Current Climate Change Research Articles

Intergenerational effects of ocean temperature variation: Early life benefits are short-lived in threespine stickleback.

Current climate change models predict an increase in temperature variability and extreme events such as heatwaves, and organisms need to cope with consequent changes to environmental variation. Non-genetic inheritance mechanisms can enable parental generations to prime their offspring's abilities to acclimate to environmental change-but they may also be deleterious. When parents are exposed to predictable environments, intergenerational plasticity can lead to better offspring trait performance in matching environments. Alternatively, parents exposed to variable or unpredictable environments may use plastic bet-hedging strategies to adjust the phenotypic variance among offspring. Here, we used a model species, the threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus), to test whether putatively adaptive intergenerational effects can occur in response to shifts in environmental variation as well as to shifts in environmental mean, and whether parents employ plastic bet-hedging strategies in response to increasing environmental variation. We used a full-factorial, split-clutch experiment with parents and offspring exposed to three temperature regimes: constant, natural variation, and increased variation. We show that within-generation exposure to increased temperature variation reduces growth of offspring, but having parents that were exposed to natural temperature variation during gametogenesis may offset some early-life negative growth effects. However, these mitigating intergenerational effects do not appear to persist later in life. We found no indication that stickleback mothers plastically altered offspring phenotypic variance (egg size or clutch size) in response to temperature variation. However, lower inter-individual variance of juvenile fish morphology in offspring of increased variation parents may imply the presence of conservative bet-hedging strategies in natural populations. Overall, in our experiment, parental exposure to temperature variation had limited effects on offspring fitness-related traits. Natural levels of environmental variation promoted a potentially adaptive intergenerational response in early life development, but under more challenging conditions associated with increased environmental variation, the effect was lost.

A Perspective on Probing Coral Resilience to Climate and Environmental Changes Using Stable Isotopes of Bio‐Utilized Metal Elements

AbstractIn the face of diverse challenges like global warming, ocean acidification, and human activities, the world's coral reefs are confronting a severe ecological crisis. Understanding the historical coevolution of corals with their environment and their resilience to current climate change is crucial for protecting these ecosystems and predicting their future. In this context, metal stable isotopes in corals present a novel and alternative methodology. Their significant fractionation during coral biological processes, persistent presence in coral skeletons, and relatively straightforward sources make them a valuable tool. However, the complexity of coral biology necessitates a deeper investigation into the fundamental mechanisms behind the isotopic fractionation of these biologically utilized metal elements. A comprehensive and systematic study of the roles of metal stable elements in coral biological processes is essential. This includes examining the fractionation of metal isotopes across different parts of the corals, such as tissues, zooxanthellae, and skeletons. To achieve these goals, multidisciplinary collaborations are essential. They should focus on several key areas: interpreting metal stable isotopes data in the context of coral physiology and ecology; conducting controlled laboratory experiments on coral cultivation; engaging in comparative studies with inorganically precipitated aragonites; and developing a holistic understanding within the framework of coral biomineralization models.

An overview of the efficiency of anti-graffiti products in the context of climate change

Especially in urban environments, existing buildings are prone to anthropic hazards, such as unauthorized graffiti. Anti-graffiti products may protect surfaces against unwanted paints by acting as sacrificial, semi-permanent or permanent coatings. In addition, under the current climate change scenario, the preservation of the existing buildings is seeking sustainability and reducing maintenance energy and efforts. Therefore, the present study aims to discuss how anti-graffiti products and their related efficiency may be affected by the changing climate and how their performance and durability can present different scenarios. An overview is reported based on existing literature. Concerning the application of protective coatings on polluted environments, distinct anti-graffiti products can be differently affected by atmospheric pollutants, and the cleaning effectiveness of paints may be harmed. Furthermore, the cleaning and protective efficacy of anti-graffiti products may be affected by ageing, highlighting the importance of practical maintenance. The protective solutions’ choice is also fundamental within sustainable practices, pointing to the relevance of environmentally sustainable and low-invasive removal methods. The environmental and economic impacts of anti-graffiti products are closely related to their number of required cleaning cycles.

Impact of Some Pre- and Post-Emergent Herbicides Applied to the Chickpea Crop (Cicer arietinum L.)

Because of its drought resistance, chickpea cultivation tends to become increasingly widespread in the current climate change context. The chickpea crop is easily taken over by weeds in the early growing season, as it has a slow growth rate and the plant does not have an imposing stature. This paper focuses on the importance and the main purpose of weeds control in chickpea crop in order to achieve a high increasing yield. The objectives during two years aimed at assessing the degree of selectivity and the efficacy of some simple, complex or associated herbicides, applied pre-emergently and post-emergently. The sample in chickpea crop consisted of pre-emergence application of aclonifen 600 g/l at a rate of 4 l/ha, s-metolachlor 960 g/l at a rate of 1.5 l/ha, isoxaflutole 240 g/l + cyprosulfamide 240 g/l at a rate of 0.25 l/ha, s-metalochlor 312.5 g/l + terbuthylazine 187. 5 g/l at a rate of 4.5 l/ha and in post-emergence application of isoxaflutole 240 g/l + cyprosulfamide 240 g/l at a rate of 0.18 l/ha, pyridate 450 g/kg at a rate of 1.2 kg/ha, quizalofop-p-tefuryl 40 g/l at a rate of 1 l/ha, 40 g/l, imazamox 40 g/l at a rate of 0.8 l/ha. Chickpea crop was infested by a large number of weeds, as well perennial dicotyledonous species hard to control like: Convolvulus arvensis, Cirsium arvense, Sonchus arvensis etc. The best weeds control was obtained when preemergently applied herbicides were followed by those postemergently applied. Perennial dicotyledonous species weren`t sufficiently controlled in any variant. Phytotoxicity symptoms were recorded at herbicide imazamox, 40 g/l, applied in post-emergence, which delayed the harvest and provided low yields.

Deepening our perspective about the small and medium pelagic fish: case study in the Canary Islands (NW Africa, Spain)

Abstract Small and medium pelagic fish (SMPF, i.e. Scomber colias, Trachurus spp, Sardina pilchardus, and Sardinella spp) in the Canary Islands are mainly targeted by the artisanal purse-seine fleet. The waters in the archipelago (located in the coastal transition zone of the Canary Current Eastern Boundary Upwelling System) are monitored since the late nineties by a hydrographic section (RAPROCAN) designed to study the temporal variability of the eastern subtropical gyre. In this study we analyse the relationship between the SMPF abundance assumed from official sale notes (reported since 2007) and several oceanographic parameters obtained for the outermost water layer (Sea Surface Temperature, SST, and concentration of chlorophyll a, Chla) and from the 200–800 m depth waters (Sea Temperature, ST_200–800, and salinity, Salinity_200–800). Except for SST, statistically significant correlations occur between environmental variables and SMPF landings when one-year time-lag is considered, matching with the time period necessary for these species to attain legal catchable sizes and, hence, being catchable by the fishery. However, in the GLM only Chla resulted a significant explaining variable for the SMPF landings during the following year, probably because this strong correlation overshadows the ST_200–800 influence. Keeping the monitoring systems is crucial to understand, foresee and anticipate potential variations in the fishery resources and to aim the sustainable exploitation of the SMPF populations, even more challenging in the current climate change scenario.

Impacts of urban landscape pattern changes on land surface temperature in Southeast Brazil

Urban sprawl is a global concern, considering the current climate change scenario. The conversion of natural habitats or other land uses to urban areas increases the Land Surface Temperature (LST), impacting people mainly in tropical regions, such as Brazil, where the temperature is aggravated by high air humidity. In this context, we assessed the seasonal variation of LST in response to the land-use/land-cover (LULC) changes over a large city in southwest Brazil during the last 36 years (1985–2020). We used Mapbiomas LULC data and LST retrieved from the Landsat series with the Google Earth Engine platform. The methodology involved the change detection analysis from 1985 to 2020 for all LULC types, a non-parametric Dwass-Steel-Critchlow-Fligner test to estimate the LST spatio-temporal variability over different LULC types, and a non-parametric Sperman's rho test and scatter plots to relate LST changes to the LULC patterns. The results presented areas exchanging under an intense urbanization process, wherein nearly 13% of the transitions were from agricultural to urban areas. These transitions occurred jointly with an increase in temperature for all LULC types. Forest formation registered the lowest LST and a moderate to strong negative correlation with LST in both seasons. On the other hand, urban areas showed the highest temperatures and a moderate to strong positive correlation with LST in summer. From 1985 to 2020, the mean temperature in urban (built-up) areas during the summer increased by 7 °C. In 2020, the mean temperature in urban areas was 32.5 °C and 27.8 °C in forested areas during the summer. The main contribution of this study is to provide evidence-based support for establishing LULC governance at the city scale. It offers essential scientific information about the detrimental impact of urban sprawl against the climate benefits of green infrastructure on the city scale, even in tropical regions with high forest fragmentation, temperatures, and long periods with high air humidity.

Impact assessment of climate change on naturally ventilated residential buildings in Lebanon — Overheating risk under future climate scenarios

In light of current climate change and global warming, indoor overheating poses a significant risk. Buildings in the Mediterranean climate heavily rely on natural ventilation to maintain acceptable indoor thermal conditions. This reliance poses an increased risk to built environments in this region, particularly those occupied by low-income populations who cannot afford conditioning systems. This study assesses the thermal performance of typical residential buildings in Lebanon in response to future climate change, considering various emission scenarios and climate zones. The study uses morphed future weather data and dynamic building simulations to assess indoor overheating and the potential for natural ventilation to establish comfortable indoor conditions. Findings indicate that indoor overheating occurrences in naturally ventilated apartments are expected to increase in both frequency and intensity in the future, across different emission scenarios, varying by climate. The risk of overheating was highest in inland region, followed by coastal then mountain regions. Regarding natural ventilation comfort hours, coastal climates saw a significant decrease (40% to 26% in the worst case), inland climates witnessed a slight reduction (27% to 23% in the worst case), and mountain climates observed a marginal increase (1% to 3%), accompanied by an increased risk of overheating during peak periods.

Understanding fire regimes: A biogeographical perspective.

Fire regimes are often considered to be either driven by climate, fuel load or human activities. A significant proportion of fires across various ecosystems occur via large fire events. Recently, suggestions have been made that fires are becoming more severe and frequent as a consequence of current climate change. Although there are many factors influencing fire events, scientists have not found a suitable framework that can provide for understanding fires at the macroscale level. This review article proposes a new conceptual framework to better understand fire regimes. The proposed framework relies on a biogeographical perspective of fire regimes that include characteristics that have been underestimated in previous frameworks and to mitigate time as well as spatial scale issues at the macrolevel.

Isozyme profiling of Antioxidant Enzyme in Macrotyloma uniflorum

The current climate change and pollution scenario has invariably increased the abiotic stress of salinity, heavy metals, and temperature on plants. Abiotic stress impacts the plant's defense system, impacting the crop's growth, yield, and productivity. The present investigation emphasised the antioxidant ability of Macrotyloma uniflorum under nickel stress which forms a major part of defense mechanism. It intricately evaluates the antioxidant activities of M. uniflorum with respect to different Nickel doses. The antioxidant defense system of plants includes enzymes including super oxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POX), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), and dehyrdoascorbate reductase (DHAR). These enzymes act as scavengers to ameliorate the free radicals cellular metabolism produces. Therefore, the present study gives a comprehensive understanding of the antioxidant enzymatic system with special reference to the role of each enzyme in response to the abiotic stress, especially nickel. By studying the isozyme pattern of these enzymes, we can compute the antioxidant activities in a very detailed manner. Different concentrations of Ni in the range of 25 ppm to 125 ppm were taken to find the optimum concentration of Ni for its antioxidant activities. SOD1 isozyme was the most prominent one among all at 25 ppm. The intensity of GPX2 in the black variety is more prominent at 100 ppm as compared to the control. Thus, the results obtained could be easily used to evaluate the minimum concentration of Nickel for antioxidant.

Trehalose Induced regulations in Physio-biochemical attributes of Helianthus annuus under Lead stress

Heavy metal is a substantially severe abiotic environmental stress that is rising in many regions of the world. Current climate change circumstances and rapid industrialization increased heavy metal accumulation in soil and water. Overall, worldwide agricultural production decreased. Trehalose, a well-known plant growth regulator, is crucial in plants' responses to a variety of abiotic conditions. The Morpho-physiological and biochemical parameters were analyzed in hydroponic research to identify the possible role of trehalose in alleviating heavy metal lead acetate stress in sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) crops. In the sole and mixed form, two Pb(C2H3O2)2 (Control and 30 micron) and one trehalose (50 M L-1) levels were used, and a half-strength Hoagland solution was used as a nutritional medium. The current study found that heavy metal stress had a significant negative impact on plant growth (root and shoot length), fresh and dry biomass, and plant water relations, as well as poor plant water relations, membrane stability, chlorophyll content, and antioxidant enzyme activities such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxide (POD), ascorbate peroxide (APX), and catalase (CAT). MDA and H2O2 are the stress markers reduced by the application of trehalose. Exogenous treatment of trehalose, on the other hand, significantly mitigates the detrimental effects of metal toxicity by altering plant physiology, enhancing water relations, and providing robust antioxidant defense against heavy metal lead acetate stress. The findings of this study provide a new dimension to scientists' understanding of the beneficial usage of trehalose in plant science and offer up new research opportunities.

Sugarcane farmers’ perceptions of climate change and their “adaptation” methods in Fiji: adaptation for the industry or for their livelihood?

ABSTRACT This article addresses how Fiji’s sugarcane farmers perceive climate change, attempt to mitigate the impact, and plan to adapt to sustain their livelihoods. Fiji’s sugar industry has recently been struggling due to several factors, and the current climate change is further negatively affecting the industry. Previous studies on farmers’ adaptation methods to climate change across the world have introduced several adaptation methods for the future of agricultural practices; however, such approaches only function under the assumption that farmers are willing to continue engaging in agriculture under climate change. Abandoning sugarcane farms and converting careers has been seen as an undesirable adaptation. Our interviews with 30 sugarcane farmers in Western Viti Levu, Fiji, show that the farmers do not necessarily wish to continue sugarcane farming. Instead, they explore options such as abandoning sugarcane farms or encouraging the next generation to pursue another career pathway for a better future. Under such circumstances, a top-down approach expecting the farmers to continue sugarcane farming by adopting agricultural coping methods may not function well. Instead, climate change policies should focus on preparing farmers for climate change by supporting them to re-envisage their future.

Orange Peel and Cauliflower Residues Supplementation Induce Morphological and Physiological Tolerance in Common Bean under Drought Stress

Drought is one of the most harmful abiotic stresses affecting the development and yield of the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). The current climate change and the resulting increased drought will worsen the negative impact of water stress on the plant. The powder of orange peel and cauliflower waste were added as soil supplementation at rates of 7 and 15 g/pot to pots of Phaseolus vulgaris L. under different drought conditions. The growth and physiological analysis were estimated after flowering period of common bean. In the pots where drought will be applied, irrigation was stopped for 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 days during the flowering period and irrigation was performed again after water stress application. To measure moisture percentage of pots, first dry pots were weighed and after irrigation, their moisture variation in terms of percent was measured during stress from 2 to 10 days. The highest plant height was obtained from control. Leaf area decreased significantly despite the application of different powder, especially after 4 days of drought conditions. The highest root fresh and dry weight, raw ash were observed under control with the application of 7.5 g orange peel powder. Shoot dry weight decreased as the number of days exposed to drought increased, and the application of 15 g orange peel and cauliflower powder gave the highest results compared to control conditions. The highest dry matter was obtained from the application of 7.5 g and 15 cauliflower powder in the absence of drought. It has been revealed that as the duration of exposure to drought increases, the value decreases and plant powders are effective in increasing this value. Chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b and total chlorophyll values decreased significantly with drought, and the highest value was obtained from control conditions, followed by 15 cauliflower powder applications.

Evaluating the Crucial Relationships between Soil Health and Climate Change

Content of paper emphasizes the significant influence of soil health on global warming and climate stability. Soil affects the Earth's carbon cycle by acting as a source and sink of greenhouse gases. Climate is considered important a factor in soil formation, but also soils also have an impact on the climate. Therefore, soils are affected by the current climate change as well, particularly because they may release excessive amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases (GHG) as a result of changing their usage or poor management or human wrong practices. The pressure that climate change places on soil ecosystems has a significant impact on agriculture, biodiversity, and ecosystem services. For effective climate mitigation and adaptation policies to be developed, it is essential to understand these relationships. Worthwhile that the greatest soil management practices for reducing climate change focus on increasing soil organic matter content and water retention. The enormous carbon and nitrogen (N) store that is soil. acting as a possible regulator of the CO2, N2O, and CH4—the three main greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Because biota is the organic matter carrier to the soil, both in living organisms and through their decomposing remains, mature soils rich in life are frequently CO2 sinks. But heterotrophic organisms that live in soil are also OM net consumers, and they release CO2 into the atmosphere through respiration. The interactions between plants, soil organisms, and abiotic soil conditions are actually changing as a result of climate change, which has an impact on plant performance, plant diversity, and community structure. The loss of soil organic matter (OM) and its development to the atmosphere quickly became a significant effect of tillage and any other activity, agricultural or otherwise, that disturbs the natural soils since then. It is anticipated that the areas affected by salinization would increase due to climate change which affects the suitability of the soil agriculture or any other development purposes.The conclusion of the current study Carbon sequestration can reduced the green house gas emission.

Late Oligocene atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations reconstructed from fossil leaves using stomatal index

Ancient atmospheric CO2 can be reconstructed using various climate proxies; stomata from fossil leaves are one of the climate proxies that provide critical information about past climatic conditions of the Earth. Exceptionally well–preserved fossil leaves found in overbank deposits in Chilga of Northwest Ethiopia were used to estimate late Oligocene atmospheric CO2 values using stomatal index. The age of the fossils, 206Pb/238U: 27.23 ± 0.03 Ma, was determined from zircons in an ash deposit comprising the matrix deposited contemporaneously with the fossil leaves. Stomatal indices were calculated from both the fossil leaves and nearest living relatives of the fossils. Corresponding atmospheric CO2 values for the nearest living relatives of the fossils were assigned from historical records from the Mauna Loa Observatory. This produces a calibrating curve that shows variation of atmospheric CO2 over time, and late Oligocene atmospheric CO2 values were quantified from the calibrating curve. The quantified late Oligocene atmospheric CO2 values are about 343 ± 11 ppm which show a 12 % decrease when they are quantified using a leaf gas exchange method. This is consistent with the idea that stomatal–index method underestimates CO2 values compared to the leaf gas exchange method. The late Oligocene was colder than both its preceding Eocene and its following Miocene epochs, and the results are incongruent with the cold Oligocene period. These results for this particular geologic time provide opportunity to examine how plants responded to climate changes in the past and have important implications for the study of current and future climate changes.

Nexus between social work and environmental sustainability

The United Nations (UN) 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development declared environmental problems as social problems. Over the years, the social work profession, although governed by the ‘person-in-environment’ principle, has long neglected the natural environment and progressively assumed the significance of environmental issues in the social intervention context. In this article, we first describe the environmental context for human life, followed by a narrative review of existing research on understanding environmental sustainability and its relationship with social work. This is supported by an explanation of the current global climate change situation and the utilization of sustainable development goals which are directly associated with environmental sustainability. In order to arrive at the conclusion, social work before environmental sustainability in the UK context and Hamilton’s psychosocial casework are also discussed. It can help social workers broaden and strengthen practices by incorporating the realm of ecology and the environment in the social work field.

A scoping review of current climate change and vector-borne disease literacy and implications for public health interventions

Climate literacy assesses general understanding of climate, climate change, and its effects on the environment as well as human health. Despite vast scientific evidence to support climate change and its associated consequences, particularly with regards to vector-borne diseases, climate change knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors among the general population is relatively poor. In this study, we conducted a thorough review of the current literature to evaluate the scope of global climate and health literacy studies and identify key areas for improvement. We found that very few climate and health literacy studies were based in low- and middle-income countries, and those that were did not make mention of significant regional climate change impacts and specifically those that increase mosquito-borne disease transmission in high-risk areas. We also noted that of the twenty-three studies included in our final review, most focused their assessments on general climate and climate change knowledge, and not on literacy of the relationships between climate change and environmental impacts or subsequent health outcomes. Our findings make it clear that moving forward, there is a major need for climate and health literacy research to expand upon existing climate literature to include additional assessments of the relationships between certain climate change impacts and infectious diseases in particular, as well as to make available a more comprehensive overview of climate and health information to the public in the future.

The Southern Ocean Freshwater Input from Antarctica (SOFIA) Initiative: scientific objectives and experimental design

Abstract. As the climate warms, the grounded ice sheet and floating ice shelves surrounding Antarctica are melting and releasing additional freshwater into the Southern Ocean. Nonetheless, almost all existing coupled climate models have fixed ice sheets and lack the physics required to represent the dominant sources of Antarctic melt. These missing ice dynamics represent a key uncertainty that is typically unaccounted for in current global climate change projections. Previous modelling studies that have imposed additional Antarctic meltwater have demonstrated regional impacts on Southern Ocean stratification, circulation, and sea ice, as well as remote changes in atmospheric circulation, tropical precipitation, and global temperature. However, these previous studies have used widely varying rates of freshwater forcing, have been conducted using different climate models and configurations, and have reached differing conclusions on the magnitude of meltwater–climate feedbacks. The Southern Ocean Freshwater Input from Antarctica (SOFIA) initiative brings together a team of scientists to quantify the climate system response to Antarctic meltwater input along with key aspects of the uncertainty. In this paper, we summarize the state of knowledge on meltwater discharge from the Antarctic ice sheet and ice shelves to the Southern Ocean and explain the scientific objectives of our initiative. We propose a series of coupled and ocean–sea ice model experiments, including idealized meltwater experiments, historical experiments with observationally consistent meltwater input, and future scenarios driven by meltwater inputs derived from stand-alone ice sheet models. Through coordinating a multi-model ensemble of simulations using a common experimental design, open data archiving, and facilitating scientific collaboration, SOFIA aims to move the community toward better constraining our understanding of the climate system response to Antarctic melt.

Range dynamics of Walterinnesia morgani (Serpentes, Elapidae) during climatic oscillations in Iran

Reptiles have a crucial part in maintaining global biodiversity and the functioning of dynamic ecosystems, owing to their ecological roles and functions. Nevertheless, these organisms are susceptible to human-induced disruptions and the deterioration of their habitats, leading to their categorization as the third most endangered group of vertebrates on a global scale. Understanding the spatial distribution of reptiles is crucial due to their often specific habitat needs and limited vagility. Morgan’s black cobra (Walterinnesia morgani) is a secretive venomous snake species that has thus far received little attention in Iranian scientific literature. The aim of the present study was to determine the existing distribution pattern of the cobra and to speculate on how climatic changes might affect it. Maximum entropy modeling was used to examine a dataset consisting of 16 occurrence records gleaned from field observations and the literature. The niche of the species was predicted using current and future climate change forecasts and bioclimatic and topographical characteristics. The models predicted a future reduction in the wide distribution region of W. morgani in southern and western Iran. It was discovered that climatic factors like temperature range, precipitation dynamics, and river proximity all played a key role in shaping the pattern of distribution. The predicted suitable areas for W. morgani were dependent on water sources; however, future scenarios showed a decline in suitable habitats. This study underscores the importance of conservation efforts in light of the potential implications of climate change on this species. To further understand the range shifts and adaptive strategies of the species, further study of its ecology and dispersal dynamics is required.

Hypometabolism to survive the long polar night and subsequent successful return to light in the diatom Fragilariopsis cylindrus.

Diatoms, the main eukaryotic phytoplankton of the polar marine regions, are essential for the maintenance of food chains specific to Arctic and Antarctic ecosystems, and are experiencing major disturbances under current climate change. As such, it is fundamental to understand the physiological mechanisms and associated molecular basis of their endurance during the long polar night. Here, using the polar diatom Fragilariopsis cylindrus, we report an integrative analysis combining transcriptomic, microscopic and biochemical approaches to shed light on the strategies used to survive the polar night. We reveal that in prolonged darkness, diatom cells enter a state of quiescence with reduced metabolic and transcriptional activity, during which no cell division occurs. We propose that minimal energy is provided by respiration and degradation of protein, carbohydrate and lipid stores and that homeostasis is maintained by autophagy in prolonged darkness. We also report internal structural changes that manifest the morphological acclimation of cells to darkness, including the appearance of a large vacuole. Our results further show that immediately following a return to light, diatom cells are able to use photoprotective mechanisms and rapidly resume photosynthesis, demonstrating the remarkable robustness of polar diatoms to prolonged darkness at low temperature.

Decrease in climatic disequilibrium associated with climate change and species abundance shifts in Mediterranean plant communities

Abstract Climate change induces changes in plant communities according to species' climatic requirements. These changes can be assessed by community climatic disequilibrium (CD), which corresponds to the difference between the climate inferred from the climatic requirements of the species in a community (community‐inferred climate, CIC) and the local observed climate. We assessed changes in CIC and CD during a long‐term climatic manipulation (warming and drought treatments), embedded within the ongoing trends of climate change, in a Mediterranean shrubland (NE Iberian Peninsula) during 1999–2014. We used plant censuses, species distribution and climate layers since 1979 to create a multivariate environmental space where CIC and CD trends were estimated for 1999–2014. CD consistently decreased, concomitant with an overall climate change‐derived increase in aridity (higher temperature and lower precipitation). CIC significantly changed during 1999–2014, reflecting the reshuffling of the community composition due to an increase in the abundance of species distributed in warmer, drier and more seasonal localities. Overall, treatments simulating greater climate change did not accelerate the decrease in CD. However, a trend of steeper diminution of CD was observed under warming treatment. In turn, under drought treatment the species less adapted to seasonality and aridity became less abundant. This community tracking of climate did not follow yearly climatic variability; instead, it was detected by the CD trend at the decadal scale. Synthesis. The procedure developed to measure CD reflects demographic behaviours, thus providing a reliable method to assess the impact of climate change on species and communities. The study demonstrates the current, rapid tracking of Mediterranean woody plant communities to climate change. This tracking results from changes in the abundance of species according to their climatic requirements, inferred from their distribution. However, inertia in demographic processes implies that plant communities do not immediately fit current climate change at local level, as supported by the minor effect of experimentally accentuated climate change.