict and make well-informed decisions on how to manage existing, often constrained resources efficiently. Government support, in various forms, is equally needed. Furthermore, adopting 4IR by small-scale rural farmers will assist countries in the Sub-Saharan African region in achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal Number 2 on ‘Zero Hunger’ by achieving food security and promoting smart, sustainable agriculture. However, there is a deficiency in the literature on 4IR adoption frameworks to guide small-scale rural farmers in adopting 4IR tools to manage their resources and promote sustainable agriculture. This study aims to develop a 4IR adoption framework that could guide small-scale rural farmers in adopting 4IR tools for managing their resources and promoting smart agriculture. A systematic literature review approach is employed to identify critical components significant for adopting 4IR in rural farming. Rural farmers may use this framework as a guiding lens when adopting 4IR tools. This study broadens the scope of the scant literature on the best practices for adopting 4IR for smart small-scale rural farming in Sub-Saharan Africa and other developing nations with similar setups. The smart-scale rural farming is mainstreamed within the smart village concept and the greenfield orgreen economy resilient to harsh climate change conditions.

Impact of climate change on high wind and solar optimal mixes and system costs: the case of France

Abstract. The electricity generation sector is undergoing profound transformations via the introduction of wind and solar energies. It is impacted by changing climate conditions, both on the demand and the supply side. The impact of a change in wind and solar resource coupled to the change in demand has however not been studied in regard of its effect on optimal investment decisions. We tackle this issue through the use of regional climate projections coupled to a minimalistic electricity system modeling tool. We find that for the case of France, increasing levels of climate change tend to decrease the optimal penetration of wind energy, while the optimal level of installed solar energy remains constant. We propose that this is explained by the interplay of an average effect coupled to a demand to generation correlation. To the contrary of previous literature, we find that the sole impact of climate change has no adverse consequences on system total costs, with adaptation measures being less attractive economically than their passive counterparts. This highlights the importance of specifying the working hypotheses and phenomena taken into account when issuing policymaking advice, and calls for further research exploring how combining all processes related to climate change impact all relevant elements of the electricity generation sector. We also encourage continued research at the climate and energy interface, to increase the precision and interpretability of similar studies.

Identification of Mango Cultivars’ Resistance Against Red Spider Mite: Impact of Climate Elements on Resistance Performance

The use of resistant plants is recognized as an environmentally friendly measure for mite control. Oligonychus mangiferus, known as the mango red spider mite (MRSM), is a dangerous pest for mango production. To date, the resistance levels of the mango germplasms against the MRSM remain largely unknown. Furthermore, the environmental factors potentially influencing resistance performance have been seldom discussed. To fill those knowledge gaps, this study aimed to identify the resistance level of twelve mango cultivars against the MRSM. Based on three rounds of greenhouse and five seasons of field tests, cultivars with distinct resistant levels were identified. When exploring the climate impact, we found that for the susceptible cultivars, precipitation is the primary external environment factor altering the resistance performance, while temperature presents a secondary effect, and air humidity did not show a significant impact on MRSM resistance. By contrast, MRSM-resistant cultivars were not prone to be affected by changing climate conditions. Furthermore, yield tests indicated that the resistant cultivars can better reduce the yield losses compared with the susceptible ones. This study illustrated the climate element-driven effect on mango tree resistance performance against the MRSM, which can provide insight into insect pest management under changing climate conditions.

Effect of Seed Treatment and Sowing Time on Microdochium spp. Caused Root Rot in Winter Wheat Cultivars

Microdochium species are harmful pathogens of winter cereals, causing snow mould and stem base diseases such as root rot. With changing climatic conditions, including prolonged wet autumns and mild winters, addressing pathogens that thrive at low positive temperatures has become increasingly important. Integrated strategies, including optimized sowing times, resistant cultivars, and the use of seed treatment fungicides have been suggested as effective approaches to mitigate Microdochium-induced damage. Field trials were conducted between 2021 and 2024 using five winter wheat cultivars treated with different seed treatment fungicides and sown at either optimal or delayed sowing times. Laboratory analyses identified Microdochium spp. as the dominant pathogens on the stem base across all trial years. Disease severity assessments indicated that seed treatment fungicides were generally effective against root rot, with products containing fludioxonil and SDHI group fungicides delivering the best performance. While disease pressure varied between optimal and late sowing experiments, late-sown winter wheat exhibited slightly reduced damage in most years. Additionally, some of the tested winter wheat cultivars demonstrated better performance against Microdochium spp. damage compared to others, highlighting the importance of selecting resistant cultivars. This study provides valuable insights into the control of Microdochium spp. under changing climatic conditions, particularly during the early growth stages of winter wheat.

GIS and remote sensing based assessment of West Rapti River channel migration in Nepal

Abrupt changes in climatic conditions trigger river channels to migrate laterally due to changes in surface water conditions. West Rapti River in the Terai, a flat geographic region of Nepal with high mountains and Chure Hill on the north, is highly susceptible to water-induced disasters. Geographical Information System and Remotely Sensed Imageries were used to analyze the spatio-temporal changes of West Rapti River between 1990 and 2023, to assess their impact within the approximately 53 km range of Deukhuri Valley (Dune Valley). Using freely available Landsat satellite imagery we extracted water surface features through the Normalized Difference Water Index and generated 27 cross-sections (CS) to track channel shift. Those cross-sections were generated in the gap of 2000 m using the River Bathymetry Toolkit (RBT) to assess the Sinuosity & Braiding Index of the river channel within the planform. This study found that river channels migrated laterally determined as significant shifts, notably 1.43 km towards the northeast within CS-23 and 0.72 km towards the south direction within CS-25 in the last 33 years. Nearly no shifting impact was observed from CS-12 to CS-17 showing embankment and mitigation efforts being effective within this range. The study shows the river is naturally multi-channeled and exhibits a braided pattern with sinuosity index values ranging from 1.02 to 1.38, indicating highly braided conditions during 2010 and 2015. The river channel was found to be driven by a high sediment deposit of about 15.35 Sq. km across the 53 km range. These results are crucial for formulating integrated river basin management plans in the West Rapti River basin laying the foundation for future research to explore sustainable river management practices in the future.

Whole-Genome Evaluation of Genetic Rescue: The Case of a Curiously Isolated and Endangered Butterfly.

Genetic rescue, or the translocation of individuals among populations to augment gene flow, can help ameliorate inbreeding depression and loss of adaptive potential in small and isolated populations. Genetic rescue is currently under consideration for an endangered butterfly in Canada, the Half-moon Hairstreak (Satyrium semiluna). A small, unique population persists in Waterton Lakes National Park, Alberta, isolated from other populations by more than 400 km. However, whether genetic rescue would actually be helpful has not been evaluated. Here, we generate the first chromosome-level genome assembly and whole-genome resequence data for the species. We find that the Alberta population maintains extremely low genetic diversity andis genetically very divergent from the nearest populations in British Columbia and Montana. Runs of homozygosity suggest this is due to a long history of inbreeding, and coalescent analyses show that the population has been small and isolated, yet stable, for up to 40k years. When a population like this maintains its viability despite inbreeding and low genetic diversity, it has likely undergone purging of deleterious recessive alleles and could be threatened by the reintroduction of such alleles via genetic rescue. Ecological niche modelling indicates that the Alberta population also exhibits environmental associations that are atypical of the species. Together, these evolutionary and ecological divergences suggest that population crosses may result in outbreeding depression. We therefore infer that genetic rescue has a relatively unique potential to be harmful rather than helpful for this population at present. However, because of its reduced adaptive potential, the Alberta population may still benefit from future genetic rescue as climate and habitat conditions change. Proactive experimental population crosses should therefore be completed to assess reproductive compatibility and progeny fitness.

Phenotypic characterization of rice wild introgression lines under low soil phosphorus conditions for yield and seedling vigour related traits

BackgroundIn India majority of the cultivable land area is becoming nutrient deficient, thus the development of tolerant varieties that can sustain under various stresses is essential. Identification of vigorous and nutrient-use-efficient rice genotypes is required for future breeding programmes. Such donor genotypes are prerequisites to develop high yielding varieties that can survive and yield under both normal and adverse conditions. Seedling vigour is an important trait that helps in the early survival of crop in input-limited environments. Thus, the present study was aimed at characterizing rice wild introgression lines for seedling vigour index and yield under both low and normal recommended doses of phosphorous (P) conditions.MethodologiesA total of fifteen rice genotypes, including 12 wild introgression lines and 3 check varieties, were evaluated in randomized block design with three replications under both low and normal recommended doses of phosphorous for agronomic traits. The genotypes were also evaluated for seedling vigour indices on the 7th day and 14th day under laboratory conditions.ResultsThe study detected a significant difference for all the traits among genotypes grown under normal and low P conditions. Trait association revealed a significant correlation of single plant yield with fresh root weight and seedling vigour index 2 at 14 days after germination under normal P conditions. Similarly, under low P conditions, single plant yield exhibited a significant association with fresh root weight and fresh shoot weight at 7 days. Seedling vigour index 2 exhibited a significant positive correlation with fresh root weight and fresh shoot weight under normal and low P conditions. Further stress tolerance indices were estimated to detect the nutrient stress tolerance under low P conditions, and the study showed that Stress Tolerance Index (STI) and Geometric Mean Productivity (GMP) are the better indices and the genotypes NPS56-2, NPK55 were observed as tolerant. Similarly, the genotype R-58, and NDR-359 reported a less percentage of yield reduction and with moderate to high STI, GMP values indicates the stable yielding ability of these genotypes. The study concludes the potential of these cultivars for the simultaneous improvement of yield and seedling vigour traits in changing climatic conditions.

The Effect of Replacing Levels of Compounded Feed by Cowpea bean (Vigna marina) Stems and Leaves in the Diet on the Growth of Bach Thao Goat

Background: The study aimed to identify the impact of Cowpea bean replacement on goat growth as a basis for developing a sustainable meat-goat farming model under climate change conditions. Methods: The experiment was conducted over a period of 60 days (including a 10-day adaptation period), on 18 Bach Thao male goats, approximately 4 to 5 months old, arranged in a completely randomized design with 3 treatments and 6 replications. Treatment1: 30% compound feed + 70% para grass, Treatment 2: 15% compound feed + 15% Cowpea Bean stems and leaves + 70% para grass and Treatment 3: 0 % compound feed + 30 % Cowpea Bean stems and leaves + 70% para grass. Result: Results showed that live weight gain (g/head/day) had a statistical difference between the experiment treatments (P less than 0.01), with the highest gain in 30% compound feed of diet at 104 g/head/day; following 15% compound feed of diet at 52g/head/day and finally 0 % compound feed in the diet at 57 g/head/day.

Role of micronutrients in production and reproduction of farm animals under climate change scenario.

Climate change poses significant challenges to livestock production worldwide. Wherein, it affects communities in developing nations primarily dependent on agriculture and animal husbandry. Its direct and indirect deleterious effects on agriculture and animal husbandry includes aberrant changes in weather patterns resulting in disturbed homeorhetic mechanism of livestock vis a vis indirectly affecting nutrient composition of feed and fodder. The nutritional stress (i.e. non-availability of nutrients in the required quantity and quality for particular livestock) is the critical factor affecting livestock performance, productivity, and reproductive efficiency. Nutritional stress may arise from both macro- and micro- nutrient imbalances; however, micronutrients are of paramount importance in climate change context due to their role in various vital functions of body namely, body metabolism, production, reproduction, and health. The micronutrients, minerals and vitamins, when supplied in adequate quantity and proportion aid in mitigating the stress induced by climate change on animals. Here, we tried to discuss the impact of climate change induced stresses on milk production, reproduction, and metabolic acclimation of heat-stressed animals. Furthermore, emphasis is given on the importance of dietary micronutrients management strategies to support livestock health and resilience during changing climatic conditions. By addressing the nutritional needs of livestock, farmers can achieve sustainability and well-being in livestock production under changing climatic condition.

Seasonal dynamics and functional diversity of soil nematode communities under treated wastewater irrigation in abandoned agricultural soils.

The use of treated wastewater (TWW) for agricultural irrigation is becoming more popular as a sustainable alternative to freshwater due to increasing water scarcity. While considerable research exists on the effects of TWW on soil microorganisms, its impact on soil nematodes, key indicators of soil health remains unexplored. This study assessed the effects of two years of TWW irrigation on soil nematode communities in abandoned fields cultivated with Lavender, Anise, Olive and Pomegranate trees. Seasonal soil samples were analyzed for nematode abundance, community composition and ecological indices. TWW irrigation modified soil nematode community structure, favoring the dominance of bacterivores (Acrobeloides) while suppressing plant-parasitic nematodes (Pratylenchus, Bitylenchus). Nematode-based indices showed no significant differences between TWW- and freshwater-irrigated soils, indicating stable and resilient communities. Seasonal precipitation levels strongly influenced nematode abundances, highlighting environmental resilience. Plant species did not create ecological niches, probably due to the strong influence of precipitation and soil properties; nevertheless, plant establishment increased nematode diversity over time, with omnivores and predators emerging alongside bacterivores and fungivores, reflecting recovery dynamics. Even though TWW irrigation is considered a type of disturbance, it facilitated soil nematode diversity and maintained ecological stability. Properly treated wastewater serves as a sustainable irrigation method that enhances soil health and biodiversity, rendering it a viable alternative for agricultural systems in degraded and water-scarce areas under changing climatic conditions.