Consequences Of Climate Change Research Articles

Kinetic Analysis of Rainfall-Induced Landslides in May 2022 in Wuping, Fujian, SE China

In the context of global climate change, shallow landslides induced by strong typhoons and the ensuing rainstorms have increased significantly in China’s eastern coastal areas. On 27 May 2022, more than 700 liquefied landslides were induced by the rain gush in Wuping County, Longyan City, Fujian Province, SE China. In light of their widespread occurrence and the severe damage caused, detailed field investigations, UAV surveys, trench observations, in situ tests, and numerical simulation are conducted in this work. The cascading landslides are classified as channelized landslides and hillslope landslides. Long-term rainfall, the influence of vegetation roots under wind load, and differences in the strength and structure of surficial soil are the dominant controlling factors. The sliding surface is localized to be the interface at a depth of 1–1.5 m between the fully weathered granite and the strongly weathered granite. Kinetic analysis of a channelized landslide shows that it is characterized by short runout, rapid velocity, and strong impact energy. The maximum velocity, impact energy, and impact force of the Laifu landslide are 29 m/s, 4221.35 J, and 2110 kPa. Effective excavation is usually impossible in this context. This work highlights the escalating issue of shallow landslides in eastern China’s coastal areas, exacerbated by climate change and extreme weather events like typhoons. By conducting comprehensive investigations and analyses, the research identifies key factors influencing landslide occurrence, such as rainfall patterns and soil characteristics. Understanding the dynamics and impact of these landslides is vital for improving risk assessment, developing effective early warning systems, and informing land management policies in this region. Further exploration concerning hydro-meteorological hazard early warning should be encouraged in this region.

Omics-Driven Strategies for Developing Saline-Smart Lentils: A Comprehensive Review.

A number of consequences of climate change, notably salinity, put global food security at risk by impacting the development and production of lentils. Salinity-induced stress alters lentil genetics, resulting in severe developmental issues and eventual phenotypic damage. Lentils have evolved sophisticated signaling networks to combat salinity stress. Lentil genomics and transcriptomics have discovered key genes and pathways that play an important role in mitigating salinity stress. The development of saline-smart cultivars can be further revolutionized by implementing proteomics, metabolomics, miRNAomics, epigenomics, phenomics, ionomics, machine learning, and speed breeding approaches. All these cutting-edge approaches represent a viable path toward creating saline-tolerant lentil cultivars that can withstand climate change and meet the growing demand for high-quality food worldwide. The review emphasizes the gaps that must be filled for future food security in a changing climate while also highlighting the significant discoveries and insights made possible by omics and other state-of-the-art biotechnological techniques.

Bird deterrent measures at a landfill decreased the productivity of a dependent population of White Stork (Ciconia ciconia)

Landfills provide an abundant and predictable food source for avifauna. The energy and time that are saved because of landfill‐foraging have had positive effects on the distribution of bird breeding populations and their reproductive parameters. However, the proliferation of individuals coinciding with the appearance of landfills often increases human–wildlife conflicts and intensifies the contact between waste and the environment. In this context, a landfill in Madrid (Spain) implemented deterrent measures in 2021 aiming to reduce the influx of birds inside its facilities. This study aims to describe the effects that a reduction in the accessibility and availability of landfill food resources may have had on the surrounding breeding populations of White Stork Ciconia ciconia. For this purpose, the breeding parameters of three populations with different landfill use indices were analysed before and after the application of bird deterrent measures. The closest population, with the highest landfill use index, suffered a drastic reduction in fledgling productivity during the breeding season with bird deterrent measures. On the other hand, a drought during one of the breeding seasons negatively affected the productivity of the populations that relied partially and completely on natural food resources (located at medium and long distance from the landfill, respectively). Landfill‐foraging might have mitigated the consequences of the natural food scarcity caused by this drought, even with the application of bird deterrent measures. Overall, our results show the potential negative impact of bird deterrent measures on populations dependent on landfill food, and highlight the importance of assessing the effect of these techniques beyond the site to determine their appropriateness. Due to the imminent closure of landfills and the expected worsening consequences of climate change, monitoring programmes should be established to determine the long‐term effects of bird deterrent measures and unusual environmental conditions on White Stork populations.

Climate Change and Cities of Lithuania: Threats, Problems and Prerequisites for Solution

The emerging threats of climate change and their impacts on cities and residents are increasingly highlighting the need to assess whether countries are adequately prepared for the potential consequences of this process. While many international agreements on climate change, sustainable development and environmental protection have been adopted, countries often face various local obstacles that hinder their implementation. To address these issues, this paper reviews the climate change projections, emerging threats and hazards in Lithuania and their potential impacts on the country’s cities and highlights the main challenges in preparing for these growing threats. This article presents an evaluation of the climate change forecasts and past climate events in three selected Lithuanian cities—Vilnius, Kaunas and Klaipėda. The study includes a diagnostic assessment of the climate changes since 1961 and climate change forecasts up to 2100, based on the RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios, using regional and global climate models. It identifies the impacts of potential climate change consequences on cities, forming the basis for the evaluation of the urban situation in the country. The urban situation is assessed in terms of legislation, urban development, environmental requirements and the development of safety infrastructure. Based on the evaluation of urban development, preliminary proposals are provided for the creation of a resilient living environment. One of the key proposals in shaping the living environment—which could be particularly significant in adapting to emerging threats—is the complex formation of new, sustainable urban structures that take into account the social, ecological and economic factors of climate change and other rising threats.

The impact of climate change anxiety on premenstrual syndrome: A cross-sectional study.

Climate change is thought to have possible effects on changes in the menstruation process, which covers an important period of time in women's lives. Our study aimed to determine the impact of climate change anxiety on premenstrual syndrome (PMS) in women of reproductive age. This is a cross-sectional study. The research was conducted online using various digital platforms between December 2023 and February 2024. This study was conducted on 456 women of reproductive age. The Personal Information Form, PMS Scale and Eco-Anxiety Scale were used for the data collection. The level of statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. The prevalence of PMS was 44.7%. The average score for the Eco-Anxiety Scale was 27.28 ± 6.44. A significant majority of participants (81.4%) stated that climate change would affect women's health, and 81.1% thought that they were affected by climate change. The Eco-Anxiety Scale scores were higher in women with PMS (p < 0.05). The results of the binary logistic regression analysis showed that being affected by climate change (odds ratio [OR] = 2.109, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.045-4.259, p = 0.035), age at menarche (OR = 1.249, 95% Cl = 1.073-1.453, p = 0.004) and Eco-Anxiety Scale scores were significant predictors of PMS (OR = 0.828, 95% Cl = 0.791-0.867, p < 0.001). The results of our study showed that women with PMS had higher Eco-Anxiety Scale scores. Given the global effects of climate change, it is important to investigate its effects as a risk factor for the emergence of PMS. Furthermore, women's healthcare providers play an important and beneficial role in adapting to a changing climate; these efforts will have long-term impacts.

Impact of Salinity Stress on Soybean Growth and Yield under Saturated Soil Culture in Tidal Lands: A Comparative Study of Tolerant Varieties

Salinity stress, intensified by climate change events such as El Niño and drought, presents a significant challenge to soybean production in tidal lands. This study evaluated soybean varieties’ growth, tolerance, and yield under varying salinity conditions within a saturated water cultivation system. The experiment was conducted from February to May 2024 at the IPB Experimental Station in Leuwikopo, Bogor, Indonesia, using soil samples collected from type B tidal lands in Mulyasari Village, Banyuasin, South Sumatra. A completely randomized design (CRD) was employed with three factors and three replications each. The first factor was soybean variety (“Demas-1” and “Detap-1”), the second was soil salinity (0 and 2000 ppm NaCl), and the third was irrigation salinity at different growth stages (control, 2000 ppm NaCl before/during flowering, and 2000 ppm NaCl after flowering). The results demonstrated that the “Demas-1” variety exhibited superior growth characteristics, including higher leaf greenness, dry weight of root nodules, and number of filled pods per plant. Exposure to soil salinity of 2000 ppm NaCl led to a significant reduction in plant height (29.38%), leaf number (38.01%), leaf greenness (28.67%), dry weight (49.90%-60.80%), and filled pods per plant (55.51%), while increasing plant toxicity (108%). Irrigation with 2000 ppm NaCl further exacerbated these negative impacts, resulting in decreased leaf greenness (15.42%-18.06%) and filled pods per plant (17.84%-23.94%). The interaction between soybean variety, soil salinity, and irrigation salinity significantly influenced the number of filled pods per plant. The combination of any soybean variety with 2000 ppm NaCl resulted in a reduction of filled pods per plant. Moreover, applying saline irrigation after flowering to saline soil decreased the number of filled pods per plant by 64.68%. These findings highlight the critical importance of selecting tolerant soybean varieties and implementing effective irrigation management strategies to mitigate the adverse effects of salinity on soybean production in tidal lands.

Tracking the Spread of Pollen on Social Media Using Pollen-Related Messages From Twitter: Retrospective Analysis.

Allergy disorders caused by biological particles, such as the proteins in some airborne pollen grains, are currently considered one of the most common chronic diseases, and European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology forecasts indicate that within 15 years 50% of Europeans will have some kind of allergy as a consequence of urbanization, industrialization, pollution, and climate change. The aim of this study was to monitor and analyze the dissemination of information about pollen symptoms from December 2006 to January 2022. By conducting a comprehensive evaluation of public comments and trends on Twitter, the research sought to provide valuable insights into the impact of pollen on sensitive individuals, ultimately enhancing our understanding of how pollen-related information spreads and its implications for public health awareness. Using a blend of large language models, dimensionality reduction, unsupervised clustering, and term frequency-inverse document frequency, alongside visual representations such as word clouds and semantic interaction graphs, our study analyzed Twitter data to uncover insights on respiratory allergies. This concise methodology enabled the extraction of significant themes and patterns, offering a deep dive into public knowledge and discussions surrounding respiratory allergies on Twitter. The months between March and August had the highest volume of messages. The percentage of patient tweets appeared to increase notably during the later years, and there was also a potential increase in the prevalence of symptoms, mainly in the morning hours, indicating a potential rise in pollen allergies and related discussions on social media. While pollen allergy is a global issue, specific sociocultural, political, and economic contexts mean that patients experience symptomatology at a localized level, needing appropriate localized responses. The interpretation of tweet information represents a valuable tool to take preventive measures to mitigate the impact of pollen allergy on sensitive patients to achieve equity in living conditions and enhance access to health information and services.

NDVI or PPI: A (Quick) Comparison for Vegetation Dynamics Monitoring in Mountainous Area

Cold ecosystems are experiencing a warming rate that is twice as fast as the global average and are particularly vulnerable to the consequences of climate change. In mountain ecosystems, it is particularly important to monitor vegetation to understand ecosystem dynamics, biodiversity conservation, and the resilience of these fragile ecosystems to global change. Hence, we used satellite data acquired by Sentinel-2 to perform a comparative assessment of the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and the Plant Phenology Index (PPI) in mountainous regions (canton of Valais-Switzerland in the European Alps) for monitoring vegetation dynamics of four types: deciduous trees, coniferous trees, grasslands, and shrublands. Results indicate that the NDVI is particularly noisy in the seasonal cycle at the beginning/end of the snow season and for coniferous trees, which is consistent with its known snow sensitivity issue and difficulties in retrieving signal variation in dense and evergreen vegetation. The PPI seems to deal with these problems but tends to overestimate peak values, which could be attributed to its logarithmic formula and derived high sensitivity to variations in near-infrared (NIR) and red reflectance during the peak growing season. Concerning seasonal parameters retrieval, we find close concordance in the results for the start of season (SOS) and end of season (EOS) between indices, except for coniferous trees. Peak of season (POS) results exhibit important differences between the indices. Our findings suggest that PPI is a robust remote sensed index for vegetation monitoring in seasonal snow-covered and complex mountain environments.

Predicting the influence of extreme temperatures on grain production in the Middle-Lower Yangtze Plains using a spatially-aware deep learning model.

Grain crops are vulnerable to anthropogenic climate change and extreme temperature events. Despite this, previous studies have often neglected the impact of the spatio-temporal distribution of extreme temperature events on regional grain outputs. This research focuses on the Middle-Lower Yangtze Plains and aims to address this gap as well as to provide a renewed projection of climate-induced grain production variability for the rest of the century. The proposed model performs significantly superior to the benchmark multilinear grain production model. By 2100, grain production in the MLYP is projected to decrease by over 100 tons for the low-radiative-forcing/sustainable development scenario (SSP126) and the medium-radiative-forcing scenario (SSP245), and about 270 tons for the high-radiative-forcing/fossil-fueled development scenario (SSP585). Grain production may experience less decline than previously projected by studies using Representative Concentration Pathways. This difference is likely due to a decrease in coldwave frequency, which can offset the effects of more frequent heatwaves on grain production, combined with alterations in supply-side policies. Notably, the frequency of encoded heatwaves and coldwaves has a stronger impact on grain production compared to precipitation and labor indicators; higher levels of projected heatwaves frequency correspond with increased output variability over time. This study emphasizes the need for developing crop-specific mitigation/adaptation strategies against heat and cold stress amidst global warming.

The silent threat: Unveiling climate change's water and health challenges in Bangladesh

ABSTRACT Bangladesh faces a growing number of issues, such as limited sources of potable water and health hazards that are either directly or indirectly linked to climate change. In total, 16 publications from 2007 to 2024 were manually screened for inclusion in this systematic review. The articles were divided into three categories: climate and water, climate and health, and climate, water, and health. Due to the climate change, 20 million individuals in Bangladesh have been suffering from water- and health-related illness. The results showed that among Bangladeshi vulnerable groups, cholera, infant diarrhea, pneumonia, dengue, malaria, mental illness, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, cerebrovascular disease, and an increase in communicable diseases like water-, vector-, and food-borne infections, along with malnutrition, are common. Further findings of the study include health risks, water-related risks, and difficulties in determining the consequences of climate change. This review study focuses on Bangladesh, a developing country, and the correlation between climate change and the dangers of water and health-related diseases. The findings of this study have substantial implications for risk assessment, water quality, climate change, and public health, especially in poor nations, as well as for policymakers and academicians in these fields.

Seagrass Biodiversity Under the Latest‐Generation Scenarios of Projected Climate Change

ABSTRACTAimThe potentially cascading consequences of climate changes on redistribution of habitat‐forming species, like seagrasses, remain a major research gap. Empirical demonstrations of local population changes are increasingly reported without a globally integrated predictive framework as a leading testable hypothesis. Therefore, here, we aimed to estimate changes in species richness, community composition, and areas of climatic refugia under future climate scenarios.LocationGlobal scale.Time PeriodPresent‐day conditions (from 2010 to 2020) and for three Shared Socioeconomic Pathway (SSP) scenarios of future climate change (from 2090 to 2100).Major Taxa StudiesSeagrasses (plantae).MethodsWe coupled seagrass occurrences with environmental predictors (temperature, salinity, nitrate, wave energy, and ice) in stacked species distribution modelling.ResultsModels estimated a present global extent of 917,169 km2 with high species richness in Temperate Australasia, Indo‐Pacific, and Temperate North Pacific. Future projections predicted widespread spatial redistribution, with Arctic expansions, losses in lower latitudes, and deeper vertical ranges, while globally maintaining the area extent occupied worldwide by seagrass species (only 5% of change). Species richness increased poleward under more drastic scenarios (SSP3‐7.0 and SSP5‐8.5), with losses in tropical zones (30oN to 30oS). Local climatic refugia are retained in all scenarios but decrease under higher emissions. Additionally, even where seagrass species remain, widespread community composition changes were predicted.Main ConclusionsOur findings serve as baselines to inform, anticipate, and mitigate cascading consequences of shifts in seagrass ecosystems that provide essential services for humanity.

Proposals for the Prevention Health Consequences of Heat Stress as a Cross-sectional Task in the Health Care System

Climate change is the greatest threat to human health in the 21st century. Climate change poses a significant threat to human health in Germany, with increasing heatwaves causing high mortality rates. In recent years, the German medical profession has become increasingly concerned with the consequences of climate change, particularly extreme temperatures and heat, for human health. Although the Deutscher Wetterdienst (DWD) issues heat warnings, there is a lack of comprehensive heat action plans (HAPs). Initiatives such as the "Berlin Heat Protection Action Alliance" offer sector-specific plans for healthcare facilities. There is an urgent need for action in the healthcare sector, as doctors play a key role in implementing heat protection measures and advocating for action against climate change. In addition to initiatives such as signing the "Climate Pact for Health" and raising awareness among stakeholders in the healthcare sector, increased education about heat-related health risks is essential. The results emphasise the urgency of measures in the healthcare sector in the face of advancing climate change. The medical profession plays a key role in the implementation of heat protection measures and should be actively involved in the planning and implementation of HAPs. Education and training on heat and health is essential in the health sector. Registration for heat warnings from the DWD (www.hitzewarnungen.de) is recommended, followed by sensitisation of decision-makers and employees in healthcare facilities. The medical profession has a crucial responsibility in the implementation of heat protection measures and should actively position itself and contribute to the political discussion on heat and climate change.

Determinants of Adapting to the Consequences of Climate Change in the Peruvian Highlands: The Role of General and Behavior-Specific Evaluations, Experiences, and Expectations

Progressive climate change (CC) forces people—particularly in the Global South—to adapt to its consequences, some of which include droughts, flooding, and new diseases. This study investigates the determinants of behaviors for adapting to these threats in a population from the region of Cusco (Peru). Data were gathered via a cross-sectional interview-based survey in 2016, using random-route sampling. For up to 542 cases, we regressed a scale combining performed behaviors and intentions on psychological constructs, for the entire and sub-samples (n &gt; 179, allowing to detect an R2 of 10% with a power of 80% at p = 0.05). Behavior-specific evaluations—particularly perceived feasibility (β = 0.355), descriptive norms (β = 0.267), and cost-benefit evaluations (β = 0.235)—can explain most of the variance (44% with a total R2 = 61%). Furthermore, trust in specific sources (β = 0.106), general trust (β = 0.098), and negative attitudes toward nature (β = 0.077) are positively related to adaptation, particularly regarding public behaviors (supporting community projects and policies). However, evaluations directly related to CC, such as risk perception (β = 0.010) or how much a behavior helps prevent damage (adaptation efficacy, β = −0.042)), do not explain adaptation, except for an effect of adaptation efficacy on changing daily behaviors. Experiences with and expectations of CC consequences are mostly unrelated to adaptation. However, worries about such events are correlated with adaptation (r between 0.097 and 0.360). We conclude that, to promote adaptation behaviors in this region, the focus should be on the characteristics of the behavior performance (e.g., its costs or feasibility), not on the expected risks of extreme events because of CC.

Translations of climate change consequences at the local level: Climate change adaptation in Bergen and Stavanger municipalities in Norway

AbstractThis paper uncovers a local‐level approach to the likely adverse effects of climate change through climate change policies, measures and practices concerning climate change adaptation. The study is sustained by the literature that addresses climate change through a securitization lens, which has identified security discourses on climate change in terms of threat or risk. To understand the origin of local discourse, we have adopted the concepts of translations and translation zones from security studies, allowing us to define encounters between different conceptual expressions of ways to handle threats and risks. In this paper, ‘translations’ mean negotiations of meanings between security, threat and risk, and ‘translation zones’ indicate where these negotiations take place. Discourses are studied in the two Norwegian municipalities of Bergen and Stavanger. Both experience similar consequences of climate change and are bound to follow national laws and regulations for developing adaptive responses. Despite these similarities, translations and translation zones unveil differences in the organisation of adaptation work. Risk discourses thus allow several possible translation pathways, and adaptation remains a distinctly local phenomenon despite commonalities in risk discourse and translation processes.

Against Climate Aid Colonialism: The Case for Climate Reparations and South-South Solidarity

Legacies of colonial rule, continuing neocolonial extraction, and excessive carbon dumping have meant that the majority of those living in the Global South experience many of the consequences of climate change more acutely than those in the Global North. As such, several countries in the Global North have committed to providing climate aid to decarbonise and reverse the alarming climate trajectory in the Global South. Yet, climate aid by and large discounts the internal competencies and resources within the Global South and aligns climate policies with neoliberal market agendas. In arguing against what has been called climate aid colonialism, we advocate for South-South solidarity and climate reparations, wherein climate justice articulated and advanced at the grassroots level from within the Global South is attuned to the socio-political requirements of decolonisation. Together, climate reparations and South-South solidarity can address the structures of coloniality that drive both climate change and climate aid.

The production of climate security futures in the West African Sahel

Abstract Much has been written and said about the consequences of climate change on security in the West African Sahel. Sceptics argue that claims about the links between global warming and conflict dynamics rest on limited evidence and questionable assumptions. Others work on the institutionalization and operationalization of climate security. This implementation seems inevitable, if slow, difficult, and at times vague, as there is simply no consensus on what climate security implies in practice and what it is meant to achieve. What is climate security, and whose climate security are we talking about? This article analyses climate security as a structure of knowledge and a set of epistemic relationships that inform practices and relationships. It draws on participant observations of a Dakar-based research group that travelled to Bamako, Ouagadougou, and Niamey. At the intersection of research, policy, and programme implementation, this case study provides a unique look into the emergence of climate security relations and practices. The findings point to the rising structural force of climate security and how it can overcome both research uncertainties and sensitive diplomatic relations. The article shows that there is more to climate security than the focus on the conflict-climate nexus lets on.

Effects of climate change and extreme weather events on natural and archaeological landscapes in southwestern Puerto Rico

Recent archaeological fieldwork in the intertidal zone of southwestern Puerto Rico has revealed a unique landscape of ancient shell mounds (accumulations of marine shells deposited by prehistoric peoples). These mounds are, at present, protected from tidal inundation, storm surge, and storm-driven winds by a buffering arc of mangroves known as the Pitahaya Mangrove Forest (PMF). Concerns about the long-term health of these mangroves, and their continuing ability to shelter the shell mounds, motivated the current diachronic remote sensing study examining the effects of both long-term climatic factors (sea level rise, global climate change) and extreme weather events (droughts, hurricanes) on the recent and future health of the PMF. Ultimately, the analysis of NDVI change derived from multispectral satellite imagery, coupled with local climate and weather data and drone-based ground-truthing, revealed troubling trends in the health of the PMF that portend a rather grim future for both the mangroves and the unique ancient landscape they protect.

A high temporal resolution global gridded dataset of human thermal stress metrics

The human thermal stress indices and datasets are vital for promoting public health and reducing negative environmental impacts as global climate change and extreme meteorological events increase. The current thermal indices generally use an instantaneous or average value to describe thermal stress which cannot reflect the distribution of thermal comfort conditions over time, and there are no global-scale thermal stress datasets with both 0.1° or higher spatial resolution and hourly temporal resolution available yet. A novel human thermal metric, Thermal Stress Duration (TSD), is proposed to represent the accumulative time of different thermal stress levels within a certain period. A high temporal resolution global gridded dataset of human thermal stress metrics (HiGTS) is presented, which consists of hourly gridded maps of Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI), Universal Thermal Stress (UTS), and daily TSD at 0.1° × 0.1° spatial resolution over the global land surface, spanning from January 1, 2000, to December 31, 2023.

Interannual changes in nutrient and phytoplankton dynamics in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea (EMS) predict the consequences of climate change; results from the Sdot-Yam Time-series station 2018–2022

Global climate change is predicted to reduce nutrient fluxes into the photic zone, particularly in tropical and subtropical ocean gyres, while the occasional major storms will result in increased nutrient pulses. In this study the nutrient and phytoplankton dynamics have been determined at a new time-series station in the southeastern Levantine basin of the Eastern Mediterranean Sea (EMS) over 4.5 years (2017–2022). In 2018 and 2019, there was a moderate concentration of residual nitrate and nitrite (N + N) in the photic zone (280–410 nM) in winter, resulting in phytoplankton dynamics dominated by cyanobacteria with relatively few picoeukaryotes (280 ± 90 μgC m−2). Winter storm driven mixing was much reduced in 2020 and particularly in 2021, resulting in a lower concentration of N + N in the photic zone, which decreased during summer stratification, such that by August 2021, the N + N was highly depleted (<60 nM) resulting in an integrated phytoplankton biomass of 23 μgC m−2. A major storm in December 2021 (Storm Carmel) injected high N + N (750 nM; max = 1090 nM) in the upper 100 m, which stimulated pico and nanophytoplankton biomass (∼2400 μgC m−2) and according to our inference increased eukaryotes (diatoms). The pattern of measured silica reinforced our conclusion that we sampled 3 different nutrient and ecosystem states. Phosphate was always at or close to limit of detection (LoD) because of rapid uptake by cyanobacteria into their periplasm. These results predict that climate change in the EMS will result in periods of nutrient and phytoplankton depletion (Famine) interrupted by short periods of Mesotrophy (Feast) caused by major storms.

Elevated CO2 concentration enhances plant growth, photosynthesis, and ion homeostasis of soybean under salt-alkaline stress

Salt-alkaline stress adversely affects growth and productivity of soybean. In the event of global climate change, the effects of elevated CO2 concentration (eCO2) and salt-alkaline stress on soybean remain unclear. This study investigated the combined effects of elevated CO2 concentration (700 μmol·moL−1) and salt-alkaline stress on soybean growth, gas exchange, pigments profiles, antioxidative enzyme activities, osmolyte accumulation, Na+ and K+ contents, and genes involved in ion homeostasis. This study suggested that eCO2 improved plant physiological performance due to the greater net photosynthetic rate (+212.49 %) and water use efficiency (+92.86 %). Both salt-alkaline stress and eCO2 significantly increased catalase (CAT) activity in leaves and stems, significantly increased superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in stems, and significantly increased peroxidase (POD) activity in whole plants of soybean. eCO2 significantly inhibited Na+ absorption as indicated by decreased Na+ contents in whole plants under salt-alkaline stress accompanied by lower relative electrical conductivity, thus reducing osmotic and ionic stress. eCO2 induced enhancement of expressions of gene encoding the ion transporter of GmHKT1;2, GmHKT1;5, GmHKT1;6, GmNHX5, and GmSOS1 in stems mediated Na+ and K+ transport, thus benefiting to keep ions homeostasis. These results suggest that eCO2 contributes to enhancing soybean tolerance to saline-alkaline stress.