Low Annual Temperature Research Articles

Genomic insights into local adaptation and vulnerability of Quercus longinux to climate change

BackgroundClimate change is expected to alter the factors that drive changes in adaptive variation. This is especially true for species with long life spans and limited dispersal capabilities. Rapid climate changes may disrupt the migration of beneficial genetic variations, making it challenging for them to keep up with changing environments. Understanding adaptive genetic variations in tree species is crucial for conservation and effective forest management. Our study used landscape genomic analyses and phenotypic traits from a thorough sampling across the entire range of Quercus longinux, an oak species native to Taiwan, to investigate the signals of adaptation within this species.ResultsUsing ecological data, phenotypic traits, and 1,933 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from 205 individuals, we classified three genetic groups, which were also phenotypically and ecologically divergent. Thirty-five genes related to drought and freeze resistance displayed signatures of natural selection. The adaptive variation was driven by diverse environmental pressures such as low spring precipitation, low annual temperature, and soil grid sizes. Using linear-regression-based methods, we identified isolation by environment (IBE) as the optimal model for adaptive SNPs. Redundancy analysis (RDA) further revealed a substantial joint influence of demography, geology, and environments, suggesting a covariation between environmental gradients and colonization history. Lastly, we utilized adaptive signals to estimate the genetic offset for each individual under diverse climate change scenarios. The required genetic changes and migration distance are larger in severe climates. Our prediction also reveals potential threats to edge populations in northern and southeastern Taiwan due to escalating temperatures and precipitation reallocation.ConclusionsWe demonstrate the intricate influence of ecological heterogeneity on genetic and phenotypic adaptation of an oak species. The adaptation is also driven by some rarely studied environmental factors, including wind speed and soil features. Furthermore, the genetic offset analysis predicted that the edge populations of Q. longinux in lower elevations might face higher risks of local extinctions under climate change.

Effect of Orientation and Skylight Area Ratio on Building Energy Efficiency in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau

The Qinghai–Tibet plateau, with an average altitude of over 4000 m, has low annual average temperatures and a high demand for building heating. This region’s abundant solar energy resources hold substantial practical significance for improving the indoor heat environment and reducing building energy consumption. This paper investigates the impact of orientation and skylight area ratio on building heat load and indoor temperature, using both actual measurement and simulation methods, with a case study of the comprehensive building at Beiluhe Observation and Research Station of Frozen Soil Engineering and Environment (Beiluhe Station), located in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau region. Initially, a model was established using the EnergyPlus 9.4 software, with orientation variables set from east to west in 15° increments, to simulate the variations in building heat load resulting from orientation changes; simulations were then conducted for three different skylight area ratios under the optimal orientation to evaluate their influence on heat load and indoor temperature. The results show that for the architectural style examined in this paper, the optimal building orientation within the region is 30° south by east, with the optimal orientation range spanning from 45° south by east to due south. Heating load is negatively correlated with the skylight area ratio, and beyond a certain threshold, the rate of decrease in heat load diminishes or even stabilizes. The conclusions of this paper offer guidance for the orientation and skylight design of new buildings on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau.

Spatial Distribution of Ethnic Villages in the Mountainous Region of Northwest Yunnan and Their Relationship with Natural Factors

The mountainous region of northwest Yunnan is a multi-ethnic region in China where several ethnic groups, such as the Tibetans, Lisu, and Naxi, reside. This study utilises the average nearest neighbour index, kernel density analysis, and GeoDetector (Geographical Detector) to analyse the spatial distribution characteristics of different types of ethnic villages, their correlation with the natural environment, and differences in the influence of various natural environmental factors. The results show the following: (1) the spatial distribution of the three types of ethnic villages in the mountainous region of northwest Yunnan are clustered. (2) Tibetan villages are characterised by high elevation, gentle slopes, proximity to the river, low annual average temperature, and low annual precipitation. Lisu villages are characterised by medium elevation, steep slopes, high annual average temperature, and high annual precipitation. Multi-ethnic villages are characterised by low elevation, medium slopes, proximity to rivers, high annual average temperature, and high annual precipitation. (3) Ethnic villages are affected by various natural factors such as elevation, slope, river buffer zone, annual average temperature, annual precipitation, and ecological environment. Among these, ecological environment has the greatest impact on Tibetan villages, and annual precipitation has the greatest impact on Lisu and multi-ethnic villages. (4) The distribution of the Tibetan villages is mostly constrained by the composite factors of ecosystem and precipitation, while that of the Lisu villages by the composite factors of precipitation and elevation, and that of the multi-ethnic villages by the composite factors of precipitation and temperature.

Biogeography of Fungal Communities Associated with Pinus sylvestris L. and Picea abies (L.) H. Karst. along the Latitudinal Gradient in Europe.

We assessed the diversity and composition of fungal communities in different functional tissues and the rhizosphere soil of Pinus sylvestris and Picea abies stands along the latitudinal gradient of these tree species distributions in Europe to model possible changes in fungal communities imposed by climate change. For each tree species, living needles, shoots, roots, and the rhizosphere soil were sampled and subjected to high-throughput sequencing. Results showed that the latitude and the host tree species had a limited effect on the diversity and composition of fungal communities, which were largely explained by the environmental variables of each site and the substrate they colonize. The mean annual temperature and mean annual precipitation had a strong effect on root fungal communities, isothermality on needle fungal communities, mean temperature of the warmest quarter and precipitation of the driest month on shoot fungal communities, and precipitation seasonality on soil fungal communities. Fungal communities of both tree species are predicted to shift to habitats with a lower annual temperature amplitude and with increasing precipitation during the driest month, but the suitability of these habitats as compared to the present conditions is predicted to decrease in the future.

Cooling effect of urban forests on the urban heat island in Seoul, South Korea.

Air pollution and climate change amplify the urban heat island (UHI) effect, which has an adverse effect on human health. Urban forests (UFs) are important to reduce the UHI effect; however, the quantitative effect of UFs on UHI, relative to time and space, has not yet been investigated. In this study, we aimed to quantitatively measure the actual thermal environment in UFs. To this end, temperature and humidity loggers were installed in 17 UFs in Seoul for a year and analyzed according to vegetation characteristics and accessibility. The urban forests and park showed consistent temperature reduction, whereas the lawn showed higher temperature reduction effects during autumn-winter. The traffic island showed lower annual temperature reduction effect than other UFs. From spring to autumn, mixed and broadleaved forests showed better temperature reduction effect than coniferous forests. The temperature in UFs decreased by approximately 1.9°C over ~3 km from the traffic island near the city to the forest. This study revealed the difference in the cooling effect according to the type and location of UF and the vegetation structure. The functional characteristics of plants and the UF that reflects them can help reduce the negative impact of climate warming and UHI on human health.

Modelling of an off-grid roof-top residential photovoltaic nano grid system for an urban locality in India

In modern era of energy self-sufficiency and its personal preference, an off-grid rooftop solar photovoltaic nanogrid for private use in a single household or among limited number of households poses a promising futuristic prospect. However, several critical aspects need investigation to realize its viability. The present work investigates the techno-economic-space feasibility of an off-grid rooftop photovoltaic nanogrid for residential sector of a cosmopolitan urban locality with unreliable electricity in India. A novel combination of RAMP for load modelling, HOMER PRO for techno-economic analysis and an innovative technique for space feasibility analysis was implemented. 269 houses were surveyed and innovatively classified, based on number of dwelling rooms and demand profile similarity. Correlation and sensitivity analysis were conducted to understand the impact of individual and grouped load profiles, plinth area per household, number of dwelling rooms, climatic conditions, building types and component specification availability in market on the overall cost, configuration and feasibility of the system. Sharing of photovoltaic nanogrids and higher durations of daily occupancy in houses reduce the Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) from the system due to reduction in percentage variations of load. The LCOE of shared nanogrids ranged between 0.151 $/kWh to 0.195 $/kWh in India. The study recommends 50 % subsidy on system capital cost against grid prices. Batteries operated at higher depth of discharge (DOD) and having longer life at higher DOD reduce the system LCOE. Apartments in locations with high annual solar radiation, low annual temperatures, large plinth area, low monthly demand and unobstructed rooftops are good candidates for PV nanogrids. In India, high-rise buildings with monthly loads up to 30 kWh/household, mid-rise buildings with loads up to 50 kWh/household, low-rise buildings with loads up to 100 kWh/household and double-storey buildings with loads up to 200 kWh/household can successfully adopt autonomous rooftop PV nanogrids.

Factors controlling the changes in surface water temperature in the Ebro River Basin

Study regionThe Ebro River Basin, northeast Spain. Study focusThe work analyzes the evolution of water temperature (Tw) in the Ebro River and its main tributaries, its annual cycle and its trends, as well as the effects of various natural and anthropogenic factors on them. New hydrological insights for the regionStations located downstream of nuclear power plants showed an anomalous increase in Tw not consistent with the river section where they are located, with higher values in the lower-flow months (August to December). The stations affected by the main reservoirs along the Ebro River showed a lower annual temperature range and the stations located in large irrigation systems showed a lower summer temperature compared to other stations with similar climatic conditions. Finally, there was a significant annual increase in Tw at all stations (mean ∆Tw=0.05 °C/year), except those located at the head of the tributaries. These trends were higher for the stations downstream of the Ascó nuclear power plant (∆Tw > 0.08 °C/year). Seasonally, the spring months showed the greatest changes, with higher increases at the stations downstream of Ascó (∆Tw ≥ 0.10 °C/year). The increase in air temperature associated with global warming and the decrease in flows associated with the increase in water consumption resulted in an increase in the temperature of the river.

New data on high-latitude hadrosaurid dinosaurs from the Upper Cretaceous Kakanaut Formation of Chukotka, Russia

Fossils from high-latitude Mesozoic vertebrate localities provide a unique opportunity to reveal specific biological features and reconstruct adaptations to months of twilight and relatively low annual temperatures of polar dinosaurs. Here we provide morphological description of new hadrosaurid specimens (vertebrae, femora) and results of the histological analysis of hadrosaurid femora, proximal fragments of a humerus and a scapula from the Upper Cretaceous high-latitude (palaeolatitude estimate of 75°N) Kakanaut locality (Chukotka, Russia). The two studied hadrosaurid femora are different in size and form, but both are histologically mature and belong to fully grown adult individuals. This difference may indicate the presence of two different hadrosaurid taxa in the Kakanaut fauna. The bone histology of the Kakanaut dinosaurs does not differ from that of dinosaurs from lower latitudes and does not show specific histological features (namely, cyclic change of vascularization of the fibrolamellar bone, with sharply defined borders between cycles) found in polar Edmontosaurus from Alaska. This suggests that the Kakanaut hadrosaurid dinosaurs were not significantly stressed, and this may be the result of the local mild and weakly seasonal climate reconstructed from palaeobotanical data. We suggest that Arctic dinosaurs of Chukotka, like other polar dinosaurs, were year-round residents of paleopolar ecosystems.

Phytoplankton community structure in the Kandla port ecosystem situated in a creek in the Gulf of Kutch, India.

The port ecosystems are prone to deterioration due to the maritime and coastal activities and as a major source of the country's economy need efficient management. Phytoplankton communities can serve as reliable indicators of the prevailing environmental conditions due to their short life cycles. Seasonal sampling was conducted at 26 stations from October 2014 to February 2016 at Kandla port situated in a creek, along the west coast of India. The post-monsoon and monsoon water temperatures were higher (30°C) whereas pre-monsoon were lower (21°C). The salinity varied from polyhaline (18-30; monsoon) to euhaline (30 to 45; non-monsoon). The strong currents, high tidal activity, shallow depth areas, and the creek backwater systems make this ecosystem well-mixed and turbid. The annual average trophic index (TRIX) scores indicated very good water quality and low eutrophication, except during pre-monsoon (2.3 ± 0.7 to 4.1 ± 0.2). Based on the cell size, the phytoplankton community was classified into two main groups, i.e., nano-microphytoplankton, which comprised forty-seven species (represented by diatoms, dinoflagellates, and silicoflagellates) and picophytoplankton including two groups (picocyanophytes and picoeukaryotes). The diatoms and picophytoplankton dominated the total biomass and cell abundance, respectively. Only the picophytoplankton exhibited significant seasonal variations in cell abundance and carbon biomass. The lowest monsoon phytoplankton abundance coincided with high turbidity and vice versa during the post-monsoon. The hypersaline pre-monsoon environment with lower annual temperature, relatively lower turbid waters, and increased nutrients favoured higher diatom diversity. These conditions also supported potentially harmful Gymnodinium sp. and bloom-forming Tripos furca and Pyrophacus sp. Overall, ten non-toxic but bloom-forming species were observed. The study provides insights into the phytoplankton community's response to environmental conditions that can have repercussions on the ecosystem's functioning.

Comparison of breeding strategies of two sympatric thrush species in an alpine environment

Closely related birds that occur sympatrically will inevitably differ in the acquisition of food resources, nest site selection, and breeding times. The successful coexistence of birds that breed in the same area can be determined by investigating how they divide limited resources and reduce interspecific competition. Our study area is located at the eastern foot of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, with a high altitude and low annual average temperature. In this study, the life history characteristics and reproductive ecological parameters of two closely related species, the Chestnut Thrush (Turdus rubrocanus) and the Kessler’s Thrush (Turdus kessleri), were compared in detail in April–July of 2020, 2021, and 2022 in the scrub along the Liqiu River in Xinduqiao Town, Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Garzê, Sichuan. The results showed no differences in nesting material, nest cup size, clutch size, feeding strategy of nestlings, brood food type, and reproductive effectiveness between the Chestnut Thrush and the Kessler’s Thrush. However, the Kessler’s Thrush had a higher nesting height, thicker nest wall, earlier breeding time, smaller eggs, fewer brooding frequent and a longer brooding time compared to the Chestnut Thrush. In addition, they invested more time in parental care, resulting in a faster growth and development rate. The results indicate that birds with different ranges and breeding in the same range show convergent and divergent life history characteristics in terms of reproductive biology. Chestnut Thrush with low reproductive altitude shows the characteristics of low-altitude bird reproduction in part of reproductive biology, while Kessler’s Thrush with high reproductive altitude shows the characteristics of high-altitude bird reproduction in part of reproductive biology.

Long-Term Exposure to Temperature, Residential Heating and Diabetes Incidence among the elderly population in China

BACKGROUND: Mounting evidence has shown that short-term exposure to ambient temperature can increase mortality. However, the health effects associated with long-term temperature are less clear. Furthermore, more research has been focused on the mortality instead of prevalence of chronic diseases. METHODS: We constructed two cohorts using China Family Panel Study (CFPS) and assigned annual means of wet bulb temperature and PM2.5 to study participants based on their ID code of residential. Cox proportional hazards models were used to examine the association between long-term exposure to ambient temperature, residential heating and diabetes incidence, adjusting for potential confounders. RESULTS: We found a non-linear relationship between the long-term temperature and diabetes in multipollutant model, which is a U-shaped curve (p<0.001). The optimal temperature to lower diabetes risk was around 12°C. In addition, spring temperatures were negatively associated with diabetes risk, with warm temperature being protective of diabetes; while autumn temperatures were positively associated with diabetes incidences, with warm temperature being harmful. Apart from the long-term temperature, residential heating was also great threat to the diabetes incidence, with a HR = 1.18 (95% CI: 1.03, 1.36). Finally, we evaluated the extra diabetes cases in China if (1) central heating is installed in Southern China and (2) under different climate change scenarios. CONCLUSION: Using two representative cohorts, we found that either higher or lower annual temperature deviating 12°C is harmful to the diabetes incidence. Therefore, the climate change will contribute different influence in Southern China and Northern China. To our surprise, residential heating is also bad for the diabetes incidence, which alert us that if it is necessary about the installing of residential heating in those areas without residential heating.

Chemodiversity is closely linked to genetic and environmental diversity: Insights into the endangered populations of the local endemic plant Sideritis euboea Heldr. of Evia Island (Greece)

Sideritis euboea is a perennial medicinal, local endemic species to mountainous areas of Central and Southern Evia Island (Greece) with isolated populations threatened with extinction. In this context, a genetic and phytochemical survey has been performed to evaluate the present status of S. euboea inter- and intra-population diversity in three mountainous areas (Dirfis, Xerovouni, Ochi) of Evia, while its occurrence data have been used to define the species-specific climate requirements and to simulate the habitat suitability. Our analysis revealed differences between the populations concerning their polymorphism and genetic homogenity, resulting in a clear clustering of the main three populations based on PCA analysis. An admixture of individuals was identified between distant populations, indicating a possible gene flow between them. The phytochemical analysis revealed significant differences concerning their content in species-specific polyphenolic metabolites, especially isoscutellarein and hypolaetin derivatives; based on the PCA analysis of the cumulative polyphenolic groups’ pattern, two populations were the more distinctive, while different functional groups of metabolites could result to more clear clustering. The ecological profile analysis revealed that the more diverse S. euboea populations in terms of genetics and cumulative polyphenolics are found under comparatively wetter conditions with lower annual temperature and higher annual precipitation. The findings herein support the distinct climate in the habitats of the main populations of S. euboea from the three mountains, suggesting that all three populations should be considered as distinct units for conservation management with Mt. Ochi’s population firstly prioritized.

Contributions of climate, vegetation and soil to the alpine sediment carbon accumulation rate in central China since the Middle Holocene

Large amounts of carbon in alpine sediments have been expected to be sensitive to climate change, but how carbon accumulation responds to climate change remains unclear. Thus, we explored the impact of different factors on the carbon accumulation rate (CAR) of alpine sediments by combining a variety of climatic variables, vegetation data and erosion indicators based on two alpine sediment successions on Taibai Mountain, the highest peak in central and eastern mainland China. One succession is near the modern treeline (Paomaliang Swamp, PML) and the other is located at the upper forest line (Sanqing Chi, SQC, a small lake). We used our previously published organic carbon content data and for the first time calculated the CAR, and further used pollen and physicochemical indicators to quantify the contributions from climate, vegetation and soil. We found that their contributions varied during different periods and between the two sediment successions. For the PML succession, from 5850 to 4000 calendar years before present (cal. a BP), the CAR was low, which was related to low annual temperatures, low vegetation cover and strong soil erosion. From 4000 to 2400 cal. a BP, a high CAR coincided with high annual temperatures, high vegetation cover and weak soil erosion. From 2400 to 200 cal. a BP, the CAR decreased, mainly attributed to low vegetation cover. Local vegetation cover had major impacts on the CAR in the SQC succession during the Middle–Late Holocene. In general, the local factor interpretation rate in SQC (83%) was higher than that of PML (47%), related to the vegetation stability of continuous forest and the treeline. This study highlights the important role of the local environment in determining carbon accumulation in the alpine region.

Effects of the summer monsoon on the polychaete assemblages and benthic environment of three mangrove swamps along the Sindh coast, Pakistan

Polychaetes are an important component of marine ecosystems. Monsoons are a common climate condition in the tropics and subtropics and are characterized by high temperatures, low annual temperature changes and high precipitation. Despite the potential importance of monsoons, little is known about their impact on the marine environment and fauna, including polychaete assemblages. We compared the polychaete species composition and abundance at Sandspit, Port Qasim, and Ketibunder mangrove swamps of the Sindh coast, Pakistan, collected during the premonsoon, monsoon, and postmonsoon seasons in 2020. We also measured six environmental parameters to correlate environmental and biological changes. A total of 17 species of polychaetes were collected. Except for the mean evenness index (J), Two-way ANOVA detected significant changes in the mean polychaete species number, abundance, diversity index (H’), abundance index (d) and dominance index (D), with lower values in the monsoon season than in the premonsoon and postmonsoon seasons at the three mangrove swamps. Two-way ANOVA also revealed significant changes in the six environmental parameters between the seasons and sampling sites. Our data suggested that the heavy rainfall resulting in reduced salinity was the main driver of reduced polychaete abundance and diversity during the monsoon season. The polychaete assemblages and benthic environment appeared to recover quickly after the monsoon at three mangrove swamps, indicating their adaptation to such annual dramatic fluctuations in environmental conditions.

Estimating accumulation rates and health risks of PAHs in residential soils of metropolitan cities

Predicting temporal changes in PAH concentrations in urban soils and their corresponding health risk is essential for developing appropriate management measures to prevent those risks. Concentrations of PAHs in soils of residential areas with different building ages in three metropolitan cities were determined to estimate the accumulation rates of PAHs in soil. The mean concentrations of total PAHs (∑PAHs) were 1297 ng/g in Shanghai, 865 ng/g in Beijing, and 228 ng/g in Shenzhen. The primary sources of the PAHs were traffic and coal combustion for industrial activity and space heating. The high PAH concentrations in Shanghai were attributed to the relatively high average building age of the sampled residential areas and the low annual temperature in the city. The overall annual accumulation rates of PAHs in the soils were estimated from linear regressions between the PAH concentrations and building age of the residential areas. The annual accumulation rate of PAHs in the soils was 64.7 ng/g in Beijing, 24.2 ng/g in Shanghai, and 3.3 ng/g in Shenzhen. The higher rate in Beijing was due to the higher intensity of PAH emissions and the lower temperature. The regression estimations suggest that health risks posed by PAHs in residential soils of the metropolitan cities increase considerably with time.

Effect of pedo-climatic conditions on physicochemical characteristics and agro-industrial potential of three native oilseeds fruits from Burkina Faso

BackgroundPlants are greatly affected by pedoclimatic conditions. They can alter the physiology of plants and affect seeds agro-morphological and physicochemical characteristics. It is therefore conceivable that tree species which have a potential as oil/fat producing plants are affected by pedoclimatic conditions variability. This study aims to evaluate the effect of pedoclimatic conditions variation on the physicochemical characteristics and the agro-industrial potential of three oilseeds fruits from Burkina Faso: Balanites aegyptiaca, Sclerocarya birrea and Lannea microcarpa.ResultsA characterization of the size, chemical composition and weight of 100 seeds of the three native oilseeds from Banfora (Sudanian zone), Ouagadougou (Sudano-Sahelian zone) and Ouahigouya (Sahelian zone) was carried out. Results showed that seed size, seed weight and chemical composition varied significantly according to the pedoclimatic zone of the collection significant correlations between seed size, 100-seed weight, total ash and also for seed oil content and moisture have also been revealed. Principal component analysis (PCA) associated increases in seed size and total ash content with high annual rainfall and low temperature areas, while increases in seed oil content were associated with low rainfall and high annual temperature areas.ConclusionSeed size and seed weight were associated with high rainfall and low temperature, while high temperature and low rainfall were associated with oil accumulation in the seeds. However, the limit number of replications of physicochemical characteristics analyses, a limitation of the study, does not allow an exhaustive conclusion to be drawn from the study.

The Potential Roles of Unique Leaf Structure for the Adaptation of Rheum tanguticum Maxim. ex Balf. in Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.

Leaves are essential plant organs with numerous variations in shape and size. The leaf size is generally smaller in plants that thrive in areas of higher elevation and lower annual mean temperature. The Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau is situated at an altitude of >4000 m with relatively low annual average temperatures. Most plant species found on the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau have small leaves, with Rheum tanguticum Maxim. ex Balf. being an exception. Here, we show that the large leaves of R. tanguticum with a unique three-dimensional (3D) shape are potentially an ideal solution for thermoregulation with little energy consumption. With the increase in age, the shape of R. tanguticum leaves changed from a small oval plane to a large palmatipartite 3D shape. Therefore, R. tanguticum is a highly heteroblastic species. The leaf shape change during the transition from the juvenile to the adult phase of the development in R. tanguticum is a striking example of the manifestation of plant phenotypic plasticity. The temperature variation in different parts of the leaf was a distinct character of leaves of over-5-year-old plants. The temperature of single-plane leaves under strong solar radiation could accumulate heat rapidly and resulted in temperatures much higher than the ambient temperature. However, leaves of over-5-year-old plants could lower leaf temperature by avoiding direct exposure to solar radiation and promoting local airflow to prevent serious tissue damage by sunburn. Furthermore, the net photosynthesis rate was correlated with the heterogeneity of the leaf surface temperature. Our results demonstrate that the robust 3D shape of the leaf is a strategy that R. tanguticum has developed evolutionarily to adapt to the strong solar radiation and low temperature on the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau.

Comparative transcriptome reveals the thermal stress response differences between Heilongjiang population and Xinjiang population of Lota lota

Some cold-water fishes are particularly sensitive to the water temperature increasing caused by current global warming. However, the alterations in the physiology and behavior of infraspecific populations living in heterogeneous landscapes in response to water temperature increasing were significantly different. Consequently, understanding the impact of temperature increasing on different populations may be crucial for the conservation of cold-water fishes in the context of global warming. The burbot is the only freshwater specie in Gadiformes. To better understand the differences of different populations of burbot under similar thermal stress, Lota lota was selected as the research objects. Firstly, RNA-seq was applied to identify the transcriptomic responses of Heilongjiang population exposed to three temperature gradients (0 °C, 18 °C and 28 °C). Compared with 0 °C, 4216 and 12,657 genes were significantly differentially expressed at 18 °C and 28 °C, respectively. Meanwhile, 49 genes were significantly differentially expressed in three temperature pairs and these genes were presumed to involve in stress response process, immunologic process, reproductive process, development process, material metabolism process, signal transduction process, spermatogenesis process and cell apoptosis process. The response differences of two L. lota populations to similar thermal stress were compared and the results showed that they have different gene expression responses (the number of differentially expression genes and biological processes). The lower annual temperature of the Heilongjiang River might make it more sensitive to temperature increasing. Based on the comparative transcriptome analyses, 12 orthologous genes were considered as the potential regulators of L. lota preference for cold-water environment and these genes are potentially related to the immunologic process, reproductive process, development process, signal transduction process, and cell apoptosis process. Those results can provide basic information for the rational development of conservation strategies of different L. lota populations under the background of global warming.

Differences in functional traits among distinct populations of the plant invaderBunias orientalis

AbstractPlants that expand their range and become invasive in other areas may shift several functional traits in response to specific environments. However, local conditions at the place of origin may have shaped the functional traits, which may to some extent remain visible in plants growing in new habitats. The present study aimed to explore the trait variation in different plant populations of native, invasive and naturalized status of Bunias orientalis grown in common conditions in relation to the climatic conditions at their place of origin. Seeds of B. orientalis were collected from 12 populations (4 per status) in 8 countries and grown under standardized conditions in a common field garden. The variation in several functional traits related to phenology, growth and reproduction was compared among status and among populations. Phenology did not differ according to status. However, several plants of the native populations, originating from areas with low annual temperatures, did not start flowering. Plants of the invasive populations produced more leaves than natives, potentially indicating their vigor in building up vegetative biomass. Number and mass of silicles and other growth traits did not differ among status groups but varied among populations. Some of the variation in functional traits may be explained by long-term adaptations to local conditions at the areas of origin and genetic diversity, while other environmental factors differing in the novel environment may contribute to a high trait variation.

Estimation of air temperature and the mountain-mass effect in the Yellow River Basin using multi-source data.

Quantitative studies of the multiple factors influencing the mountain-mass effect, which causes higher temperatures in mountainous than non-mountainous regions, remain insufficient. This study estimated the air temperature in the Yellow River Basin, which spans three different elevation ranges, using multi-source data to address the uneven distribution of regional meteorological stations. The differences in mountain-mass effect for different geomorphic regions at the same altitude were then compared. The Manner–Kendall nonparametric test was used to analyse time series changes in temperature. Moreover, we employed the geographically weighted regression (GWR) model, with MODIS land-surface and air-temperature data, station-based meteorological data, vertical temperature gradients corresponding to the 2000–2015 period, and elevation data, to estimate the correlation between monthly mean surface temperature and air temperature in the Yellow River Basin. The following major results were obtained. (1) The GWR method and ground station-based observations enhanced the accuracy of air-temperature estimates with an error of only ± 0.74°C. (2) The estimated annual variations in the spatial distributions of 12-month average temperatures showed that the upper Tibetan Plateau is characterised by low annual air temperatures with a narrow spatial distribution, whereas north-eastern areas upstream of the Inner Mongolia Plateau are characterised by higher air temperatures. Changes in the average monthly air temperature were also high in the middle and lower reaches, with a narrow spatial distribution. (3) Considering the seasonal variation in the temperature lapse rate, the mountain-mass effect in the Yellow River Basin was very high. In the middle of each season, the variation of air temperature at a given altitude over the Tibetan Plateau was higher than that over the Loess Plateau and Jinji Mountain. The results of this study reveal the unique temperature characteristics of the Yellow River Basin according to its geomorphology. Furthermore, this research contributes to quantifying mountain-mass effects.