Impact Of Environmental Changes Research Articles

Body and Brain Quality-Diversity in Robot Swarms

In biological societies, complex interactions between the behavior and morphology of evolving organisms and their environment have given rise to a wide range of complex and diverse social structures. Similarly, in artificial counterparts such as swarm-robotics systems, collective behaviors emerge via the interconnected dynamics of robot morphology (sensory-motor configuration), behavior (controller), and environment (task). Various studies have demonstrated morphological and behavioral diversity enables biological groups to exhibit adaptive, robust, and resilient collective behavior across changing environments. However, in artificial (swarm robotic) systems there is little research on the impact of changing environments on morphological and behavioral (body-brain) diversity in emergent collective behavior, and the benefits of such diversity. This study uses evolutionary collective robotics as an experimental platform to investigate the impact of increasing task environment complexity (collective behavior task difficulty) on the evolution and benefits of morphological and behavioral diversity in robotic swarms. Results indicate that body-brain evolution using coupled behavior and morphology diversity maintenance yields higher behavioral and morphological diversity, which is beneficial for collective behavior task performance across task environments. Results also indicate that such behavioral and morphological diversity maintenance coupled with body-brain evolution produces neuro-morpho complexity that does not increase concomitantly with task complexity.

Metabarcoding advances agricultural invertebrate biomonitoring by enhancing resolution, increasing throughput and facilitating network inference

Abstract Biomonitoring of agriculturally important insects is increasingly vital given our need to understand: (a) the severity of impacts by pests and pathogens on crop yield and health and (b) the impact of environmental change and land management on insects, in line with sustainable development and global conservation targets. Traditional entomological traps remain an important part of the biomonitoring toolbox, but sample processing is laborious and introduces latency, and accuracy can be variable. The integration of molecular techniques such as environmental DNA and DNA metabarcoding into insect biomonitoring has gained increasing attention, but the advantages of doing so, the kind of data this can generate, and how easily and effectively molecular analyses can be integrated with the diverse types of entomological traps currently used remains relatively unclear. In this review, we examine how combining DNA metabarcoding with a range of conventional and unconventional entomological sampling techniques can advance biomonitoring in a way that is useful to researchers and practitioners. We highlight some of the key challenges and how to mitigate them, using examples of its integration with different sampling methods from the literature (e.g., interception, pitfall and sticky traps) to demonstrate efficacy and suitability. We discuss how metabarcoding data can be used to infer ecological networks, emphasizing the importance of this as a framework for understanding species interactions and ecosystem functioning for more effective and descriptive biomonitoring. Finally, future advances in biomonitoring are highlighted, alongside recommendations of best practice for researchers both new to and experienced in invertebrate biomonitoring with metabarcoding.

Resource Scheduling Optimization of Fresh Food Delivery Porters Considering Ambient Temperature Variations

In the context of an evolving socio-economic landscape and rising living standards, the online market for fresh products, encompassing fruits, vegetables, meats, dairy, and eggs, has seen substantial growth, necessitating sophisticated logistics for e-commerce home delivery. This study tackles the distinct challenges of fresh product delivery, which demand rigorous adherence to climate conditions and product mix during transport, significantly influencing the operational strategies and scheduling of delivery platforms. To address these challenges, a comprehensive mathematical model was developed to optimize fresh food home delivery scheduling, focusing on reducing spoilage rates and accommodating the dynamic impact of environmental temperature changes. The model posits assumptions of a consistent and ample supply of fresh goods, standard initial quality loss, and efficient porter assignment for multi-category order combinations. It introduces three objective functions, targeting the minimization of fresh food loss, maximization of customer satisfaction, and reduction of distributor costs. The efficacy of the model and its genetic-algorithm-based solution method was assessed through numerical analysis and case studies, illustrating that the model enhances delivery efficiency and service quality across varying temperature conditions. This substantiates the critical role of environmental temperature management in optimizing fresh food delivery, offering a robust framework for advancing logistical operations in the perishable goods sector and ensuring quality and efficiency in fresh food e-commerce delivery.

Rural occupancy in a montane burrowing snake: the importance of thermal and microhabitat resources during the rainy season

AbstractThermal and microhabitat resources are two fundamental requirements that affect the life history of any ectotherm. Furthering our understanding of how reptilian species meet these ecological requirements is crucial for assessing the impact of environmental and anthropogenic changes on populations. Here, we explored some fundamental aspects of the thermal and microhabitat ecology of Conopsis biserialis, a small, burrowing, and endemic earthsnake of central Mexico. The study was conducted during the rainy season in a montane site disturbed by rural activities. The mean field body temperature (Tb) of C. biserialis was 26 ± 0.6 ºC. Field Tb did not differ significantly between sex and development stages. However, we found that Tb was positively correlated with substrate, air, and under-rock temperatures (Ts, Ta, and Tr) in the rural microhabitat. Regression analysis showed that substrate and under-rock temperatures (Ts and Tr) were the parameters that best explained Tb variability in the individuals. The temperature and relative humidity under shelter did not differ significantly among shelter types and/or rock sizes. In addition to these thermal traits, earthsnakes selected and utilized six common biotic and physical elements of the rural microhabitat. Most individuals used high proportions of large and medium rocks for sheltering, and these rocks were selected around crop fences and cleared grasslands where the soil can be either covered with low vegetation or bare. Our results suggest that, during the rainy season, individuals of C. biserialis use and select some biotic and structural resources of the rural microhabitats, and were capable of actively regulating their temperature by using shelters with high values of microclimatic homogeneity.

Productivity of mixed kelp communities in an Arctic fjord exhibit tolerance to a future climate

Arctic fjords are considered to be one of the ecosystems changing most rapidly in response to climate change. In the Svalbard archipelago, fjords are experiencing a shift in environmental conditions due to the Atlantification of Arctic waters and the retreat of sea-terminating glaciers. These environmental changes are predicted to facilitate expansion of large, brown macroalgae, into new ice-free regions. The potential resilience of macroalgal benthic communities in these fjord systems will depend on their response to combined pressures from freshening due to glacial melt, exposure to warmer waters, and increased turbidity from meltwater runoff which reduces light penetration. Current predictions, however, have a limited ability to elucidate the future impacts of multiple-drivers on macroalgal communities with respect to ecosystem function and biogeochemical cycling in Arctic fjords. To assess the impact of these combined future environmental changes on benthic productivity and resilience, we conducted a two-month mesocosm experiment exposing mixed kelp communities to three future conditions comprising increased temperature (+ 3.3 and + 5.3°C), seawater freshening by ∼ 3.0 and ∼ 5.0 units (i.e., salinity of 30 and 28, respectively), and decreased photosynthetically active radiation (PAR, - 25 and - 40 %). Exposure to these combined treatments resulted in non-significant differences in short-term productivity, and a tolerance of the photosynthetic capacity across the treatment conditions. We present the first robust estimates of mixed kelp community production in Kongsfjorden and place a median compensation irradiance of ∼12.5 mmol photons m−2 h−1 as the threshold for positive net community productivity. These results are discussed in the context of ecosystem productivity and biological tolerance of kelp communities in future Arctic fjord systems.

Impact of rapid anthropogenic environmental change on water security in a tropical Andean basin

Rapid anthropogenic environmental change significantly impacts water security (WS) in the Andean highlands, limiting water availability and use. Amidst swift human-induced environmental transformations, discernible trends emerge in increased water demand and heightened ecosystem service valuation. This study examines water usage conflicts in an Andean basin and operationalizes WS using historical analysis for future applications. We focused on WS changes in the Upper Chicamocha River Basin (UCRB), encompassing rural and urban areas. An integrated water security (IWS) framework, with a composite indicator and eight dimensions, is employed to analyze the implications of observed changes over 40 years (1981–2020). Results show a “fair” IWS score 85 % of the time, with 15 % classified as “good”. Evaluation of demand coverage for water usage reveals users benefiting from sufficient water provision (mining, thermoelectric, services, environment, aquaculture, and agriculture), while the industrial and domestic sectors suffer from frequent shortages. Findings emphasize the need for trade-offs in addressing diverse water security outcomes for all users in a changing climate.

New insights into morphological adaptation in common mole-rats (Cryptomys hottentotus hottentotus) along an aridity gradient.

Morphological adaptation is the change in the form of an organism that benefits the individual in its current habitat. Mole-rats (family Bathyergidae), despite being subterranean, are impacted by both local and broad-scale environmental conditions that occur above ground. Common mole-rats (Cryptomys hottentotus hottentotus) present an ideal mammalian model system for the study of morphological variation in response to ecology, as this species is found along an aridity gradient and thus can be sampled from geographically non-overlapping populations of the same species along an environmental longitudinal cline. Using the mass of five internal organs, ten skeletal measurements and 3D morphometric analyses of skulls, we assessed the morphology of wild non-breeding individuals from five common mole-rat populations in South Africa. We found that the body mass and mean relative mass of the spleen and kidneys in arid populations was larger, and individuals from arid regions possessed shorter legs and larger inter-shoulder widths compared to individuals from mesic regions. Additionally, arid populations demonstrated greater skull depth, and shape change of features such as angular processes of the lower jaw than mesic individuals, indicating that these distinct geographic populations show differences corresponding to the aridity gradient, potentially in response to environmental factors such as the variation in food sources found between different habitats, in addition to different soil compositions found in the different regions. Arid populations potentially require a stronger jaw and neck musculature associated with mastication to chew xeric-adapted plants and to dig through hard soil types, whereas mesic populations excavate through soft, looser soil and may make use of their front limbs to aid the movement of soils when digging. Aridity influences the morphology of this species and could indicate the impact of environmental changes on speciation and mammalian skull morphology.

Physics-informed data-driven model of dehydration reaction stage in the sintering process of ternary cathode materials

The sintering process is the main process that affects the performance of ternary cathode materials. Due to the closed, continuous, and long-term characteristics of the sintering process carried out in a roller kiln, the reaction state including reaction degree, particle size, and etc., of the raw materials cannot be directly obtained through sampling detection, resulting in ineffective temperature control. This article mainly focuses on modeling the dehydration reaction stage of the sintering process to obtain the reaction state of the raw materials. Firstly, a two-sphere model is established based on Newton’s second law and the particle volume conservation equation to describe the relationship between the particle radius and sintering temperature of lithium hydroxide and ternary precursor; Secondly, the chemical kinetic parameters of the dehydration reaction in the two-sphere model are obtained by combining the single heating rate scanning method with the multiple heating rate scanning method; Then, in order to improve the accuracy of the two-sphere model and reduce the impact of external environmental temperature changes, a physics-informed neural network model is constructed by combining the two-sphere model with the neural ordinary differential equation model. Finally, the effectiveness of the modeling method is verified through numerical simulation and empirical data.

Changes in Otitis Media During COVID-19.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, various non-pharmaceutical interventions such as individual hygiene practices like hand washing, social distancing, and mandates for the use of masks in public spaces were implemented to reduce the spread of the disease. Otitis media (OM) is a common infectious disease. How the changed environment due to the COVID-19 pandemic has influenced the prevalence of infectious diseases like OM is not known. This study aimed to investigate how OM prevalence and trends changed during COVID-19 in Korea. OM patient data from 2017 to 2021 were extracted from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service database. Patients diagnosed with disease code H66 (suppurative and unspecified otitis media) were selected for analysis. Data on OM prevalence, gender, region, medical institution, and number of ventilating-tube prescriptions were analyzed. All age groups were included, and ages were categorized into 5-year ranges. The number of patients diagnosed with the OM disease code decreased continuously from 2017 to 2021 (1 598 205, 1 560 178, 1 520 948, 983 701, and 734 901). The average OM prevalence per 1000 persons decreased by 45.0% from 30.2 in 2017 to 2019 to 16.6 in 2020 to 2021. The change of OM prevalence was greater for the 0 to 5 age group than other age groups. The decrease in average prevalence per 1000 persons was greatest in the 0 to 5 age group (48.6% decrease from 358.2 in 2017-2019 to 184.1 in 2020-2021). The impact of environmental changes on ventilation-tube insertion was smaller than on OM prevalence. The average number of ventilating-tube insertions decreased by 28.1% from 27 311 in 2017 to 2019 to 19 650 in 2020 to 2021. OM prevalence decreased by 45.0%, and the number of ventilating-tube insertions decreased by 28.1% in Korea during COVID-19.

Effects of multiple future environmental changes on flooding in coastal area: Case study in Qianshan River Basin, South China

Due to their unique geographical characteristics, coastal areas are not only impacted by climate change and urbanization but also by sea level rise-induced lower boundary jacking. This makes them vulnerable to rapid, intense, and short-duration flooding events. In this study, a comprehensive analysis was conducted considering future climate change, land use change, and sea level change. By employing a hydrological model, potential flood scenarios in Qianshan River Basin were simulated in efforts to understand the combined impact of multiple environmental changes on coastal flooding. The results indicate that the flood characteristics of Qianshan River Basin will increase due to multiple future environmental changes. Notably, Dachong experiences the most significant surge in peak discharge, while Hongwanchong and Guangchangchong experience the highest increase in peak water depth under normal and extreme conditions, respectively. The inundation area’s location remains predominantly situated in the southern part of the basin, with high-risk zones substantially increasing, particularly in Tanzhou Town and the outlet of Qianshanshuidao. The observed pattern of increasing flood characteristics follows a clear trend across future scenarios SSP126, SSP245, SPP370, and SSP585. The flood characteristics resulting from a design rainfall of grade n correspond to those produced by a design rainfall of grade (n + 1), (n + 2), (n + 3), and (n + 4) in the current period, respectively.

Intraspecific trait variation modulates the temperature effect on elemental quotas and stoichiometry in marine Synechococcus.

Diverse phytoplankton modulate the coupling between the ocean carbon and nutrient cycles through life-history traits such as cell size, elemental quotas, and ratios. Biodiversity is mostly considered at broad functional levels, but major phytoplankton lineages are themselves highly diverse. As an example, Synechococcus is found in nearly all ocean regions, and we demonstrate contains extensive intraspecific variation. Here, we grew four closely related Synechococcus isolates in serially transferred cultures across a range of temperatures (16-25°C) to quantify for the relative role of intraspecific trait variation vs. environmental change. We report differences in cell size (p<0.01) as a function of strain and clade (p<0.01). The carbon (QC), nitrogen (QN), and phosphorus (QP) cell quotas all increased with cell size. Furthermore, cell size has an inverse relationship to growth rate. Within our experimental design, temperature alone had a weak physiological effect on cell quota and elemental ratios. Instead, we find systemic intraspecific variance of C:N:P, with cell size and N:P having an inverse relationship. Our results suggest a key role for intraspecific life history traits in determining elemental quotas and stoichiometry. Thus, the extensive biodiversity harbored within many lineages may modulate the impact of environmental change on ocean biogeochemical cycles.

Climate change may improve the habitat suitability and connectivity of sika deer (Cervus nippon) in the Shennongjia area of China

In order to effectively conserve a species and manage its population, it is critical to understand the impact of climate change on habitat quality and connectivity. The sika deer (Cervus nippon) is a ungulate species endemic to East Asia and listed as a Category I State Key Protected Wild Animals under Chinese law. The C. nippon population was established in the Shennongjia area 30 years ago, and there is an urgent need to analyse the impact of environmental change on habitat quality. In this study, we compared suitable habitats and habitat connectivity of C. nippon in the Shennongjia area by utilizing an ecological niche model that integrated a set of environmental factors combined with a cost-distance approach for both the present time as well as in the future. The most encouraging findings were that the suitable habitat for C. nippon may be obviously enlarged and its habitat connectivity obviously improved under climate change. The suitable habitat of C. nippon in the Shennongjia area is limited at present; however, it is possible that the total area and number of suitable habitat patches can increase twenty- to thirty-fold and quadruple to sextuple, respectively, in the future (2050–2070). We detected a clear trend of suitable future habitat expansion into the northeast. The number of interpatch least-cost paths may dramatically increase (up to six to twelve times higher), and the lengths of least-cost paths and movement costs for the deer may decrease by half. Based on these results, several conservation recommendations have been suggested. Our study provides a valuable reference for protective actions that can be taken to conserve C. nippon in the Shennongjia area and can serve as a template for establishing conservation strategies for other species.

Does Environmental Change Affect Migration Especially into the EU?

Environmental shock migration is a pressing phenomenon that became prominent with the continuous emergence of natural disasters and climatic shocks worldwide. In order to cope with these various disasters or shocks, people choose to migrate either internally, internationally, permanently, or temporarily; the paper named this phenomenon “environmental shock migration”. For a holistic understanding, this paper analyzes the impact of environmental changes on migration and discusses the relevant consequences, specifically in the EU region. The paper demonstrates that natural disasters and climatic shocks as environmental changes lead to several forms of shock migration and differ depending upon the context of migration, the duration, the number of migrants, and the region. A comprehensive literature review will be provided to tackle the work of previous scholars and identify the gaps required to be studied in the future.

A comparative study on the age, growth, and mortality of Gobio huanghensis (Luo, Le & Chen, 1977) in the Gansu and Ningxia sections of the upper Yellow River, China

BalkgroundGobio huanghensis is a small economic fish endemic to the Yellow River at the junction of the Tibetan Plateau and the Huangtu Plateau in China. To understand the impact of environmental changes and human activities on the ecological structure of the G. huanghensis population, a comparative study was conducted on the age composition, growth characteristics, mortality rate, and exploitation rate of the G. huanghensis populations in the Gansu and Ningxia sections of the upper Yellow River.ResultsDuring the investigation, a total of 1147 individuals were collected, with 427 individuals collected from the Gansu section and 720 individuals from the Ningxia section. The results showed that G. huanghensis in the Gansu section exhibited a total length ranging from 5.00 to 22.80 cm, with an average of 12.68 ± 4.03 cm. In the Ningxia section, the total length of G. huanghensis ranged from 2.15 to 20.65 cm, with an average of 9.48 ± 3.56 cm. The age composition of G. huanghensis in the Gansu section ranged from 1 to 7 years, where female fish were observed between 1 and 7 years old, and male fish between 1 and 6 years old. In the Ningxia section, both female and male fish ranged from 1 to 5 years old. The relationships between total length and body weight were (Gansu section, R2 = 0.9738) and (Ningxia section, R2 = 0.9686), indicating that fish in the Gansu section exhibit positive allometric growth, while fish in the Ningxia section exhibit negative allometric growth. The von Bertalanffy growth equation revealed that G. huanghensis in the Gansu section exhibited an asymptotic total length L∞ of 27.426 cm with a growth coefficient K of 0.225 yr−1, while in the Ningxia section, the asymptotic total length L∞ was 26.945 cm with a growth coefficient K of 0.263 yr−1. The total mortality rate (Z) values of G. huanghensis were 0.7592 yr and 1.1529 yr in the Gansu section and Ningxia section, respectively. The average natural mortality rate (M), estimated by three different methods, in the Gansu section was 0.4432 yr, while it was 0.5366 yr in the Ningxia section. The exploitation rate (E) of G. huanghensis was 0.4163 in the Gansu section and 0.5345 in the Ningxia section, indicating that the population in the Ningxia section may have been overexploited.ConclusionProlonged fishing pressures and environmental changes may have led to variations in the ecological parameters of the G. huanghensis population between the Gansu and Ningxia sections.

Sentinel protist taxa of the McMurdo Dry Valley lakes, Antarctica: a review

High-latitude meromictic lakes such as those in the Antarctic McMurdo Dry Valleys (MDV) harbor aquatic ecosystems dominated by the microbial loop. Within this habitat, which is limited year-round by light and nutrients, protists, or single celled eukaryotes, play outsized roles in the food web as the dominant primary producers and the apex predators. Thus, the MDV lake ecosystem represents an ideal system to study the role of sentinel protist taxa in carbon and nutrient cycling. The perennially ice-covered lakes are part of the McMurdo Long Term Ecological Research (McM LTER; mcmlter.org) established in 1993. In this review we will highlight the diversity and trophic roles of the MDV lake protist community and compare environmental factors driving spatiotemporal patterns in key protist taxa in two lakes within the McM LTER, Lakes Bonney and Fryxell. We will then discuss lessons learned from manipulated experiments on the impact of current and future climate-driven environmental change on sensitive protist taxa. Last, we will integrate knowledge gained from 25 years of lab-controlled experiments on key photosynthetic protists to extend our understanding of the function of these extremophiles within the MDV aquatic food webs. Our research group has studied the distribution and function of the MDV microbial community for nearly two decades, training the next generation of scientists to tackle future problems of these globally significant microbes. This review article will also highlight early career scientists who have contributed to this body of work and represent the future of scientific understanding in the Anthropocene.

Contrasting patterns for bacteria and archaea in response to salt stress across alpine wetlands of the Tibetan Plateau

Understanding microbial responses to environmental stress is crucial for comprehending their distribution and supporting conservation efforts. Yet, comprehensive evaluations of these responses across diverse microbial taxa within the framework of classical ecological theories are scarce. This gap limits our ability to predict the impact of environmental changes on the diversity and functions of soil microbes in natural settings. In this study, we conducted a field survey across twenty alpine wetlands on the Tibetan Plateau. Employing amplicon sequencing with network theories, we investigated the biodiversity and coexistence of bacteria and archaea under a wide range of natural salinity conditions. Our results demonstrated a linear decrease in bacterial diversity with increased salinity, while archaeal diversity showed a non-linear pattern, initially declining and then rising, reflecting varied adaptation strategies to salt stress. Network analysis revealed a heightened complexity in positive associations among bacteria under salt stress. In contrast, archaea exhibited a decrease in both positive and negative associations, with the community succession to halophiles. These results imply that bacteria may counteract stress through enhanced facilitation, whereas archaea predominantly rely on stress-tolerant taxa. Additionally, structural equation modeling confirmed our hypothesis regarding the ecological response strategies of bacteria and archaea to salinity stress, showing that the variation in bacterial diversity is mainly explained by the complexity of positive associations, whereas archaeal diversity directly correlates with salinity levels. Overall, this study offers novel insights into the ecological strategies of prokaryotes under salinity stress and enriches our understanding of the processes maintaining microbial diversity in stressful conditions.

Influence of climate zone shifts on forest ecosystems in northeastern United States and maritime Canada

Climate zones play a significant role in shaping the forest ecosystems located within them by influencing multiple ecological processes, including growth, disturbances, and species interactions. Therefore, delineation of current and future climate zones is essential to establish a framework for understanding and predicting shifts in forest ecosystems. In this study, we developed and applied an efficient approach to delineate regional climate zones in the northeastern United States and maritime Canada, aiming to characterize potential shifts in climate zones and discuss associated changes in forest ecosystems. The approach comprised five steps: climate data dimensionality reduction, sampling scenario design, cluster generation, climate zone delineation, and zone shift prediction. The climate zones in the study area were delineated into four different orders, with increasing subzone resolutions of 3, 9, 15, and 21. Furthermore, projected climate normals under Shared Socioeconomic Pathways 4.5 and 8.5 scenarios were used to predict the shifts in climate zones until 2100. Our findings indicate that climate zones characterized by higher temperatures and lower precipitation are expected to become more prevalent, potentially becoming the dominant climate condition across the entire region. Thes changes are likely to alter regional forest composition, structure, and productivity. In short, such shifts in climate underscore the significant impact of environmental change on forest ecosystem dynamics and carbon sequestration potential.

Ground collision avoidance system with multi-trajectory risk assessment and decision function

Abstract The traditional ground collision avoidance system (GCAS) makes avoidance decisions based on predicted collision time, without considering the impact of terrain environment and dynamic changes in load factor on avoidance decisions. This increases the risk of ground collisions for the aircraft. To solve the problem, a GCAS with multi-trajectory risk assessment and decision function is proposed. Firstly, a variety of predicted flight avoidance trajectories are established within the final manoeuvering capability of the aircraft. Secondly, for each predicted trajectory, the uncertain length between adjacent prediction points is used to construct a rectangular distance bin, and the terrain data below the avoided trajectory is extracted. Finally, the regret theory is used to establish a multi-attribute avoidance decision model to evaluate and prioritise the risk of collision avoidance trajectories, to provide effective collision avoidance decision for pilots. The algorithm is tested and verified with real digital elevation model and simulated flight data, and compared with traditional GCAS. Simulation results show that the proposed algorithm can comprehensively consider manoeuvering performance and threatening terrain, and provide safe and effective avoidance decisions for pilots.

초등학생들의 기초 읽기능력 향상에 미치는 요인

This study analyzed factors influencing elementary students' basic reading skills enhancement from teachers' perspectives, focusing on the impact of digital environment changes and diverse learning methods. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the research unfolded in two phases: analysis of students' Korean language scores and a teacher survey on reading skill improvement factors, followed by teacher interviews based on survey outcomes. Teachers identified three main factors contributing to the improvement of students' basic reading skills: strengthening teamwork through regular learning, lesson planning, and mutual support among teachers; sharing students' incremental achievement assessment results within the grade to identify areas of growth; and setting continuous improvement of reading skills and literacy enhancement as a primary goal at the school level. These findings indicate that teachers prioritize team-based learning and collaboration. Enhancing basic reading skills requires strengthening teacher collaboration, sharing achievement insights to identify growth areas, and establishing literacy improvement as a school-wide goal, necessitating specific educational strategies and policies.

Climate and biodiversity change constrain the flow of cultural ecosystem services to people: A case study modeling birding across Africa under future climate scenarios

Global change is currently impacting ecosystems and their contributions to people (i.e. ecosystem services). These impacts have consequences for societies and human well-being, especially in Africa. Historically, efforts have focused on assessing global change from a social or biophysical perspective, treating them as separate entities. Yet, our understanding of impacts to social-ecological systems remains limited, particularly in the Global South, due to a lack of data, tools, and approaches accounting for social and ecological aspects of ecosystem services. This is especially relevant for cultural ecosystem services as they are less tangible. We use a simple indicator and important provider of a multitude of cultural ecosystem services, birding, to understand how climate, biodiversity, and land use change will impact cultural ecosystem services across Africa. We explore how emerging tools and data can overcome limitations in mapping and modeling cultural ecosystem services, particularly in analyzing human preferences and behavior at large spatiotemporal scales and in data-poor regions. Leveraging crowdsourced data from eBird and using machine learning techniques we map and model recreational birding to assess the underlying social-ecological relationships and the impact of future climate and environmental change. We show that bird species richness, protected areas, accessibility, and max temperature contribute most to birding suitability across the continent. Further, we show spatial shifts in the suitability of birding under three future climate scenarios (SSP126, 370, and 585). Models suggest climate and biodiversity change will increasingly constrain the flow of birding related cultural ecosystem services across Africa. This has implications for human-nature interactions, development of countries, management of protected areas, and overall human well-being in the future. More generally, we highlight opportunities for crowdsourced datasets and machine learning to integrate non-material ecosystem services in models and thus, enhance the understanding of future impacts to ecosystem services and human well-being.