Climate Global Warming Research Articles

Can litterfall input mitigate the adverse effects of high-severity wildfires on soil functions in temperate forest ecosystems?

Global climate warming is propelling an increase in forest wildfires and relevant ecosystem degradation. How the legacy effect of wildfires will act on soil multifunctions and whether litterfall, especially prominent in terms of biotically induced functions, will contribute most to the recovery patterns after wildfires remain largely unexplored. To fill these gaps in knowledge, comprehensive soil function assessments were conducted using 38 soil indicators, covering five functional groups, namely, soil buffering and filtration, water conservation, carbon storage, nutrient cycling and microbial habitat. We tracked their shifts and the overall soil multifunctionality in paired burned and unburned sites during the mid-growing season from 2019 to 2021 (i.e., the first three years following high-severity wildfires) over the Pinus tabuliformis plantation of North China. The responses of the trade-offs and synergies between soil functions to wildfires, year and their interaction were illuminated. We further determined 18 biotic (i.e., understory plant and litterfall) and abiotic (i.e., soil temperature) variables to explain the mechanism of variations in soil multifunction. Results showed that soil multifunctionality and most single functions of the burned site were coherently less than those of the unburned site, whereas the opposite pattern was found for the soil microbial habitat, which is particularly significant in the first post-wildfire growing season. Although mutual benefit and win–win results were the melody of soil multifunction, trade-offs/synergies among functions in the burned site were dampened over time. Plant attributions explained 60.6% of the variation in soil water conservation, whereas they and litterfall properties played as the main direct pathways to wildfire impacts on soil buffering and filtration. We highlighted the tremendous effect of litterfall mass on soil multifunctionality as well as carbon storage and nutrient cycling independent function, largely overpassing those of plant attributions and soil temperature. These findings unfold the potential of litterfall input as a suitable early intervention for facilitating soil functioning after wildfires. Moreover, the strong interactions of wildfires and time shed lights on the requirement for long-term frameworks concurrently considering biotic and abiotic factors to understand the overall situation of wildfire influences on ecological processes.

Spatiotemporal changes of ecological environment quality and climate drivers in Zoige Plateau.

Ecological environment is the essential material basis of human survival and connects regional economy with socially sustainable development. However, climate changes characterized by global climate warming have caused a series of ecological environmental problems in recent years. Few studies have discussed various climate factors affecting the ecological environment, and the spatial non-stationary effects of different climate factors on the ecological environment are still unclear. Dynamically monitoring ecological environment changes in fragile areas and identifying its climate-driving mechanism are essential for ecological protection and environmental repair. Taking Zoige Plateau as a case, this paper simulated the eco-environmental quality during 1987-2020 using remote sensing data, utilized Geodetector method to identify the contributions of various climate drivers to ecological environment quality, and then adopted the Geographically Weighted Regression model to explore the spatial non-stationary impacts of climate factors on ecological environment quality. The results showed that the ecological quality in the middle regions of the Zoige Plateau was slightly better than in the surrounding marginal areas. For the whole area of Zoige Plateau, the average ecological environment quality index was 54.92, 53.99, 56.17, 57.88, 63.44, 56.93, 59.43, and 59.76 in 1987, 1992, 1997, 2001, 2006, 2013, 2016 and 2020, respectively, which indicated that eco-environmental quality witnessed several fluctuations during the study period but showed a generally increasing trend. Among five climate factors, the temperature was the dominant climate factor affecting the ecological environment quality(q value: 0.11-0.19), sunshine duration (0.03-0.17), wind speed (0.03-0.11), and precipitation (0.03-0.08) were the main climate drivers, while the explanatory power of relative humidity to ecological environment quality was relatively small. Such various climate factors impacting the ecological environment quality demonstrated distinct spatial non-stationary and the range of driving impact varied with time. Temperature, sunshine duration, wind speed, and relative humidity promoted ecological environment quality in most regions (regression coefficients > 0), while precipitation mainly had a negative inhibitory impact (regression coefficients < 0). Meanwhile, the greater impacts of these five climate factors were concentrated in high-elevation regions of the south and west or the northern areas. The appropriate enhancement of climate warming and air humidity was beneficial to the improvement of the ecological environment, but the excessive precipitation would result in landslides and exhibit inhibition of vegetation growth. Therefore, selecting cold-tolerant herbs and shrubs, and strengthening climate monitoring and early warning systems (such as drought and excessive precipitation) are essential for ecological restoration.

Association of Ambient Temperature With the Prevalence of Intimate Partner Violence Among Partnered Women in Low- and Middle-Income South Asian Countries

Intimate partner violence (IPV), including physical, sexual, and emotional violence, constitutes a critical public health problem, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. While climate change could escalate violent events, data quantifying its possible association with IPV are scant. To evaluate the association of ambient temperature with the prevalence of IPV among partnered women in low- and middle-income countries in South Asia, and to estimate the association of future climate warming with IPV. This cross-sectional study used data from the Demographic and Health Survey and included 194 871 ever-partnered women aged 15 to 49 years from 3 South Asian countries (India, Nepal, and Pakistan). The study applied the mixed-effect multivariable logistic regression model to investigate the association of ambient temperature with IPV prevalence. The study further modeled the change in IPV prevalence under various future climate change scenarios. The data included in the analyses were collected from October 1, 2010, to April 30, 2018, and the current analyses were performed from January 2, 2022, to July 11, 2022. Annual ambient temperature exposure for each woman, estimated based on an atmospheric reanalysis model of the global climate. The prevalence of IPV and its types (physical, sexual, and emotional violence) were assessed based on self-reported questionnaires from October 1, 2010, to April 30, 2018, and the changes in the prevalence with climate changes were estimated through the 2090s. The study included 194 871 ever-partnered women aged 15 to 49 years (mean [SD] age, 35.4 [7.6] years; overall IPV prevalence, 27.0%) from 3 South Asian countries. The prevalence of physical violence was highest (23.0%), followed by emotional (12.5%), and sexual violence (9.5%). The annual temperature ranges were mostly between 20 °C and 30 °C. A significant association was found between high ambient temperature and the prevalence of IPV against women, with each 1 °C increase in the annual mean temperature associated with a mean increase in IPV prevalence of 4.49% (95% CI, 4.20%-4.78%). According to the study's projections under the unlimited emissions scenarios (SSPs [shared socioeconomic pathways], as defined by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change] 5-8.5), IPV prevalence would increase by 21.0% by the end of the 21st century, while it would only moderately increase under increasingly stricter scenarios (SSP2-4.5 [9.8%] and SSP1-2.6 [5.8%]). In addition, the projected increases in the prevalence of physical (28.3%) and sexual (26.1%) violence were greater than that of emotional violence (8.9%). In the 2090s, India was estimated to experience the highest IPV prevalence increase (23.5%) among the 3 countries, compared with Nepal (14.8%) and Pakistan (5.9%). This cross-sectional, multicountry study provides ample epidemiological evidence to support that high ambient temperature may be associated with the risk of IPV against women. These findings highlight the vulnerabilities and inequalities of women experiencing IPV in low- and middle-income countries in the context of global climate warming.

The BR signaling pathway regulates primary root development and drought stress response by suppressing the expression of PLT1 and PLT2 in Arabidopsis thaliana.

With the warming global climate, drought stress has become an important abiotic stress factor limiting plant growth and crop yield. As the most rapidly drought-sensing organs of plants, roots undergo a series of changes to enhance their ability to absorb water, but the molecular mechanism is unclear. In this study, we found that PLT1 and PLT2, two important transcription factors of root development in Arabidopsis thaliana, are involved in the plant response to drought and are inhibited by BR signaling. PLT1- and PLT2-overexpressing plants showed greater drought tolerance than wild-type plants. Furthermore, we found that BZR1 could bind to the promoter of PLT1 and inhibit its transcriptional activity in vitro and in vivo. PLT1 and PLT2 were regulated by BR signaling in root development and PLT2 could partially rescue the drought sensitivity of bes1-D. In addition, RNA-seq data analysis showed that BR-regulated root genes and PLT1/2 target genes were also regulated by drought; for example, CIPK3, RCI2A, PCaP1, PIP1;5, ERF61 were downregulated by drought and PLT1/2 but upregulated by BR treatment; AAP4, WRKY60, and AT5G19970 were downregulated by PLT1/2 but upregulated by drought and BR treatment; and RGL2 was upregulated by drought and PLT1/2 but downregulated by BR treatment. Our findings not only reveal the mechanism by which BR signaling coordinates root growth and drought tolerance by suppressing the expression of PLT1 and PLT2 but also elucidates the relationship between drought and root development. The current study thus provides an important theoretical basis for the improvement of crop yield under drought conditions.

Morphological changes in the adrenal glands of chickens under heat stress

Heat stress as a result of hyperthermia and dehydration of the body due to natural or artificial environmental factors negatively affects the well-being of birds. Heat stress factor can lead to significant economic losses in poultry farms due to a decrease in egg production, egg fertilization, hatching and viability of young animals, morphological indicators of eggs, an increase in bird mortality during maintenance and transportation, the occurrence of immunosuppression and metabolic disorders. Pathomorphological changes in the internal organs of birds under heat stress are classified as degenerative changes, necrosis, circulatory disorders, changes in tissue fluid, growth disorders, and inflammation. The adrenal gland affects the number of functional and metabolic processes in the body of birds, its hormones ensure its resistance to heat stress. In the current global warming climate, the study of the morphology of the adrenal gland of birds due to the action of a thermal stress factor is an urgent problem of poultry farming, since its solution contributes to the scientific justification of technologies for growing, using and treating birds. The aim of the study was to identify morphological changes in the adrenal gland of white leghorn chickens aged 3 months under heat stress. Anatomical, morphometric, microscopic and statistical research methods were used in the course of the study. It was found that the indicators of absolute mass and linear dimensions of the adrenal glands of chickens under heat stress increased relative to such indicators in clinically healthy chickens. Microscopically, circulatory disorders (edema, hyperemia, hemorrhages, congestion, thrombosis) were recorded in the adrenal glands of chickens, which on the 4th day of exposure to the heat stress factor were accompanied by activation of regenerative processes (an increase in the number of fibroblasts under the capsule) and secretory activity of endocrinocytes (an increase in the size of interrenal and suprarenal cells). Intense and prolonged stress of the adrenal glands of chickens caused by heat stress led to the withdrawal of their plastic and energy resources, and as a result caused the development of adrenal deficiency on Day 8, which was observed destructive and dystrophic changes in the interrenal and supraranal cells. The obtained data can be used to develop morphofunctional diagnostic and prognostic criteria for the state of both the adrenal glands and the avian organ as a whole under heat stress. In the future of further research-to study the features of the content and localization of nucleic acids, proteins, carbohydrates, lipids in the adrenal glands of chickens under heat stress.

Relationship between carbon pool changes and environmental changes in arid and semi-arid steppe—A two decades study in Inner Mongolia, China

As the arid and semi-arid grassland with the most extensive distribution area in northern China, the carbon stored in Inner Mongolia (IM) grassland is highly susceptible to environmental changes. With the global warming and drastic climate changes, exploring the relationship between carbon pool changes and environmental changes and their spatiotemporal heterogeneity is necessary. This study estimates the carbon pool distribution of IM grassland during 2003–2020 by combining the measured below ground biomass (BGB) dataset, measured soil organic carbon (SOC) dataset, multi-source satellite remote sensing data products, and random forest regression modeling method. It also discusses the variation trend of BGB/SOC and its correlation with critical environmental factors, vegetation condition factors and drought index. The results show that the BGB/SOC in IM grassland was stable during 2003–2020, with a weak upward trend. The correlation analysis reveals that high temperature and drought environment were unfavorable for developing vegetation roots and would lead to a decrease in BGB. Furthermore, temperature rise, soil moisture decrease, and drought adversely effected grassland biomass and SOC in areas with low altitude, high SOC density, suitable temperature and humidity. However, in areas with relatively poor natural environments and relatively low SOC content, SOC was not significantly affected by environmental deterioration and even showed an accumulation trend. These conclusions provide directions for SOC treatment and protection. In areas where SOC is abundant, it is important to reduce carbon loss caused by environmental changes. However, in areas with poor SOC, due to the high carbon storage potential of grasslands, carbon storage can be improved through scientifically managing grazing and protecting vulnerable grasslands.

Highly tunable and ultrasensitive hybrid plasmonic platform for multi-spectral sensing: Non-invasive diabetes surveillance and global warming directives

The development of tunable and extremely sensitive devices, as well as the emergence of metamaterials, has tremendously aided the evolution of plasmonic sensing technologies. However, the natural property of metamaterials severely restricts the scalability and application potential of mono-functional sensor systems. To address this shortcoming, we have investigated an ultranarrow five-band plasmonic sensor with structural tunability and high sensing behaviors in compatibility with multi-purpose application scenarios, using the finite-difference time-domain approach rigorously. Meanwhile, we theoretically formulated a hybridization model for the mutual induction of Fabry–Pérot resonances and localized surface plasmon polariton resonance, providing a theoretical basis for the utilization and conception of the highly-sensitive tunable plasmonic sensor. Most notably, we discovered and interpreted far-field phase extinction inducing separation of polarization resonance peaks in physical mechanisms. The tunability of its mutual inductance effect at the intersection distances from two-intersecting silver nanogroove was adequately exploited to further validate and effectively attain five ultra-narrow absorptivities of 96.70%, 93.93%, 99.73%, 100.00%, and 89.72% by top-level optimization. In addition, the redundant proximity between nearby peaks is compensated, extending the operating band and enhancing the practicability in multi-purpose scenarios. As a reliable source for future optical sensing, it performs well in the visible to near-infrared region, enabling detection response to non-invasive diabetes mellitus, global climate warming, and unrestricted temperature and pressure measurement. Meanwhile, minimum FWHM = 4.806 nm and maximum FOM = 115.13 RIU−1 are obtained at 293.15 K, with an associated highest sensitivity of 557.93 nm/RIU. Moreover, the fabrication technologies development of electron beam lithography and focused ion beam etching technologies enables large-scale mass production at low cost and long-term stability.

Kalikhasang Balaan: Elements of a Youth Specific Ecotheology in the Philippines

Scientific consensus points to human activity as the primary cause of global warming triggering climate change. Mitigations include technology-assisted interventions and education of human agents, such as changing the human mindset and behavior, to avoid impending, irreversible environmental damage, among others. Among the competent sectors, religious communities can boost formative human interventions through religious ideas. The present study content analyzes the conceptual elements of “Kalikhasang Balaan” as a youth-specific ecotheological view drawn from a unidimensional Filipino measure on Christian Environmentalism. Our analysis is deductive in approach, drawing theological aspects of a peculiar youth ecotheology driven by the notion of “Kalikhasang Balaan”, framed within creation theology and Christian stewardship driven by environmental ethics. We discuss the unique attributes of this Filipino notion in the light of local Philippine church and government responses to understand how the youth ecotheological voice may correspond to institutional views.

A NEW PHILOSOPHY FOR SUSTAINABLE CONSUMERISM

With growing awareness of unsustainable practices, communities are forcing businesses and governments to take serious steps towards sustainability. Microplastics enter the food chain and eventually reach humans. The threat of global warming and recurrent climate disasters necessitate immediate action. However, all governments and corporations rely on an ‘increase in demand’ as a growth metric, which prevents them from doing anything meaningful to ensure our planet’s long-term viability. Against the above paradox, this article explores a compromise between sustainability, consumption, and economic growth. It is a theoretical framework for proposing a solution in which businesses can expand in tandem with our planet’s long-term future or a glance through the areas where the Keynesian economy can coexist with environmentalists’ concerns. The proposed framework claims significance in terms of practicality than the perfection of a solution.

The Large Earthquakes and Deformation Waves as Possible Triggers of Climate Warming in the Arctic and Glacier Destruction in the Antarctic

According to the modern climate paradigm, anomalous phenomena occurring in the polar regions of the Earth, such as rapid warming in the Arctic and intensive destruction of glaciers in the Antarctic, are a serious danger and challenge for civilization since they can potentially lead to global climate warming by several degrees and a rise in the level of the World Ocean by several tens of centimeters as soon as the 21st century. It is presumed that the main cause of these processes, which have strongly accelerated since the second half of the 1970s, was the anthropogenic factor of carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere, leading to the greenhouse effect. This statement, taken for granted in most developed countries, has led to several international agreements to limit carbon emissions and ideas about the need for a rapid transition to a low-carbon green economy. As for the influence of natural factors on the development of the mentioned dangerous processes, no one denies such a possibility since the facts of climatic changes in preindustrial eras are well known in the geological history of the Earth. However, the geological time scales are so large that most climatologists implicitly proceed from the assumption that short-term climate changes observed over the past and present centuries with a characteristic time of tens of years are mainly determined by rapidly changing atmospheric and oceanic processes. However, one should bear in mind the influence of rapid geophysical processes, such as cycles of earthquakes or volcanic eruptions, which are comparable in time scales with modern climate changes. If an analysis is based on the large megathrust earthquakes with a magnitude greater than 8 and the large-scale deformation waves caused by them in the lithosphere, then, considering physically based trigger mechanisms, it is possible to construct a geodynamic scheme that explains the observed climatic changes in the Arctic and the glacier destruction processes in the Antarctic. This article describes this new geodynamic concept.

Recent increase in the potential threat of western North Pacific tropical cyclones

Conventionally, the threat of tropical cyclones (TCs) is often described by TC intensity. However, the damage caused by TCs is also strongly related to our forecasting ability, which is usually low for TCs with high intensification rates. Here, we challenge this intensity-only criterion and propose a concept of TC potential threat (PT) for the western North Pacific TCs by jointly clustering the TC lifetime maximum intensity and intensification rate. We show that TCs can be separated via an objective algorithm, and approximately 10% of all TCs pose a great PT and feature high forecast errors. Furthermore, the annual number of TCs with high PT has increased by 22% per decade over the past 41 years, and this trend is attributed to the rise in subsurface ocean temperatures. Our study provides a perspective on the TC threat and reveals its increase due to global warming and internal climate variability.

Greenhouse gas flux from peat with oil palm plants of different ages

The use of peat for agricultural crop cultivation needs to be done carefully by considering water management and peat characteristics. The use of peat for cultivation affects the breakdown of organic matter, which produces CH4 and CO2. CO2 and CH4 are glasshouse gases that cause global warming and impact climate change. The purpose of this activity was to determine the flux of CO2 and CH4 from the peat used for palm oil cultivation at different ages. The gas collection was carried out surrounding and between plants at 50m, 100m, and 150m from the drainage channel. Gas samples were taken using the closed chamber method, and gas was analysed using gas chromatography equipped certain detector. The results of the activity showed that the flux of methane from peat with palm oil trees aged < 3 years tended to be higher than oil palms aged > 3 years, while the CO2 flux was relatively not different between palm oil aged < 3 years and > 3 years. The distance of the presence of the drainage channel affects the CH4 and CO2 fluxes, namely the high CH4 flux at the point near the drainage channel but the low at the CO2 flux. Further and in-depth research is needed to understand GHG flux from peat with different oil palm ages.

Progress and Hotspots of Research on Land-Use Carbon Emissions: A Global Perspective

Carbon emissions from land use change are the leading causes of the greenhouse effect. Exploration of the progress and hotspots of research on land-use carbon emissions (LUCE) is crucial for mitigating global climate warming. However, a comprehensive and systematic review of LUCE research from a global perspective is still lacking. We used the WoS Core Collection Database to analyze the current status of research on LUCE from a global perspective with the aid of a bibliometrix tool, aiming to reveal research hotspots and future development trends. We found that (1) the process of LUCE research has gone through a nascent exploration stage (1992–2001), a problem-focused stage (2002–2011), and a prosperous development stage (2012–2022) under different policy orientations. European and North American countries prioritize LUCE research more than others. (2) Overseas research hotspots mainly focus on the climate effects of land-use change, the impact of deforestation and fire on carbon stocks, the impact of soil organic carbon stocks on climate change and biodiversity, and agricultural carbon emissions. Research hotspots in China mainly focus on the study of the influencing factors of land-use carbon emissions, the path to achieving the dual carbon goal, and the transition to a low carbon economy. (3) Research frontiers show that China mainly researches low-carbon land use intensification in the context of a “dual carbon” strategy; carbon emission reduction based on energy transition; and the multi-dimensional, dynamic, and accurate tracking and monitoring of land-use carbon emission systems using remote sensing satellite data. Other countries have shifted from measuring historical land-use carbon emissions, deforestation, degradation and fire carbon emissions to biomass combustion and global warming mitigation research. This study enhances the depth and breadth of LUCE research, which can provide a theoretical foundation and scientific reference for subsequent research on LUCE.

Investigating the Use of Sentinel-1 for Improved Mapping of Small Peatland Water Bodies: Towards Wildfire Susceptibility Monitoring in Canada’s Boreal Forest

Peatlands provide vital ecosystem and carbon services, and Canada is home to a significant peatland carbon stock. Global climate warming trends are expected to lead to increased carbon release from peatlands, as a consequence of drought and wildfire. Monitoring hydrologic regimes is a key in understanding the impacts of warming, including monitoring changes in small and temporally variable water bodies in peatlands. Global surface water mapping has been implemented, but the spatial and temporal scales of the resulting data products prevent the effective monitoring of peatland water bodies, which are small and prone to rapid hydrologic changes. One hurdle in the quest to improve remote-sensing-derived global surface water map quality is the omission of small and temporally variable water bodies. This research investigated the reasons for small peatland water body omission as a preparatory step for surface water mapping, using Sentinel-1 SAR data and image classification methods. It was found that Sentinel-1 backscatter signatures for small peatland water bodies differ from large water bodies, due in part to differing physical characteristics such as waves and emergent vegetation, and limitations in detectable feature sizes as a result of SAR image processing and resolution. The characterization of small peatland water body backscatter provides a theoretical basis for the development of SAR-based surface water mapping methods with high accuracy for our purposes of wildfire susceptibility monitoring in peatlands. This study discusses the implications of small peatland water body omission from surface water maps on carbon, climate, and hydrologic models.

Similar patterns of leaf temperatures and thermal acclimation to warming in temperate and tropical tree canopies.

As the global climate warms, a key question is how increased leaf temperatures will affect tree physiology and the coupling between leaf and air temperatures in forests. To explore the impact of increasing temperatures on plant performance in open air, we warmed leaves in the canopy of two mature evergreen forests, a temperate Eucalyptus woodland and a tropical rainforest. The leaf heaters consistently maintained leaves at a target of 4 °C above ambient leaf temperatures. Ambient leaf temperatures (Tleaf) were mostly coupled to air temperatures (Tair), but at times, leaves could be 8-10 °C warmer than ambient air temperatures, especially in full sun. At both sites, Tleaf was warmer at higher air temperatures (Tair>25 °C), but was cooler at lower Tair, contrary to the 'leaf homeothermy hypothesis'. Warmed leaves showed significantly lower stomatal conductance (-0.05molm-2s-1 or-43% across species) and net photosynthesis (-3.91μmolm-2s-1 or-39%), with similar rates in leaf respiration rates at a common temperature (no acclimation). Increased canopy leaf temperatures due to future warming could reduce carbon assimilation via reduced photosynthesis in these forests, potentially weakening the land carbon sink in tropical and temperate forests.

Large-scale experimental warming reduces soil faunal biodiversity through peatland drying

Boreal peatlands are important ecosystems for carbon cycling because they store 1/3 of the world’s terrestrial carbon in only ∼3% of the global landmass. This high carbon storage capacity makes them a key potential mitigation strategy for increased carbon emissions induced by global climate warming. In high-carbon storage systems like peatlands, soil faunal communities are responsible for secondary decomposition of organic matter and nutrient cycling, which suggests they play an important role in the carbon cycle. Experiments have shown that warming can affect plant and microbial communities in ways that potentially shift peatlands from carbon sinks to sources. Although previous studies have found variable effects of climate change manipulations on soil communities, warming is expected to affect soil community composition mainly through reductions in moisture content, whereas elevated CO2 atmospheric concentrations are expected to only indirectly and weakly do so. In this study we used a large-scale peatland field-based experiment to test how soil microarthropod (oribatid and mesostigmatid mite, and collembolan species abundance, richness and community composition) respond to a range of experimental warming temperatures (between 0°C and +9°C) crossed with elevated CO2 conditions over 4 years in the Spruce and Peatland Responses Under Changing Environments (SPRUCE) experiment. Here we found that warming significantly decreased surface peat moisture, which in turn decreased species microarthropod richness and abundance. Specifically, oribatid and mesostigmatid mite, collembolan, and overall microarthropod richness significantly decreased under lower moisture levels. Also, the abundance of microarthropods increased under higher moisture levels. Neither warming nor elevated [CO2] affected microarthropods when analysed together or separate, except for the richness of mesostigmatids that significantly increased under warming. At the community level, communities varied significantly over time (except collembolans), and moisture was an important driver explaining community species composition. While we expect that the cumulative and interactive effects of the SPRUCE experimental treatments on soil faunal biodiversity will continue to emerge, our results already suggest effects are becoming more observable over time. Taken together, the changes belowground indicate potential changes on carbon and nitrogen cycles, as microarthropods are important players of soil food webs.

A re-evaluation of Holocene relative sea-level change along the Fujian coast, southeastern China

The southeastern China coast is a region of special interest in the study of past and present relative sea-level change, given its distal location from giant ice sheets (far-field regions). During the past decades, a large number of biological, geological, and archaeological sea-level indicators have been retrieved from the Fujian coastal region which allows for recalibration and recalculation of sea-level index points (SLIPs). This study constructs a database of Holocene relative sea-level (RSL) observations for the Fujian coast, southeastern China. The database contains 59 quality-controlled SLIPs which show that RSL for the Fujian coast did not exceed present (0 m) during the Holocene, except potentially during 7.5–5.5 cal. kyr BP and 1.8–0.7 cal. kyr BP. Rates of RSL change were highest during the early Holocene and have decreased over time, due to the diminishing response of the Earth's mantle to glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA) and reduction of meltwater input. A series of sea-level oscillations were recorded in our SLIPs-based reconstructions which might correspond to global climate warming or cooling events. We assessed the spatial variability of RSL histories and compared these with the ICE-6G_C and ANU-ICE GIA model predictions. Substantial misfits between GIA predictions and regional RSL reconstructions were recognized: (1) the deceleration of the early-Holocene sea-level rise ended about one millennia earlier in the ICE-6G_C model than in the SLIPs-based reconstructions; (2) GIA model predictions show a mid-Holocene sea-level highstand of 1–3 m which is absent from our SLIPs-based reconstructions; and (3) all GIA model predicted a gradual RSL fall to 0 m since the middle Holocene, while our reconstruction displays significant RSL oscillations. It is presently unknown whether these misfits are caused by uncertainties in regional tectonic movement estimation or parameters used in the GIA models. Future applications of spatiotemporal statistical techniques are required to better quantify the gradient of the isostatic contribution and to provide improved context for the assessment of the ongoing acceleration of sea-level rise.

Assessment of the effect of contemporary climate warming on the small ground squirrel fleas population dynamics in Northwestern region of Caspian Depression

The dominant zonal rodent species in the steppes and semi-deserts of the Caspian Lowland is the small ground squirrel Spermophilus pygmaeus (Pallas, 1778). Flea species, which are its specific ectoparasites, play a significant role in the occurrence of plague epizootics in this area. The impact of global climate warming on the population dynamics of the fleas of the small ground squirrel in the northern deserts on the territory of the Caspian Lowland is discussed in this article. The literature sources and extensive archival materials were used for the analysis. The Ilmen-Pridelta landscape region (southwest of the Astrakhan Region), which is most fully characterized through the necessary quantitative indicators, was chosen as a model territory. The data of the annual spring-summer registration of indices of the flea abundance in wool and at the entrances of the burrows of the small ground squirrel, as well as his abundance rates (number of specimens per 1 ha), average monthly air temperature values reported by meteorological stations in Astrakhan over the past 70 years were statistically processed. The article reveals the mechanism of the influence of contemporary climate warming on the dynamics of the number of fleas of the small ground squirrel in the territory of the Caspian Lowland over the period of 1950-2021.

Phenological responses of Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel) to climate warming in China based on long-term historical data

It is well accepted that the phenology of insects whose life activities are closely related to temperature is changing in response to global climate warming. To investigate the impacts of climate warming on the phenology of Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel) across large temporal and spatial scales, this study collected historical data on the occurrence and population dynamic of this pest in China, and systematically explored its phenological responses. The results showed a delayed trend for the dates of first occurrence, end occurrence, population initial growth, and population peak of B. dorsalis in China during 40 years, and the changes of the latter two phenological parameters were significant. The mean temperature in spring and summer were the key climatic factors affecting the occurrence and population growth of B. dorsalis in China, respectively. Moreover, the B. dorsalis data in eastern, southern, central, and southwestern China showed spatial heterogeneity of phenological responses to climate warming at a regional scale. B. dorsalis phenology and their changing patterns with climate warming varied by geographical location. This study provides valuable information for future monitoring, prediction, and prevention of the oriental fruit fly in the context of climate warming.

How does 2D and 3D of urban morphology affect the seasonal land surface temperature in Island City? A block-scale perspective

The global climate warming caused by urbanization has significantly affected the urban environment. Whilst land surface temperature (LST) is an important factor reflecting urban temperature, previous research on LST mostly focused on two-dimensional (2D) factors and rarely mentioned about the role of three-dimensional (3D) factors, particularly the LST variation characteristics of island cities. Therefore, this study examined the seasonal variation characteristics of urban LST by analyzing the impact of 2D and 3D urban morphology factors of different urban block types on LST in Xiamen Island. The main results are as follows. First, compact low layer (CL), a block type with a higher density of low-rise buildings, has a higher LST in any season. Under the same block density (BD), the higher the block average height (BH), the lower the LST. Second, among the 2D urban morphology factors, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) was the main factor for cities to reduce urban LST, especially in summer, while normalized difference built-up index (NDBI) was the opposite. Different from land cities, we found a positive correlation between modified normalized difference water body index (MNDWI) and LST in autumn and winter. Third, in the 3D urban morphology factors, sky view factor (SVF) was significantly positively correlated with LST, while building fluctuation (BF) was negatively correlated. The higher the SVF, the worse the radiation shielding effect between buildings. On the contrary, the higher the BF, the higher the building undulation, and the better the building radiation shielding. These findings should provide some quantitative insights for the future construction and planning of island cities, which can be used to improve the thermal environment of island cities and support the sustainable development of cities.