Local Environmental Factors Research Articles

Top-down and bottom-up effects and relationships with local environmental factors in the water frog–helminth systems in Latvia

Semi-aquatic European water frogs (Pelophylax spp.) harbour rich helminth infra-communities, whose effects on host population size in nature are poorly known. To study top-down and bottom-up effects, we conducted calling male water frog counts and parasitological investigations of helminths in waterbodies from different regions of Latvia, supplemented by descriptions of waterbody features and surrounding land use data. We performed a series of generalized linear model and zero-inflated negative binomial regressions to determine the best predictors for frog relative population size and helminth infra-communities. The highest-ranked (by Akaike information criterion correction, AICc) model explaining the water frog population size contained only waterbody variables, followed by the model containing only land use within 500 m, while the model containing helminth predictors had the lowest rank. Regarding helminth infection responses, the relative importance of the water frog population size varied from being non-significant (abundances of larval plagiorchiids and nematodes) to having a similar weight to waterbody features (abundances of larval diplostomids). In abundances of adult plagiorchiids and nematodes the best predictor was the host specimen size. Environmental factors had both direct effects from the habitat features (e.g., waterbody characteristics on frogs and diplostomids) and indirect effects through parasite-host interactions (impacts of anthropogenic habitats on frogs and helminths). Our study suggests the presence of synergy between top-down and bottom-up effects in the water frog–helminth system that creates a mutual dependence of frog and helminth population sizes and helps to balance helminth infections at a level that does not cause over-exploitation of the host resource.

The characteristics and preservation potential of Hurricane Irma's overwash deposit in southern Florida, USA

Overwash deposits from tropical cyclone-induced storm surges are commonly used as modern analogues for paleo-storm studies. However, the evolution of these deposits between their time of deposition and their incorporation into the geologic record is poorly understood. To understand how the characteristics of an overwash deposit can change over time, we analyzed overwash deposits from four mangrove islands in southern Florida two to three months and twenty-two months after Hurricane Irma's landfall in the region on 10 September 2017. We analyzed the stratigraphy, mean grain size, organic and carbonate contents, stable carbon isotopic signatures, and microfossil (foraminifera and diatom) assemblages of pre-Irma and Irma overwash sediments. Hurricane Irma's storm surge deposited light gray carbonate muds and sands up to 11 cm thick over red organic-rich mangrove peats throughout mangrove islands in southern Florida. Stratigraphy, grain size, loss-on-ignition, and foraminifera analyses provided the strongest evidence for differentiating Irma's overwash deposit from underlying mangrove peats and, if preserved, are expected to identify Hurricane Irma's overwash event within the geologic record. Mean grain size showed the overwash deposit (5.0 ± 0.8 ɸ) was coarser than underlying mangrove peats (6.7 ± 0.7 ɸ), and loss-on-ignition showed the overwash deposit had a lower organic content (19.8 ± 9.1%) and a higher carbonate content (67.8 ± 20.7%) than the underlying peats (59.4 ± 14.6% and 33.7 ± 11.0%, respectively). The overwash deposit was dominated by a diverse, abundant assemblage of sub-tidal benthic calcareous foraminifera compared to a uniform, sparse assemblage of agglutinated foraminifera in the pre-Irma mangrove peats. Geochemical indicators were not able to provide evidence of an overwash event by differentiating organic δ13C or C/N of the overwash deposit from those of the mangrove peats. The complex relationship between diatoms and local environmental factors prevented diatom assemblages from providing a statistically clear distinction between Irma's overwash sediments and underlying mangrove peats. By visiting Hurricane Irma's overwash deposit immediately following landfall and nearly two years post-storm, we were able to document how the overwash deposit's characteristics changed over time. Continued monitoring on the scale of five to ten years would provide further insights into the preservation of overwash deposits for paleo-storm studies.

AZAR eye and vision cohort study

According to World Health Organization (WHO), currently, 2.2 billion people are living with visual impairment worldwide, of which almost half could have been prevented. There are both modifiable and unmodifiable factors leading to visual disability and, ultimately, blindness. Several population-based studies in different parts of Iran have tried to determine these factors concerning their specific population and environment-related characteristics. AZAR Eye and Vision cohort is the second-largest cohort study in the whole country. AZAR Eye and Vision cohort is the ophthalmologic branch of AZAR cohort which is the largest eye cohort study in the country, which is trying to determine the prevalence and incidence of visual impairment, blindness, and other major ophthalmologic conditions and their associated risk factors in East Azerbaijan province located in Iran, a middle eastern country. A recently emerging phenomenon is the drying of the ultra-salty lake of Urmia located in the West Azerbaijan province which is a direct neighbor of our studied population and has caused recurrent salt storms in the immediate near areas. This phenomenon could adversely affect visual health via different conditions which our study will elucidate. The enrollment phase took place between 2014 and 2017 and 11,208 participants were enrolled out of 15,000 participants in the primary cohort. The resurvey phase will begin five years after the enrollment phase. In this phase, 30% of the participants are randomly selected to be reexamined and complete questionnaires. The participants showing any issues such as diabetes and being a glaucoma suspect will be included in the resurvey phase, too. Data categories gathered include demographics, lifestyle factors, past medical and drug histories, and a diet quality and quantity questionnaire including 130 edible items. Urine, hair, nail, and 25-ml blood samples, were collected from the participants. Then they were referred to an optometrist to complete an ophthalmologic questionnaire and undergo eye examination and lensometry. Then they underwent slit-lamp examinations and pictures were taken of the lens and fundus. People with suspected visual impairment were referred to an ophthalmology clinic. The data are processed and a four-level quality check is performed on each block. The most common visual impairment is cataracts. This study’s most important aim is to evaluate the effect of local environmental and ethnic factors on eye diseases in this specific population.

The Application of The Indigenization Technique in Modern Chinese Church Architecture

"Indigenization" is a process that presents a blend and adaptable feature by combining foreign elements with the local natural environment and cultural factors. Church buildings are the most tangible manifestation of the "indigenization" of Christianity. This paper discusses the application of indigenization techniques in modern Chinese Catholic church architecture from four aspects: layout, structure, materials, and decoration. In terms of layout, indigenization is reflected in space, plan, and orientation. The space mainly imitates traditional Western-style churches and simplifies with the simplification of function. In terms of plan form, the basic rectangular space is retained and combined with local architectural features to evolve into some new variants. Orientation, some churches have absorbed local building orientation patterns. In terms of structural indigenization, the main materials are stone, brick, and soil, and the building structure is mainly supported by load-bearing walls and wooden beams. In terms of material selection, indigenization techniques are mainly based on regional resource conditions and are combined with the characteristics of local residences and climate conditions. The choice of building materials is made by considering the availability, processing difficulty, and physical properties of materials. The application of decorative indigenization often borrows common decoration techniques from local residential buildings and combines them with traditional Chinese culture to create a unique Chinese and Western fusion style building, making the church better integrated into the local architectural community and accelerating local residents' acceptance of Catholicism.

Biogeographical patterns of rhizosphere microbial communities in Robinia pseudoacacia forests along a north–south transect in the Loess Plateau

Rhizosphere microbiota play an essential role in plant productivity; however, their biogeographical patterns in restored forest ecosystems across large spatial scales remain poorly understood. We used the Ion S5TM XL sequencing platform to explore the distributions of microbial communities in the rhizosphere and bulk soil of Robinia pseudoacacia at 11 mature forest sites along a north–south precipitation gradient in the Loess Plateau, China. Microbial alpha-diversity mostly peaked in the south zone at lower latitudes, and significant distance-decay patterns were observed in both bacterial and fungal communities. Fungal communities exhibited more distinct spatial patterns in the rhizosphere than bacterial communities. The relative influence of geographic factors on bacterial/fungal community turnover in the rhizosphere (12.4/16.7%) and bulk soil (16.1/17.1%) was greater than that of local environmental factors. Microbial community assembly was mainly governed by deterministic processes (98% of nearest taxon index > 2), despite their relative importance decreasing from bulk soil to the rhizosphere in the case of bacteria. Co-occurrence patterns of sensitive taxa were more complex in the bacterial network than in the fungal network owing to a marked regional effect. Interactions of bacterial taxa differentially enriched between soil compartments were much closer than fungal interactions, indicating a stronger rhizosphere effect on bacteria. The results provide novel insights into the assembly of rhizosphere microbial communities in large-scale forest ecosystems under vegetation restoration.

Environmental and spatial determinants of fish community structure in an Afro‐tropical river ecosystem

AbstractWe investigated the relative influence of local environmental and spatial factors in structuring the community composition of fish at 15 sampling sites along the longitudinal gradient of the Lower Niger River Basin (LNRB) in dry and rainy seasons using distance‐based redundancy analysis and variation partitioning analysis. We collected a total of 3807 fish specimens representing 42 species. Our result indicated that the fish community composition differed between the upper and lower regions of the river. The communities in the upper region is influenced by high‐nutrient concentrations, while downstream sites were characterized by high concentrations of suspended solids. Variation partitioning revealed higher contributions of spatial than environmental predictors on fish community composition, with a higher total predicted variance in dry season. The variations in the community composition between upper and lower region may be attributable to the differences in the nature of anthropogenic activities within the regions, which influenced the local conditions differently. Differences in flow dynamics between upper and lower regions as attributable to black and white floods in the LNRB modify the connectivity between sites. Dispersal among sites may be more limited downstream than in the upper region, particularly in the dry season, because damming in the upper region also interrupts the natural flood regime such that there are low water levels in the lower region, which spatially isolate fish communities at certain sampling sites. The relatively higher total predicted variance during dry season may be attributable to the temporal differences in abiotic conditions between sites, which may have influenced site level community composition and abundance differently.

Local air pollution and corporate innovation

ABSTRACT We examine how local air quality shapes firm innovation. Using a panel dataset of Chinese listed firms from 2014 to 2017, we find significant decreases in R&D expenditure and patents for firms located in cities with severe air pollution. Moreover, we find that firms tend to mitigate the adverse effects of air pollution by shifting innovation activities to their subsidiaries located in areas with better air quality. Cross-sectional analyses reveal that the decreases are more pronounced for non-SOEs, financially constrained firms and firms in high-tech industries. We provide causal evidence using the instrumental variable method, a discontinuity regression design, and propensity score matching. Overall, our study highlights that air pollution is an important local environmental factor that affects firm innovation.

Zooplankton studies in Colombian fresh and brackish water ecosystems: A review and future perspectives

Colombia is a global biodiversity hotspot, yet its zooplankton fauna remains poorly explored. In Colombian inland waters, 253 species of rotifers, 119 cladocerans and 82 copepods (not included benthic species) have been reported, in contrast with only 14 genera of protozoa. Most publications report on the Magdalena-Cauca basin, with the highest number of records for lowland areas (< 1000 m.a.s.l.). The least explored regions are the Chocó, Orinoco and Amazon basins. Colombian zooplankton checklists often include several taxa recognized as groups of cryptic species or ones described as cosmopolitan. Integrative taxonomic approaches are scarce, and diversity data need to be validated by molecular analyses and detailed morphological descriptions using optical and scanning electron microscopy. Historical, regional, and local environmental factors that explain the richness, distribution, and the abundance of zooplankton include: water bodies size, hydrological connectivity, trophic status; physical stability and, hydro-climatic patterns of variation. The analysis of ecosystem processes related to patterns in zooplankton communities highlights the importance of detritus as an alternative energy flow path in aquatic ecosystems at all altitude ranges. We propose to strengthen regional studies on functional groups, ecological redundancy, and adaptive traits to evaluate zooplankton responses to climatic, global and local stressors. Due to the great diversity of aquatic ecosystems in the extensive altitudinal gradient of Colombia, it is necessary to expand the coverage of ecological and taxonomic studies to understand zooplankton biodiversity and its role in ecosystem functioning.

Human land-uses homogenize stream assemblages and reduce animal biomass production.

Human land-use change is a major threat to natural ecosystems worldwide. Nonetheless, the effects of human land-uses on the structure of plant and animal assemblages and their functional characteristics need to be better understood. Furthermore, the pathways by which human land uses affect ecosystem functions, such as biomass production, still need to be clarified. We compiled a unique dataset of fish, arthropod and macrophyte assemblages from 61 stream ecosystems in two Neotropical biomes: Amazonian rainforest and Uruguayan grasslands. We then tested how the cover of agriculture, pasture, urbanization and afforestation affected the taxonomic richness and functional diversity of those three species assemblages, and the consequences of these effects for animal biomass production. Single trait categories and functional diversity were evaluated, combining recruitment and life-history, resource and habitat-use, and body size. The effects of intensive human land-uses on taxonomic and functional diversities were as strong as other drivers known to affect biodiversity, such as local climate and environmental factors. In both biomes, the taxonomic richness and functional diversity of animal and macrophyte assemblages decreased with increasing cover of agriculture, pasture, and urbanization. Human land-uses were associated with functional homogenization of both animal and macrophyte assemblages. Human land-uses reduced animal biomass through direct and indirect pathways mediated by declines in taxonomic and functional diversities. Our findings indicate that converting natural ecosystems to supply human demands results in species loss and trait homogenization across multiple biotic assemblages, ultimately reducing animal biomass production in streams.

Unexpectedly high incidence of Kawasaki Disease in a Canadian Atlantic Province- an 11-year retrospective descriptive study

BackgroundKawasaki Disease (KD) is the leading cause of acquired heart disease in children in developed countries with a variable incidence worldwide. Previous studies reported an unexpectedly high incidence of KD in the Canadian Atlantic Provinces. The goals of our study were to validate this finding in the province of Nova Scotia and to carefully review patients’ characteristics and disease outcomes.MethodsThis was a retrospective review of all children < 16 years old from Nova Scotia diagnosed with KD between 2007–2018. Cases were identified using a combination of administrative and clinical databases. Clinical information was collected retrospectively by health record review using a standardized form.ResultsBetween 2007–2018, 220 patients were diagnosed with KD; 61.4% and 23.2% met the criteria for complete and incomplete disease, respectively. The annual incidence was 29.6 per 100,000 children < 5 years. The male to female ratio was 1.3:1 and the median age was 3.6 years. All patients diagnosed with KD in the acute phase received intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG); 23 (12%) were refractory to the first dose. Coronary artery aneurysms were found in 13 (6%) patients and one patient died with multiple giant aneurysms.ConclusionWe have confirmed an incidence of KD in our population which is higher than that reported in Europe and other regions of North America despite our small Asian population. The comprehensive method to capture patients may have contributed to the detection of the higher incidence. The role of local environmental and genetic factors also deserves further study. Increased attention to regional differences in the epidemiology of KD may improve our understanding of this important childhood vasculitis.

Dissolved organic matter in peat and marl marshes varies with nutrient enrichment and restored hydrology

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) drives biogeochemical processes in aquatic ecosystems. Yet, how hydrologic restoration in nutrient‐enriched ecosystems changes DOM and the consequences of those changes for the carbon cycle remain unclear. To predict the consequences of hydrologic restoration on carbon cycling in restored wetlands, we need to understand how local environmental factors influence production, processing, and transport of DOM. We collected surface water samples along transects in restored peat (organic‐rich, macrophyte‐dominated) and marl (carbonate, periphyton‐dominated) freshwater marshes in the Everglades (Florida, U.S.A.) that varied in environmental factors (water depth, phosphorus [P] concentrations [water, macrophytes, periphyton, and soil], and primary producer biomass) to understand drivers of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations and DOM composition. Higher water depths led to a “greening” of DOM, due to increasing algal contributions, with decreasing concentrations of DOC in peat wetlands, and a “browning” of DOM, due to increasing humic contributions, with increasing DOC concentrations in marl wetlands. Soil total P was positively correlated with DOC concentrations and microbial contributions to DOM in peat wetlands, and periphyton total P was positively correlated with algal contributions to DOM in marl wetlands. Despite large variations in both vegetation biomass and periphyton biovolume across transects and sites, neither were predictors of DOC concentrations or DOM composition. Hydrologic restoration differentially alters DOM in peat and marl marshes and interacts with nutrient enrichment to shift proportions of green and brown contributions to surface water chemistry, which has the potential to modify wetland food webs, as well as the processing of carbon by micro‐organisms.

An Army Marches on Its Stomach: Comparing Military Provisioning across North American Sixteenth- to Nineteenth-Century Forts

AbstractMilitary garrisons in North America were provisioned with a diet based primarily on domesticates. A relationship between colonial diets and nationality has been an assumed truism, encouraging the belief that colonial diets were static and predetermined by European norms and leading to devaluation of colonists’ adaptability and agency. We challenge that perspective using zooarchaeological data on soldiers’ diets at 49 American fortifications in North America. Statistical comparisons reveal that some sites relied heavily on provisioned livestock, while others did not. Dietary patterns were significantly impacted by accessibility, length of occupation, garrison size, and local infrastructure. This evidence suggests that reliance on wild game was an adaptive response to local environmental and cultural factors influencing the accessibility of preferred domesticates, regardless of nationality.

Spatial and temporal variations of zooplankton assemblage in Chiffa Wadi (North Algeria).

The spatial and temporal variations in the distribution, abundance, and assemblage structure of zooplankton were examined in the Chiffa Wadi River, north central Algeria. Samples were taken seasonally from autumn 2020 to summer 2022. Nine physical and chemical variables were recorded, and their relationship with the density of 39 zooplankton species was established using canonical correspondence analysis. In order to study the structure of the zooplankton, Shannon-Wiener diversity indices (H'), Margalef richness index (Dmg), Pielou evenness (E), and abundance were calculated. During the analysis, rotifera was the dominant group in the zooplankton community, represented by 27 taxa, followed by Cladocera (9 taxa) and Copepoda (3 taxa). The diversity index indicated the higher richness, abundance, and evenness of zooplankton at a eutrophic site (S2) compared with other sites. The canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) showed that the structure of zooplankton is influenced by local environmental factors. The present study demonstrates that anthropogenic activities including urban discharge and the construction of Algeria's Medea-Chiffa highway, which increased the nutrient load in the aquatic system, disrupted water quality. Consequently, the distribution and quantity of zooplankton were dramatically impacted by these changes in water quality.

Aquaculture sustainability: Global challenges need local actions

Aquaculture sustainability: Global challenges need local actions

Spatiotemporal dynamics in freshwater amphipod assemblages are associated with surrounding terrestrial land use type

AbstractBiological assemblages are the result of dynamic processes that have explicit temporal and spatial dimensions. Although biodiversity patterns can be directly inferred from the structure of these assemblages, an assessment of changes through time and space is needed to understand how organisms initially assembled and how they are responding to local environmental and biotic factors. Small freshwater streams are particularly affected by contemporary anthropogenic activities and biological invasions, yet they are commonly less studied, as studies often focus on lakes and large streams. Here, we conducted a spatially explicit analysis of keystone shredder assemblages across eight years in 12 replicated small tributary streams. In each stream, we monitored multiple sites per kilometer of stream length. By assessing temporal beta diversity dynamics, defined by the gain or loss of species or abundance per species at individual sites, we show that changes in amphipod assemblages occur within the context of the surrounding terrestrial matrix and reflect recent amphipod colonization history. While amphipod composition was mostly constant in streams located in forested catchments, streams embedded in catchments with more extensive agricultural land use displayed more pronounced temporal changes, either driven by colonization of unoccupied upstream locations or by more pronounced but undirected fluctuations in gains and losses of species or abundance per species. Our study thus suggests that agricultural landscapes might destabilize aquatic amphipod assemblages, causing higher temporal changes in community structures and highlighting the vulnerability of aquatic ecosystems to terrestrial land use drivers.

Observations of Satellite Land Surface Phenology Indicate That Maximum Leaf Greenness Is More Associated With Global Vegetation Productivity Than Growing Season Length

AbstractVegetation green leaf phenology directly impacts gross primary productivity (GPP) of terrestrial ecosystems. Satellite observations of land surface phenology (LSP) provide an important means to monitor the key timing of vegetation green leaf development. However, differences between satellite‐derived LSP proxies and in situ measurements of GPP make it difficult to quantify the impact of climate‐induced changes in green leaf phenology on annual GPP. Here, we used 1,110 site‐years of GPP measurements from eddy‐covariance towers in association with time series of satellite LSP observations from 2000 to 2014 to show that while satellite LSP explains a large proportion of variation in annual GPP, changes in green‐leaf‐based growing season length (GSL, leaf development period from spring to autumn) had less impact on annual GPP by ∼30% than GSL changes in GPP‐based photosynthetic duration. Further, maximum leaf greenness explained substantially more variance in annual GPP than green leaf GSL, highlighting the role of future vegetation greening trends on large‐scale carbon budgets. Site‐level variability contributes a substantial proportion of annual GPP variance in the model based on LSP metrics, suggesting the importance of local environmental factors altering regional GPP. We conclude that satellite LSP‐based inferences regarding large‐scale dynamics in GPP need to consider changes in both green leaf GSL and maximum greenness.

Patterns and Drivers of Aboveground Insect Diversity along Ecological Transect in Temperate Grazed Steppes of Eastern Eurasian

Insects are important components of biodiversity and play significant roles in the steppe ecosystem. They are abundant, easy to sample, and sensitive to changing conditions, making them useful indicators of environmental changes. This study aims to describe patterns (α and β) of insect diversity across two steppe types (a typical steppe and a desert steppe) along the Eastern Eurasian Steppe Transect (EEST), as well as evaluate the effects of environmental variables in determining these patterns and the influence of plant diversity alterations on these effects. To this end, we collected 5244 individual insects and found an n-shaped diversity distribution along the latitudinal gradient and a significant difference in insect communities across the two steppe types. Further, the Mantel test and path analysis indicate that climate and grazing activities combine to influence insect diversity, and these effects are mediated through plant diversity, strongly supporting the role of bottom-up effects in situations of climatic and grazing pattern changes. Moreover, the contribution of plant diversity varied with steppe types and insect functional groups, with greater effects seen in the typical steppe and herbivorous insects. This indicated the importance of protecting species diversity in steppes through managing plant diversity and assessments of local environmental factors such as grazing intensity and temperature.

Effect of Slope Aspect on Plant Above‐ and Belowground Functional Traits of Alpine Meadow on the Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau, China

AbstractSlope aspects could cause significant differences in microclimate (e.g., radiation and moisture) and edaphic properties (e.g., soil nutrients content) in rugged landscapes. Therefore, understanding the variations of the above‐ and belowground functional traits on hillslope scales and their driving factors are essential for disentangling the plant adaptive strategies to local environmental factors. Based on the measurements of community weighted mean traits of alpine meadow from 15 hillslopes (eight south‐facing and seven north‐facing) in the Qinghai Lake watershed, northeastern Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau, China, we found that the aboveground morphological traits that is, specific leaf area and leaf dry matter content, and belowground stoichiometric traits, that is, root carbon content (RCC), root nitrogen content (RNC), root phosphorus content (RPC) and RCC: RNC, varied significantly between slope aspects. Hierarchical partitioning indicated that the slope aspect contributed the most to the variations of aboveground morphological and belowground stoichiometric traits, whereas soil properties were the major contributor to aboveground phosphorous‐related traits and belowground morphological traits. Both above‐ and belowground traits displayed a two‐dimensional variation on the hillslope scale. Additionally, the above‐ and belowground traits were weakly coordinated. In general, alpine meadow on the south‐facing slopes tended to adopt the conservative strategy, while acquisitive strategy was preferred by that on the north‐facing slopes. These findings can improve our understanding of spatial variations of functional traits at fine scales, and we highlighted that it is helpful to integrate both above‐ and belowground traits dimensions in disentangling the ecological process and predicting ecosystem function under changing climate.

Tissue-specific abundance of interferon-gamma drives regulatory T cells to restrain DC1-mediated priming of cytotoxic T cells against lung cancer

Local environmental factors influence CD8+ Tcell priming in lymph nodes (LNs). Here, we sought to understand how factors unique to the tumor-draining mediastinal LN (mLN) impact CD8+ Tcell responses toward lung cancer. Type 1 conventional dendritic cells (DC1s) showed a mLN-specific failure to induce robust cytotoxic Tcells responses. Using regulatory T (Treg) cell depletion strategies, we found that Treg cells suppressed DC1s in a spatially coordinated manner within tissue-specific microniches within the mLN. Treg cell suppression required MHC II-dependent contact between DC1s and Treg cells. Elevated levels of IFN-γ drove differentiation Treg cells into Th1-like effector Treg cells in the mLN. In patients with cancer, Treg cell Th1 polarization, butnot CD8+/Treg cell ratios, correlated with poor responses to checkpoint blockade immunotherapy. Thus, IFN-γ in the mLN skews Treg cells to be Th1-like effector Treg cells, driving their close interaction with DC1s and subsequent suppression of cytotoxic Tcell responses.

Determinants of perception of climate change and adaptation strategies of coffee-based agroforestry farmers in western Ethiopia

Background: A range of local social and environmental factors has an impact on farmers' views of climate change and choices on the use of coping mechanisms. This study examines the factors that are limiting farmers' perceptions of climate change and their coping mechanisms in Gimbi district, Western Ethiopia. Methods: A household survey and focus group discussion were employed to collect relevant data. A total of 402 randomly selected households and six focus group discussions containing 72 participants were used to gather data. Binary logit models were used to analyze the collected data. Results: Farmers noted that some of the signs of climate change included increasing temperature, erratic rainfall, late onset of rainfall, and early cessation of rainfall. We discovered that there are three distinct sets of climate adaption strategies used by farmers: crop management, soil and water conservation and intensive farm management. The primary determinants of farmers' perceptions of climate change and adaptation techniques were household head age, education, soil fertility, market access, and agricultural training. Age, education, and soil fertility level were the characteristics that significantly impacted farmers' perspectives and coping mechanisms among the primary drivers evaluated in the area. Use of agroforestry, shifting planting dates, and fertilizer application were all essential farming practices used as climate adaptation measures. Conclusions: Both socioeconomic and environmental factors have found to affect farmers' perceptions of climate change in the area. The existing socioeconomic and environmental factors, in turn, affect their choice of strategies to adapt to climate change. When implementing climate change adaption strategies, it is critical to assess farmers' level of awareness of climate change and their coping strategies, as well as the factors limiting their ability to adapt to climate change.