Changes In Seasonal Patterns Research Articles

Elephants in the farm – changing temporal and seasonal patterns of human-elephant interactions in a forest-agriculture matrix in the Western Ghats, India

Accelerating levels of human-elephant conflicts (HEC) have become a topic of major concern in conservation efforts of endangered Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) throughout their range. Wayanad plateau (WP) is a key summer habitat of Asian elephants in the Brahmagri-Nilgiri Eastern Ghats elephant landscape (Nilgiris), harbouring the largest breeding population in Asia. With the increase in human population density and consequent forest loss, HEC amplified in frequency and intensity in Wayanad. We assessed the drivers of HEC in a temporal and spatial context by integrating questionnaire surveys, compensation claims for crop loss, and individual identification of crop-raiding elephants. The ordinal regression analysis showed that season and proximity to the forest boundary were the major drivers of conflict. The pattern of conflict is spatially heterogeneous, and there is peak crop depredation during the jackfruit and mango season (MayS-September), followed by paddy season (September-December). The conflict has resulted in the removal of jackfruit and mango trees from farmlands and stopped cultivation of several crops that attract elephants. This has impacted rural food supply, economic well-being, local biodiversity, and human-elephant coexistence. We discuss effective and locally appropriate conflict mitigation and management strategies which can apply in human-dominated landscapes.

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on cardiovascular diseases hospitalisation, management and mortality in Switzerland

BackgroundCOVID-19 pandemic led to a reduction in hospital admissions and intervention for other diseases in many countries. We aimed to assess the effect of COVID-19 pandemic on cardiovascular disease (CVD)...

Bioelectric activity of a brain and cerebral hemodynamics in skiers of military age over seasons of the year

INTRODUCTION: The heavy training load in extreme climatic conditions of the European North inevitably requires adaptive reactions from the athlete’s body, consequently, influencing on functional performance of the central nervous system.OBJECTIVE: To identify the patterns of seasonal changes of bioelectric activity and cerebral hemodynamics in skiers of military age.MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study involved 20 skiers of military age. The study was conducted over a year and included 4 stages, relevant to athletes’ preparation stages. In the course of work the indicators of bioelectric activity and brain cerebral hemodynamics were registration, using electroencephalograph NMG «Neurocartograph-8» and reograph «Diamant-R». Psychological status assessment was conducted using the anxiety and depression test, according to the method of A. A. Karelin.RESULTS: As a result of the study, it was found that skiers of military age experience deterioration in cerebral hemodynamics and brain bioelectric activity with the increase in training and negative factors of the North.CONCLUSION: Functioning of the athlete’s body in the European North results in deterioration of cerebral hemodynamics and brain bioelectric activity and increase of anxiety-depressive conditions in the winter preparation stage.

2209. RSV-associated Hospitalizations in Adults Aged ≥18 Years and the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic in the United States, October 2018 – February 2022

Abstract Background Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a significant cause of hospitalizations in older adults and typically circulates during the fall and winter in the United States. The COVID-19 pandemic and implementation of nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) including masking, improved handwashing, and social distancing likely impacted RSV circulation. To explore the pandemic’s impact on RSV seasonality and hospitalizations in adults aged ≥18 years, we analyzed laboratory-confirmed RSV-associated hospitalizations through the RSV Hospitalization Surveillance Network (RSV-NET) across four seasons. Methods RSV-NET is a population-based surveillance system that collects data on RSV-associated hospitalizations across 75 counties in 12 states. An RSV-NET case is a resident of a defined catchment area who tests positive for RSV through a clinician-ordered test within 14 days prior to or during hospitalization. Surveillance was conducted October–April for the 2018-19 and 2019-20 pre-pandemic seasons and October 2020–September 2021 (2020-21 season). Available data October 2021-February 2022 (ongoing 2021-22 season) are presented. Results 2,536, 3,195, 618, and 1,758 laboratory-confirmed hospitalizations were identified in adults ≥18 years in 2018-19, 2019-20, 2020-21, and 2021-22, respectively; case counts were 4.1 and 5.2 times higher in 2018-19 and 2019-20, respectively, than in 2020-2021. Hospitalizations peaked in January for pre-pandemic and 2021-22 seasons and in September for 2020-21 (Figure). For all years combined, 16.2%, 23.4%, 33.3%, and 27.1% of all RSV-associated hospitalizations were among those aged 18-49, 50-64, 65-79 and ≥80 years, respectively. Laboratory-confirmed RSV-associated hospitalizations in adults ≥18 years, October 2018 – February 2022 Conclusion Laboratory-confirmed RSV-associated hospitalizations in adults were lower during the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons compared with pre-pandemic seasons, with a marked change in seasonal patterns in 2020-21, likely because of NPIs implemented during the pandemic. Continued monitoring of RSV-associated hospitalizations will be critical to understand ongoing changes in RSV circulation that resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic and associated NPIs. Disclosures Evan J. Anderson, MD, GSK: Advisor/Consultant|GSK: Grant/Research Support|Janssen: Advisor/Consultant|Janssen: Grant/Research Support|Kentucky Bioprocessing, Inc: Data Safety Monitoring Board|MedImmune: Grant/Research Support|Medscape: Advisor/Consultant|Merck: Grant/Research Support|Micron: Grant/Research Support|NIH: Funding from NIH to conduct clinical trials of Moderna and Janssen COVID-19 vaccines|PaxVax: Grant/Research Support|Pfizer: Advisor/Consultant|Pfizer: Grant/Research Support|Regeneron: Grant/Research Support|Sanofi Pasteur: Advisor/Consultant|Sanofi Pasteur: Grant/Research Support|Sanofi Pasteur: Data Adjudication and Data Safety Monitoring Boards|WCG and ACI Clinical: Data Adjudication Board Maya Monroe, MPH, CDC -Emerging Infections Program: Grant/Research Support.

Forecasting United Kingdom's energy consumption using machine learning and hybrid approaches

Investigating the current and future dynamics of energy consumption in modern economies such as the UK is crucial. This paper predicts the UK's energy consumption using data spanning January 1995 to March 2022 by comparing and evaluating the forecast performance of machine learning, dynamic regression, time series and combination modelling techniques. The analysis reveals that the seasonal ARIMA and TBATS hybrid models yield the lowest forecast errors in predicting the UK's electricity and gas consumption. Although the combination forecasts performed poorly relative to other models, machine learning techniques such as neural network and support vector regression produced better results compared to the dynamic regression models, whereas the seasonal hybrid model performed better than the machine learning and time series models. The results indicate that the UK's electricity consumption would either stabilise or decline over the forecast horizon, suggesting that it will take some years for electricity consumption to attain pre-2019 levels. For gas consumption, the results indicate that consumption would either maintain current levels or increase over the forecast period. We also show that combination forecasts do not often generate the best predictions, and therefore, choice of methodology matters in energy consumption forecasting. Overall, changing seasonal patterns, energy efficiency improvements, shift to renewable sources and uncertainties due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Brexit, and the Russia–Ukraine crisis appear to be significant drivers of energy consumption in the UK in recent times. These findings are expected to help in designing more effective energy policies as well as guide investor decisions in the energy sector.

A comparison of sampling methods and temporal patterns of arthropod abundance and diversity in a mature, temperate, Oak woodland

Arthropods underpin fundamental ecological processes such as herbivory, pollination and nutrient cycling, and are often responsive to subtle changes in environmental conditions. Thus, changes in their abundance and phenology may be crucial indicators of system-wide responses to climate change.The new Birmingham Institute for Forest Research (BIFoR) Free Air Carbon Dioxide Enrichment (FACE) facility provides a unique opportunity assess arthropod diversity and abundance in mature deciduous forest and the effect of sampling method and seasonality. This is an essential first step before attempting to measure the potential impacts of climate change, such as elevated CO2, on arthropod populations. Two fundamental criteria are: i) diverse sampling methods in order to effectively assess diversity and in particular, differences between structural layers of the woodland system, e.g., ground, sub-canopy and canopy layers, ii) a temporal resolution that can identify seasonal patterns of change (phenology). This paper sets out the methodological approaches employed to achieve these objectives.A total of 22,568 invertebrates from 108 families were sampled across 12 months of continuous sampling using a range of techniques from forest floor to canopy. Diptera were the most abundant order sampled and had the greatest number of families represented (45). Phenology patterns generally followed the anticipated seasonal cycle, with increasing abundance and diversity from spring to summer. Temperature was the best environmental predictor of abundance within Malaise and pitfall traps. Precipitation was not correlated with any monthly patterns of trap data. Yellow pan traps collected more arthropods than white or blue traps. Canopy beating yielded a greater diversity than that in the understory samples.These data provide an important baseline from which to assess any future impacts of eCO2 over the 10-year BIFoR FACE experiment, and highlight the importance of employing diverse sampling methods, temporal replication and measuring environmental factors over appropriate timescales.

The Scope of Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection in a Tertiary Hospital in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia and the Change in Seasonal Pattern during and after the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Background and Objectives: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a major cause of morbidity and hospital admission due to respiratory tract infection among infants and young children. The current study aims to describe the prevalence and the seasonal pattern of RSV during the previous seven years. Materials and Methods: Clinical data and RSV antigen and PCR test results were collected from patients' medical records at King Fahd Hospital of the University in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia between January 2015 and February 2022. Results: The overall percentage of RSV detection was 26.3% (336/1279) among the tested individuals. RSV infection was more common among children below five years and elderly above 60 years of age. Two-thirds of the cases required hospitalization. The average hospital stay due to RSV infection was 6.5 days (range 0-56 days). The rate of hospitalization was higher among infants and younger children and decreased with age (p-value < 0.001). RSV infection was more prevalent between August and February and decreased appreciably between March and July. The peak level of infection was during December and January. No RSV infections were reported during the COVID-19 pandemic and the following winter. The cases increased again in August 2021, with an unusual out-of-season peak. Conclusions: RSV infection is one of the important causes of morbidity and hospitalization among infants and young children in Saudi Arabia. The seasonal pattern of infection has changed after the COVID-19 pandemic, and the physicians should be aware that infection may happen currently at different times throughout the year.

Climate Change Alters Sexual Signaling in a Desert-Adapted Frog.

AbstractClimate change is altering species' habitats, phenology, and behavior. Although sexual behaviors impact population persistence and fitness, climate change's effects on sexual signals are understudied. Climate change can directly alter temperature-dependent sexual signals, cause changes in body size or condition that affect signal production, or alter the selective landscape of sexual signals. We tested whether temperature-dependent mating calls of Mexican spadefoot toads (Spea multiplicata) had changed in concert with climate in the southwestern United States across 22 years. We document increasing air temperatures, decreasing rainfall, and changing seasonal patterns of temperature and rainfall in the spadefoots' habitat. Despite increasing air temperatures, spadefoots' ephemeral breeding ponds have been getting colder at most elevations, and male calls have been slowing as a result. However, temperature-standardized call characters have become faster, and male condition has increased, possibly due to changes in the selective environment. Thus, climate change might generate rapid, complex changes in sexual signals with important evolutionary consequences.

ECOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT OF THE DNIPRO RIVER'S LARGEST TRIBUTARY WITHIN UKRAINE

Problem statement. Water resources play a leading role in various aspects of human life. Water is needed for domestic, commercial, industrial, agricultural and recreational purposes not only in Ukraine, but also in the world. Ecological monitoring is used to obtain a holistic picture of the current ecological condition for large administrative-territorial units in the industrialized countries of the world, in particular Ukraine, even with the gradual reduction of industrial potential. Therefore, the article analyzes the qualitative composition of the surface water body, namely the Desna River, the largest tributary of the Dnieper, within Ukraine, to determine changes in its ecological status. Possible causes of its pollution are determined. A statistical and systematic analysis of changes in the ecological status was carried out based on the data of the interactive map «Monitoring and environmental assessment for water resources of Ukraine» by the State Agency for Water Resources of Ukraine in the period from January 2012 to December 2020. Data on water intake control from four posts within the Desna River were investigated. The content of the main indicators: ammonium, nitrates, nitrites, phosphates and sulfates were analyzed. The purpose of the article. Determination of new temporal-spatial and seasonal patterns of water quality change in the surface water body according to the main indicators. Possibility to use the obtained results as initial data for the development of influence mechanisms on the ecological state of the surface water body in the conditions of the basin principle for water resources management. Conclusions. Analyzing the results of the research for the period from 2012 to 2020, we can note the tendency to deteriorate the ecological condition of the Desna River within Ukraine. The cause of this phenomenon is the man-made load on surface water bodies: the Desna River and its tributaries. New temporal-spatial and seasonal trends of 2020 for changes in the distribution of the main indicators: ammonium ions, nitrates and nitrites, sulfates, phosphates, along the Desna River within Ukraine for the possibility of using the results as a source for implementing the basin principle of water resources management in further research. For the Desna River, it is advisable to establish additional observation points for a more detailed presentation of the ecological status of the surface water body between posts 2−3, 4–5 and 5–6, as in these areas the Desna River has left and right tributaries.

Seasonal Morphological Variability on Estuarine Beaches and Implications for Low-Energy Beach Management

Mercaldi, B.; Brideau, L.E.; Tait, J.F., and Griggs, G., 2022. Seasonal morphological variability on estuarine beaches and implications for low-energy beach management. Journal of Coastal Research, 38(6), 1135–1147. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. Estuarine beaches and other low-energy shorelines are critical for habitats and coastal infrastructure protection. Many different species inhabit estuaries because of the water bodies' unique characteristics, such as their mixed seawater and freshwater and variable tidal ranges. Estuarine beaches also have the important role of buffering storm wave energy. Yet, their natural physical processes are understudied. This research focuses on seasonal morphological variability of estuarine, low-energy beaches and evaluates the implications for beach management practices. Five sandy beaches were studied along the northern shoreline of Long Island Sound in the northeastern region of the United States. The studied beaches vary in location, width, length, and orientation within Long Island Sound to represent different exposures to wave energy. Three seasonal profiles were measured at each beach approximately every four months from late 2015 to early 2019 to document topographic changes. The results revealed minimal sediment movement throughout the study period and there was no evidence of significant cyclic cross-shore sediment transport to indicate patterns of seasonal profile changes. These findings reveal important implications for beach management practices on low-energy shorelines. Specifically, estuarine and other low-energy beaches should be studied on decadal time scales to document any long-term variability and post-storm recovery rather than the monthly or yearly time scales on which open-ocean beaches are typically evaluated. Additionally, estuarine beaches and other low-energy shorelines require specialized management practices that cater to their stagnancy to ensure adequate protection of coastal structures and infrastructure in the face of intensifying hurricanes and sea level rise.

Reproductive Cycle and Sexual Group Maturity of Buccinum osagawai (Neogastropoda: Buccinidae)

This study was performed to obtain information on the basic reproductive ecology and biological resource management of Buccinum osagawai. Samples were collected from August 2018 to October 2019 with a drum-shaped net at a depth of 150–250 m along the continental shelf in Jumunjin, on the east coast of Korea. The species showed gonochorism and a lack of external sexual dimorphism. The overall sex ratio (F:M) was 1:1.2 (n = 549, F = 250, M = 299); as the size of the individuals increased, the proportion of males tended to decrease. The development pattern of the oocyte was synchronous, in which a dominant group of oocytes was identified within the same ovary. The size of the ripe oocyte was 82.3 (±22.6) × 125.5 (±22.0) μm. The spermatocyte development pattern was group-synchronous, in which multiple stages of germ cell populations were simultaneously identified within the same spermatogenic acinus. The gonad index (GI) for both males and females showed the highest value during June, after which it decreased sharply, and after August it was below 2.0. The main spawning season was from June to July, and the GI and stages of gonadal development did not show a pattern of seasonal changes. The main gonadal active season was from May to July, and both male and female gonadal development and maturation took place over a short period, whereas the recovery period after spawning was longer. At least 60.5% of the group, considering both males and females, showed maturity at 50.1 mm SH or more. Furthermore, the size of 50% group maturity was shown at approximately 50.0 mm SH.

Dynamics of spatial and temporal growth of the root system of grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) under nitrogen levels in sandy soil in subtropical climate

• N addition promotes the increase in the surface area of live fine roots. • Fine root production is higher in grapevine flowering stage. • N concentration in leaves is promoted by the increase in the fine roots. • Total number of dead and mortality of fine roots is increased by the addition of N. Nitrogen (N) supply to the soil via fertilization can influence important processes of the root system growth, which can increase N uptake and, consequently, the shoot growth. In this context, the study aimed to evaluate how the application of N levels can affect the dynamics of spatial and temporal growth of the root system of grapevines ( Vitis vinifera L.) in sandy soil and subtropical climate. ‘Alicante Bouschet’ grapevines, grafted on ‘Paulsen 1103’ rootstock, implanted in 2011. The N addition were: Low N: control (without the N addition; 0 kg N ha −1 year −1 ); Medium N (40 kg N ha −1 year −1 ); and High N (100 kg N ha −1 year −1 ). The study was carried out during 2016/17 and 2017/18 crop seasons. N concentration in the leaves and morphological parameters of fine roots were evaluated using the minirhizotron technique. The addition of Medium N and High N significantly increased the values ​​of the total surface area of ​​live fine roots and the total number of live and dead fine roots, at 0-20, 20-40 and 40-60 cm soil depth, in both crop seasons evaluated. The addition of Medium N and High N also directly influenced the production rates of live fine roots, with patterns of seasonal changes, especially increased in the flowering stage of the grapevines. This occurs due to the increase in the physiological demand of growing plant tissues, such as new roots, leaves and fruits.

Determination of Key Quality Indicators for Organization of Potable Water Source Monitoring under Changing Climatic Conditions

Background: In the context of deteriorating surface water quality, it is important to create a monitoring system to control constantly changing indicators that can affect the quality of both natural and potable water supplied to the population. Organic carbon is one of the key indicators reflecting the rate of production and destruction, climate change and anthropogenic impacts, safety and efficiency of potable water treatment. Objective: To study key indicators in the organization of potable water source quality monitoring. Materials and methods: In 2020–2021, monthly water sampling was carried out in a reservoir serving as the source of household and potable water supply of a large industrial city of the Sverdlovsk Region, and after water treatment. Water temperature, dissolved total, organic, and inorganic carbon, pH, the permanganate index (PI), hardness, and dry residue were measured. We then analyzed correlations between the indicators and assessed the efficiency of water treatment. Results: Maximum concentrations of Ctotal (54.3 mg/dm3) and Corg (36.0 mg/dm3) in the source water were found in January 2021. The predominance of Cinorg concentrations compared to Corg was mainly observed in warm months of the year. Water treatment generally decreased the content of Ctotal in potable water by 12–32 %, Corg by 12–47 %, Cinorg by 6–32 %, and PI by 28–68 %, except for a few months. In spring and summer 2021, we noted a decrease in PI in the reservoir; compared to other seasons, an increase in water pH was revealed in summer. We established a negative correlation between concentrations of organic carbon and water temperature. Conclusions: Monitoring studies of the surface potable water source have been organized. We revealed seasonal patterns of carbon changes and indicators of the mineral composition of water, and demonstrated the efficiency of water treatment.

Analysis of Land Surface Temperature Dynamics in Islamabad by Using MODIS Remote Sensing Data

The rapid pace of unattended urbanization has caused the urban heat island phenomenon, due to which the United Nations SDGs agenda 2030 calls for immediate actions for “sustainable cities and communities”. In this context, the case of the emerging metropolitan city Islamabad has been studied based on its developmental discourse vis-à-vis associated environmental problems. A time-series trend for the land surface temperature was generated by investigating the change in minimum and maximum variability against a dataset of 1960–2012 which was obtained from the Pakistan Meteorological Department, along with MODIS LST images from January 2000 to December 2015. The statistical comparison of an eight-day composite of the maximum (Tmax) and minimum (Tmin) temperature reveals an increasing trend with R2 values of 0.2507 (Tmin) and 0.1868 (Tmax). The box plots for both the Tmin and Tmax depict changes in seasonal patterns for Islamabad, with summers becoming longer and winters becoming harsher. Moreover, the application of the Mann–Kendall test affirmed the slope of the R2 linear trend map and showed the temperature regression in the Margalla Hills National Park and in such urban zones which had an expanded vegetative cover. These findings will act as a guide for urban planners and future researchers to maintain a standardized urban heat island and promote the concept of sustainable cities in the future course of action.

Evapotranspiration partitioning based on field‐stable oxygen isotope observations for an urban locust forest land

AbstractThe stable water isotope method is widely applied to distinguish the evapotranspiration (ET) components across various vegetation‐covered surfaces. ET partitioning in the urban woodland area is useful for guiding precision irrigation, thereby promoting in urban water conservation. For the first time, this study partitions ET in urban locust forest areas based on stable water isotope observations for the period 2019–2020. The isotope composition of ET (δET) and soil evaporation (δE) were determined using the Keeling‐plot method and Craig–Gordon model, respectively. The steady‐state (SS) and the non‐steady‐state (NSS) assumptions were compared for estimating the isotope composition of vegetation transpiration (δT). The NSS outperformed SS in daily bulk leaf water isotopic component (δL,b) simulation and recommended to be used in δT determination for the urban forest land. Both methods resulted in similar estimates of δL,b and δT during the daytime; however, substantial difference was observed during the nighttime. The fraction of vegetation transpiration to evapotranspiration (FT) varies between 0.21 and 0.95 with an average value of 0.78 for the SS and varies between 0.22 and 0.97 with an average of 0.82 for the NSS. The FT in the urban forest land is higher than the natural forest land due to the urban heat island effect and higher planting densities. The seasonal FT variation is primarily controlled by the leaf area index (LAI) and soil moisture. The predictive uncertainty of δET and δT are much higher than δE, wherein the uncertainties of δT decreases as FT increases while the uncertainty of δET increases as FT increases. The uncertainty analysis highlights the importance of increasing the sampling frequency under low FT condition. This study revealed the seasonal change patterns of FT and its major governing factors in urban woodland areas, thus providing more insights on effective water management in the urban ecosystems.

Preliminary patterns of seasonal changes in species composition of surface‐active arthropods in a South African savannah

AbstractSurface‐active arthropods have limited dispersal abilities and their abundances are responsive to changes in the environment. Their sensitivity allows for the identification of aspects of environmental variation that are responsible for changes in community assemblages of these arthropods. Limited dispersal abilities allow for changes in the populations of surface‐active arthropods to be linked reliably to changes in their local environment. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that seasonal variation in resource availability drives assemblages of three groups of surface‐active arthropods (ants, beetles and spiders). Ten study sites were selected, where sampling was carried out continually during the wet, austral summer season (December 2018–February 2019) and then repeated at the same sites in the dry winter season (June 2019–August 2019) in a mesic savannah of Mpumalanga province, South Africa. Pitfall trapping was used to sample the surface‐active arthropods. We found 89 morphospecies of ants, 48% of which were members of the Myrmicinae, while 32% of the 163 morphospecies of beetles were the Scarabaeidae. There were 262 morphospecies of spiders, of these, 22% were from the Salticidae. We found similar abundance and species richness of ants between seasons but significantly greater abundance and species richness of beetles and spiders in summer than in winter. These results show that the impact of seasonal variation in resource availability differs among arthropod taxa. However, the species compositions of all three taxa were significantly different between summer and winter. These results can be explained by the ‘niche differentiation hypothesis’ coupled with the ‘resource‐ratio hypothesis’. Additionally, these results highlight the role that temporal and dietary niche differentiation play in driving the assemblage composition of surface‐active arthropods in a mesic savannah.

Seasonal turnover of avian community assembly in a highly fragmented Tumbesian dry forest of southwestern Ecuador

ABSTRACT Tropical dry forests are among the most threatened and yet the most biodiverse Neotropical ecosystems. However, current patterns of biological occupancy in these forests remain poorly studied. Here, we document the diversity, patterns of seasonal turnover and change of species composition over time of birds in a highly exploited but protected tropical dry forest of southwestern Ecuador, Bosque Protector Puyango. Using a combination of mist netting, song recording and direct observations, we surveyed the study site over a 2-month period of fieldwork during both the dry and rainy seasons. We then performed a literature review of the species reported in this site and compared the changes in composition over time using a historical survey. One hundred sixty-one species of birds belonging to 40 families were recorded inside the area. One hundred and six species were found in this survey and 55 were recovered from the literature. Seasonality did not significantly affect species abundance and richness; however, species dominance changed notably. Although the overall species richness of the site has been maintained, we found an overwhelming change of species composition during the last two decades in this forest. Our results show that this highly threatened forest still hosts a unique high avian diversity. Conservation actions should be encouraged in the region, motivating the local communities to develop non-extractive economic practices, such as birdwatching and ecotourism.

Ephemeral connectivity between trees and groundwater in a temperate forest in China

The interspecific and temporal dynamics of tree water use are poorly understood. We investigated in high-temporal resolution patterns of water use of two tree species, Platycladus orientalis and Quercus variabilis, in a temperate mountainous monsoon forest in northern China. We leverage a unique sampling design where we systematically traced tree water source of ten individuals continuously throughout a three-year period (2015–2017) using stable isotopes of hydrogen and oxygen, coupled with root distribution assessment and measurements of transpiration rates. We observed species-specific patterns in tree water use. Q. variabilis withdrew water evenly from different soil layers without detectable seasonal changes in pattern in water use throughout the different years. By contrast, P. orientalis increases shallow source water uptake during the rainy season in all three years. Isotopic composition of both species plotted along an evaporation line below the local meteoric water line (LMWL). However, during sporadic periods in the rainy and transition season, P. orientalis plotted on the LMWL and showed similar isotopic to spring water. This suggests an ephemeral ecohydrological connectivity between tree water source and spring water during short periods within the wet and transition season. The observed distinct patterns in tree water use between the two species may be associated with root distribution characteristics. Besides root morphological traits, our data also suggest that the influence of overall stem volume (Vob) on water source contribution depends on the rainfall and species. Our results support the seasonality of ecohydrological separation observed in previous studies. Additionally, our data show that that ecohydrological separation may be species dependent in a temperate mountainous monsoon forest.

Changing Seasonal Pattern of Suicides in Korea Between 2000 and 2019.

Objective This study aimed to investigate the changing seasonal pattern of suicides in Korea between 2000 and 2019. Methods We calculated a seasonal pattern of suicides between 2000 and 2019 using a non-stationary cosinor model. In addition, we estimated the effect of each month on the suicide incidence compared to a reference month, using a generalized linear model with a categorical variable of the month. Then, we visualized the rate ratio curves of suicides by gender, age group, and subperiod. Results We observed a seasonal pattern of suicides in Korea with a spring peak and a winter trough. The seasonal ups and downs were most pronounced in suicides among the elderly ≥65 years. However, the seasonal pattern has not been consistent over the past two decades, with lowering seasonal peaks since 2012. The amplitude of seasonality was also lower in 2010–2019 than in 2000–2009. Conclusion The seasonal pattern of suicides seems to have diminished in Korea in recent years. Thus, we need further studies to investigate climatic and non-climatic factors influencing the seasonality of suicides and the consequence of the change.

Brief communication: Preliminary ICESat-2 (Ice, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite-2) measurements of outlet glaciers reveal heterogeneous patterns of seasonal dynamic thickness change

Abstract. Dynamic changes of marine-terminating outlet glaciers are projected to be responsible for about half of future ice loss from the Greenland Ice Sheet. However, we lack a unified, process-based understanding that can explain the observed dynamic changes of all outlet glaciers. Many glaciers undergo seasonal dynamic thickness changes, and classifying the patterns of seasonal thickness change can improve our understanding of the processes that drive glacier behavior. The Ice, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2) provides space-based, seasonally repeating altimetry measurements of the ice sheets, allowing us to quantify near-termini seasonal dynamic thickness patterns of 37 outlet glaciers around the Greenland Ice Sheet. We classify the glaciers into seven common patterns of seasonal thickness change over a 2-year period from 2019 to 2020. We find small groupings of neighboring glaciers with similar patterns of seasonal thickness change, but, within larger sectors of the ice sheet, patterns of seasonal thickness change are mostly heterogeneous. Future studies can build upon our results by extending these time series, comparing seasonal dynamic thickness changes with external forcings, such as ocean temperature and meltwater runoff, and with other dynamic variables such as seasonal glacier velocity and terminus position changes.