Small Spatial Extent Research Articles

Latitudinal patterns of tree β-diversity and relevant ecological processes vary across spatial extents in forests of southeastern China

Latitudinal patterns of tree β-diversity reveal important insights into the biogeographical processes that influence forest ecosystems. Although previous studies have extensively documented β-diversity within relatively small spatial extents, the potential drivers of β-diversity along latitudinal gradients are still not well understood at larger spatial extents. In this study, we determined whether tree β-diversity is correlated with latitude in forests of southeastern China, and if so, what ecological processes contribute to these patterns of tree β-diversity. We specifically aimed to disentangle the relative contributions from interspecific aggregation and environmental filtering across various spatial extents. We delineated regional communities comprising multiple nearby national forest inventory (NFI) plots around random focal plots. The number of NFI plots in a regional community served as a surrogate for spatial extent. We also used a null model to simulate randomly assembled communities and quantify the deviation (β-deviation) between observed and expected β-diversity. We found that β-diversity decreased along a latitudinal gradient and that this pattern was clearer at larger spatial extents. In addition, latitudinal patterns of β-deviation were explained by the degree of species spatial aggregation. We also identified environmental factors that drive β-deviation in these forests, including precipitation, seasonality, and temperature variation. At larger spatial extents, these environmental variables explained up to 84% of the β-deviation. Our results reinforce that ecological processes are scale-dependent and collectively contribute to the β-gradient in subtropical forests. We recommend that conservation efforts maintain diverse forests and heterogeneous environments at multiple spatial extents to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change.

Avian Dispersal Ability Shapes Species-Area Relationships on Islands Worldwide.

Island biogeography theory provides key insights into biodiversity patterns across islands species-area relationships and conservation. However, classical island biogeography theory assumes that species are ecologically equivalent in terms of their dispersal ability. We evaluated the role of a key trait (hand-wing index, a proxy for dispersal ability in birds) in shaping species-area relationships of avifauna spanning 6706 species on 3894 islands. High community-weighted mean (CWM) dispersal ability in regional species pools had widespread but context-dependent effects on island species-area relationships. Among island archipelagos at smaller spatial extents, high CWM dispersal ability was associated with steeper species-area relationships. Among zoogeographical realms at larger spatial extents high CWM dispersal ability was associated with shallower species-area relationships and higher local species richness on small islands. Our study reveals that geographic variation in species' dispersal traits has strong effects on island species-area relationships and likely plays an important role in non-neutral community assembly.

A multi-source approach to mapping habitat diversity: Comparison and combination of single-date hyperspectral and multi-date multispectral satellite imagery in a Mediterranean Natural Reserve

The increasing availability of spaceborne hyperspectral satellite imagery opens new opportunities for forest habitat mapping and monitoring, but the limitation of its generally low temporal resolution must be considered. In this study, we compare the ability of single-date PRISMA (PRecursore IperSpettrale della Missione Applicativa), the hyperspectral satellite from the Italian Space Agency, with that of both single-date and multi-date Sentinel-2 (S2) and PlanetScope (PS) to detect and correctly classify various EUNIS habitat types distributed over a relatively small spatial extent (6000 ha) in a natural reserve in Central Italy. The case study deals with multiple levels of spectral similarity, as the dominant canopy species of the target forest habitat classes belong to the same genus (Quercus spp., both deciduous and evergreen species) as well as of different taxa (Pinus and Fraxinus spp.). We performed a pixel-based classification with the Random Forest algorithm using a set of 28 spectral indices computed on PRISMA bands, 22 on S2, and 12 on PS. A Canopy Height Model (CHM) was also used as an input variable for the classification. Our results showed that PRISMA considerably outperforms the two multispectral satellites in single-date classifications, with an overall accuracy of 84 % compared to PlanetScope's 69 % and Sentinel-2's 72 %. Regarding the comparison between multi-date multispectral and single-date hyperspectral, 10-fold cross-validation results revealed that S2 achieves an out-of-bag error rate of approximately 16 %, while PRISMA achieves 17 % and PS 19 %. This demonstrates that a combination of spectral indices calculated during the growing season can capture phenological or physiological differences among the target species, which consequently results in a significant improvement in the classification accuracy of the multispectral sensors. Ultimately, classification results from all three sensors were combined to create probability maps for each forest class, identifying areas classified with a higher degree of certainty by each satellite tested and potentially contributing to forest management by defining areas with varying conservation levels.

From land to deep sea: A continuum of cumulative human impacts on marine habitats in Atlantic Canada

AbstractEffective management and mitigation of multiple human impacts on marine ecosystems require accurate knowledge of the spatial patterns of human activities and their overlap with vulnerable habitats. Cumulative impact (CI) mapping combines spatial information and the intensity of human activities with the spatial extent of habitats and their vulnerabilities to those stressors into an intuitive relative CI score that can inform marine spatial planning processes and ecosystem‐based management. Here, we mapped potential CIs of 45 human activities from five sectors (climate change, land‐based, marine‐based, coastal, commercial fishing) on 21 habitats in Atlantic Canada's Scotian Shelf bioregion. We applied an uncertainty and sensitivity analysis to assess the robustness of results and identify hot and cold spots of CIs. Nearly the entire Scotian Shelf bioregion experiences the CIs of human activities, and high CIs were frequently associated with multiple stressors. CIs varied widely across habitats: CI scores in habitats >30 m deep were dominated by climate change and commercial fishing, while nearshore habitats were influenced by a much wider range of activities across all five sectors. When standardized by area, coastal habitats had among the highest CI scores, highlighting the intensity of multiple stressors in these habitats despite their relatively small spatial extent and emphasizing the importance of a multisector approach when managing coastal ecosystems. Robust hot spots of CIs (i.e., areas with high CI scores that were insensitive to alternative modeling assumptions and simulated data quality issues) occurred mostly in coastal areas where multiple high‐intensity activities overlapped with highly vulnerable biogenic habitats. In contrast, robust cold spots of CI mostly occurred offshore. Overall, our results emphasize the need to consider CIs in management and protection and demonstrates that, in many areas, targeting only one activity will be insufficient to reduce overall human impact. The CI map will be useful to highlight areas in need of protection from multiple human impacts, provide information for ecological indicator development, and establish a baseline of the current state of human use in the bioregion.

Despite regional variation, Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus (Pinyon Jay) densities generally increase with local pinyon–juniper cover and heterogeneous ground cover

Abstract Traditionally, local-scale habitat-relationship models are developed over small spatial extents, limiting model transferability and inference outside the study area. Thus, habitat managers frequently lack fine-scale information regarding the influence of vegetation composition and structure on site suitability or species abundance. Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus (Pinyon Jay) represents one declining species for which managers have limited information regarding the influence that vegetation composition and structure have on abundance at broad scales. To address this need, we developed a hierarchical Bayesian abundance model using summertime bird and vegetation data collected under the Integrated Monitoring in Bird Conservation Regions program to explain jay abundance as a function of local conditions. Our G. cyanocephalus abundance model allowed abundance relationships with pinyon pine (Pinus edulis and P. monophylla) and juniper (Juniperus spp.) to vary by ecoregion, thereby accounting for potential regional differences in habitat associations. We found G. cyanocephalus abundance was generally positively associated with pinyon pine and juniper cover; however, habitat relationships varied by ecoregion. Additionally, we found positive associations between jay abundance and grass cover, sagebrush cover, and percent bare ground. Our results agree with prior research suggesting mechanical removal of pinyon pine and juniper trees for sagebrush restoration or fuel treatments may negatively affect G. cyanocephalus. Managers wishing to reduce pinyon and juniper tree cover without negatively affecting G. cyanocephalus may benefit from targeting sites where both large-scale distribution models and our local habitat relationships suggest G. cyanocephalus are likely to occur in low numbers. Additionally, our modeled relationships indicate restoration that increases grass cover, sagebrush cover, and bare ground, while maintaining pinyon and (or) juniper cover, may lead to increased local densities of G. cyanocephalus.

Lattice dynamics approach towards Kelvin's nucleation criticality in martensitic transformations

ABSTRACT The energetics of nucleation of martensite by soft mode mechanism is studied. First the soft modes of a 2D model material are identified by means of classical lattice dynamics. This soft mode is mimicked by inducing static displacement modulations in the austenitic lattice and calculating the potential energy of the whole material for various wave packages. It is found that modulations with small spatial extent cause an increase of the potential energy and are expected to yield oscillatory motion of the atoms. As the spatial extent of the modulation increases – the potential energy of unstable modes descends into local minima with increasing amplitude of the modulation. The spatial extent which thus allows the transformation is a critical modulation.

A systematic review of invasive non-native freshwater bivalves.

The introduction of invasive species has become an increasing environmental problem in freshwater ecosystems due to the high economic and ecological impacts it has generated. This systematic review covers publications from 2010 to 2020, focusing on non-native invasive freshwater bivalves, a particularly relevant and widespread introduced taxonomic group in fresh waters. We collected information on the most studied species, the main objectives of the studies, their geographical location, study duration, and type of research. Furthermore, we focused on assessing the levels of ecological evidence presented, the type of interactions of non-native bivalves with other organisms and the classification of their impacts. A total of 397 publications were retrieved. The studies addressed a total of 17 species of non-native freshwater bivalves; however, most publications focused on the species Corbicula fluminea and Dreissena polymorpha, which are recognised for their widespread distribution and extensive negative impacts. Many other non-native invasive bivalve species have been poorly studied. A high geographical bias was also present, with a considerable lack of studies in developing countries. The most frequent studies had shorter temporal periods, smaller spatial extents, and more observational data, were field-based, and usually evaluated possible ecological impacts at the individual and population levels. There were 94 publications documenting discernible impacts according to the Environmental Impact Classification for Alien Taxa (EICAT). However, 41 of these publications did not provide sufficient data to determine an impact. The most common effects of invasive bivalves on ecosystems were structural alterations, and chemical and physical changes, which are anticipated due to their role as ecosystem engineers. Despite a considerable number of studies in the field and advances in our understanding of some species over the past decade, long-term data and large-scale studies are still needed to understand better the impacts, particularly at the community and ecosystem levels and in less-studied geographic regions. The widespread distribution of several non-native freshwater bivalves, their ongoing introductions, and high ecological and economic impacts demand continued research. Systematic reviews such as this are essential for identifying knowledge gaps and guiding future research to enable a more complete understanding of the ecological implications of invasive bivalves, and the development of effective management strategies.

Gulf Stream Moisture Fluxes Impact Atmospheric Blocks Throughout the Northern Hemisphere

AbstractIn this study, we explore the impact of oceanic moisture fluxes on atmospheric blocks using the ECMWF IFS. Artificially suppressing surface latent heat flux over the Gulf Stream (GS) region reduces atmospheric blocking frequency across the Northern Hemisphere by up to 30%. Affected blocks show a shorter lifespan (−6%), smaller spatial extent (−10%), and reduced intensity (−0.4%), with an increased number of individual blocking anticyclones (+17%). These findings are robust across various blocking detection thresholds. Analysis reveals a qualitatively consistent response across all resolutions, with Tco639 (∼18 km) showing the largest statistically significant change across all blocking characteristics, although differences between resolutions are not statistically significant. Exploring the broader Rossby wave pattern, we observe that diminished moisture fluxes favor eastward propagation and higher zonal wavenumbers, while air‐sea interactions promote stationary and westward‐propagating waves with zonal wavenumber 3. This study underscores the critical role of the GS in modulating atmospheric blocking.

Assessing landscape-level effects of permanent grassland management and landscape configuration on open-land butterflies based on national monitoring data

Halting and reversing the ongoing insect decline requires in-depth knowledge on key drivers. Due to their sensitivity to habitat quality, butterflies are valuable indicators for grassland management intensity, including mowing. However, most studies examining mowing regime impacts on butterflies are limited to small spatial extents. Here, we tested the potential of citizen science butterfly monitoring data for assessing landscape-level effects of mowing regimes (number of mowing events and timing of the first event) and edge density (density of boundaries between different land-cover types) on butterfly richness, abundance, and community composition. We used generalised linear mixed-effects models to relate nationwide data from the German Butterfly Monitoring Scheme (DEBMS) to high-resolution satellite imagery on mowing events in permanent grasslands (grasslands excluded from crop rotation). As butterfly transects may not consistently be located within grasslands, we ran our models for different thresholds from 0 to 50%, representing increasing shares of the transect route situated within permanent grasslands (10% intervals). We did not find significant associations between mowing regimes and butterflies when focussing on species richness and abundance of all species inhabiting open land. However, we found strong positive associations of delayed mowing with the abundance of grassland specialists with increasing grassland shares per transect. Further, we found negative associations of delayed mowing with the annual number of generations and of more frequent mowing with the abundance of specialists, depending on the share of grassland per transect. Edge density had a positive association with species richness and abundance of species inhabiting open land, as well as abundance of grassland indicator species and grassland specialists in landscapes with a low grassland share per transect. Our findings underscore the importance of low-intensity managed permanent grasslands at the landscape scale for specialised butterflies. Additionally, we highlight the importance of a high density of boundaries for open-land and specialised butterflies, particularly in landscapes with highly fragmented permanent grasslands. To improve future analyses of grassland management impacts, we recommend expanding DEBMS monitoring sites to cover a larger grassland management intensity gradient and to place more transects within grasslands.

Design of a Talbot phase-contrast microscopy imaging system with a digital detector for laser-driven X-ray backlighter sources

Laser-driven shock waves in matter propagate with multiple kilometers per second and therefore require sources like a laser-driven backlighter, which emit the X-rays within picoseconds, to be able to capture sharp images. The small spatial extent of shocks in low-density materials pose challenges on the imaging setup. In this work, we present a design process for a single-shot X-ray phase-contrast imaging system geared towards these objects, consisting of a two-grating Talbot interferometer and a digital X-ray detector. This imaging system is optimized with respect to the detectable refraction angle of the X-rays induced by an object, which implies a high phase sensitivity. Therefore, an optimization parameter is defined that considers experimental constraints such as the limited number of photons, the required magnification, the size and spectrum of the X-ray source, and the visibility of the moiré fringes. In this way, a large parameter space is sampled and a suitable imaging system is chosen. During a campaign at the PHELIX high-power laser facility a static test sample was imaged which is used to benchmark the optimization process and the imaging system under real conditions. The results show good agreement with the predicted performance, which demonstrates the reliability of the presented design process. Likewise, the process can be adapted to other types of laser experiments or X-ray sources and is not limited to the application presented here.

Unoccupied aerial vehicles as a tool to map lizard operative temperature in tropical environments

AbstractTo understand how ectotherms will respond to warming temperatures, we require information on thermal habitat quality at spatial resolutions and extents relevant to the organism. Measuring thermal habitat quality is either limited to small spatial extents, such as with ground‐based 3D operative temperature (Te) replicas, representing the temperature of the animal at equilibrium with its environment, or is based on microclimate derived from physical models that use land cover variables and downscale coarse climate data. We draw on aspects of both these approaches and test the ability of unoccupied aerial vehicle (UAV) data (optical RGB) to predict fine‐scale heterogeneity in sub‐canopy lizard (Anolis bicaorum) Te in tropical forest using random forest models. Anolis bicaorum is an endemic, critically endangered, species, facing significant threats of habitat loss and degradation, and work was conducted as part of a larger project. Our findings indicate that a model incorporating solely air temperature, measured at the centre of the 20 × 20 m plot, and ground‐based leaf area index (LAI) measurements, measured at directly above the 3D replica, predicted Te well. However, a model with air temperature and UAV‐derived canopy metrics performed slightly better with the added advantage of enabling the mapping of Te with continuous spatial extent at high spatial resolutions, across the whole of the UAV orthomosaic, allowing us to capture and map Te across the whole of the survey plot, rather than purely at 3D replica locations. Our work provides a feasible workflow to map sub‐canopy lizard Te in tropical environments at spatial scales relevant to the organism, and across continuous areas. This can be applied to other species and can represent species within the same community that have evolved a similar thermal niche. Such methods will be imperative in risk modelling of such species to anthropogenic land cover and climate change.

Seasonal ventilation controls nitrous oxide emission in the NW Iberian upwelling

Despite their small spatial extent, coastal upwelling systems are an important source of oceanic nitrous oxide (N2O) to the atmosphere. To date, hot-spot N2O emissions have been reported for low oxygen waters of the eastern boundary upwelling systems at their tropical latitudes, but there is a limited number of studies in their “oxygenated” temperate latitudes. This is the first study of the N2O cycle in the NW Iberian Upwelling system, where we investigated the seasonality of the N2O concentrations and their emissions to the atmosphere, along with the spatial differences in this coastal region in response to the upwelling. Monthly observations were collected from February 2017 to July 2018, in two hydrographic sections within the Ría of Vigo and Ría of A Coruña, two coastal embayments with contrasting response to the upwelling of the Eastern North Atlantic Central Water (ENACW) in the region. N2O concentrations ranged between 8.56 to 12.53 nmol kg−1 (94–121 % of saturation) in the shelf, and from 8.62 to 17.60 nmol kg−1 (94–203 % of saturation) inside the rías, with the highest N2O concentration at the bottom, which increase as the upwelling progress from April to October. The air-sea fluxes of N2O varied between −1.6 to 3.26 µmol m−2 d−1 in the shelf and −1.53 to 7.00 µmol m−2 d−1 inside the rías. Local differences on the ventilation and remineralization pattern drives the seasonality of N2O and differences between Ria of Vigo and Ria of A Coruña, being the higher values of N2O concentrations and air-sea fluxes registered in the inner Ria of Vigo. Our study reports the N2O emissions of an upwelling system in a temperate latitude, where the upwelling waters are central waters relatively well ventilated in terms of oxygen content, behaving as a moderate low net source of N2O to the atmosphere compared to tropical upwelling latitudes, characterised by a lower oxygen content.

Spike sorting with Kilosort4.

Spike sorting is the computational process of extracting the firing times of single neurons from recordings of local electrical fields. This is an important but hard problem in neuroscience, made complicated by the nonstationarity of the recordings and the dense overlap in electrical fields between nearby neurons. To address the spike-sorting problem, we have been openly developing the Kilosort framework. Here we describe the various algorithmic steps introduced in different versions of Kilosort. We also report the development of Kilosort4, a version with substantially improved performance due to clustering algorithms inspired by graph-based approaches. To test the performance of Kilosort, we developed a realistic simulation framework that uses densely sampled electrical fields from real experiments to generate nonstationary spike waveforms and realistic noise. We found that nearly all versions of Kilosort outperformed other algorithms on a variety of simulated conditions and that Kilosort4 performed best in all cases, correctly identifying even neurons with low amplitudes and small spatial extents in high drift conditions.

Past, present and future rainfall erosivity in central Europe based on convection-permitting climate simulations

Abstract. Heavy rainfall is the main driver of soil erosion by water, which is a threat to soil and water resources across the globe. As a consequence of climate change, precipitation – especially extreme precipitation – is increasing in a warmer world, leading to an increase in rainfall erosivity. However, conventional global climate models struggle to represent extreme rain events and cannot provide precipitation data at the high spatiotemporal resolution that is needed for an accurate estimation of future rainfall erosivity. Convection-permitting simulations (CPSs), on the other hand, provide high-resolution precipitation data and a better representation of extreme rain events, but they are mostly limited to relatively small spatial extents and short time periods. Here, we present, for the first time, rainfall erosivity in a large modeling domain such as central Europe based on high-resolution CPS climate data generated with the regional climate model COSMO-CLM using the Representative Concentration Pathway 8.5 (RCP8.5) emission scenario. We calculated rainfall erosivity for the past (1971–2000), present (2001–2019), near future (2031–2060) and far future (2071–2100). Our results showed that future increases in rainfall erosivity in central Europe can be up to 84 % in the region's river basins. These increases are much higher than previously estimated based on regression with mean annual precipitation. We conclude that despite remaining limitations, CPSs have an enormous and currently unexploited potential for climate impact studies on soil erosion. Thus, the soil erosion modeling community should closely follow the recent and future advances in climate modeling to take advantage of new CPSs for climate impact studies.

Classification of tree forms in aerial LiDAR point clouds using CNN for 3D tree modelling

ABSTRACT Three-dimensional models of trees that correspond to the real-world forms of the trees on the ground are used in urban planning, solar power estimation, and other disciplines. Previous studies have focused on generating 3D tree models from high-density point cloud data such as Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS) data, which is expensive and limited to small spatial extents. However, there has been limited exploration of inexpensive solutions to model trees over large spatial extents. The goal of this study is to use widely available discrete return Airborne Laser Scanning (ALS) data along with field-captured tree photographs and Google Street View (GSV) images to develop 3D equivalents of trees over larger spatial extents. To this end, we designed a process to assign representative 3D models for individual trees in discrete return ALS point clouds. This study demonstrates the use of a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) model and 3D models generated with Structure from Motion (SfM) for the realistic modelling of deciduous non-overlapping trees from discrete return ALS data. We classified and labelled the crown shapes of deciduous trees in a study area into four classes based on GSV images of trees. We delineated and segmented non-overlapping deciduous trees from ALS data and reduced them to 2D images using voxel point counts. Next, we trained a CNN architecture to match the 2D images to the corresponding classes observed from GSV images. For each class, we created a representative 3D tree model using field-captured circumnavigational photos of trees and SfM. To demonstrate 3D visualization using the 3D tree models, we created a 3D visualization of the trees surrounding a parking lot. The trained CNN model from this study can be used to classify non-overlapping deciduous trees from discrete return ALS data and subsequently visualize near-realistic 3D tree models of trees.

Specifics of objectification of the social exclusion, social inclusion categories (territorial aspect) in German

The article deals with specific features of objectification in German related to the categories of social exclusion and social inclusion in the territorial aspect on the example of the concepts «Kaff» and «Einöde». As a result of the definitional analysis of the similar lexemes, denoting these concepts, the author establishes nuclear semantic features – the absence of appropriate social conditions, low-population density area /uninhabited area (Einöde) and its small length, aimlessness of the subject’s existence (Kaff). These notions are described as the semantic field. The study found that the core of the semantic fields of the concepts «Einöde» and «Kaff» are the linguistic units directly indicating the nuclear semantic features and the periphery – the units actualizing the processes of social exclusion and in separate (rare) cases of social inclusion. The author identifies the units expressing spatial remoteness from the center, as well as static, absence of movement, changes as common leading language means expressing the category of social exclusion; as different – the units indicating a small spatial extent, verbs of socially determined movement with certain efforts of the subject (semantic field «Kaff»); verbs of unnoticed, aimless existence of the subject within the given object (semantic field «Einöde»).The results of the research suggest that the lexeme Kaff to a greater extent as compared to the lexeme Einöde objectifies the processes of territorial social exclusion in the context. The author notes that the language units Kaff and Einöde do not have unambiguous equivalents in Russian. As a result of the contextual analysis the author reveals additional semantic features, specifying these concepts, which are not reflected in the glossary of the German language.

Polarity Asymmetries in Rocket‐Triggered Lightning

AbstractThe dissonant development of positive and negative lightning leaders is a central question in atmospheric electricity. It is also the likely root cause of other reported asymmetries between positive and negative lightning flashes, including the ones regarding: stroke multiplicity, recoil activity, leader velocities, and emission of energetic radiation. In an effort to contrast lightning leaders of different polarities, we highlight the staggering differences between two rocket‐triggered lightning flashes. The flash beginning with upward positive leaders exhibits an initial continuous current stage followed by multiple sequences of dart leaders and return strokes. On the other, in its opposite‐polarity counterpart, the upward development of negative leaders is by itself the entire flash. As a result, the flash with negative leaders is faster, briefer, transfers less charge to the ground, has lower currents, and smaller spatial extent. We conclude by presenting a discussion on the three fundamental leader propagation modes.

How observations from automatic hail sensors in Switzerland shed light on local hailfall duration and compare with hailpad measurements

Abstract. Measuring the properties of hailstorms is a difficult task due to the rarity and mainly small spatial extent of the events. Especially, hail observations from ground-based time-recording instruments are scarce. We present the first study of extended field observations made by a network of 80 automatic hail sensors from Switzerland. The main benefits of the sensors are the live recording of the hailstone kinetic energy and the precise timing of the impacts. Its potential limitations include a diameter-dependent dead time, which results in less than 5 % of missed impacts, and the possible recording of impacts that are not due to hail, which can be filtered using a radar reflectivity filter. We assess the robustness of the sensors' measurements by doing a statistical comparison of the sensor observations with hailpad observations, and we show that, despite their different measurement approaches, both devices measure the same hail size distributions. We then use the timing information to measure the local duration of hail events, the cumulative time distribution of impacts, and the time of the largest hailstone during a hail event. We find that 75 % of local hailfalls last just a few minutes (from less than 4.4 min to less than 7.7 min, depending on a parameter to delineate the events) and that 75 % of the impacts occur in less than 3.3 min to less than 4.7 min. This time distribution suggests that most hailstones, including the largest, fall during a first phase of high hailstone density, while a few remaining and smaller hailstones fall in a second low-density phase.

GRiMeDB: the Global River Methane Database of concentrations and fluxes

Abstract. Despite their small spatial extent, fluvial ecosystems play a significant role in processing and transporting carbon in aquatic networks, which results in substantial emission of methane (CH4) into the atmosphere. For this reason, considerable effort has been put into identifying patterns and drivers of CH4 concentrations in streams and rivers and estimating fluxes to the atmosphere across broad spatial scales. However, progress toward these ends has been slow because of pronounced spatial and temporal variability of lotic CH4 concentrations and fluxes and by limited data availability across diverse habitats and physicochemical conditions. To address these challenges, we present a comprehensive database of CH4 concentrations and fluxes for fluvial ecosystems along with broadly relevant and concurrent physical and chemical data. The Global River Methane Database (GriMeDB; https://doi.org/10.6073/pasta/f48cdb77282598052349e969920356ef, Stanley et al., 2023) includes 24 024 records of CH4 concentration and 8205 flux measurements from 5029 unique sites derived from publications, reports, data repositories, unpublished data sets, and other outlets that became available between 1973 and 2021. Flux observations are reported as diffusive, ebullitive, and total CH4 fluxes, and GriMeDB also includes 17 655 and 8409 concurrent measurements of concentrations and 4444 and 1521 fluxes for carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrous oxide (N2O), respectively. Most observations are date-specific (i.e., not site averages), and many are supported by data for 1 or more of 12 physicochemical variables and 6 site variables. Site variables include codes to characterize marginal channel types (e.g., springs, ditches) and/or the presence of human disturbance (e.g., point source inputs, upstream dams). Overall, observations in GRiMeDB encompass the broad range of the climatic, biological, and physical conditions that occur among world river basins, although some geographic gaps remain (arid regions, tropical regions, high-latitude and high-altitude systems). The global median CH4 concentration (0.20 µmol L−1) and diffusive flux (0.44 mmolm-2d-1) in GRiMeDB are lower than estimates from prior site-averaged compilations, although ranges (0 to 456 µmol L−1 and −136 to 4057 mmolm-2d-1) and standard deviations (10.69 and 86.4) are greater for this larger and more temporally resolved database. Available flux data are dominated by diffusive measurements despite the recognized importance of ebullitive and plant-mediated CH4 fluxes. Nonetheless, GriMeDB provides a comprehensive and cohesive resource for examining relationships between CH4 and environmental drivers, estimating the contribution of fluvial ecosystems to CH4 emissions, and contextualizing site-based investigations.

Relating weather radar data to migrating waterfowl abundance in the Rainwater Basin of Nebraska

AbstractWaterfowl migrations are large‐scale events that involve millions of birds moving over broad geographic extents, which make them difficult to quantify and study. Historically, wildlife managers have relied mostly on field surveys, such as visual counts from the ground or air that sample at small spatial or temporal extents, or both. Combining field surveys with remote sensing data comprehensively collected over large spatial extents at high temporal frequency may improve the study of migrating waterfowl distributions. We tested the strength of the relationship between broad‐scale weather surveillance radar data and fine‐scale field surveys of waterfowl abundance at wetlands within the Rainwater Basin of Nebraska, USA, from 2017–2019. Radar reflectivity of waterfowl at the peak exodus of evening flights was positively correlated with diurnal waterfowl count data, although there was unexplained variation in the relationship. The association was also very similar across various time scales ranging from daily to monthly averages of waterfowl abundance. We suggest that human‐based ground surveys can calibrate and leverage more comprehensive remote sensing data to get a broad understanding of waterfowl distributions during migration. Several confounding factors, such as spatial displacement between radar and survey observation, individual variation in orientation and body size, and identification of avian species sampled by radar, remain on the path to improving radar‐based waterfowl estimates.