Significant Vegetation Changes Research Articles

Analysis of land use changes and soil erosion using the EPM-IntErO model in the Sokobanja Basin, Serbia

Soil erosion, with the progressive loss of fertile topsoil and its negative impact on agricultural productivity, has become a critical global environmental problem. In the second half of the 20th century, many municipalities in Serbia experienced significant changes in land use, vegetation, and environmental conditions. The drive towards industrialization and urbanization aimed to improve the living standards of the population, but as a consequence, it led to substantial depopulation of rural areas and the adoption of inadequate agricultural practices, which, in turn, further intensified soil erosion. This study focuses on the Sokobanjska Moravica River basin (Eastern Serbia), extending to the Bovan Lake Dam and upstream, with a total area of 540.4 km². The basin is situated in a characteristic karst landscape. Changes in erosion intensity and runoff from this basin are analyzed using the Intensity of Erosion and Outflow (IntErO) model, which algorithmically integrates the widely used Erosion Potential Method (EPM) with innovative computational techniques to predict sediment production and runoff from the river basin accurately. This analysis utilizes GIS software and official statistical yearbook data, focusing on the period from the second half of the 20th century, including the analysis of the current state. According to our research, the most intensive changes in land use occurred between 1961 and 1971, marking the beginning of the period of a decline in rural population and, consequently, a decrease in erosion intensity. Key findings indicate that predominant changes in land use and vegetation led to a shift from crop farming to animal husbandry. After 1971, ongoing depopulation, particularly in rural areas, resulted in a gradual and steady decrease in erosion intensity. The primary aim of this study is to support policymakers in developing more effective soil and water conservation regulations. By making recommendations for the protection of vegetation, and thus the soil within this river basin, this research helps ensure their long-term preservation. Future research should focus on the long-term impacts of current land use practices and develop strategies to mitigate erosion in the context of changing climate conditions.

Uncovering the impact of climate and vegetation changes on runoff in karstic regions of southwest China

The vegetation-runoff relationship remains unclear in karstic regions. The karst landform in southwest China is a focal area where significant changes in vegetation have occurred in the past few decades, which may substantially impact water resources. To date, the effects of these changes on runoff remain uncertain. This study employed statistical analysis, numerical simulation, and scenario analysis to investigate the temporal and spatial patterns of runoff, climate, and vegetation in 20 typical catchments. The study also evaluated the response of runoff to vegetation and climate changes and the underlying factors. The findings revealed precipitation changes dominated changes in runoff in these catchments (mean contribution of 53.03%), whereas the contributions of vegetation and potential evapotranspiration changes were 23.16% and 23.82%, respectively. The study also revealed that the impacts of vegetation changes on runoff were significantly dependent on vegetation and climate factors (R2 = 0.60, P < 0.01). Furthermore, under the same climate change conditions, a higher distribution of natural vegetation (such as forest) in the catchment resulted in a larger decreasing trend in runoff. The results provide guidelines for the prediction of runoff variation in southwest China, and benefits to decision-making on ecological restoration and water resources development.

Montane rainforest dynamics under changes in climate and human impact during the past millennia in northern Madagascar.

Although it is well known that humans substantially altered the Malagasy ecosystems, the timing of the human arrival as well as the extension of their environmental impact is yet not well understood. This research aims to study the influence of early human impact and climate change on rainforests and wildlife in northern Madagascar during the past millennia. Results obtained from the lake sediment in a montane environment showed significant changes in vegetation within the lake catchment associated with a major drought that started approximately 1100 years ago. Human impact, revealed by fires, began at roughly the same time and occurred outside the lake catchment. Although this does not dismiss the impacts that humans had at a regional scale, this result demonstrates that the late Holocene natural drought also significantly impacted the ecosystems independently of anthropogenic activities. At a regional scale, a review of species demographic history revealed a substantial number of population bottlenecks during the last millennia, probably resulting from this combination of human-related impact and natural climate changes. This research highlights the importance of a multi-site and multi-proxy comparison for deciphering the nature and succession of environmental changes.

Rate of permafrost thaw and associated plant community dynamics in peatlands of northwestern Canada

Abstract The most rapid climate warming is occurring in northern, permafrost environments. Peatlands of these regions are particularly sensitive to climate warming, with the high ground ice content of peat plateaux resulting in the formation of collapse scars as ground temperatures warm. To quantify the rates of permafrost thaw and associated vegetation changes, we sampled the plant and lichen communities in transects spanning actively thawing collapse scar margins at sites from mid‐Boreal to Low Subarctic conditions, within Canada's Northwest Territories. Seventeen transects were sampled in 2007/08 and 14 of these were resampled 10 years later. The rate of lateral permafrost thaw of collapse scar margins ranged from −6 to 63 cm year−1 (mean: 22.0 cm ± 4.7 cm year−1 (SE)); variability was high and no trends with respect to latitude or temperature gradients were detected. Plant communities displayed a clear gradient from lichen‐ and ericaceous shrub‐dominated peat plateaux, to collapse scars primarily characterized by Sphagnum mosses and graminoids. Both space‐for‐time (distance from collapsing margin) and direct measurement of 10‐year changes showed a successional sequence following permafrost thaw; floating mat communities characterized by Sphagnum riparium or S. balticum proceeded to lawn communities of S. angustifolium and, finally, to hummock communities with Mylia anomala or S. fuscum. This successional sequence was associated with increased water table depth and lower soil water content in plant communities farther from the actively collapsing front, illustrating that peat growth above the water table was driving plant community successional changes. The most rapid plant community succession occurred in recently thawed environments as peat growth propelled the ground surface above the water table while the slowest succession occurred in the collapse scar hummock communities located farthest from the actively collapsing peat plateau margin. Synthesis. In just 10 years, significant vegetation change was detected, in association with both permafrost thaw and subsequent plant community succession. These changes occurred across a broad climatic and latitudinal gradient, from mid‐Boreal to Low Subarctic and have implications for wildlife, global C cycle and indigenous communities who depend on this landscape for harvesting, spiritual and cultural practices.

Vegetation Changes and Dynamics of the Climate Variables in Southern Thailand over the Past 1500 Years

The Indo-Pacific, a vast biogeographic of Earth, is influenced by both the Indian and East Asian monsoons. Despite its geographical importance, this region has been less studied compared to East Asia and India. Here, we present speleothem records from southern Thailand that cover the last 1500 years, including a hiatus during the Little Ice Age, providing insights into the interactions among climate dynamics, human influences, and ecological responses to climate change. Notably, our records lack the characteristic cold and warm periods observed in other regions, such as the Dark Ages Cold Period and Medieval Warm Period, which may reflect the complexity of the tropical climate system or the region’s unique topography. The analysis reveals a link between ENSO multi-decadal variability and hydroclimate conditions in southern Thailand, as evidenced by speleothem δ18O. Furthermore, a comparison between speleothem δ13C and the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) indicates significant vegetation changes in the last three decades, corresponding with increased atmospheric CO2 levels and expansion of agricultural land due to human activities during the Current Warm Period. Additionally, our study suggests that an abrupt increase in sea surface temperatures may enhance vegetation growth in the Indo-Pacific by influencing atmospheric circulation and increasing precipitation.

Pre-contact and post-colonial ecological legacies shape Surinamese rainforests.

Disturbances in tropical forests can have long-lasting ecological impacts, but their manifestations (ecological legacies) in modern forests are uncertain. Many Amazonian forests bear the mark of past soil modifications, species enrichments, and fire events, but the trajectories of ecological legacies from the pre-contact or post-colonial period remain relatively unexplored. We assessed the fire and vegetation history from 15 soil cores ranging from 0 to 10 km from a post-colonial Surinamese archaeological site. We show that (1) fires occurred from 96 bc to recent times and induced significant vegetation change, (2) persistent ecological legacies from pre-contact and post-colonial fire and deforestation practices were mainly within 1 km of the archaeological site, and (3) palm enrichment of Attalea, Oenocarpus and Astrocaryum occurred within 0, 1, and 8 km of the archaeological site, respectively. Our results challenge the notion of spatially extensive and persistent ecological legacies. Instead, our data indicate that the persistence and extent of ecological legacies are dependent on their timing, frequency, type, and intensity. Examining the mechanisms and manifestations of ecological legacies is crucial in assessing forest resilience and Indigenous and local land rights in the highly threatened Amazonian forests.

Postglacial flooding and Holocene climate shifts in the Persian Gulf

ABSTRACTPostglacial flooding of the Persian Gulf (PG) was important in shaping human history and driving landscape changes in the region. However, there is a paucity of data regarding the postglacial transgression. The position of the PG at the edge of major synoptic systems of the Indian Ocean Summer Monsoon (IOSM) and Mid‐latitude Westerlies (MLW) makes the environment particularly sensitive to Holocene climate shifts. To investigate the timing of the flooding and to detect the impacts of significant climate shifts on the regional environment during the Holocene, a multiproxy study was conducted on three short sediment cores from two deep sites in the PG. Sedimentological, palynological and geochemical analyses were performed on the cores. The results show that inundation of the western part of the PG that started from ca. 11.5 ka bp continued with successive prominent phases of transgression centered on 10.4 and 9.2 ka cal bp, and definitive marine conditions were established around 8.8 ka cal bp. The IOSM was the dominant system in the region until about 9 to ~6.3 ka cal bp. After that time, the intensity of the IOSM declined, as MLW dominated the region after ~6.3 ka cal bp. These climatic shifts induced significant changes in regional vegetation and hydrology, and possibly triggered socio‐cultural transformations.

Transformation of vegetation under the conditions of the impact of military actions on the natural environment in Ukraine: A review

The negative consequences of various types of military activity on physical disturbances and chemical pollution of the environment are systematized. Factors of chemical pollution include potentially toxic elements, energetic compounds (explosives, fuels) and chemical warfare agents. According to the systematization of the available data on the long-term impact of military exercises and military actions on the territories of different countries on soil pollution, metal compounds dominate among potentially toxic elements, and organic pollutants dominate among energetic compounds. The combination of physical violations with multicomponent chemical pollution creates a specificity of the negative impact of the consequences of military activity on the natural environment compared to other anthropogenic factors. The following directions of research into the problem were noted: detection, distribution and ecotoxicology of chemical pollutants in natural environments, impact on biodiversity and vegetation dynamics, phytoremediation to reduce the level of chemical pollution, ecological and physiological factors of plant tolerance, degradation and detoxification of organic pollutants in plants. The tolerance of plants to the residues of explosive substances of various classes occurs due to the general pathways of biochemical transformation, which ensure the detoxification of organic xenobiotics. Taking into account the current state of the problem, literary data on the directions of research into the impact of military actions in Ukraine on the environment and the transformation of vegetation are summarized. Among these areas, the following were noted: assessment of damage caused by armed aggression to the natural environment; environmental monitoring of combat action; analysis of pollution of the natural environment; transformation of vegetation. Destructions of the natural environment as a result of combat action led to significant changes in vegetation, which are associated with ruderalization and adventization. The role of ruderal (including invasive) plants common in the flora of Ukraine under conditions of chemical pollution of habitats is analyzed. Increased tolerance of invasive plant species to high levels of metals and organic pollutants can be used for phytoremediation of disturbed areas, but will create a competitive advantage for more intensive spread compared to native species and new risks to phytodiversity.

Establishing the relationship between land use land cover, normalized difference vegetation index and land surface temperature: A case of Lower Son River Basin, India

The study explores the intricate interplay between land use land cover (LULC), normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), and land surface temperature (LST) within the Lower Son River Basin in India from 1991 to 2020. The region’s ecological balance has been increasingly strained due to rapid urbanization and changing land use patterns. Through a combination of Landsat TM & OLI/TIRS satellite imageries and geospatial analysis techniques, this study unveils the intricate connection between land use and land cover changes, vegetation, and land surface temperature variations. The study area is classified into three altitudinal zones (Zone I: 39–300 m, Zone II: 301–600 m and Zone III: 601–1,247 m) to examine the changes in depth. The area has seen significant changes in LULC, vegetation and LST in all the three altitudinal zones. The findings hold significant implications for sustainable land management and environmental conservation strategies in the Lower Son River Basin. As per the result, 103,438 ha of vegetation was converted into agriculture land and 82,572 ha of agricultural land was transformed into settlements from 1991 to 2020. This trend shows human pressure on the land resource in the study area. Minor increase in water body is seen which is attributed to commissioning of Bansagar dam. Zone I has seen highest settlement growth while Zone III experienced severe deforestation of around 15%. Zone II and III needs attention for holistic sustenance. Analysis of LST shows that it has increased by 0.82 °C from 1991 to 2020 which is a red flag. The study underscores the critical importance of balanced land use practices to preserve ecological integrity and mitigate the adverse effects of urbanization and climate change.

Quantitative evaluation of forest communities and effects of oak wilt in a secondary forest in western Japan

In Japan, secondary forests associated with agriculture (satoyama) had been maintained traditionally by small-scale clearcutting and short-rotation coppice forestry. After forest management was discontinued due to modernization, shade-intolerant, deciduous trees such as Q. serrata and Q. variabilis have become dominant in many secondary forests of southwestern Japan. In recent years, however, tree death from Japanese oak wilt has become wide-spread. To identify forest communities that will be most affected by oak wilt, we investigated stand structure and species composition in a 64-ha unmanaged secondary forest in Kobe, Japan. We identified three forest communities using cluster analysis of 27 survey plots. We then analyzed and visualized vegetation similarity among the communities using non-metric multidimensional scaling (nMDS). In secondary forests, Pinus densiflora–Rhododendron macrosepalum and Quercus serrata–Quercus variabilis communities, which established after pine wilt were identified. We also found communities dominated by Cryptomeria japonica, a plantation species. We predicted that Quercus serrata–Quercus variabilis communities will experience significant vegetation change after oak wilt and become low-statured, evergreen-deciduous forests. These communities, therefore, should be prioritized for active management by small-scale clear cutting to prevent further spread of oak wilt and subsequent biodiversity decline.

Изменение окружающей среды северо-западного сектора Японского моря в период последней дегляциации

Environment changes in the northwestern part of the Sea of Japan and adjacent land during last 21.0 kyr was reconstructed based on the analysis of pollen and diatom data with a high temporal resolution. Relatively dry climate caused a wide distribution of forest-steppe landscapes in the region between 21.0 to 16.6 ka. Boreal forests covered mountain slopes. Broad-leaved trees survived in refugia located in lower mountain belts. The low sea level during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) changed the general patterns in the sea circulation and longshore current directions, which transported the waters formed in the shallow areas of the northwestern and northern parts of the Sea of Japan. A slight increase in sublittoral benthic diatoms indicates the lowered sea level during the LGM. Occurrence of Betula indicates the start of warming after 18.5 ka; it was interrupted by the cold event Heinrich 1 and marked by the spread of coniferous Larix, Picea, and sphagnum bogs. The beginning of late glacial climatic amelioration Bølling-Allerød (BA) is contributed to dispersal of Quercus and Polypodiaceae ferns. The distribution of conifers Larix and Picea as well as of sphagnum bogs is correlated with the Younger Dryas (YD) cooling. Significant changes in vegetation occurred in the Holocene. The high percentage of sublittoral planktonic diatoms reflects a gradual rise in sea level during the BA and YD. A greater component of oceanic diatom species in the Holocene indicates the inflow of the Pacific waters through both the Tsushima and Tsugaru straits. Some increase in the participance and species diversity of relatively warm-water diatoms was noticed in the warming periods. The study of pollen and diatom records demonstrates a clear response to climatic fluctuations and changes in the Sea of Japan level in the Late Pleistocene and Holocene.

Vegetation change over 140 years in a sagebrush landscape of the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument, New Mexico, USA

AbstractQuestionsBig sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) ecosystems across the western United States have experienced many changes in ecosystem dynamics and vegetation composition over the last century due to livestock grazing, non‐native species, and changing climate and fire regimes. We conducted the first systematic investigation of historical vegetation composition and vegetation change in a sagebrush landscape in the southwestern United States, asking whether sagebrush or grass dominated the landscape historically?LocationThe Rio Grande del Norte National Monument (RGDN), northern New Mexico, USA.MethodsWe combined General Land Office (GLO) surveys from 1881 with modern vegetation maps, field vegetation surveys, and sagebrush ages from growth ring analysis to test for changes in vegetation in the RGDN over the last 140 years.ResultsWe found that big sagebrush presence across the study area increased significantly, from being present on 16% of section lines in 1881 to 79% in 2019, and only three section lines lost sagebrush presence during that period. Concurrently, the number of section lines with low grass index more than doubled since 1881, while moderate and high grass index declined. Grass declined equally in areas where sagebrush increased and areas with no change in sagebrush, suggesting that changes in both vegetation types were catalyzed by external factors, likely including overgrazing. The growth ring analysis of 93 sagebrush revealed a maximum age of 87 years and establishment in every decade since the 1930s, consistent with the GLO results.ConclusionsThe significant vegetation changes in the RGDN over the last century, including an increase of sagebrush, provide important context about the shifting mosaic of grasslands and shrublands relevant to current and future management and ecosystem dynamics.

Identifying the Main Factors Influencing Significant Global Vegetation Changes

Understanding the dynamics of vegetation change is crucial for comprehending ecosystem functioning and its response to anthropogenic activities and climate change. This study investigates significant vegetation changes worldwide and aims to identify the dominant factors responsible for these changes. By analyzing long-term data on vegetation dynamics and climatic factors, this research identifies regions with significant global vegetation changes and determines the main factors leading to such changes at the grid scale. The results reveal important insights into the drivers of vegetation change. Firstly, the study finds that the area experiencing significant browning from April to July is larger than the area exhibiting significant greening. Secondly, on an annual scale, anthropogenic activity emerges as the main factor driving significant vegetation greening, while climate change becomes the primary factor causing vegetation browning from July to September. Thirdly, in regions dominated by climate change, temperature is identified as the primary climatic factor contributing to significant vegetation greening. Additionally, the study reveals that the primary climatic factors causing significant vegetation browning are temperature followed by soil moisture, with temperature being the main factor in most months. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the mechanisms driving global vegetation changes and have implications for sustainable development and climate action.

Integrated Spatiotemporal Analysis of Vegetation Condition in a Complex Post-Mining Area: Lignite Mine Case Study

The motivation for this study arises from the need to monitor the condition of a rehabilitated post-mining areas even decades after the end of the recovery phase. This can be facilitated with satellite derived spectral vegetation indices and Geographic Information System (GIS) based spatiotemporal analysis. The study area described in this work is located in Western Poland and has unique characteristics, as it was subjected to the combined underground and open pit mining of lignite deposits that had been shaped by glaciotectonic processes. The mining ended in early 1970’ties and the area was subjected to reclamation procedures that ended in the 1980’ties. We used the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and the Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) spectral indices derived from Sentinel-2 data for the 2015–2022. period. Then, we applied a combination of GIS-based map algebra statistics (local, zonal and combinatorial) and GI* spatial statistics (hot spot and temporal hot spot) for a complex analysis and assessment of the vegetation cover condition in a post-mining area thought to be in the rehabilitated phase. The mean values of NDVI and EVI for the post-mining study area range from 0.48 to 0.64 and 0.24 to 0.31 and are stable in the analyzed 8 year period. This indicates general good condition of the vegetation and post-recovery phase of the area of interest. However, the combination of spatiotemporal analysis allowed us to identify statistically significant clusters of higher and lower values of the vegetation indices and change of vegetation cover classes on 3% of the study area. These clusters signify the occurrence of local processes such as, the encroachment of aquatic vegetation in waterlogged subsidence basins, and growth of low vegetation in old pits filled with waste material, barren earth zones on external waste dumps, as well as present-day forest management activities. We have confirmed that significant vegetation changes related to former mining occur even five decades later. Furthermore, we identified clusters of the highest values that are associated with zones of older, healthy forest and deciduous tree species. The results confirmed applicability of Sentinel-2 derived vegetation indices for studies of post-mining environment and for the detection of local phenomena related to natural landscaping processes still taking place in the study area. The methodology adopted for this study consisting of a combination of GIS-based data mining methods can be used in combination or separately in other areas of interest, as well as aid their sustainable management.

Paleoclimatic and anthropogenic impacts on the environment of Southwest China since 33 ka based on multiproxy analysis of karst depression deposits

Paleoclimate change and anthropogenic activities have fundamentally modified the Earth's environmental system since the late Quaternary. Southwest China has one of the largest continuous karst areas in the world, yielding geological records from karst depressions that can improve our understanding of changes in the dominant control on regional environmental conditions. In this study, we investigated a sediment sequence formed over 33,000 years in a typical karst catchment by using combined geophysical, geochemical and biological properties of the depression deposits. The results suggest that paleoclimate change was the main modulator of environmental changes prior to the Late Holocene, and that significant vegetation change related to paleotemperature influences played an important role during the Early (ca. 12–8 ka) and Middle (ca. 8–4 ka) Holocene. During the Late Holocene (ca. 4–0 ka), the impact of anthropogenic activities has overwhelmed paleoclimatic influences on the environment. This study demonstrates the utility of dated karst depression deposits for reconstructing Holocene climate change and the timing of anthropogenic impacts on the landscape.

An innovative index for separating the effects of temperature and precipitation on global vegetation change

Temperature and precipitation changes are among the vital climatic driving forces of global vegetation change. However, the strategy to separate the relative contributions of these two critical climatic factors is still lacking. Here, we propose an index CRTP (contribution ratio of temperature and precipitation) to quantify their impacts on vegetation and then construct the CRTP classification prediction models based on climatic, geographic, and environmental factors using the Random Forest classifier. We find that precipitation predominates more than 70% of the significant vegetation change, mainly located in the low and middle latitudes during 2000-2021. Precipitation will remain the dominant climatic factor affecting global vegetation change in the coming six decades, whereas areas with temperature-dominated vegetation change will expand under higher radiative forcings. Hopefully, the promising index CRTP will be applied in the research about climatic attribution for regional vegetation degradation, monitoring drought-type conversion, and alarming the potential ecological risk.

Multi-temporal high-resolution marsh vegetation mapping using unoccupied aircraft system remote sensing and machine learning

Coastal wetlands are among the most productive ecosystems in the world and provide important ecosystem services related to improved water quality, carbon sequestration, and biodiversity. In many locations, wetlands are threatened by coastal development and rising sea levels, prompting an era of tidal wetland restoration. The creation and restoration of tidal marshes necessitate the need for ecosystem monitoring. While satellite remote sensing is a valuable monitoring tool; the spatial and temporal resolution of imagery often places operational constraints, especially in small or spatially complex environments. Unoccupied aircraft systems (UAS) are an emerging remote sensing platform that collects data with flexible on-demand capabilities at much greater spatial resolution than sensors on aircraft and satellites, and resultant imagery can be readily rendered in three dimensions through Structure from Motion (SfM) photogrammetric processing. In this study, UAS data at 5 cm resolution was collected at an engineered wetland at Poplar Island, located in Chesapeake Bay, MD United States five times throughout 2019 to 2022. The wetland is dominated by two vegetation species: Spartina alterniflora and Spartina patens that were originally planted in 2005 in low and high marsh elevation zones respectively. During each survey, UAS multispectral reflectance, canopy elevation, and texture were derived and used as input into supervised random forest classification models to classify species-specific marsh vegetation. Overall accuracy ranged from 97% to 99%, with texture and canopy elevation variables being the most important across all datasets. Random forest classifications were also applied to down-sampled UAS data which resulted in a decline in classification accuracy as spatial resolution decreased (pixels became larger), indicating the benefit of using ultra-high resolution imagery to accurately and precisely distinguish between wetland vegetation. High resolution vegetation classification maps were compared to the 2005 as-built planting plans, demonstrating significant changes in vegetation and potential instances of marsh migration. The amount of vegetation change in the high marsh zone positively correlated with interannual variations in local sea level, suggesting a feedback between vegetation and tidal inundation. This study demonstrates that UAS remote sensing has great potential to assist in large-scale estimates of vegetation changes and can improve restoration monitoring success.

DISTRIBUTION AND GEOBOTANICAL STUDIES OF THE MEDICINAL PLANT CAPPARIS HERBACEA WILLD. IN THE SOUTHERN REGIONS OF KAZAKHSTAN

Conservation of biodiversity has now become one of the most important issues in the world. Among them, the conservation of medicinal plants requires special protection. Today, medicinal plants are widely used in scientific medicine. Its main purpose is to prepare medicinal preparations on the basis of medicinal plants. Huge territories of Kazakhstan are provided with rich natural diversity. Our country has unique plants, adapted to life in the desert. In addition, the flora is rich in forest and steppe species. In recent years, the country's environmental problems have become more complex. The issue of conservation of medicinal plants is a pressing environmental concern. The pharmaceutical industry in Kazakhstan is still in need of development. Therefore, the development of the pharmaceutical industry has become an urgent issue in the country. Intensive integrated use (highland pastures, hayfields, developed cattle breeding, as well as use as a recreation area) of mountain and foothill territories, has caused significant anthropogenic changes in flora and vegetation in recent years. The relevance of the study, is the study of the medicinal plant Capparis heerbacea Willd. which grows mainly in the deserts, semi-deserts and steppes of Central Asia and Kazakhstan. This species is well adapted to different abiotic conditions and was therefore selected for the present study. The research work was carried out in 2020-2022. Classical botanical methods were used in the work. These include: route surveys, ecological systematics, ecological geography, methods of studying cenopopopulations. As a result of research work communities are characterized by the following data: Populations which are in Turkestan region and grow in disturbed areas, gradually increase the number of their individuals and thereby restore the local flora or form the conditions for the formation of new communities and populations of other species. And in the Kyrgyz Alatau population, the ecological condition is stable, which is shown by the mosaic distribution of the study species. The study showed that C. herbacea can be one of the main dominant species for a particular area or locality and an edificator for some ephemeral or ephemeroid species.

Quantifying the direct effects of long-term dynamic land use intensity on vegetation change and its interacted effects with economic development and climate change in jiangsu, China

Vegetation change reflects sensitive responses of ecosystem environment to global climate change as well as land use. It is well known that land use type and its transformation affect vegetation change. However, how the changes in land use intensity (LUI) within different land use types impact vegetation and the interactions with other drivers remain poorly understood. We measured the LUI of Jiangsu Province, China, within the main land use types in 1995, 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015 and 2018 by combining remote sensing-based land use data with representative county scale economic and social indicators. Structural equation models (SEMs) were built to quantify the influences of long term LUI on vegetation change interacting with economic development, climate change and topographical conditions in transformed land, cropland, rural settlements and urbanized land, respectively. Seventy percent of significant vegetation change existed in non-transformed land use types. Although the area with a vegetation greening trend is larger than that with a vegetation browning trend, the vegetation browning areas is prominent in urbanized lands and some croplands in south basins. The constructed SEMs suggested the dominant negative effect of fast economic development regardless of land use types, while LUI played important and different direct and indirect effects on affecting vegetation change significantly interacting with economic development and climate change in different land use types. The LUI increasing led a vegetation greening in cropland, and stronger than climate warming with both positive direct and indirect effects for influencing climate change. The LUI change took negative effects on vegetation change in rural and urban areas, while a positive indirect effect of LUI increasing in urbanized land signaled the positive results of human managements. We then provided some land use-specific suggestions on basin scale for land management in Jiangsu. Our results highlight the necessity of long-term LUI quantification and promote the understanding of its effects on vegetation change interacted with other drivers within different land use types. This can be very helpful for sustainable land use and managements in regions with fast economic development.

Patterns of vegetation change in Yukon: recent findings and future research in dynamic subarctic ecosystems

In Yukon, Canada, average air temperature has increased by 2 °C over the past 50 years and, by the end of the century up to 6.9 °C of further warming is predicted, along with increased climate variability. As a result of these and other changes, vegetation communities are predicted to shift in space and composition. Changes to the vegetation assemblages across multiple ecological units or bioclimate zones will impact carbon and nutrient cycling, animal habitat, biodiversity levels, and other ecosystem processes. Yukon has a wide variety of vegetation communities, and paleoecological evidence indicates that significant vegetation changes have occurred throughout the territory in the past. No documented synthesis of changes to vegetation assemblages exists, restricting predictions of their future likelihood, abundance, and influence. Here, we review the literature of documented examples of vegetation change throughout Yukon that have occurred ( i) in different vegetation communities due to the persistent press of climate change and ( ii) after natural disturbances. Future research into all vegetation responses under ongoing climate change is warranted. We identify critical research gaps for each vegetation community and disturbance type that should be addressed to produce a more encompassing understanding of the response of Yukon bioclimate zones and vegetation communities to future warming and disturbances.