Effects Of Land Use Change Research Articles

Land-Use Feedback under Global Warming—A Transition from Radiative to Hydrological Feedback Regime

Abstract This study examines the effects of land-use (LU) change on regional climate, comparing historical and future scenarios using seven climate models from phase 6 of Coupled Model Intercomparison Project–Land Use Model Intercomparison Project experiments. LU changes are evaluated relative to land-use conditions during the preindustrial climate. Using the Community Earth System Model, version 2–Large Ensemble (CESM2-LE) experiment, we distinguish LU impacts from natural climate variability. We assess LU impact locally by comparing the impacts of climate change in neighboring areas with and without LU changes. Further, we conduct CESM2 experiments with and without LU changes to investigate LU-related climate processes. A multimodel analysis reveals a shift in LU-induced climate impacts, from cooling in the past to warming in the future climate across midlatitude regions. For instance, in North America, LU’s effect on air temperature changes from −0.24° ± 0.18°C historically to 0.62° ± 0.27°C in the future during the boreal summer. The CESM2-LE shows a decrease in LU-driven cooling from −0.92° ± 0.09°C in the past to −0.09° ± 0.09°C in future boreal summers in North America. A hydroclimatic perspective linking LU and climate feedback indicates LU changes causing soil moisture drying in the midlatitude regions. This contrasts with hydrology-only views showing wetter soil conditions due to LU changes. Furthermore, global warming causes widespread drying of soil moisture across various regions. Midlatitude regions shift from a historically wet regime to a water-limited transitional regime in the future climate. This results in reduced evapotranspiration, weakening LU-driven cooling in future climate projections. A strong linear relationship exists between soil moisture and evaporative fraction in midlatitudes. Significance Statement Land–atmosphere feedback involving soil moisture can increase local temperature and affect how land-use (LU) change impacts manifest in a warming climate. Conversely, an increased surface reflectance due to LU change can decrease local temperature in the midlatitude regions. Further, the LU change signal is often mixed with the internal climate variability, making it harder to separate. This study uses a novel technique to separate LU change impact from other climate forcing in the latest generation of climate and Earth system models. In the future climate, soil moisture drying lessens the cooling impact. A large-ensemble climate experiment analysis confirms a significant weakening of the LU-driven cooling impact in the midlatitudes. Both LU and climate changes exacerbate soil moisture drying, leading to a shift toward a water-limited system where hydrological feedback becomes more influential than radiative feedback.

Habitat degradation changes and disturbance factors in the Tibetan plateau in the 21st century

Land use changes driven by human activities significantly impact biodiversity in plateau regions. However, current research is largely confined to identifying correlations between various factors and both habitat quality and degradation, overlooking the nonlinear relationships between them. To address this gap, we applied the PLUS-INVEST model to investigate the spatial effects of land-use changes on habitat quality and degradation patterns across the Tibetan Plateau during the 21st century. By employing a geographic detector, we determined the contribution rates of disturbance factors to habitat quality and degradation, and established constraint lines and threshold ranges between these factors. The findings reveal that: (1) The PLUS model demonstrates an exceptional performance in land-use simulation, with an overall accuracy of 0.8465. (2) The high-quality habitat area exhibits a declining trend, while the habitat degradation index steadily rises from 2000 to 2100, indicating a significant loss of biodiversity within the region. Habitat quality displays a spatial distribution pattern characterized by higher values in the south and lower values in the north, with areas in proximity to road threat sources experiencing more pronounced habitat degradation. (3) NDVI emerges as the most influential factor in promoting habitat quality, while the interaction of NDVI_Temperature exerts the greatest influence on spatial heterogeneity. The distance to resident emerges as the primary disturbance factor contributing to habitat degradation, with the interaction strength of GI_Resident being the most significant contributor. (4) Threshold intervals for ANPP, NDVI, precipitation, temperature, and distance to resident of optimal habitat quality and most severe degradation. This provides a novel scientific approach for designating areas for targeted conservation and intensive management restoration.

The future of plant diversity within a Mediterranean endemism centre: Modelling the synergistic effects of climate and land-use change in Peloponnese, Greece

Climate- and land-use change stand as primary threats to terrestrial biodiversity. Yet, their synergistic impacts on species distributions remain poorly understood. To address this knowledge gap, we conducted the first-ever comprehensive species distribution analysis on an entire regional endemism centre within an eastern Mediterranean country, incorporating dynamic land-use/land-cover change data together with climate change scenarios. Specifically, we apply species distribution modelling and spatial data analysis techniques to compare the individual and synergistic effects of these environmental drivers on the endemic vascular flora of Peloponnese, focusing on potential range contractions, altitudinal shifts, and habitat fragmentation levels. Moreover, we identify fine-scale present and potential future endemism hotspots within our study area, incorporating taxonomic and phylogenetic information. Overall, we aim to enhance our current understanding of endemism patterns and contribute to the development of future-proof conservation strategies for safeguarding Greece's endangered endemic flora. The integration of land-use change projections with climate change yielded less severe impacts compared to the effects anticipated when considering climatic variables alone. Most taxa are expected to undergo significant range declines and nearly half might experience increased habitat fragmentation, due to the synergistic effects of climate- and land-use change. We identified endemism hotspots, which are concentrated in or along the main Peloponnesian mountain massifs. However, our predictions indicate that areas presently recognized as endemism hotspots will undergo a concerning area decline, across all future scenarios considered in this study. Our findings highlight the importance of including dynamic land-use variables alongside climatic predictors when projecting species distributions under global change. Moreover, we showed that endemism hotspots are not static and considering their potential geographic shifts is paramount to delineate effective forward-looking conservation strategies.

Water yield forecast in Shandong Province based on InVEST model

A better understanding of the effects of land use change and climate change on water yield is highly important for water resource planning and sustainable management. Land use changes in Shandong Province were analyzed over recent years. The PLUS Model was applied to forecast the land use layout for 2032, with adjustments made based on actual conditions and utilizing various CMIP6 scenarios for precipitation and actual evapotranspiration. The 2032 Water Yield was quantified using the InVEST Model at both grid and administrative scales, and its temporal-spatial characteristics and spatial correlation were analyzed. The findings revealed several key points: first, a decrease of 16.92% in arable land area, along with diminishing trends in grassland and unused land, and an increase of 33.92% in built-up land area, accompanied by growth in forest and water area. Second, the water yield decreases from southeast to northwest in Shandong Province, with significant inter-annual variations. Third, future predictions suggest that the annual water yield generally increases during flat water years, with offshore areas exhibiting greater water yield depth compared to inland areas. Rizhao is projected to have the highest water yield depth, while Binzhou and Dongying are expected to have the lowest depths, with a spatially positive correlation between them.

Different effects of seasonal impoundment and land use change on microbiome in a tributary sediment of the three gorgers reservoir

Anthropogenic activities significantly impact river ecosystem nutrient fluxes and microbial metabolism. Here, we examined the seasonal and spatial variation of sediments physicochemical parameters and the associated microbiome in the Pengxi river, a representative tributary of Three Gorges Reservoir, in response to seasonal impoundment and land use change by human activities. Results revealed that seasonal impoundment and land use change enhanced total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN) and ammonium nitrogen (NH4+-N) concentration in the sediment, but have different effects on sediment microbiome. Sediment microbiota showed higher similarity during the seasonal high-water level (HWL) in consecutive two years. The abundant phyla Acidobacteria, Gemmatimonadetes, Cyanobacteria, Actinobacteria and Planctomycetes significantly increased as water level increased. Along the changes in bacterial taxa, we also observed changes in predicted carbon fixation functions and nitrogen-related functions, including the significantly higher levels of Calvin cycle, 4HB/3HP cycle, 3HP cycle and assimilatory nitrate reduction, while significantly lower level of denitrification. Though land use change significantly increased TOC, TN and NH4+-N concentration, its effects on spatial variation of bacterial community composition and predicted functions was not significant. The finding indicates that TGR hydrologic changes and land use change have different influences on the carbon and nitrogen fluxes and their associated microbiome in TGR sediments. A focus of future research will be on assessing on carbon and nitrogen flux balance and the associated carbon and nitrogen microbial cycling in TGR sediment.

Urban land use, land cover change and urban microclimate dynamics in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Land surface temperature (LST) increases and urban heat island (UHI) variability are the major urban climatology problems arising in urban development. This study attempts to assess the effects of urban land use and land cover change on microclimate dynamics in Addis Ababa city. Three different sets of remotely sensed data from Landsat 5 TM (1990), Landsat 7 ETM+ (2005) and Landsat 8 OLI/TIRS (2021) were used for the study. LSTs were retrieved from Landsat5 TM and Landsat7 ETM+ using a mono window,and the thermal infrared band (TR-10) of Landsat–8 was used to retrieve LST. Regression and correlation analyses of the LST, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and normalized difference built-up index (NDBI) were performed in SPSS V23. The study also examined the different residential urban morphology types (UMTs) of the LST and NDVI. The selected built-up blocks of UMTs included apartments, villas and mud houses. These UMTs are extracted by digitizing them from the Google Earth explorer. The results from this study showed that the proportion of urban green space (UGS) to other LULC types decreased from 120.4 km2 in 1990 to 76.26 km2 in 2021. However, the built-up area increased at a rate of 216.5 km2 (39.03%) from 1990 to 2021. The rapid expansion of built-up land in the study area was the main factor influencing the increase in LST. The residential UMTs exhibited significant differences in mean LSTs and NDVIs. The results indicate that UMT inhibited by Villia had the highest mean NDVI value and that the highest mean LST was observed in Apartment. The results of multiple linear regression analysis clearly indicate that built-up and green vegetation contributed 92.2% of the LST variations with R2 = 0.92 and VIF ≤ 10 in Addis Ababa city. The results of the study indicate that strengthening public participation in urban greening and optimizing the NDVI and NDBI are important strategies for mitigating the effects of microclimate change and that sustaining urban development and providing better quality of life for the urban population are important.

Strengths of fertilizer and litter effects on seedling recruitment and growth of grassland species differ depending on functional groups and seed size.

Agricultural grasslands play an important role in conserving the biodiversity of the European cultural landscape. Both, litter cover and soil nutrient availability, change with grassland management, but it is not well-studied how seedling recruitment and growth of multiple grassland species are influenced by their single or combined effects. Therefore, we studied the effects of nitrogen fertilization (100 kg N per year and ha) and litter cover (250 gdw per m2) on seedling recruitment and growth of 75 temperate grassland species (16 graminoid species, 51 forb species, 8 legume species) in a full factorial microcosm experiment. Overall, fertilizer reduced seedling emergence, while litter cover increased it even when combined with fertilization. Fertilization increased seedling height and biomass, and the combination of fertilizer and litter resulted in even stronger responses. Litter cover alone did not influence seedling biomass or seedling height. While the overall direction of treatment effects was similar across functional groups, their strengths were mostly weaker in graminoids than in non-legume forbs and legumes. Positive litter effects on seedling emergence were stronger in large-seeded species. Positive fertilization effects on seedling growth were stronger in small-seeded species, while their seedling biomass was negatively affected by litter cover. In summary, our results show for multiple grassland species that the combination of litter cover and fertilization modulates their single effects. The varying sensitivity of how grassland species representing different functional groups and seed sizes respond with their seedling emergence and growth to litter cover and nitrogen fertilization indicates that the consequences of land-use change on grassland diversity and composition already start to manifest in the earliest stages of the plant life cycle.

Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Erosion Risk Assessment Using GIS-Based AHP Method: A Case Study of Doğancı Dam Watershed in Bursa (Türkiye)

Soil erosion, one of the most serious phenomena in watershed management, can be estimated based on various criteria. Land use change is one of the most important factors affecting the susceptibility of soil erosion. In this study, the effect of land use change on soil erosion risk in two plan periods (2005 and 2017) was investigated using Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for the forest planning units in the Doğancı Dam Watershed, located in Bursa, Türkiye. Eight criteria were evaluated including erosion-related slope, bedrock type, land use/land cover, precipitation, relative relief, aspect, drainage frequency, and density. According to the results, the most effective factor in soil erosion was slope (0.29), while bedrock type and land use/land cover ranked second with 0.19. It was found that full closure forests were characterized by high erosion resistance (0.3), while bare land was characterized as the most sensitive area to erosion (0.39). In terms of spatio-temporal changes in a 12-year period, the areas in the medium and high erosion risk decreased, while low and very low-risk areas increased. The ROC method showed a satisfactory accuracy of 72.8% and 80.2% for the 2005 and 2017 erosion risk maps, respectively.

Partitioned Simulation of Land Use Change Based on Carbon Neutrality Zoning and Its Multiscale Effect on Carbon Emissions in the Xia–Zhang–Quan Metropolitan Circle, China

Urbanization significantly affects the global carbon balance. Therefore, clarifying the effect of urbanization-induced land use change on carbon emissions and proposing the zonal-based policy implementation became crucial. In this study, we estimated the future land use carbon emissions in three scenarios by adopting the partitioned Patch-generating Land Use Simulation Model (PLUS) in the Xiamen–Zhangzhou–Quanzhou (XZQ) metropolitan circle, China. The results showed that (1) the region could be divided into two sub-areas (carbon sink function zone and high-carbon optimization zone); the partitioned PLUS model had a higher accuracy in the developed areas, whereas it had a lower accuracy in the undeveloped areas; (2) the main characteristic of land use change was the construction on the land that was previously farmland, spanning 260.2 km2; the land used for construction would continue to expand, with 215.5 km2 (8.2%), 261.0 km2 (9.9%), and 129.5 km2 (4.9%) in the natural development scenario (ND), economic development scenario (ED), and carbon neutrality scenario (CN), respectively; (3) the amount of carbon emissions would increase by 196.2 × 104 tons and 235.4 × 104 tons in the ND and ED, respectively, whereas, it would decrease by 49.0 × 104 tons in the CN. This study made a beneficial attempt at partitioning based on carbon neutrality by improving the PLUS model simulation results and carbon emission assessment, which could provide methods and references for future similar studies. The findings suggest a method for the coordinated development between the carbon sink function zone and the high-carbon optimization zone. In addition, comprehensively understanding the land use change and its effects on carbon emissions, from this study, could provide important insights into carbon neutrality and regional sustainable development for urban planners and policymakers. In future research, the zoning research could be conducted at a finer scale, since the partition results were relatively coarse in this study.

Land use and temperature shape the beta diversity of soil nematodes across the Mollisol zone in northeast China

Understanding soil biodiversity response to land use change is crucial for predicting and preserving soil ecological functions and health under anthropogenic influence. Yet, the overall effect of land use changes and climate conditions on belowground biodiversity remains insufficiently explored at large scales. Here, we studied the effect of conversion from natural soils to agricultural soils on soil nematode diversity and community assembly across the Mollisol zone in northeast China. We found that nematode alpha diversity decreased in agricultural soils, and nematode alpha diversity did not exhibit a regular change with latitudinal variation. For beta diversity, we found that nematode community structures were significantly affected by land use change. Furthermore, climatic factors and geographic distance significantly impacted the beta diversity of soil nematodes, but not the alpha diversity. Mean annual temperature was a primary climatic determinant of soil nematode communities, while the effect of mean annual precipitation on soil nematode beta diversity was only observed in agricultural soils. Stochastic processes dominated soil nematode community assembly, but agricultural soils increased the importance of deterministic processes compared to natural soils. There is no any expected variation in soil nematode alpha diversity along the Mollisol zone. Our findings highlight the crucial role of temperature in driving soil nematode communities.

Can the best management practices resist the combined effects of climate and land-use changes on non-point source pollution control?

Climate and land-use changes have an overlying impact on non-point source (NPS) pollution in river basins. However, the control effect of Best Management Practices (BMPs) for NPS pollution is not yet clear under future scenarios. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model was coupled with the entropy-weighted method, global climate patterns and land-use data to explore the dynamic variations in total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) loads in the Jing River Basin during the baseline (2000−2020) and future periods (2021–2065), evaluate the pollution reduction effectiveness of individual and combined BMPs, and propose practical BMP configurations. Results indicate that a future trend of urban land expansion, particularly in the economic scenario (LU_SSP585), leads to weakened environmental ecosystems, while the sustainable scenario (LU_SSP126) exhibits more balanced land development. The MIROC-ES2L model demonstrates higher Taylor skill scores, forecasted significant increases in precipitation, maximum, and minimum temperatures under the SSP585 scenario. Spatial heterogeneity in TN and TP loads is notable, showing an upward trajectory in the future. The interaction between land-use and climate change has complex effects on TN and TP loads, with land-use-induced TN changes being relatively small (4.6 %) and TP changes substantial (24.3 %). The spatial distribution, under overlying effects, leans towards the influence of climate change, emphasizing its dominant role in TN and TP load variations. Distinct differences exist in the reduction of NPS pollution loads among different BMPs, with combined BMPs demonstrating superior effectiveness. The environmental-cost effectiveness trends of BMPs remain consistent across various future scenarios. RG (Return agricultural land to grass), RG + TT (Terracing), and RG + FR10 (Fertilizer reduction: 10 %) + GW (Grassed waterway) + FS (Filter strip) + TT emerge as the most effective single, double, and multiple BMP combinations, respectively. The results offer valuable insights for preventing and mitigating future NPS pollution risks, optimizing land-use layouts, and enhancing watershed management decisions.

Soil water content and RubisCO activity control the carbon storage in soil under different land uses in Sanjiang Plain, China

Soil carbon storage plays a crucial role in mitigating the climate warming and is significantly impacted by the land use pattern. To better understand soil carbon stability and the underlying microbial mechanism, based on qPCR, ELISA, and fluorescence techniques, the effects of land use changes on soil microbial abundance, enzyme activity, and soil carbon storage were investigated in the complex ecosystems of cropland, forestland, and wetland along three typical river (Wolvlan river, Bielahong river, Wusuli river) basin in Sanjiang Plain, China. We hypothesised that croplands soil carbon storage is lower than forestlands and wetlands, which is regulated by soil water content, microbe and enzyme activity. Results showed that topsoil TC in wetlands (85.54 mg·g−1) was higher than those in croplands (33.46 mg·g−1) and forestlands (46.13 mg·g−1). Topsoil water content increased 73.90 % and 71.64 % in wetlands than in farmland and forestlands, respectively. Additionally, reclamation diminished topsoil carbon storage. In croplands, soil dissolved organic carbon, microbial biomass carbon, microbial biomass nitrogen, available nitrogen, bacterial abundance, and soil enzymes (i.e., RubisCO, β-glucosidase, cellobiohydrolase, 1,4-N-acetylglucosaminidase and acid phosphatase) activities were substantially lower than those in wetlands. Structural equation modeling showed that soil carbon storage was positively related to soil water content and RubisCO activity but negatively related to soil bacterial abundance. Soil water content had the largest standardised total positive effect coefficient and indirectly influenced soil carbon storage by affecting RubisCO activity. Soil depth had a greater effect on SMC, hydrolase and site had a greater effect on bacteria and fungi abundance. The results highlight that the alteration of carbon fixing enzyme activity by soil water content is a crucial mechanism for soil carbon sequestration in response to land-use change. Management strategies that conserve natural wetlands, increase soil water content and minimize land disturbance would be effective in maintaining soil carbon stocks.

Effects of Land Use Change on Land Erosion and Land Critical Level Using GIS in the Mayang Watershed

The increasing population in an area often triggers heightened development, leading to diminished land availability and subsequent land conversion. This transformation, predominantly observed in agricultural and plantation lands, is driven by the need for residential areas. However, continuous land use changes contribute to erosion, a natural process wherein soil is transported, leading to sedimentation and eventual flooding. This study aims to identify critical areas prone to erosion and land degradation. To address this, we used the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) method for erosion prediction, leveraging its simplicity and accuracy. This study focuses on the Mayang watershed in East Java, utilizing a combination of USLE, spectral index modeling, and Geographic Information System (GIS) techniques to estimate soil erosion and land criticality. By integrating methodologies and analyzing data spanning from 2011 to 2021, the study reveals shifts in erosion danger levels and land use patterns. While regions with low erosion remained stable, areas with medium to high erosion declined, yet those with very high erosion exhibited a worrisome increase. Changes in land use, including forest loss and urban expansion, underscore the ecological shifts exacerbating erosion hazards. The study emphasizing the necessity for targeted conservation strategies and comprehensive land management plans to mitigate erosion risks and preserve environmental sustainability.

Reducing Sedimentation in Catchment Areas as Part of the Revitalization Efforts at Batujai Reservoir in Central Lombok

This research discusses efforts to revitalize the Batujai Reservoir in Central Lombok with a focus on sedimentation problems. Batujai Reservoir has a strategic role in meeting water needs in the surrounding area, but faces serious challenges due to significant sedimentation. In addition to assessing the effects of these changes on the reservoir's benefits�such as irrigation, flood control, and electricity production�this study intends to examine the effects of land use changes in the Dodokan Sub-Watershed Catchment Area (DTA) on the features and volume of sedimentation entering the reservoir. In addition, this study attempts to develop suggestions for efficient sedimentation management plans in order to increase the Batujai Reservoir's service life. Research methods include primary and secondary data collection, sedimentation modeling using the Water and Tillage/Sediment Delivery Model (WATEM/SEDEM), to evaluate the impact of sediment control structures such as check dams. Research variables include catchment area, population, annual rainfall, average daily evaporation, mainstay surface water availability, land surface erosion rate, sediment volume deposited in the reservoir, effective age of the Batujai Reservoir, and changes in land use in the Dodokan Sub-watershed. The results of this research will provide a better understanding of the main sources of sedimentation in the Batujai Reservoir and the impact of land use changes on the reservoir. It is hoped that the recommendations for sedimentation management strategies resulting from this research will help maintain reservoir storage capacity, which is important for meeting various water needs in the region.

Larger cities host richer bee faunas, but are no refuge for species with concerning conservation status: Empirical evidence from Western Europe

In the context of worldwide biodiversity and wild bee decline, it is increasingly important to better understand the effect of land-use changes on wild bee communities at a global scale. To do so, we studied the effect of city area and urban green spaces layout on wild bee species richness and community composition, as well as on wild bee species with an unfavorable UICN conservation status. This study was based on a large European dataset encompassing 20 cities from France, Belgium and Switzerland. We found a mean wild bee species richness in cities of 96 ± 48 (SD), showing that this species richness was highly variable among cities. The main factor positively influencing wild bee species richness in cities was the area of the city. Conversely, species richness was not significantly related to the total area of urban green spaces in a given city, measured as the spatial extent of urban parks, wastelands and other semi-natural habitats, excluding urban private gardens. Species with conservation status were quite scarce in urban environments, especially when compared to the European Red List of Bees, and we could not link their presence to either city or urban green space area. Dissimilarities in wild bee species community compositions were not associated with any of the studied characteristics of cities. We found that the dissimilarity of wild bee community composition among cities was mainly driven by the rarest species, as the most common ones were found in a majority of the cities sampled. Overall, these results emphasize that larger cities host more wild bee species, but are no refuge for the ones with concerning conservation status. Thus, stakeholders are encouraged to design their cities in favor of biodiversity to better support wild bee communities, and perhaps mitigate the established effect of the urban ecological filter.

Unveiling soil bacterial diversity in the Andes-Amazon transition zone: Impacts of forest conversion to pasture

Soil microorganisms play a crucial role in the functioning of ecosystems by performing several essential functions. However, their resilience is tested by disturbances, primarily driven by land use changes. The Andes-Amazon transition zone, renowned for its ecological importance, is experiencing a growing pressure of removing native forests to establish pastures. In the last decades, efforts to characterize biodiversity in this region have been increasing; however, our comprehension of soil microbial communities and their responses to land use changes remains limited. Here, we used a shotgun DNA metagenomic sequencing approach to investigate the composition, diversity, and functions of soil bacterial communities in the litter and topsoil (0–10 cm) of a forest localized in an Andes-Amazon transition zone in Colombia and evaluate how they are affected by pasture establishments. Our findings unveiled the forest litter as a distinct microbial ecosystem, characterized by the highest bacterial richness and diversity. This layer was positively associated with increased availability of carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P), and enzymatic activity linked to the mineralization of these elements. The transition from forest to pasture altered the microbial community structure, which was accompanied by a reduction of soil acidity. We observed that Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, and Actinobacteria were the most abundant phyla in all environments, with a predominance of Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes in forest litter, while forest-pasture conversion increased the abundance of Verrucomicrobia and Firmicutes in the soil. Functional profiles were over-represented in the litter, followed by pasture and forest soils. These results provide a foundational framework for comprehending the microbiome in the Andes-Amazon transition zone and its role in ecosystem functioning. Furthermore, this study sheds light on the far-reaching consequences of land use changes on microbial communities.

From lake to fisheries: Interactive effect of climate and landuse changes hit on lake fish catch?

Global warming and unpredictable nature possess a negative impact on fisheries and the daily activities of other habitats. GIS and remote sensing approach is an effective tool to determine the morphological characteristics of the lake. The present study addresses the interactive effect of climate and landuse changes hit on fish catch in lake fisheries. We used a combination of the landscape disturbance index, vulnerability index, and loss index to construct a complete ecological risk assessment framework based on the landscape structure of regional ecosystems. The results indicate an increase from around 45%–76% in the percentage of land susceptible to moderate to ecological severe risk in the landscape from 2004 to 2023. Since 1950, temperature changes have increased by 0.4%, precipitation has decreased by 6%, and water levels have decreased by 4.2%, based on the results. The results indicate that landuse, water temperature, precipitation, and water depth significantly impact the aquaculture system. The findings strongly suggest integrating possible consequences of environmental change on fish yield for governance modeling techniques to minimize their effects.

Land-use change alters specialist bee diet and drives body size declines

ContextLand-use change can cause decreases in plant abundance and richness and the replacement of wild plants with domesticated plants. Changes in plant community composition disrupt mutualistic plant-pollinator interactions with ecological consequences for plants and pollinators, and especially for specialists that rely on certain plants.ObjectivesWe assessed the effects of land-use change and subsequent shifts in plant communities on resource collection and body size for a bee pollinator, Habropoda laboriosa, a purported specialist of blueberries and related Ericaceae plants.MethodsWe collected Habropoda laboriosa across a gradient of land use in north-central Florida including agricultural, natural, and urban habitats. We assessed landcover and floral community composition at each site and related these to bee body size (intertegular distance) and resource use (proportion host plant pollen and pollen diversity collected).ResultsHost plant pollen collection and bee body size generally responded similarly to the landscape, both increasing with habitats containing host plants (blueberry farms and natural habitat) but decreasing with urban development. However, host pollen collection and bee body size responded in opposite ways to overall cropland in the landscape, with cropland negatively affecting body size despite positively affecting host pollen collection, indicating other factors associated with cropland might drive declines in bee body size.ConclusionsLand-use change can adversely affect bee diet and body size, and changes in diet likely contribute to changes in body size over time. Specialists are particularly at risk for negative impacts of land-use change due to their inability to shift plant hosts.

Local and Nonlocal Biophysical Effects of Historical Land Use and Land Cover Changes in CMIP6 Models and the Intermodel Uncertainty

AbstractLand use and land cover changes (LULCCs) can influence surface temperature through local and nonlocal biophysical processes, which remain inadequately addressed. In this study, we separate the local and nonlocal effects of historical (1850–2014) LULCCs based on model outputs from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6. We also attempt to explore the sources of intermodel differences in the effects of LULCCs. The multimodel mean shows a cooling effect of −0.05°C (with an intermodel range of −0.24–0.06°C) at the global scale due to cropland and pastureland expansion, consisting of dominant nonlocal cooling of −0.06°C (with an intermodel range of −0.26–0.06°C) and slight local warming of 0.01°C (with an intermodel range of −0.01–0.05°C). The modeling results show some clear consistency in the effects of LULCCs despite considerable intermodel uncertainties. The local effects cause warming at low latitudes and cooling in boreal regions via changes in upward shortwave radiation and sensible and latent heat fluxes. The nonlocal effects mainly cause cooling via decreases in downward longwave radiation and increases in upward shortwave radiation. Intermodel differences in the total effects are dominated by those in the nonlocal effects, which are further attributed to divergent changes in downward longwave radiation and sensible heat flux across the models. This study highlights the importance of the nonlocal effects of LULCCs in terms of strength and intermodel uncertainty, with implications for designing land‐based solutions aimed at climate change mitigation.

Effect of Land Use Change on Molecular Composition and Concentration of Organic Matter in an Oxisol.

Land use change from native vegetation to cropping can significantly affect the quantity and quality of soil organic matter (SOM). However, it remains unclear how the chemical composition of SOM is affected by such changes. This study employed a sequential chemical extraction to partition SOM from an Oxisol into several distinct fractions: water-soluble fractions (ultrapure water (W)), organometal complexes (sodium pyrophosphate (PP)), short-range ordered (SRO) oxides (hydroxylamine-HCl (HH)), and well-crystalline oxides (dithionite-HCl (DH)). Coupled with Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR-MS), the impact of land use change on the molecular composition of different OM fractions was investigated. Greater amounts of OM were observed in the PP and HH fractions compared to other fractions, highlighting their importance in SOM stabilization. The composition of different OM fractions varied based on extracted phases, with lignin-like and tannin-like compounds being prevalent in the PP and HH fractions, while aliphatic-like compounds dominated in the DH fraction. Despite changes in the concentration of each OM fraction from native vegetation to cropping, there was little influence of land use change on the molecular composition of OM associated with different mineral phases. No significant selective loss or preservation of organic carbon compounds was observed, indicating the composition of SOM remained unchanged.