Influence Of Environmental Variables Research Articles

Factors affecting the impact of Popillia japonica Newman, 1841 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) on grapevine in Northwestern Italy.

The relationships between the Japanese beetle (JB) Popillia japonica Newman, 1841 and the grapevine agroecosystem were investigated in Piedmont in 2020 and 2021, to assess the impact of the species and its distribution within vineyards in relation to the proximity of environmental risk factors. Grubs were sampled by soil coring in the inter-rows of vineyards, whereas both adult beetles and defoliation were counted directly on grapevine plants. The presence of spatial autocorrelation was assessed and the influence of environmental variables (distance from woodlands, meadows and the margin of the vineyard, soil parameters, year of sampling, and year of first detection of the JB) was evaluated through generalized linear mixed models. Beetles and defoliation were more clustered at the edges of vineyards, whereas grubs were localized in few hot spots, generally close to meadows. Spatial autocorrelation was weaker for grubs with respect to adults and defoliation. Grub density depended on distance from meadows, and partially on soil features. Adults abundance was influenced by the proximity to meadows, woodlands, and their presence was clustered at the margin of vineyards. The JBs seem to rely on grapevine mainly as a food source rather than a reproductive site, preferring meadows for egg-laying: therefore, pest management in vineyards should be more focused on adult beetles rather than larvae in the vineyard inter-rows.

Influence of window design and environmental variables on the window opening behavior of occupants and energy consumption in residential buildings

Influence of window design and environmental variables on the window opening behavior of occupants and energy consumption in residential buildings

The Influence of Environmental Variables on the Carbon Performance of Water Companies Across Time

ABSTRACTOne of the main challenges that water companies face is to reduce carbon footprint in their transition to carbon neutrality. Past research assessing carbon performance of water companies has mostly ignored heterogeneity among the water companies evaluated. To overcome this limitation, this study employed a parametric metafrontier approach to assess and compare carbon performance of a sample of English and Welsh water companies, embracing water and sewerage companies (WaSCs) and water‐only companies (WoCs). This method allows for a comparison of the carbon performance of these two types of companies and analyses the impact of environmental variables on their performance. It was evidenced that water treatment complexity, main source of raw water, and population density significantly influence carbon performance of water companies. The average carbon efficiency for WaSCs was 0.816, indicating marginally superior performance compared to WoSCs, which had an average carbon efficiency of 0.803. Regarding carbon productivity between 2011 and 2020, WoSCs demonstrated an annual improvement in carbon performance of 2.9%, while WaSCs showed an annual decrease in carbon productivity of 4.2%. The insights gained from this study are highly significant for policymakers focused on transitioning the water industry toward net‐zero carbon emissions.

Spawning and larval development of the mesophotic octocoral Swiftia exserta in aquaria

The 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill injured mesophotic and deep-sea environments over a vast area. In order to restore mesophotic and deep-sea coral species impacted by the spill, information on fundamental ecosystem processes such as reproduction is needed. During expeditions in 2021 and 2022, fragments of the mesophotic octocoral Swiftia exserta were collected from the northern Gulf of Mexico and transported to aquaria at federal facilities in South Carolina, Florida, and Texas. In fall of 2021 and 2022, several of these fragments spawned in captivity, providing an opportunity to learn about their reproduction and inform future restoration activities. Broadcast spawning occurred on 19 and 20 October, 2021, and on 20 days from 29 September to 7 November, 2022. These spawning events permitted detailed observations of spawning behavior and timing, and yielded over 2,400 oocytes. Individual spawns were preceded by a distinctive “spawning posture” in the polyps, lasting between five minutes and two hours, and may have been cued by light. Swiftia exserta larvae settled and developed at comparable rates to other broadcast spawning octocorals, becoming swimming planulae by three days post spawn (dps) and starting to settle by 14 dps. These observations represent the first such records for S. exserta and, more broadly, for any mesophotic coral in the Gulf of Mexico, providing important insights for the restoration of these species. This investigation lays the foundation for future work to explore the influences of seasonal environmental variables, such as light and temperature, on spawning and reproductive seasonality in this species.

The costs and healing rates of minor injuries in neonatal reef sharks.

Elasmobranch fishes (i.e., sharks, skates, and rays) exhibit remarkable wound-healing capabilities and consistently maintain a high capacity for tissue regeneration throughout their lives. This high capacity for wound healing may be particularly important for neonatal elasmobranchs that are still developing their immune system. However, little is known about the costs associated with wound healing and the potential influence of environmental variables or life history. In this study, we explore (1) the impact of minor, external injuries on the growth and body condition of neonatal blacktip reef (Carcharhinus melanopterus) and sicklefin lemon (Negaprion acutidens) sharks using a long-term fisheries-independent dataset from Moorea, French Polynesia, (2) the influence of ambient temperature on healing rates in neonatal blacktip reef sharks at two experimental temperatures (25°C and 29°C), and (3) variations in umbilical wound-healing rates between blacktip reef and sicklefin lemon sharks using an additional long-term dataset from St. Joseph Atoll, Seychelles. We found no impact of minor, external injuries on growth and body condition in neonatal blacktip reef and sicklefin lemon sharks, accelerated umbilical wound healing in neonatal blacktip reef sharks exposed to elevated ambient temperatures, and distinct umbilical wound-healing rates between neonatal blacktip reef and sicklefin lemon sharks. Enhancing our understanding of sharks' healing capabilities and the influence of environmental factors on this process is crucial for informing handling practices aimed at improving post-release survival rates of captured sharks under current and future oceanic conditions.

Climate Change and Armed Conflict in the Horn of Africa Region

The influence of environmental variability on pastoral conflict in the Horn of Africa cannot be underestimated. Studies on climate change and violent conflict in the Horn of Africa indicated that changing rainfall patterns, drought, changes in vegetation cover, and increasing resource scarcity have contributed to various types of violent conflict. Research also shows that these local resource conflicts are sometimes drawn into more intense power struggles related to civil war. In this paper, four interlinked mechanisms can be identified for why and when climate change increases the risk of violent conflict in the greater Horn of Africa: (a) worsening livelihood conditions; (b) migration and changing pastoral mobility patterns; (c) tactical considerations of armed groups; and (d) exploitation of local grievances by the elite. These mechanisms can be divided into two categories. The first two mainly relate to the causes of conflict, while the latter two mainly relate to changing conflict dynamics.

Influence of water masses and environmental variables on fish community in the south bank of Yangtze River Estuary, China

Fish play a crucial role in the estuarine ecosystem due to their ecological and commercial significance. Consequently, it is essential to study the characteristics of fish communities and their impacts within the estuary. In this study, we employed a single-boat bottom trawl to conduct four fishery resource surveys in April (spring), August (summer), October (autumn), and December (winter) of 2020 at ten sampling sites along the south bank of the Yangtze River Estuary (SBYRE). The primary objective was to assess the influence of water masses and environmental variables on the spatial and temporal distribution and diversity of fish communities in the SBYRE. The results indicated that fish biomass and abundance during summer were significantly higher than those observed in the other three seasons. High-value areas were predominantly located on the nearshore of the SBYRE and the north bank of Hangzhou Bay, a finding also corroborated by the cluster heat map results. Furthermore, the environmental variables in summer differed significantly from those in the other seasons, suggesting that the temporal and spatial distribution of fish was substantially influenced by these variables during the summer months. Mantel test and redundancy analysis demonstrated a positive correlation between the biomass and abundance of fish in summer and the factors of temperature and salinity. The seasonal alternation of dominant fish species contributes significantly to the heterogeneity observed in the temporal and spatial distribution of their communities. The reduced biomass and abundance of fish in spring were attributed to the lower influx of freshwater from the upstream. Seasonal variations in the fronts created by the confluence of multiple water masses in the study area, which play a crucial role in influencing the temporal and spatial distribution of fish communities. Furthermore, the presence of these fronts provides suitable habitats for spawning, feeding, and fattening for various fish species, making them ideal environments for numerous migratory fish. This study enhances our understanding of the temporal and spatial heterogeneity of fish communities in estuarine ecosystems and the factors influencing them, offering valuable insights for the protection and restoration of estuarine marine ecosystems.

The Influence of Environmental Variables on the Distribution of Mangroves in Northeast Brazil

The Influence of Environmental Variables on the Distribution of Mangroves in Northeast Brazil

Amur Softshell Turtle (Pelodiscus maackii) Population Size, Structure, and Spatial Distribution.

Freshwater turtle species preservation relies on understanding their population dynamics and geographical distribution. Amur softshell turtles (ASTs [Pelodiscus maackii]) are poorly protected due to insufficient awareness and the population in Northeastern China has experienced a steep decline compared to previous years. This study aims to investigate the population density and structure of ASTs in the Jewellery Island area of the Ussuri River in Northeast China using continuous-time capture-recapture methods in closed populations. A three-month mark-recapture study was conducted in 2022, resulting in 35 juvenile captures, including 12 recaptures from 23 marked individuals. The estimated population size in the study area was 40.79 ± 9.75 (95% confidence interval, 95% CI = 27-65), translating to 0.663 ± 0.158 turtles/ha (95% CI = 0.44-1.06 individuals/ha). Approximately 35.4-85.2% of the estimated population was marked. Additionally, we explored the influence of environmental variables on turtle distribution by dividing the surveyed sites into seven sections based on their natural characteristics. The ASTs distribution inferred from trapping successes was considerably different among sections, with most turtles (91%) captured at the vegetated shoreline and in water channel 2. This research offers essential baseline data to support future assessments of ASTs population on a larger scale and to inform the development of conservation strategies.

Robust analysis of diel activity patterns.

Research Highlight: Iannarilli, F., Gerber, B. D., Erb, J., & Fieberg, J. R. (2024). A 'how-to' guide for estimating animal diel activity using hierarchical models. Journal of Animal Ecology, https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2656.14213. Diel activity patterns are ubiquitous in living organisms and have received considerable research attention with advances in the collection of time-stamped data and the recognition that organisms may respond to global change via behaviour timing. Iannarilli etal. (2024) provide a roadmap for analysing diel activity patterns with hierarchical models, specifically trigonometric generalized linear mixed-effect models and cyclic cubic spline generalized additive models. These methods are improvements over kernel density estimators, which for nearly two decades have been the status quo for analysing activity patterns. Kernel density estimators have several drawbacks; most notably, data are typically aggregated (e.g. across locations) to achieve sufficient sample sizes, and covariates cannot be incorporated to quantify the influence of environmental variables on activity timing. Iannarilli etal. (2024) also provide a comprehensive tutorial which demonstrates how to format data, fit models, and interpret model predictions. We believe that hierarchical models will become indispensable tools for activity-timing research and envision the development of many extensions to the approaches described by Iannarilli etal. (2024).

Environmental Factors Affecting the Phytoplankton Composition in the Lake of Tibetan Plateau

Due to the high altitude, unique geographical location, difficult accessibility and low temperature, the environmental factors influencing phytoplankton composition have rarely been investigated in the Selin Co Lake, which is the largest lake in the Tibetan Plateau. Phytoplankton composition can indicate aquatic ecosystem conditions, which may be sensitive to environmental factors in the Tibetan Plateau. In this study, we investigated the main environmental factors that influence phytoplankton species in the Selin Co Lake by analyzing the spatial distribution and applying statistical analyses. We also compared the influential environmental factors in this lake with other lakes around the world. The results suggest that the eleven environmental variables can explain about 46.78% of the phytoplankton’s composition. DO and fluoride were the most significant environmental variables, followed by arsenic and COD, and the other variables had comparatively smaller and more insignificant influences on phytoplankton composition. There were five dominant phytoplankton species in the Selin Co Lake, namely, Microcystis sp., Navicula spp., Chlorella vulgaris, Ankistrodesmus falcatus, and Westella sp. Some of these dominant species were also found in other tropical lakes, suggesting that the phytoplankton community could adapt to environmental changes. A clear understanding of the influential environmental variables affecting phytoplankton composition could help us to make proper water quality protection strategies in future climate change scenarios.

Effects of planting window on grain yield and oil yield under rainfed sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) in Kilwa District, Lindi, Tanzania

This study evaluated the effects of planting windows on grain yield and oil yield of three sunflower varieties (Hysun33, Record, and K/Fedha) across two locations in 2023. The two factors (varieties and planting windows) were laid out in a split plot arrangement and fitted into randomized complete block design in three replicates. The first planting window (PW1) occurred in late January, the second (PW2) in mid-February, and the third (PW3) in early March. Weather parameters evaluated included minimum and maximum temperatures, average monthly rainfall and rainfall during the growth period. The weather data revealed trends of decreasing minimum and maximum temperatures, as well as fluctuating average rainfall over the period. Total rainfall did not significantly differ between the three planting windows (PW1, PW2, PW3). However, there was significant variation in rainfall amounts at different phenological stages between planting windows (P = 0.001). Grain yield and oil yield were highest in PW3 (1.50 t/ha and 360.2 L, respectively), as well as for the Hysun33 variety (0.92 t/ha and 22.95 L, respectively). High grain and oil yields were influenced by high germination and survival percentages, high rainfall during leaf development and stem elongation, flowering time and interactions between planting window, variety, and locations. Study showed that PW3 and HYsun33 offers the most favorable options for optimal sunflower production in Kilwa District. However, multi-environment trials, repeated over several seasons is recommended to explore the influence of environmental variables. The results may also prompt a revision of the sunflower planting calendar for the southern zone.

Predicting high-quality ecologically suitable areas of Astragalus mongholicus Bunge based on secondary metabolites content using Biomod2 model

Habitat requirements and species’ ecological suitability are essential conditions for species conservation and management. Under the influence of different environmental variables, assessing the habitat quality of medicinal plants is an important issue to ensure the quality of medicinal plants and protect biodiversity. This study explores the impact of environmental variables on the distribution of Astragalus mongholicus Bunge (A. bunge) and the content of effective secondary metabolites (SMs). Combining the Biomod2 model, we constructed a Comprehensive Geospatial Quality Model (CGQM) for A. bunge under current environmental conditions, obtaining a high-quality comprehensive suitable area for A. bunge. The results indicate that the area of the comprehensive high-suitable zone is 4.53 × 105 km2, accounting for 21.91% of the suitable area for A. bunge. It is mainly distributed in the eastern and western parts of Shanxi, the northwest of Shaanxi, the southern part of Ningxia, the southeast of Gansu, the northern part of Hebei, the eastern part of Beijing, the northeastern part of Jilin, the central and southern parts of Inner Mongolia, and a very small part of Xinjiang.

Influence of environmental variables and anthropogenic activities on soda-saline lakes chemistry in northern Tanzania: A remote sensing and GIS approach.

This study employed Remote Sensing and Geographical Information Systems to explore the influence of environmental factors and human-induced land use/land cover changes on the chemistry of soda-saline lakes in Northern Tanzania. Satellite-based rainfall data were sourced from the Climate Hazards Group Infrared Precipitation with Station (CHIRPS) datasets, and temperature data were obtained from MERRA-2. Monthly precipitation, temperature, and drought conditions in lake watersheds were analyzed from 1981 to 2022, while land use and land cover changes were assessed for 2000, 2014, and 2023. Soil types were acquired from the FAO Digital Soil Map of the World, while geological characteristics were sourced from the US Geological Survey database. The findings revealed that the region's climate is ideal for enhancing evapotranspiration, leading to mineral precipitation, and altering the chemistry of soda-saline lakes. The Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index revealed increased drought events in the lake basins since 1987, with prolonged drought occurrence between 2000 and 2017. The results also showed that the region is characterized by a variety of soil types, including ferric acrisols, chromic cambisols, calcic cambisols, entisols, inceptisols, eutric fluvisols, distric nitisols, humic nitisols, mollic andosols, ochric andosols, and pellic vertisols. Furthermore, the region is distinguished by diverse geological processes, from Precambrian-Cambrian to tertiary intrusive, triggered by volcanic and tectonic activity. Land use/land cover changes results indicated dynamics in the various classes with an overall decrease in areas under water bodies (-39.80%), forests (-22.57%) and bareland (-36.18) while agricultural land (111.01%) built-up areas (434.72%), shrubs and grasses (72.77%) increased in area coverage over the 23 years study period (2000-2023). This study underscores the complex interplay between environmental variables and human activities in shaping the chemistry of soda-saline lakes.

Investigating the interplay between environmental conditioning and nanotopographical cueing on the response of human MG63 osteoblastic cells to titanium nanotubes.

Titanium nanotubular surfaces have been extensively studied for their potential use in biomedical implants due to their ability to promote relevant phenomena associated with osseointegration, among other functions. However, despite the large body of literature on the subject, potential synergistic/antagonistic effects resulting from the combined influence of environmental variables and nanotopographical cues remain poorly investigated. Specifically, it is still unclear whether the nanotube-induced variations in cellular activity are preserved across different biochemical contexts. To bridge this gap, this study systematically evaluates the combined influence of nanotopographical cues and environmental factors on human MG63 osteoblastic cells. To this end, we capitalized on a triphasic anodization protocol to create nanostructured surfaces characterized by an average nanotube inner diameter of 25 nm (NT1) and 82 nm (NT2), as well as a two-tiered honeycomb (HC) architecture. A variable glucose content was chosen as the environmental modifier due to its well-known ability to affect specific functions of MG63 cells. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP), viability/metabolic activity and proliferation were quantified to identify the suitable preconditioning window required for dictating a change in behaviour without significantly damaging cells. Successively, a combination of immunofluorescence, colorimetric assays, live cell imaging and western blots quantified viability/metabolic activity and cell proliferation, migration and differentiation as a function of the combined effects exerted by the nanostructured substrates and the glucose content. To achieve a thorough understanding of MG63 cell adaptation and response, a comparative analysis table that includes and systematically cross-analyzes all variables from this study was used for interpretation and discussion of the results. Taken together, we have demonstrated that all surfaces mitigate the negative effects of high glucose. However, nanotubular topographies, particularly NT2, elicit a more beneficial outcome in high glucose in respect to untreated titanium. In addition, while NT1 surfaces are associated with the most stable cellular response across varying glucose levels, the NT2 and HC substrates exhibit the strongest enhancement of cell migration, viability/metabolism and differentiation. Moreover, shorter-term processes such as adhesion and proliferation are favored on untreated titanium, while anodized samples support later-term events. Lastly, the role of anodized surfaces is dominant over the effects of environmental glucose, underscoring the importance of carefully considering nanoscale surface features in the design and development of cell-instructive titanium surfaces.

Morpho-functional groups as an efficient tool for monitoring and management of the Billings reservoir (São Paulo, Brazil)

This research applied the Morphology-Based Functional Groups (MBFGs) combined with classical approaches, such as community descriptor species and phytoplankton classes in the Billings reservoir. This local is the largest freshwater reservoir in the metropolitan region of São Paulo that has around 22 million inhabitants. Two sampling stations differing in predominant uses were studied: Rio Grande, classified as mesotrophic, and Central Body, as super and hypereutrophic. The phytoplankton and limnological variables were collected over six months (n=12). The trophic state index was calculated using phosphorus concentrations. Three canonical correspondence analyses were calculated aiming to examine the effect of environmental variables on the phytoplankton structure from each classification method (descriptor species, classes, and MBFGs), identifying the influence of environmental variables (independent variables) on the abundance patterns of the phytoplankton community (dependent variables). The highest concentrations of chlorophyll a and phytoplankton density were recorded at the site with the highest concentrations of total phosphorous (average of 99.86 μg/L in Central Body). This site was also associated with the highest electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, turbidity, and concentrations of total nitrogen and chlorophyll a. The main factors associated with phytoplankton distribution were the trophic state and the operational system. It was concluded that the phytoplankton approach through MBFG efficiently responds to fluctuations in the ecological attributes of phytoplankton, and because they are based on morphological features, MBFG reduces the complexity of identifying and classifying organisms at a specific level.

Towards the standardization of Hydra vulgaris bioassay for toxicity assessments of liquid samples.

The Hydra vulgaris bioassay is recognized as sensitive invertebrate test species for toxicity assessment of real-life environmental mixtures for enforcement and monitoring investigations. The purpose of this study was to characterize the intra-laboratory variability, study the influence of environmental variables (temperature, luminosity, inter-individual and day of analysis) on ZnSO4 toxicity, a reference model toxicant for hydra. The sublethal (effect concentration for 50 % of hydra-EC50) and lethal (lethal concentration for 50 % of hydra-LC50) were determined based on characteristic morphological changes for this species. The influence of water hardness, ammonia and dissolved oxygen for over 50 real-life environmental liquid mixtures (effluents and leachates) were examined and compared with rainbow trout and Daphnia magna acute lethality tests. A control chart for Zn was developed from over 40 trials yielding an 96 h LC50 of 0.7 mg/L (0.66-0.77 95 % confidence interval-CI) and EC50 of 0.19 mg/L (0.17-0.21 95 % CI). The influence of 8 different analysts, the trial days and luminosity did not significantly influence the LC50 and EC50. Only higher temperature significantly decreased the toxicity of ZnSO4 within 15-30 °C range. The hydra bioassay was then practiced on more than 50 real-life effluents/leachates and compared with the 96 h rainbow trout and 48 h Daphnia magna survival tests. The data revealed that water hardness, dissolved oxygen and ammonia were not significantly correlated with either the LC50 or EC50 values. Moreover, the hydra LC50 data predictive (rank correlation of 0.6) the rainbow trout LC50 with the absence of false negatives. The hydra data were at least as if not more sensitive than the rainbow trout LC50 making it a relevant alternative method to reduce fish use for screening potentially toxic environmental mixtures.

Determinants of plant species richness along elevational gradients: insights with climate, energy and water–energy dynamics

BackgroundUnderstanding the patterns and processes of species distributions has long remained a central focus of biogeographical and ecological research. While the evidence for elevational patterns in species richness is widespread, our understanding of underlying causes and mechanisms remains limited. Therefore, this study aimed to entangle the influence of environmental variables on plant species richness along elevational gradients in the Western Himalayas.MethodsWe compiled elevational distribution for about 1150 vascular plants using the published literature and available database. The species richness was estimated in 100-m elevational bands using the range interpolation method. We used the generalised linear model and structural equation modelling (SEM) framework to identify the direct and indirect effects of climatic factors on species richness.ResultsOur results indicated that primary environmental correlates of species richness varied with elevational gradients. Climatic variables combined with energy and water availability were more important than the topographic heterogeneity. Further, the direct and interaction effects of climatic variables were more substantial than their indirect effects. The indirect effects of climate are more strongly mediated by water–energy dynamics than the energy alone.ConclusionsOverall, our findings emphasise the importance of considering direct effects and interactions among environmental variables while studying the underlying mechanisms governing elevational biodiversity gradients. Species richness appeared to be shaped by climatic tolerances rather than habitat heterogeneity at regional scales. This information can have implications for biodiversity dynamics under environmental change.

Influence of regional environmental variables on the radiative forcing of atmospheric microplastics

Influence of regional environmental variables on the radiative forcing of atmospheric microplastics

Influence of environmental variables on the species richness and occurrence of anuran species in areas planted with sugarcane in central Brazil

Influence of environmental variables on the species richness and occurrence of anuran species in areas planted with sugarcane in central Brazil