Future Environmental Change Research Articles

When birds of a feather flock together: Severe genomic erosion and the implications for genetic rescue in an endangered island passerine.

The Seychelles magpie-robin's (SMR) five island populations exhibit some of the lowest recorded levels of genetic diversity among endangered birds, and high levels of inbreeding. These populations collapsed during the 20th century, and the species was listed as Critically Endangered in the IUCN Red List in 1994. An assisted translocation-for-recovery program initiated in the 1990s increased the number of mature individuals, resulting in its downlisting to Endangered in 2005. Here, we explore the temporal genomic erosion of the SMR based on a dataset of 201 re-sequenced whole genomes that span the past ~150 years. Our sample set includes individuals that predate the bottleneck by up to 100 years, as well as individuals from contemporary populations established during the species recovery program. Despite the SMR's recent demographic recovery, our data reveal a marked increase in both the genetic load and realized load in the extant populations when compared to the historical samples. Conservation management may have reduced the intensity of selection by increasing juvenile survival and relaxing intraspecific competition between individuals, resulting in the accumulation of loss-of-function mutations (i.e. severely deleterious variants) in the rapidly recovering population. In addition, we found a 3-fold decrease in genetic diversity between temporal samples. While the low genetic diversity in modern populations may limit the species' adaptability to future environmental changes, future conservation efforts (including IUCN assessments) may also need to assess the threats posed by their high genetic load. Our computer simulations highlight the value of translocations for genetic rescue and show how this could halt genomic erosion in threatened species such as the SMR.

Two decades of increasing functional and phylogenetic richness in a mountaintop flora in central Norway

AbstractQuestionsAnalysing how multiple facets of biodiversity vary across space and time can help to predict the vulnerability of mountaintop floras to future environmental changes. Here we addressed the following questions: (a) Are elevational patterns of mountaintop plant diversity consistent across taxonomy, function and phylogeny? (b) How have the taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic dimensions of mountaintop plant communities changed over the past two decades? (c) Is the magnitude of these temporal trends dependent on elevation?LocationDovrefjell, central Norway.MethodsThe floristic composition of four mountaintops, spread across an elevational gradient from the tree line to the uppermost margins of vascular plant life, was surveyed every 7 years between 2001 and 2022. Six metrics of taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic richness and differentiation were calculated for each mountaintop and survey. Using these data, we assessed how richness and differentiation metrics varied over space (across the elevational gradient) and over time (between surveys).ResultsAll diversity metrics decreased towards higher elevations, except phylogenetic differentiation which increased significantly by 7% per 100 m elevational gain. Taxonomic richness remained virtually stable between 2001 and 2022, whereas phylogenetic richness increased by 7.5% per decade. Functional richness also increased, but mainly on the lowest mountaintop, by 17% per decade. No significant temporal trends in taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic differentiation were detected.ConclusionsOur findings underpin rearrangements in the functional and phylogenetic structure of mountain plant communities over the past two decades that cannot be predicted from trends in taxonomic richness alone. This highlights the necessity to look beyond species richness and consider multiple facets of biodiversity when studying environmental change impacts on mountain biodiversity and ecosystem functioning.

Hibernation nest site selection but not overwinter activity is associated with microclimatic conditions in a hibernating mammal

Fine-scale variation in microclimates between habitats may impact energy consumption for the organisms that inhabit them. This may be particularly important for sedentary species or those unable to change habitats for long periods, such as hibernators. Low ambient temperatures were traditionally thought key to microclimatic selection for hibernation locations, but recent research suggests that other factors may contribute or exceed ambient temperature in importance. We aimed to characterise microclimates at hibernacula of wild hibernating hazel dormice Muscardinus avellanarius, and test how these microclimates differ to those at locations without hibernacula using a microclimatic modelling approach. Dormice hibernated in areas with warmer soil temperatures and lower variability in humidity and relative shortwave radiation. These results add to the growing body of evidence that low ambient temperatures may not be the primary driver of hibernation microclimate selection, although temperature is still likely to play an important role. We also found that ambient temperatures measured at the microclimatic level were substantially buffered compared to point samples taken at the nearest weather station (∼1.6 km away), highlighting the importance of considering microclimates in wildlife conservation in the face of future environmental change.

Геоэкологические методы оценки динамики береговой линии на Черноморском побережье Кавказа

Over the past few decades, the degradetion of coastal marine areas has become an acute problem for the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus. The negetive effects of climete change are more pronounced in the subtropics, where sea levels rise and the frequency and intensity of storms increase. In addition, insufficient efforts to mitigete anthropogenic impact have accelereted the degradetion of bio resources. The work is devoted to the issues of increasing the reliability of coastline forecasting by improving the methods of using GIS technologies. Meterials and methods. Radar topographic mission (SRTM) deta were used to creete a digital elevetion map. In addition, archival remote sensing images of the earth (taken by setellites: Corona, Spot-1, Sentinel 2, Landset 8–9), as well as images from the Google Earth detabase, were digitized. The SAGA geo-informetion system was used to process the images, and three-dimensional spline interpoletion in the Gnuplot software was used for subsequent processing of the obtained elevetion deta. Results. The article presents the results of absolute values of coastline displacements of the Sochi Black Sea region reletive to the basic reference points (1985), as well as the values of the coastline displacement rete in the study area (109 km) for the period from 1985 to 2021. It was found thet coastal erosion of the Black Sea increases nonlinearly, while the maximum value of its average displacements (in the 109 km section) over 36 years was about 24.2 m. The abrasion rete for the entire time period is about 0.67 m/year. The total displacement of reference points of the coastline in the local section no. (8–9) over 36 years of observetions can exceed the average value for the entire 109-meter study area by more than 50 % (1.04 versus 0.67 m/year). This allows us to estimete the degree of development of abrasion processes of the coastline over a period of 36 years, which will allow us to predict future changes in the coastal environment and prevent negetive consequences. Conclusion. The results of the study provide a comprehensive understanding of the evolution of the coastline along the entire length of Greeter Sochi, including the rete of abrasion/accretion processes, the spetial position of segments with different degrees of degradetion of the coastal environment and temporal varietions in the processes under study. The results prove the non-linear neture of coastal processes, demonstreting changes in areas more susceptible to erosion over time and the impact on coastal ecosystems. The study uses remote sensing images and GIS technology to creete a comprehensive coastal zone detabase, with Greeter Sochi as an example. This detabase will contribute to improving the quality of future coastal protection projects, as part of the master plan for the resort city of Sochi, providing a more informed and effective approach to coastal zone management. Resume. As a result, it was found thet coastal erosion in the studied section of the Black Sea coast increases nonlinearly, while the average displacement of the 109 km long coastline over 36 years is 24.2 m, and the abrasion rete for the entire time period is about 0.67 m/year. As economic development expands from Sochi to Lazarevskoye, the load on the coastal environment is expected to increase. Therefore, if appropriete measures are not taken in the identified degradetion zones, these territories may face complete unsuitability for the integreted reproduction of tourist resources.

Patterns and effects of gene flow on adaptation across spatial scales: implications for management.

Gene flow can have rapid effects on adaptation and is an important evolutionary tool available when undertaking biological conservation and restoration. This tool is underused partly because of the perceived risk of outbreeding depression and loss of mean fitness when different populations are crossed. In this article, we briefly review some theory and empirical findings on how genetic variation is distributed across species ranges, describe known patterns of gene flow in nature with respect to environmental gradients, and highlight the effects of gene flow on adaptation in small or stressed populations in challenging environments (e.g., at species range limits). We then present a case study involving crosses at varying spatial scales among mountain populations of a trigger plant (Stylidium armeria: Stylidiaceae) in the Australian Alps to highlight how some issues around gene flow effects can be evaluated. We found evidence of outbreeding depression in seed production at greater geographic distances. Nevertheless, we found no evidence of maladaptive gene flow effects in likelihood of germination, plant performance (size), and performance variance, suggesting that gene flow at all spatial scales produces offspring with high adaptive potential. This case study demonstrates a path to evaluating how increasing sources of gene flow in managed wild and restored populations could identify some offspring with high fitness that could bolster the ability of populations to adapt to future environmental changes. We suggest further ways in which managers and researchers can act to understand and consider adaptive gene flow in natural and conservation contexts under rapidly changing conditions.

Integrating local ecological knowledge and remote sensing reveals patterns and drivers of forest cover change: North Korea as a case study

Satellite-based remote sensing approaches provide a cost-efficient means to collect information on the world’s forests and to repeatedly survey large, or inaccessible, forest areas. However, it may not always be possible to ground truth–associated findings using direct ecological field surveys conducted by trained forest scientists. Local ecological knowledge (LEK) is an alternative form of data which could be used to complement, interpret and verify information from satellite data. Using a case study on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea), we evaluate the potential for integrating remote sensing and LEK data, gathered with non-specialist former residents, to understand patterns and drivers of forest cover change. LEK reports often concurred with, or provided key information to enable interpretation of, satellite data. This revealed that between 1986 and 2021, North Korea experienced high, but uneven, rates of deforestation. There was a pronounced northwards deforestation shift in the mid-1990s, coinciding with a period of extreme hardship and famine (the “Arduous March”), and associated with clearance of trees in more forested northern provinces as an economic and fuel resource, and conversion of forest to agricultural cropland. Loss of forest cover in North Korea has continued and recently accelerated, to a rate of > 200 km2 per annum between 2019 and 2021. This increases the vulnerability of North Korean socio-ecological systems to future environmental change and is an obstacle to the recovery of threatened species across the Korean Peninsula. We recommend that LEK- and remote sensing–based approaches are considered within a suite of complementary techniques to analyse forest changes where ecological field surveys cannot be conducted.

Research on Fair Value Application and Financial Impact - Taking Zhongnan Construction Company as an Example

The history of economic and accounting development shows that the more the economy develops, the more important accounting is; the more the economy develops, the stronger the ability of accounting information to promote or hinder economic development. In the long history of accounting, measurement has always been the core of accounting. The choice of accounting methods focuses on the choice of measurement attributes, rather than the choice of measurement units. With the development of market economy and knowledge economy, the accounting information provided by historical cost accounting only involves past costs and ignores future values. It cannot reflect changes in the economic environment in a timely and complete manner, and has no connection with the economic decision-making process. The measurement of fair value can reflect the current and future changes in the economic environment in a timely and complete manner. In the more than ten years since it has been in line with the international accounting community, the issue of fair value has always been an urgent problem to be solved. Corresponding research on related issues, from theoretical review to the practical application of fair value measurement. At present, the control of fair value measurement by Chinese enterprises is still not stable enough, and how to effectively improve is still an in-depth question.

Differential Responses of Soil Microbial and Carbon‐Nitrogen Processes to Future Environmental Changes Across Soil Depths and Environmental Factors

AbstractAccurately predicting carbon‐climate feedbacks relies on understanding the environmental factors regulating soil organic carbon (SOC) storage and dynamics. Here, we employed a microbial ecological model (MEND), driven by downscaled output data from six Earth system models under two Shared Socio‐economic Pathways (SSP1‐2.6 and SSP5‐8.5) scenarios, to simulate long‐term soil biogeochemical processes. We aim to analyze the responses of soil microbial and carbon‐nitrogen (C‐N) processes to changes in environmental factors, including litter input (L), soil moisture (W) and temperature (T), and soil pH, in a broadleaf forest (BF) and a pine forest (PF). For the entire soil layer in both forests, we found that, compared to the baseline period of 2009–2020, the mean SOC during 2081–2100 increased by 40.9%–90.6% under the L or T change scenarios, versus 5.2%–31.0% under the W change scenario. However, soil moisture emerged as a key regulator of SOC, MBC and inorganic N dynamics in the topsoil of BF and PF. For example, W change led to SOC gain of 5.5%–37.2%, compared to the SOC loss of 15.5%–18.0% under L or T scenario. Additionally, a further reduction in soil pH by 0.2 units in the BF, representing the acid rain effect, significantly resulted in an additional SOC gain by 14.2%–21.3%, compared to the LTW (simultaneous changes in the three factors) scenario. These results indicate that the results derived solely from topsoil may not be extrapolated to the entire soil profile. Overall, this study significantly advances our comprehension of how different environmental factors impact the dynamics of SOC and the implications they have for climate change.

Unleashing the Potential of a Hybrid 3D Hydrodynamic Monte Carlo Risk Model for Maritime Structures’ Design in the Imminent Climate Change Era

Submarine pipelines have become integral for transporting resources and drinking water across large bodies. Therefore, ensuring the stability and reliability of these submarine pipelines is crucial. Incorporating climate change impacts into the design of marine structures is paramount to assure their lifetime safety and serviceability. Deterministic design methods may not fully consider the uncertainties and risks related to climate change compared to risk-based design models. The latter approach considers the future risks and uncertainties linked to climate and environmental changes, thus ensuring infrastructure sustainability. This study pioneers a Hybrid 3D Hydrodynamic Monte Carlo Simulation (HMCS) Model to improve the reliability-based design of submarine pipelines, incorporating the effects of climate change. Current design approaches may follow deterministic methods, which may not systematically account for climate change’s comprehensive uncertainties and risks. Similarly, traditional design codes often follow a deterministic approach, lacking in the comprehensive integration of dynamic environmental factors such as wind, waves, currents, and geotechnical conditions, and may not adequately handle the uncertainties, including the long-term effects of climate change. Nowadays, most countries are developing new design codes to modify the risk levels for climate change’s effects, such as sea-level rises, changes in precipitation, or changes in the frequency/intensity of winds/storms/waves in coastal and marine designs. Our model may help these efforts by integrating a comprehensive risk-based approach, utilizing a 3D hydrodynamic model to correlate diverse environmental factors through Monte Carlo Simulations (MCS). The hybrid model can promise the sustainability of marine infrastructure by adapting to future environmental changes and uncertainties. Including such advanced methodologies in the design, codes are encouraged to reinforce the resilience of maritime structures in the climate change era. The present design codes should inevitably be reviewed according to climate change effects, and the hybrid risk-based design model proposed in this research should be included in codes to ensure the reliability of maritime structures. The HMCS model represents a significant advancement over existing risk models by incorporating comprehensive environmental factors, utilizing advanced simulation techniques, and explicitly addressing the impacts of climate change. This innovative approach ensures the development of more resilient and sustainable maritime infrastructure capable of withstanding future environmental uncertainties.

Dynamic response of carbon storage to future land use/land cover changes motivated by policy effects and core driving factors

Abstract The evolution of land use/land cover (LULC) patterns significantly influences the dynamics of carbon storage (CS) in terrestrial ecosystems. In response to future environmental changes, however, most studies fail to synthesize the effects of policy pathways and evolving core driving factors on LULC projections. This article presents a systematic framework to assess the dynamic response of the terrestrial ecosystem CS to future LULC changes. After investigating spatiotemporal characteristics and driving forces, policy effects and future core driving factors are integrated into the improved Markov–future land use simulation model to project LULC across diverse scenarios. Then the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Service and Tradeoff model is coupled to explore CS dynamics with LULC changes. This framework was applied to the Weihe River Basin. The finding reveals that the overall proportion of cultivated land, forestland and grassland is above 85% and is significantly influenced by policy effects. Precipitation, temperature, population density and gross domestic product are core driving factors of LULC changes. Equal-interval projection is a viable approach to mitigate policy impacts by avoiding error propagation while coupling future core driving factors to improve LULC projection accuracy. Ecological protection should be emphasized in the future. The rate of increase in CS is 1.25 and 1.63 times higher than the historical trend and economic development scenario, respectively, which alleviates carbon loss from the expansion of built-up land. This research provides a valuable reference for future insight and optimization of ecological conservation strategies.

Demographic inference from the mt-DNA COI gene and wing geometry of Culex gelidus (Diptera: Culicidae), an important vector of Japanese encephalitis in Thailand

Culex gelidus (Diptera: Culicidae), an important vector of the Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), contributes to human viral encephalitis in many Asian countries, including Thailand. This study represents the first investigation of the demographic patterns of Cx. gelidus populations in Thailand using cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene analysis and wing geometric morphometrics (GM). Mosquitoes were collected from 10 provinces across six regions of Thailand in 2022. Analysis of the COI sequences (n = 182) indicated high haplotype diversity (0.882) and low nucleotide diversity (0.006), with 72 haplotypes identified. The haplotype network demonstrated no profound splits among the geographic populations. Neutral tests, including Tajima's D and Fu's Fs, displayed negative values, with a significant result observed for Fu's Fs (−33.048, p < 0.05). The mismatch distribution analysis indicated that the population does not statistically deviate from a model of sudden population expansion (SSD = 0.010, p > 0.05; Rg = 0.022, p > 0.05). The estimations suggest that the Cx. gelidus population in Thailand began its expansion approximately between 459,243 and 707,011 years ago. The Mantel test showed no significant relationship between genetic and geographic distances (r = 0.048, p > 0.05). Significant phenotypic differences (based on wing shape) were observed among most populations. Additionally, in this study, we found no significant relationships between phenotypic and genetic distances (r = 0.250, p > 0.05). Understanding the genetic and morphological dynamics of Cx. gelidus is vital for developing targeted surveillance and vector control measures. This knowledge will also help to predict how future environmental changes might affect these populations, thereby informing long-term vector management strategies.

ANALYSE DE L’INFLUENCE DES PARAMETRES METEOROLOGIQUES SUR LA PLUVIOMETRIE A KINSHASA

The understanding of meteorological parameters influencing rainfall is essential to effectively address environmental challenges and anticipate the consequences of extreme weather events. In this study, we analyze meteorological data provided by the Airways Authority of Kinshasa (RVA), covering the period from 1992 to 2019. This in-depth statistical analysis aims to better understand the factors that influence precipitation in the region and to identify relevant climate trends for anticipating future environmental changes. We used logistic regression to assess the impact of various climatic factors such as temperature (daily extremes), relative humidity, and atmospheric pressure on precipitation. The results indicate that minimum temperature, relative humidity, and atmospheric pressure show a strong correlation with rainfall in Kinshasa, highlighting their significant influence on the likelihood of precipitation. In contrast, maximum temperature has a limited impact, making it a less reliable indicator of rainfall in the city. The conclusions of this study provide valuable tools for local authorities in developing effective strategies for managing climate variations and predicting weather phenomena. These insights enable precise modeling of the impacts of meteorological fluctuations on ecosystems and urban infrastructure. Furthermore, the results of this research can guide local farmers in optimizing their agricultural practices by adjusting planting and harvesting schedules based on detailed weather forecasts, thereby minimizing economic losses and enhancing crop resilience to climate variations. Finally, this study provides climatologists with robust data for in-depth analysis of the effects of climate change on meteorological phenomena in Kinshasa. This knowledge is crucial for refining regional climate models and developing specific adaptation strategies for other urban areas in sub-Saharan Africa.

Distribution and ecology of shallow-water black corals across a depth gradient on Galápagos rocky reefs

AbstractAntipathes galapagensis is a prevalent habitat-forming black coral in subtidal ecosystems of the Galápagos Marine Reserve (GMR). Despite their ecological importance and status as a CITES-regulated order, little is known about their depth distribution, population structure and ecology in the GMR. Surveys were conducted in 2021 and 2022 at 9 sites in the central Galápagos Archipelago to investigate how black coral densities, occupancy, size, habitat utilization, and epizoan overgrowth varied between 2.0 and 20.0 m depth. The shallowest black corals occurred at 3.4 m depth, one of the shallowest occurrences of an Antipathes spp. in the world. Coral density increased with depth, with a maximum density of 5.2 colonies per m2 observed across the depth range surveyed. Occupancy modeling also yielded curves with increasing probabilities of black coral presence with depth at all sites. Colony height increased with depth at 8 out of 9 sites and was positively correlated with coral density at 6 of 9 sites. Overall, 47% of colonies surveyed occupied cryptic habitats and 53% were attached to exposed substrate, but black coral habitat usage patterns varied with depth at 5 of 9 sites. At these sites, colonies on shallower transects (5.0, 10.0 m depth) more frequently displayed cryptic habitat usage while colonies along the deeper transects (15.0, 20.0 m) were more often exposed. In general, coral density, probability of occupancy, height, and exposed habitat utilization increased with depth, while the average degree of overgrowth and number of epibiont taxa were unrelated to depth. Five hypotheses regarding factors potentially limiting the shallow (upper) depth distribution of A. galapagensis—ranging from negative impacts of the physical environment to high predation on exposed substrates—are presented for future testing. These results provide a comprehensive ecological characterization of Galápagos black coral populations that can be used to assess the impact of future environmental change and applied to management decisions for this key marine foundation species in the GMR.

Predicting the geographical distribution and niche characteristics of Cotoneaster multiflorus based on future climate change.

Arid and semi-arid regions are climate-sensitive areas, which account for about 40% of the world's land surface area. Future environment change will impact the environment of these area, resulting in a sharp expansion of arid and semi-arid regions. Cotoneaster multiflorus is a multi-functional tree species with extreme cold, drought and barren resistance, as well as ornamental and medicinal functions. It was found to be one of the most important tree species for ecological restoration in arid and semi-arid areas. However, bioclimatic factors play an important role in the growth, development and distribution of plants. Therefore, exploring the response pattern and ecological adaptability of C. multiflorus to future climate change is important for the long-term ecological restoration of C. multiflorus in arid and semi-arid areas. In this study, we predicted the potential distribution of C. multiflorus in China under different climate scenarios based on the MaxEnt 2.0 model, and discussed its adaptability and the major factors affecting its geographical distribution. The major factors that explained the geographical distribution of C. multiflorus were Annual precipitation (Bio12), Min air temperature of the coldest month (Bio6), and Mean air temperature of the coldest quarter (Bio11). However, C. multiflorus could thrive in environments where Annual precipitation (Bio12) >150 mm, Min air temperature of the coldest month (Bio6) > -42.5°C, and Mean air temperature of the coldest quarter (Bio11) > -20°C, showcasing its characteristics of cold and drought tolerance. Under different future climate scenarios, the total suitable area for C. multiflorus ranged from 411.199×104 km² to 470.191×104 km², which was 0.8~6.14 percentage points higher than the current total suitable area. Additionally, it would further shift towards higher latitude. The MaxEnt 2.0 model predicted the potential distribution pattern of C. multiflorus in the context of future climate change, and identified its ecological adaptability and the main climatic factors affecting its distribution. This study provides an important theoretical basis for natural vegetation restoration in arid and semi-arid areas.

Efficient spin-up of Earth System Models using sequence acceleration.

Marine and terrestrial biogeochemical models are key components of the Earth System Models (ESMs) used to project future environmental changes. However, their slow adjustment time also hinders effective use of ESMs because of the enormous computational resources required to integrate them to a pre-industrial equilibrium. Here, a solution to this "spin-up" problem based on "sequence acceleration", is shown to accelerate equilibration of state-of-the-art marine biogeochemical models by over an order of magnitude. The technique can be applied in a "black box" fashion to existing models. Even under the challenging spin-up protocols used for Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) simulations, this algorithm is 5 times faster. Preliminary results suggest that terrestrial models can be similarly accelerated, enabling a quantification of major parametric uncertainties in ESMs, improved estimates of metrics such as climate sensitivity, and higher model resolution than currently feasible.

Effects of landscape, resource use, and body size on genetic structure in bee populations.

Quantifying genetic structure and levels of genetic variation are fundamentally important to predicting the ability of populations to persist in human-altered landscapes and adapt to future environmental changes. Genetic structure reflects the dispersal of individuals over generations, which can be mediated by species-level traits or environmental factors. Dispersal distances are commonly positively associated with body size and negatively associated with the amount of degraded habitat between sites, motivating the investigation of these potential drivers of dispersal concomitantly. We quantified genetic structure and genetic variability within populations of seven bee species from the genus Euglossa across fragmented landscapes. We genotyped bees at SNP loci and tested the following predictions: (1) deforested areas restrict gene flow; (2) larger species have lower genetic structure; (3) species with greater resource specialization have higher genetic structure; and (4) sites surrounded by more intact habitat have higher genetic diversity. Contrasting with previous work on bees, we found no associations between body size and genetic structure. Genetic structure was higher for species with greater resource specialization, and the amount of intact habitat between or surrounding sites was positively associated with parameters reflecting gene flow and genetic diversity. These results challenge the dominant paradigm that individuals of larger species disperse farther, and they suggest that landscape and resource requirements are important factors mediating dispersal.

Nanotechnology: “Advancing Material Science and Medicine”

Nanotechnology has been a rapidly growing field of advanced science at the inception of this century. Nanotechnology of advanced materials, polymers, principally revolves around endeavours to plan materials at a sub-atomic level to accomplish alluring properties and applications at a naturally visible level. Nanotechnology can be used for the advancement of technologies, ranging from communication and information, health and medicine, future energy, environment and climate change to transport and cultural heritage, personal protective equipment (PPE), fuels, fuel cells, biosensors, disease sensors etc. Nanomaterials will lead to a new approach to manufacturing materials and devices. Faster computers, advanced pharmaceuticals, controlled drug delivery, biocompatible materials, nerve and tissue repair, crackproof surface coatings, better skin care and protection, more efficient catalysts, better and smaller sensors, even more efficient telecommunication. For example, a low risk solution using antibody modified bismuth nanoparticle, in combination with an X-ray dose equivalent to a chest X-ray specifically, has been shown to kill the common bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa in a set up designed to resemble a deep wound in human tissue. Nanosized gold particle could catalyse the oxidation of carbon monoxide better than anything previously known. Heparin functionalized nanoparticles have been use for targeted delivery of anti-malarial drugs. Heparin is abundant and cheap, compared to treatments that involve antibodies, an important consideration, since malaria is most common in developing countries. A bone repairing nano-particle paste has been developed that promises faster repair of fractures and breakages. DNA containing two growth genes is encapsulated inside synthetic calcium phosphate nanoparticles. In a remarkable demonstration of the extreme limits of nanoscale engineering, researchers have used the tip of a scanning tunnelling microscope to cleave and form selected chemical bonds in a complex molecule. Many medicinal and industrial endeavours have seen the use of Nanotechnology. Nanoparticles can attach to SARS COV-2 viruses, disrupting their structure and so kill the virus. These and other more recent advances in nanotechnology will be presented at this conference.

Комунікаційні стратегії в державному управлінні: стан реалізації та проблеми

The article defines the current state of implementation of communication strategies by public administration bodies in Ukraine and identifies systemic problems. An analysis of the positive aspects and shortcomings in the development and implementation of communication strategies in the field of public administration is provided, as well as the requirements and factors that have a more significant impact on the content of communication processes in public administration are determined. The favorable perception of the public sphere was influenced not only by the information space formed by the Ukrainian mass media and officials, but also by the informational messages of Russian propaganda. The author provides suggestions for improving the communication strategy in the public sphere. It was established that when developing communication strategies, public authorities should ensure the reduction of uncertainty and the risk of failure when making strategic management decisions. It was determined that the essence of the interaction of public authorities with target audiences is to ensure an effective state policy and adaptation of state reforms to possible future changes in the external environment. Achieving these tasks is possible by: increasing citizens’ trust in state institutions and improving their image; raising citizens’ awareness of the processes taking place in state institutions; ensuring active participation of citizens in the processes of making management decisions and establishing feedback; establishing cooperation with national and international mass media, it is emphasized that this is impossible without improving the public sector, strengthening the presence of public institutions at the international level, optimizing internal communication and information exchange in public institutions. The development of relations with the public as a new social institution for Ukrainian society, bodies of public authority and local self-government, that is, the creation of conditions for ensuring communication with the community and significant participation of the community in solving local problems, defining the conceptual apparatus, principles and rules of institutional analysis, and as well as identifying the rules used by local self-government bodies. Keywords: communications in public administration, information, strategic communications, communication risks, communication channels, communication policy, communication infrastructure.

Lake changes and their driving factors in circum-arctic permafrost regions from 1990 to 2022

The rapid increase in temperatures and escalating human activities have led to a reduction or even disappearance of the thickness of the permafrost layer around the Arctic. Meanwhile, the degradation of permafrost has impacted the ecosystems within the circum-Arctic permafrost regions, also triggering a series of geological environmental changes. Consequently, research in the circum-Arctic permafrost regions is crucial not only for understanding the impact of climate change on the cryosphere but also for predicting and managing future environmental changes in the area. In this study, we extracted the number of lakes and their areas within certain areas of the circum-Arctic permafrost region from 1990 to 2022, and further investigated the factors driving lake changes. Analysis revealed a stabilization of lake areas in continuous permafrost regions, expansion in discontinuous and sporadic permafrost, and reduction in isolated permafrost, indicating the significant impact of global warming on the degradation of discontinuous and sporadic permafrost, while continuous permafrost remains less affected. Lake area dynamics across various permafrost types were influenced by distinct factors: in discontinuous permafrost, lake expansions correlated positively with snowfall, rainfall, snowmelt, and evapotranspiration; in sporadic permafrost, area reductions were tied to temperature increases, despite positive correlations with snowmelt and evapotranspiration; and in isolated permafrost, lake contractions were negatively associated with air temperature. Furthermore, permafrost degradation notably influenced lake area changes, especially in sporadic and isolated permafrost, where an inverse relationship between lake area and temperature was observed.

Evaluating the definition and distribution of spring ephemeral wildflowers in eastern North America.

The herbaceous layer accounts for the majority of plant biodiversity in eastern North American forests, encompassing substantial variation in life history strategy and function. One group of early-season herbaceous understory species, colloquially referred to as spring ephemeral wildflowers, are ecologically and culturally important, but little is known about the prevalence and biogeographic patterns of the spring ephemeral strategy. We used observations collected by the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) to quantify the ephemerality of 559 understory forb species across eastern North America and classify them according to a continuous ephemerality index (ranging from 0 = never ephemeral to 1 = always ephemeral). We then used this information to model where ephemeral forbs were most common across the landscape with the goal of identifying geographic and environmental drivers important to their distributions and ranges. Only 3.4% of all understory wildflower species were spring ephemerals in all parts of their range, and 18.4% (103 species) were ephemeral in at least part of their range. Spring ephemerals peaked in absolute species richness and relative proportion at mid latitudes. Spring ephemeral phenology is an important shade-avoidance strategy for a large segment of the total understory species in temperate deciduous forests. In North America, the strategy is relatively most important for forest understories at mid latitudes. The definitions of spring ephemerality we provide here serve as an important ecological context for conservation priorities and to evaluate responses of this biodiverse group to future environmental change.