Environmental Stress Model Research Articles

Optimizing the Migratory Environment of Wildebeests in the Maasai Mara Reserve with a New Ecological Corridor and Customized Buffer Zone Model

Conflicts between wildlife and humans are a major ecological issue. During migration, wildlife, especially wildebeest, often encounter significant environmental pressures from human activities. However, relatively few studies have been conducted to provide a concise, quantitative description of wildebeest migration in the Maasai Mara National Reserve (MMNR). In this study, we identified changes in the location of the wildebeest population over time in the Maasai Mara National Reserve. We then used a K-means algorithm (R2 = 0.926) to fit coordinates representing the changes in the location of the wildebeests to enable a quantitative representation of their migration routes. Subsequently, we developed an environmental stress model to assess the changes in environmental stresses faced by wildebeests along their migration routes. We proposed a model of “migratory ecological corridors and customized buffer zones” and determined the response coefficient T_res. We used the response coefficients T_res = 0.06, 0.09, and 0.12 as the critical values to categorize the areas along the routes into weak, medium, and strong response regions. Then, we set the width of the buffer zones on both sides of the routes as 5 km, 7 km, and 9 km, respectively, and evaluated the buffer effect. This type of model achieved a good effect of reducing the environmental pressure by 54.06%. The “Migratory Ecological Corridor and Customized Buffer Zone” model demonstrated a high degree of economic feasibility while showing good practicality in mitigating the environmental conflicts between humans and migratory wildlife. The variability in the environmental pressures across the region indicates that the Nairobi and Nakuru districts may be undergoing a particular stage of urbanization that unleashes potential threats to the migration of wildebeests. Further research is essential to assess the feasibility of larger buffer zones.

Long-term effects of Preweaning environmental impoverishment on neurobehavioral and neurocognitive outcomes in Sprague Dawley rats: An early environmental stress model

Developmental stress, including low socioeconomic status (SES), can induce dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and result in long-term changes in stress reactivity. Children in lower SES conditions often experience more stress than those in other SES groups. There are multiple model systems of early environmental stress (EES), one of which is reduced cage bedding. Here we tested the effects of both prenatal and lactational EES in rats on a range of long-term behavioral and cognitive outcomes. There were persistent reductions in body weight in the EES rats in both sexes. The behavioral results showed no effects on learning and memory using tests of spatial learning or cognitive flexibility in the Morris water maze, egocentric learning in the Cincinnati water maze, or working memory in the radial-arm maze. There were no effects on basic open-field activity, elevated zero-maze, or forced swim test, but EES rats had reduced time in the dark side of the light/dark test. When rats were drug challenged in the open-field with d-amphetamine or MK-801, there were no differential responses to d-amphetamine, but the EES group under responded compared with the drug-induced hyperactivity in the control group in both males and females. The objective was to establish a developmental stress model that induced cognitive deficits and to the extent that this method did not cause such effects it was not the model we sought. However, the data showed several long-term effects of EES, including the reduced response to the irreversible NMDA antagonist MK-801. This effect merits further investigation.

Where consumers control plant reproduction in coastal wetlands: The environmental stress model in plants' versus consumers' perspectives

Abstract Understanding where consumers control plant reproduction in a time of changing plant–consumer interactions with environmental change can inform conservation. A seminal hypothesis—the environmental stress model (the ESM)—posits that consumer control of plants varies predictably with environmental stress. The ESM has been tested often along gradients of an abiotic stressor, yielding highly mixed support, although plants and consumers are often differently affected by a stressor. Here, to provide a conciliation, we introduced and tested a new ESM—the ESM in plants' versus consumers' perspectives. In field exclusion experiments conducted at three marsh sites that varied broadly in plant productivity, crab abundance and salinity within a coastal landscape, we tested the new ESM in predicting the impact of crab herbivores on the sexual reproduction of Phragmites australis. We analysed how their impact varied with plant productivity and crab abundance—proxies for environmental stresses in plants' and consumers' perspectives, respectively. We found that environmental stresses in plants' and consumers' perspectives were uncoupled across this coastal landscape. Neither crab abundance nor crab grazing intensity was correlated with plant productivity. Plant productivity and crab abundance were inconsistently related to key abiotic stressors including soil salinity. Depending on site, crab herbivores substantially suppressed Phragmites sexual reproductive effort (by >90%, by regulating a series of population‐ and individual‐level reproductive processes) or had little effect. Where crab herbivores had stronger impacts was not predicted by plant productivity, but largely by crab abundance via a threshold model. Above an abundance threshold, crabs increasingly suppressed Phragmites sexual reproductive effort. Synthesis. Our study revealed that consumer control of plant reproduction may be highly variable, even within a coastal landscape and for the same species, and that consumer abundance, rather than plant productivity, was a key predictor of this variation. As plants and consumers become increasingly uncoupled in many ecosystems under environmental change, the newly introduced ESM in plants' versus consumers' perspectives may be more versatile than previously recognized to inform conservation actions.

Community theory: Testing environmental stress models.

Intensifying climate change and an increasing need for understanding its impacts on ecological communities places new emphasis on testing environmental stress models (ESMs). Using a prior literature search plus references from a more recent search, I evaluated empirical support for ESMs, focusing on whether consumer pressure on prey decreased (consumer stress model; CSM) or increased (prey stress model; PSM) with increasing environmental stress. Applying the criterion that testing ESMs requires conducting research at multiple sites along environmental stress gradients, the analysis found that CSMs were most frequent, with 'No Effect' and PSMs occurring at low but similar frequencies. This result contrasts to a prior survey in which 'No Effect' studies were most frequent, thus suggesting that consumers are generally more suppressed by stress than prey. Thus, increased climate change-induced environmental stress seems likely to reduce, not increase impacts of consumers on prey more often than the reverse.

Utilization of Full-Mission Ship-Handling Simulators for Navigational Risk Assessment: A Case Study of Large Vessel Passage through the Istanbul Strait

The MV Ever Given accident, which took place in the Suez Canal in March 2021, showed the financial consequences of marine accidents in narrow channels as vessel sizes increase continuously. Fortunately, this incident did not threaten life nor the environment. Nevertheless, it has shown the need for a thorough investigation of large vessel passages through narrow channels and confined waterways. In this study, the utilization of a bridge simulator for risk assessment and determining safety criteria through the Istanbul Strait, which is one of the most critical and difficult waterways to navigate in the world, is given as a case study. In the literature, there are some studies illustrating the navigational difficulties and proposed countermeasures. However, there has been no study conducted to determine the safe passage conditions of large vessels in the Istanbul Strait. Hence, a Full-Mission Ship-Handling Simulator (FMSHS) was used to simulate the passage of large vessels in the Istanbul Strait. Scenarios were prepared and executed together with Strait Maritime Pilots to ensure the realism. After the scenarios were simulated, the outputs of each scenario were analyzed using the Environmental Stress (ES) model to highlight levels of risk that occur during the passage of large vessels, and finally, the necessary measures are recommended to mitigate the risk.

Design of Fairway Width Based on a Grounding and Collision Risk Model in the South Coast of Korean Waterways

As a method of reviewing the design of new fairways and the redesign of existing fairways, we proposed a fairway design plan based on the collision and grounding probability, considering vessel traffic. A case study was conducted on the four traffic separation schemes (TSS) on the southern coast, which is the most complex coast among Korean coastal waters. The evaluation items of Korea’s Maritime Traffic Safety Assessment Scheme, the PIANC Guide, and the Port and Fishing Port Design Standards were all satisfied; however, some fairways had very high ship congestion at specific times, exceeding the fairway capacity. For each target fairway, the collision risk using the environmental stress (ES) model and the grounding risk using the IWRAP Mk II Model were analyzed. The grounding risk was found to be equally good, but the aggregation environmental stress (ESA) value, according to the ES model, was high in three fairways. The widths of the three fairways with high risk were partially expanded, and, thus, were re-evaluated. The overall ESA was reduced, and the psychological burden of operators due to the marine environment, such as the fairways, was significantly eased. Based on the results of this study, it would be beneficial to apply a design scheme using collision and stranded risk models when designing new fairways or reviewing existing fairways. An appropriate fairway design plan is prepared that, through further research using various evaluation models and techniques, could be useful in coastal waters in the future.

Biological invasions alter consumer-stress relationships along an estuarine gradient.

Estuaries represent steep stress gradients for aquatic organisms, with abiotic stress due to temperature and salinity typically increasing with distance into estuary. Invertebrate communities and their predators are strongly influenced by these stress gradients. The environmental stress model predicts that the importance of predation in structuring communities decreases with increasing environmental stress. Estuaries contain a stress gradient for marine organisms this includes salinity, temperature, and other abiotic properties. Additionally, estuaries are hotspots for biological invasions; increased stress tolerance among non-native species could change the predictions of the environmental stress model. In this study, we investigate how introduced species alter the predictions of the environmental stress model by examining the effects of predators on sessile invertebrates across an estuarine gradient. To do this, we deployed recruitment plates across the estuarine gradient of Tomales Bay, California, USA using various caging treatments over the summer of 2019. We found that the effect of predation changed across sites, with the mid-estuary site experiencing the greatest reductions in prey abundance and prey species richness when exposed to predators. This was likely to be due to higher proportions of non-native prey and predator taxa mid-estuary, including solitary ascidians, which are highly susceptible to predation. Overall, predation did not follow the predictions of the environmental stress model, but rather followed the abundance of functional groups with non-native species, whose distribution could be mediated by environmental stress gradients. We suggest that this may be a general result and that communities subject to large numbers of stress-tolerant invaders may have high rates of consumption in high stress areas, contrasting predictions by previous models.

Application of Animal Models in Interpreting Dry Eye Disease.

Different pathophysiologic mechanisms are involved in the initiation, development, and outcome of dry eye disease (DED). Animal models have proven valuable and efficient in establishing ocular surface microenvironments that mimic humans, thus enabling better understanding of the pathogenesis. Several dry eye animal models, including lacrimal secretion insufficiency, evaporation, neuronal dysfunction, and environmental stress models, are related to different etiological factors. Other models may be categorized as having a multifactorial DED. In addition, there are variations in the methodological classification, including surgical lacrimal gland removal, drug-induced models, irradiation impairment, autoimmune antibody-induced models, and transgenic animals. The aforementioned models may manifest varying degrees of severity or specific pathophysiological mechanisms that contribute to the complexity of DED. This review aimed to summarize various dry eye animal models and evaluate their respective characteristics to improve our understanding of the underlying mechanism and identify therapeutic prospects for clinical purposes.

A Study on the Design of Coastal Fairway Width Based on a Risk Assessment Model in Korean Waterways

In this study, the appropriate fairway width was designed through the maritime traffic safety evaluation model. By applying the concept of L-converted traffic, it was found that the current maritime traffic volume is 5 to 20 ships per hour in the sea area near Gun-san Port. High-density sections were identified through density analysis based on maritime traffic volume, which ranged from 5 to 10 km, and sections with an area of 10 km or more were also analyzed. Considering the general traffic flow and density, it is necessary to set a route width of 10 km or more in the target sea area, as well as to design a minimum fairway width that ensures safety for all types of ocean use. In this study, four traffic flows were analyzed through machine learning and a comprehensive environmental stress model was created for the traffic flows. The amount of safety change according to the increase in traffic volume was compared and reviewed for a fairway width of 1 km to 10 km, which can be generally formed according to the characteristics of the sea area. In the assessment, we found that when the fairway width was 1–4 km and the L-converted traffic volume was 15 or more, the ES ≥ 750 value exceeded 10% of the total, thus creating a burden on the ship operators. In particular, it was found that the ES ≥ 750 value was 20% at most when the L-converted traffic volume was 20 or more. In a comprehensive analysis, the ES > 750 was found to be less than 10% when the fairway width was 6 km or more in the sea area with one crossing passage at 5 to 20 ships per hour, which was the experimental condition of this study, and the ship operator’s burden was determined to be insignificant. Based on these results, when designing routes between offshore wind farms that will be established in the future, we expect that it will be possible to design the minimum fairway width to ensure safety according to the traffic volume.

The Analysis of Sick Building Syndrome Symptoms with Environmental Stress Model for New Apartment in Dubai

Recently many residents in Dubai, UAE (United Arab Emirates) have complained of various SBS (Sick Building Syndrome) symptoms. However, regarding SBS research, most of them are about the actual condition of indoor air pollutants and the symptoms and reactions perceived by residents are not addressed. The objective of this paper was to explore the subjective symptoms, environmental characteristics, and health damage awareness and countermeasures were identified according to the environmental stress model, and individual lifestyles and habits were investigated. As a methodology, a web survey for Dubai and a field survey at Business Bay and Dubai Marina were conducted at the same time. The result had shown that SBS symptoms were very diverse even within one household, and the circumstances of the suffering were also varied. The subjective symptoms before and after moving to new apartment, the most common symptom before moving in was ‘dry skin’ and the residents’ biggest complaint was ‘increased irritability in daily life’. To prevent SBS symptoms, the most common residents’ countermeasure was ‘More frequent ventilation’. It was statistically proven that SBS directly affects the quality of life of residents, this effect was found to be very serious. The presence of SBS symptoms despite positive coping behaviors is evidence of how harmful indoor air pollutants from new apartment.

GADD45B Is a Potential Diagnostic and Therapeutic Target Gene in Chemotherapy-Resistant Prostate Cancer.

BackgroundChemoresistance is the major cause of death in advanced prostate cancer (PCa), especially in metastatic PCa (mPCa). However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the chemoresistance of PCa remain unclear. Understanding the reason behind the drug resistance would be helpful in developing new treatment approaches.MethodsThe Cancer Genome Atlas, Gene Expression Omnibus datasets, and clinical samples were used to examine the correlation between growth arrest and DNA damage-inducible 45 beta (GADD45B) with clinical characteristics and prognosis. Lentiviral transfection was used to construct GADD45B overexpression cell lines. Hypoxic incubator, low serum medium, or docetaxel was used to build environmental stress model or chemotherapy cell model. The MTS assay and colony formation assay were used to test cell viability. Apoptosis and cell cycle were detected by flow cytometry. The RNA and protein levels of related biomarkers were tested by Western blotting and quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Bioinformatics analysis after RNA sequencing was performed to identify the possible mechanism of how GADD45B regulates chemotherapy resistance.ResultsGADD45B was related to distant metastasis but not to Gleason score, prostate-specific antigen level, T stage, or lymph node metastasis and indicated a good prognosis. The level of GADD45B increased significantly in PCa cells that faced environmental stress. It was found that a high level of GADD45B significantly enhanced the chemosensitivity. Furthermore, high GADD45B promoted cell apoptosis via mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway.ConclusionGADD45B promoted chemosensitivity of prostate cancer through MAPK pathway. GADD45B could serve as a diagnostic biomarker and therapeutic target for mPCa or chemotherapy-resistant patients.

Depth-Dependent Diversity Patterns of Rocky Subtidal Macrobenthic Communities Along a Temperate Fjord in Northern Chilean Patagonia

Understanding the distribution of biodiversity along environmental gradients allows us to predict how communities respond to natural and anthropogenic impacts. In fjord ecosystems, the overlap of strong salinity and temperature gradients provides us with the opportunity to assess the spatial variation of biodiversity along abiotic environmental gradients. However, in Northern Chilean Patagonia (NCP), a unique and at the same time threatened fjord system, the variation of macrobenthic communities along abiotic environmental gradients is still poorly known. Here, we tested whether macrobenthic species diversity and community structure followed systematic patterns of variation according to the spatial variation in salinity and temperature in Comau Fjord, NCP. A spatially extensive nested sampling design was used to quantify the abundance of subtidal macrobenthic species along the fjord axis (fjord sections: head, middle, and mouth) and a depth gradient (0–21 m). The vertical structure of the water column was strongly stratified at the head of the fjord, characterized by a superficial (depth to ca. 5 m) low-salinity and relatively colder layer that shallowed and decayed toward the mouth of the fjord. The biotic variation followed, in part, this abiotic spatial pattern. Species richness peaked at high salinities (>27 psu) between 5 and 10 m in the head section and between 15 and 21 m in the middle and mouth sections. Diversity and evenness were also highest at these salinities and depth ranges in the head and middle sections, but at shallower depth ranges in the mouth. Information theory-based model selection provided a strong empirical support to the depth- and section-dependent salinity, but not temperature, effects on the three biodiversity metrics. Erect algae and the edible mussel Aulacomya atra numerically dominated in shallow water (0–3 m) at the head and the middle of the fjord, coinciding with the horizontal extension of the low-density water layer—these taxa were further replaced by the crustose algae Lithothamnion sp. and deep-dwelling suspension filters (e.g., corals, polychaetes, and sponges) along depth gradient. Macrobenthic biodiversity correlated, therefore, with the influence of freshwater inputs and the density-driven stratification of the water column in this ecosystem. The spatially variable (across both, horizontal and vertical fjord axes) thresholds observed in our study question the widely accepted pattern of increasing biodiversity with increasing distance from the head of estuarine ecosystems. Finally, non-linear environmental stress models provide us a strong predictive power to understand the responses of these unique ecosystems to natural and anthropogenic environmental changes.

Abundance data for invertebrate assemblages from intertidal mussel beds along the Atlantic Canadian coast.

This data set describes the abundance of 50 invertebrate taxa found in intertidal mussel beds along the Atlantic Canadian coast. This information resulted from a regional-scale study that investigated the effects of wave exposure on the richness and composition of invertebrate assemblages from intertidal mussel beds. Abundance data are provided for taxa representing the Annelida, Arthropoda, Bryozoa, Chordata, Cnidaria, Echinodermata, Mollusca, Nematoda, Nemertea, and Platyhelminthes. The data characterize mussel beds from wave-sheltered and wave-exposed locations spanning 315 km of the coast of Nova Scotia. Univariate and multivariate analyses revealed that the compositional structure of these invertebrate assemblages differed markedly depending on wave exposure. Overall, because of its taxonomic diversity, the inclusion of data for basal, intermediate, and top trophic levels, and the coverage of two extremes of environmental stress, this data set could be useful to test broader aspects of ecological theory. Areas of ecology that could advance using this data set are those concerning environmental stress models of community organization, abundance-occupancy relationships, species co-occurrence, species abundance distributions, dominance and rarity, spatial scales of population and community variation, and distribution of functional and phylogenetic diversity. Use of this data set for academic or educational purposes is allowed as long as the data source is properly cited. When used for academic or educational purposes, this data set should be cited using the title of this Data Paper, the names of the authors, the year of publication, and the corresponding volume and article numbers.

Testing Predictions from an Environmental Stress Model on Macroinvertebrate Diversity Across Rocky Intertidal Elevation Gradients in Mumbai, India

Intertidal organisms distributed in different zones experience strong environmental stress due to various biotic and abiotic factors. Environmental stress model (ESM) predicted that overall species richness and diversity should follow a unimodal trend along the vertical elevation gradient. In the present study, species richness and diversity of macroinvertebrates (molluscs and crustaceans) were measured on a rocky shore of Mumbai, the west coast of India. Data on species abundance were collected for two years (January 2005 to December 2006) after fixing three transects from high-to-low-shore zones based on the tidal heights. Quadratic regression analysis was applied to examine the pattern of variation in overall species richness and diversity across the stress gradient. The analysis revealed that both the variables followed unimodal trends across elevations and suggested that ESM predictions can also be applied to taxonomic groups besides different functional groups of intertidal organisms. It was also found that ESM can be useful in predicting local species richness and diversity as a function of environmental stress and helpful in providing a better understanding of distribution and dynamics of communities at local scale.

Evaluation of ship collision risk assessments using environmental stress and collision risk models

In Korea, ship collisions represent the majority of marine accidents and are substantially more likely in port areas where ship traffic is dense. To improve the safe navigation of vessels, the Korea Maritime Safety Audit (KMSA) has been conducting maritime traffic flow evaluations based on the Environmental Stress (ES) model since 2009. The ES model quantifies the subjective stress felt by the navigator; however, it does not reflect the relative bearing between ships. Risk assessment models using the ship domain are designed to consider the conditions of a potential encounter with a target ship and the possibility of avoidance action. However, even if the target ship does not invade the domain of the own ship, collision may occur at the closest point of approach (CPA). Therefore, in this study, the Collision RIsk (CoRI) model which moves the existing ship domain to the CPA is applied to compare the collision risk according to the navigator's awareness of the vessel encounter conditions. The results demonstrate that the CoRI model is a better risk assessment method than the ES model because it sensitively reflects the risks due to collision avoidance action, such as course alteration and speed changes.

El proceso de planeación para el desarrollo territorial “Caso municipio de Lejanías, Meta - Construcción de un modelo de desarrollo sostenible para la vigencia 2016 - 2019”

The development of research is based on the application of the principles and methodology of the BIT PASE (Balance and Interaction of Population, Environmental, Social and Economic Stress) model, which establishes the need to generate a balance between the dimensions of development and a harmonious relationship between the population and its territory. In this way the application of the model in the municipality of Lejanias allowed to strengthen the processes of governance for the construction of the public policy around the territorial development from the actors of the municipality, in which are the Communal Action Boards, associations of small producers , The Territorial Planning Council, the Municipal Development Council, the Municipal Council, the municipal administration, the National Police, among other institutions that were part of the process and allowed a solid construction of the local development plan and the mechanisms for monitoring.

A Basic Study on Marine Traffic Assessment in Mombasa Approach Channel-I

Mombasa is the principle port of Kenya, serving inland countries in Eastern and central Africa. Mombasa port has undergone a massive infrastructure upgrade and dredging works with an expectation that more vessels and large post Panamax ships will be able to enter Mombasa port. Therefore, it is vital to carry out a marine traffic risk assessment in order to quantify the degree of navigation safety needed in the Mombasa approach channel and also to evaluate the navigation risk imposed on transit traffic by local ferry traffic. In this paper, a marine traffic risk assessment is carried out using the IWRAP mk2, Environmental Stress (ES) model, and the PARK model. Risk assessment results show that Likoni area has an unacceptable stress/risk ranking at 20.7% by the ES model and 38.89% by the PARK model. The IWRAP mk2 model shows that the crossing area has the highest risk of crossing collision and the area at the entrance to the inner channel has a high risk of grounding. The conclusions derived from this study will provide the basis for proposing the most effective countermeasure to improve navigation safety in the Mombasa approach channel.

Vile vigilance: An integrated theoretical framework for understanding the state of Black surveillance

ABSTRACTThe family is the principal source of socialization and protection against racism for many Blacks. Transmitting values, norms, morals, and beliefs (i.e., racial socialization) to successive generations is done to promote racial awareness and to prepare an individual to survive in racist environments. Further, developing a sense of security, resiliency, and cultural pride provides psychological protection against racial prejudice and discrimination. Protective socialization is even more critical when it becomes the difference between life and death at the hands of law enforcement—a fate faced by too many Black males as a result of racist policing practices, including the over-patrolling of Black communities. Because discriminatory surveillance and over-patrolling can incite a number of social, physical, and mental health issues, a holistic approach to understanding the interaction between Blacks and law enforcement is critical. This article reviews the Mundane Extreme Environmental Stress (MEES) model, racial socialization theory, and Family Stress Model in the development of a theoretical framework for understanding the patterns of interactions between Blacks and law enforcement, the immediate and long-term effects of unjustified shootings on Black families and communities, and the response of sociopolitical systems. The new theoretical framework will be used to inform the work of human service providers and practitioners by identifying targets for interventions to improve relations and trust between Black communities and law enforcement institutions.

G.P.236 - Impact of environmental stress and new models for pathophysiological and therapeutic studies of desminopathies

G.P.236 - Impact of environmental stress and new models for pathophysiological and therapeutic studies of desminopathies

Subregional differences in Australian climate risk perceptions: coastal versus agricultural areas of the Hunter Valley, NSW

‘Environmental cognitive stress’ a hybrid model combining environmental stress and cognitive determinants of pro-environmental behavior is explored among Australians living in contrasting ‘micro’ climates in the same river catchment system. Peoples’ climate risk perceptions are mediated by their connections to local environment, observations of environmental change and personal weather experiences. A longitudinal study randomly sampled 1,162 Hunter Valley coastal and rural residents in New South Wales. Telephone interviewers (2008) recruited lakeside homeowners ‘at risk’ of sea level rise, nearby ‘control’ residents and a comparable farming area group. Follow-up interviews (2011) located 81.5 % of the original sample. Fifty-six items based on the model asked about climate change observations, concerns, impacts and actions. Statistically significant rural–suburban and time differences were found. The rural sample was attuned to conditions affecting agricultural productivity: They worried about drought and heat, saw trees dying and changes to seasons and natural rhythms. They anticipate the impact of water scarcity, conserve water and value protecting plants and animals. Compared to higher elevation residents, lake dwellers observed marine life loss, worry about sea level rise and predict the decline of property values. Across time, all groups’ perceptions of warming indicators declined. Concerns and impacts were high and generally stayed high, as did actions related to energy use. No differences emerged in beliefs about climate warming. Climate change observations, along with concerns and actions, have important implications for the environmental cognitive stress model. Overall, dynamic changes in residents’ understandings are related to a changing policy environment, the vicissitudes of climate debates and weather experiences, including extreme swings from inundation to drought.