Winter-early Spring Research Articles

Annual Carbon Sequestration Patterns in Trees: A Case Study from Scots Pine Monospecific Stands and Mixed Stands with Sessile Oak in Central Poland

The need to understand the carbon sequestration ability of trees under current and future climatic scenarios is fundamental to predict the role of forest in counterbalancing the global warming. In this study, we investigated the carbon sequestration ability of Pinus sylvestris L. in a setting of pure and mixed forests with Quercus petraea (Matt.) Liebl. in Central Poland. Beside the traditional growth measures, i.e., Ring Width, Basal Area Increment, and wood density, we utilized also a new Index called BAIden, which combines Basal Area Increment and mean ring wood density to depict the carbon sequestration ability of trees. Pinus sylvestris showed different sensitivity to climatic variability depending on tree admixture, while the Basal Area Increment and wood density presented few differences between pure and mixed forests. According to the BAIden index, carbon accumulation in P. sylvestris showed similar sensitivity to climatic variability in pure and mixed forests. The new index was also informative on the main climatic drivers of carbon sequestration. Considering future climatic scenarios, the carbon sequestration ability of P. sylvestris will be facilitated by rising temperatures in late winter-early spring and reduced by decreasing precipitation and rising temperatures during summer. Finally, we discussed the perspective and applicability of BAIden for further studies on carbon sequestration ability under climate change.

Capture-mark-recapture data on the strictly protected Speleomantes italicus.

This data set collects capture-mark-recapture data, biometric data, and stomach contents of seven populations of the Italian cave salamander (Speleomantes italicus), one of the strictly protected European plethodontid species endemic to mainland Italy. We monitored six subterranean populations inside caves, and one fully epigean population living in a forest, surveying a total area of >5200 m2 . Data collection was performed 24 times throughout a year for each of the subterranean populations, and seven times in late winter-early spring for the epigean population. Salamanders were individually identified using two different marking methods: subcutaneous injection of visual implant elastomers (VIE) and photographic recognition of the dorsal pattern. Overall, the data set contains information on 1283 captured salamanders, corresponding to 783 different individuals and 500 recapture events. This type of data can be used to assess the species detection probability and to estimate the size of the populations, which are fundamental parameters for the assessment of its conservation status. Captured salamanders were weighed using a digital scale and photographed next to a reference ruler to perform post hoc measurements. This allows to assess the potential variation of the body condition of individuals through the time, and the potential divergences between conspecific populations. Furthermore, repeated measurements of recaptured individuals can allow to evaluate the seasonal growth rates of Speleomantes. Before their release, the salamanders underwent stomach flushing, a non-invasive technique that allows us to investigate the food residues in the salamanders' stomach. In 951 salamanders, we were able to recognize a total of 7077 consumed prey items belonging to 37 different prey categories (i.e., order level or lower), completing the information on the consumed prey for the entire Speleomantes genus. Data on consumed prey can be used to assess potential divergences between populations or between individuals of different ages/sexes, but also to assess the potential trophic specialization of individuals. The distinctiveness of this data set is that, by combining the capture-mark-recapture data with those on the diet of individuals, it allows to perform detailed studies on the consistency of individuals' food preference over time, an analysis that has never been performed on these salamanders. We release the data set into the public domain under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license (CC-BY). When you use this data in your publication, we request that you cite this data paper; if you are using the whole data set related to the entire project, please cite all the related papers. If this data set will be an important part of the data analyzed in your study, you should consider discussing a collaboration with the data set contact person. If you plan to use data from the European plethodontid salamanders trophic niche project, please contact the contact person to find out if similar analyses are already underway or if unpublished updates are available.

The antioxidant response of Hedera helix leaves to seasonal temperature variations

Seasonal variations in the environment (e.g. of temperature and light intensity) can lead to the excess production of reactive oxygen species and oxidative stress, inducing changes in the permeability of the plant cell membrane and the structure and function of cellular molecules. To address these deleterious effects, plants activate various non-enzymatic and enzymatic antioxidants. This study seeks to detect the influence of seasonal variation in Hedera helix (ivy) leaves, collected in Banj brdo (Banja Luka, Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina) between December 2017 and November 2018, on oxidative (hydrogen peroxide and malondialdehyde) and antioxidant (superoxide dismutase, catalase, Class III peroxidases, and phenolic compounds) parameters. During the winter-early spring months (a temperature range of 0.7 to 5.4?C), we detected an increase in the values of all the oxidative and antioxidant parameters, whereas during the spring, summer, and autumn months (a temperature range of 15 to 25?C), the values of most of these parameters fell. However, a peak in the parameter values was detected during June and July 2018, which might be attributable to the influence of the changes in both light intensity and temperature and to the effects of intensive shoot growth. Our results highlight the importance of the antioxidant protection system of H. helix for its acclimation to seasonal variations in the environment, especially temperature.

THE EFFECT OF CLIMATE ON THE RADIAL GROWTH OF SCOTS PINE (PINUS SYLVESTRIS L.) IN A COASTAL MIXED STAND IN KAPISUYU, BARTIN, TURKEY

Scots pine is geographically the most widespread pine species in the world, and it shows different growth responses to climate and environmental factors in diverse ecological sites. We studied both the stand dynamics and climate-growth relationships of Scots pine in isolated coastal stand (recently found) in the Western Black Sea Region of Turkey. The homogeneity index of this stand has varied between 1.92-3.56. In growth-ring analyses, after cross-dating of individual chronologies, COFECHA and ARSTAN software were used respectively for chronology quality control and standardization (detrend). In this way, a 58-year-long chronology (1959-2016) of Scots pine was constructed. In addition, DENDROCLIM software was used for investigating Scots pine’s radial growth-climate relationships. Mean sensitivity changed from 0.163 to 0.331, with a mean of 0.183. Mean correlation among trees and signal to noise ratio were 0.389 and 7.012 respectively. In terms of the effect of precipitation on the radial growth of Scots pine in this site, the correlation coefficients were 0.43 (p<0.05) for December of the previous year and 0.41 (p<0.05) for July of the current year. For all the other months, precipitation had a non-significant effect. As for the maximum and mean air temperature, the correlation coefficients were 0.36 (p<0.05) and 0.40 (p<0.05) for February, and 0.40 (p<0.05) and 0.42 (p<0.05) for March, respectively. However, on the radial growth, while the maximum temperature in August had a negative effect (r= -0.26; p<0.05), minimum temperatures in February, March and July had a positive effect (r= 0.39, 0.40 and 0.34 respectively; p<0.05). It means while higher rains in July and higher temperatures in the late winter-early spring have caused the wider growth rings, the narrower growth rings have been formed in the years with higher maximum temperatures in August in the isolated coastal site of Scots pine.

Postharvest Quality Evolution in Long Shelf-Life “Vesuviano” Tomato Landrace

“Vesuviano” or “piennolo” tomato is among the most famous Italian small tomato landraces and is cultivated on the slopes of Vesuvio volcano (Southern Italy). The “piennolo” tomato is an interesting case with regard to its potential sustainability, as it is traditionally grown in water-deficit conditions with a low fertilizer input. Fruits with a high firmness and a thick skin can be stored for 3–4 months at room temperature (“long shelf-life” or LSL tomato) without postharvest fungicide applications. The aim of this research was to study the retention, changes in quality, and nutritional traits of “Vesuviano” tomatoes over 120 days of “natural” storage. The dry matter, soluble sugar, organic acids, volatile compounds, and carotenoid contents were evaluated at harvesting and in fruits stored for 40, 80, and 120 days. Slight decreases in dry matter content, soluble sugars, and sweetness index were found, while the organic acids levels remained relatively stable. Moreover, interesting increases in the concentrations of certain flavor volatiles, alcohols, aldehydes, and terpenes were detected. Regarding carotenoids, the total lycopene levels exhibited a 1.5-fold increase from harvest to 120 days. The unchanged lycopene cis-isomer levels and the β-carotene/total lycopene ratio is characteristic of relatively stable isomerization activity and indicated an optimal ripening pattern up until the end of the “natural” storage period. These results, which demonstrate good overall quality retention of this LSL tomato, represent a well-grounded reason to enhance the cultivation and marketing of this genetic resource, the fruits of which can be appreciated by consumers during the winter–early spring, when high-quality fresh tomatoes are not available on the markets.

Reproductive trade-offs of the estuarine copepod Eurytemora affinis under different thermal and haline regimes

Copepod females invest a quantity of resources in their reproduction. Depending on several biotic and abiotic factors and their evolutionary history a trade-off can be commonly observed between producing a large number of smaller offspring or a small number of larger offspring. In this study, a multi-generational approach was applied to determine whether a trade-off between clutch size and egg size existed in the copepod Eurytemora affinis under different controlled conditions of temperature and salinity. This protocol was based on the follow-up of reproductive (Clutch Size ‘CS’, Egg Diameter ‘ED’) and morphological (Prosome Length ‘PL’) traits during several generations. Copepods were acclimated to cold (7 °C) and warm (20 °C) temperatures, and then their reproductive output was tested at the higher temperature of 24 °C. CS and ED were positively correlated to PL, so as a first step linear regressions between each reproductive trait and female PL were performed. The residuals from the regression lines of CS and ED with PL were calculated to remove the effect of female size. When the normalized data (residuals) of CS and ED plotted together a negative relationship between egg size and egg number revealed the existence of a trade-off. Copepod populations initially acclimated to cold temperature are commonly characterized by relatively smaller CS and larger ED. Conversely, warm temperature adapted females produced relatively larger CS and smaller ED. After transfer to a temperature of 24 °C, the ED did not change but the CS showed high variability indicating stressful conditions and no trade-off was observed. These observations suggest that E. affinis is able to modulate its reproduction depending on the encountered temperature. It seems that this copepod species can shift between a K- and an r-strategy in response to colder or warmer conditions. In a late winter-early spring like cold temperature, copepod females seem to invest more on offspring quality by producing relatively larger eggs. This ecological strategy ensures a high recruitment of the spring generation that is responsible for the strength of the maximum population size usually observed in late spring-early summer (May–June). To the contrary, at summer-like temperature, where the population density decreases significantly in the Seine estuary, copepod females seem to switch from K to r strategy by favoring offspring number compared to offspring size. Finally, the use of a higher temperature of 24 °C seems to disrupt the observed reproductive trade-off even after several generations. These results suggest that a switching between K- or r-strategy of E. affinis depends highly on temperature effects. The effect of salinity increase during a summer-like temperature of 20 °C as well as after transfer to 24 °C decreased PL and CS but the ED did not change significantly.

Climate Response in Tree-Rings of Sawara Cypress [Chamaecyparis pisifera (Siebold & Zucc.) Endl.] in Poland

Sawara cypress [Chamaecyparis pisifera (Siebold & Zucc.) Endl.] is originally from Japan. It was introduced to Europe in the latter half of the 19th century (in England and Holland in 1861, and in Poland in 1864). The aim of this study was to examine the influence of climatic conditions on tree-ring width among Sawara cypress populations growing in Poland. Additionally, other indicators determining the growth-climate relationship for the studied tree species were investigated such as false rings, missing rings, or frost rings. Five stands of Sawara cypress from northwestern and central Poland were selected for study. Samples were taken from 97 trees, using Pressler borers at breast-height. Tree-ring widths were measured down to 0.01 mm. Climatic data came from weather stations located the nearest to the study plots. Tree-ring width in the studied populations of Sawara cypress varies (from 1.94 to 4.47 mm). The oldest Sawara cypresses grow in Glinna Arboretum and are nearly 130 years old. The youngest ones grow in Rogów Arboretum (67 years old) and Wirty Arboretum (58 years old). Ten regional pointer years, including six negative and four positive ones, were determined for local chronologies. Negative pointer years were associated with the occurrence of cold winters and water shortages in summer. Positive pointer years are mostly periods with a warm winter season, early and warm spring, and with high precipitation totals during summer months. Correlation and response function analysis corroborates the results yielded by pointer year analysis. False rings carry an additional information on pluvial conditions in the summer period, and frost rings are an aid in dating dendrochronological series and indicate the occurrence of both very cold winters and persistent ground frost occurrences in the spring period. In comparison to native conifers, the Sawara cypress can be regarded as a fast-growing species. The knowledge of acclimatization, growth rate, and growth-climate relationship may be useful, especially in the time of a rapidly changing climate, increasing human impact, and highly intensified invasion of insect and fungal species attacking native forest-forming taxa.

Atmospheric deposition of biologically relevant trace metals in the eastern Adriatic coastal area

Aerosol (PM10), bulk deposition, sea surface microlayer (SML) and underlying water (ULW) samples were collected simultaneously during a field campaign at the middle Adriatic coastal site between February and July 2019, to assess the impact of atmospheric deposition (AD) of biologically relevant trace metals (TM) (Zn, Cu, Co, Ni, Cd and Pb) on the sea surface responses in an oligotrophic coastal region. Anthropogenic emissions from continental Europe, alongside local/regional domestic heating, likely affected the concentrations of Zn, Cd and Pb in aerosols during winter-early spring, while traffic emissions during the tourist season impacted Ni, Co and Cu aerosol concentrations. Additionally, open-fire biomass burning (BB) episodes caused considerable TM concentration increases, while Saharan dust intrusion in spring led to a 10-fold increase in Co concentrations in PM10 samples. These intensive episodes significantly affected the bulk deposition fluxes of TMs, showing that a small number of such extreme events, common to Mediterranean coastal areas, could be responsible for most of the AD. Enrichments and concentrations of total TMs in SML samples collected following BB events indicated that such events, along with high precipitation, influenced TM partitioning in surface water layers. We estimated that AD represents a significant source of TM to the shallow middle Adriatic coastal area, highlighting the need to further explore the atmosphere-sea surface links, to expand our understanding of the biogeochemistry of these important micronutrients and pollutants, including their impact on the aquatic community.

Adding the variable of environmental complexity into the COVID-19 pandemic equation.

In a recently published data-orientedstudyin March 2021, a relationship between SARS-CoV-2 infection rates and airborne pollen concentrationswas detected [1]. The studyincluded a data compilation of airborne pollen concentrations and SARS-CoV-2 infection numbers across 31 countries from both hemispheres and all inhabited continents from an inter-disciplinary team consisting of 154 scientists. The salient finding wasa significant and positive correlation between SARS-CoV-2 infection rates and airborne pollen concentrations in the spring of 2020 for the majority of examined countries, in synergy with air temperature and/or relative humidity (Fig. 1).

Optimized approach for developing soil fugitive dust emission inventory in "2+26" Chinese cities

Based on the wind erosion equation and the use of moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite remote sensing data combined with parameter normalization processing, an optimized high spatial-temporal resolution soil fugitive dust (SFD) emission inventory compiling method was proposed in this study. The "2 + 26" cities in northern China, where heavy pollution frequently occurs, were used as a case study. Using the optimized method, we estimated that the PM50, PM10, and PM2.5 emissions from SFD of "2 + 26" cities in 2018 were 2,014,927, 1,007,463, and 151,120 tons, respectively. The dust emissions and emission factors of each city presented significant differences and were generally of a greater level in high-latitude areas (such as cities in Hebei Province) than in low-latitude areas (such as cities in Henan and Shandong Province). Moreover, with an increase in latitude, vegetation cover factors generally exhibit an upward trend, while temperature and rainfall exhibit a downward trend. The dust emissions in the different months showed significant differences. The total dust emission reached the highest level in "late winter–early spring" season (February to April), and the monthly emission accounted for 15–17% of the annual emissions. While in the "summer–autumn" season (July to November), it is the lowest level of the whole year, monthly emissions accounted for 3–5% of the annual emissions. The emission inventory method proposed in this study can provide a reference for dust emission assessment and further pollution prevention and control work.

Paleohydrological dynamics in the Western Mediterranean during the last glacial cycle

The transitional regions between the low and high latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere are highly vulnerable to future climate change yet most of the current climate models usually diverge in their projections. To better understand the dynamics in these regions, the reconstruction of past hydrological fluctuations and precipitation patterns is of paramount importance to accurately constrain present and future climate scenarios. In this study, we investigated paleohydrological dynamics in the western Mediterranean region, a transitional zone between low-mid latitudes and Atlantic - Mediterranean realms. We reconstruct precipitation and moisture source changes during the last ~35 ka in order to propose the potential mechanisms driving these oscillations. To do so, we use hydrogen isotopes from sedimentary leaf waxes, more specifically the C31 n-alkane homologue, and a precipitation proxy based on previously published pollen data from a sedimentary core (Padul-15-05) in southern Iberia (Padul wetland ~37° N). With this combination we disentangle the coupled effect of precipitation amount and source on the hydrogen isotopic signature of the studied C31 n-alkane record. Our results show three main periods characterized by different precipitation patterns. Low precipitation, mainly linked to a significant contribution from an isotopically-enriched Mediterranean precipitation source, occurred from ~30 to ~15.5 ka BP and during the last ~5 ka, whereas enhanced precipitation with a predominant isotopically-depleted Atlantic precipitation source prevailed from ~15.5 to ~5 ka BP. This latter stage is here defined as the Western Mediterranean Humid Period (WMHP). In addition, some occasional millennial-scale opposite precipitation patterns can be observed during these climatically distinct periods. These changes in the source of precipitation were likely coupled to a shift in the main rainy season from winter, when Atlantic precipitation prevailed, to late winter-early spring, when the contribution of Mediterranean moisture is higher. Comparison between the studied mid-latitude terrestrial Padul-15-05 core and a low-latitude marine record offshore of northwestern Africa shows clear long-term synchronous responses of both western Mediterranean precipitation and western African monsoon systems to northern Hemisphere atmospheric dynamics, ultimately controlled by orbital forcing and ice-sheets fluctuations.

The Strong Stratospheric Polar Vortex in March 2020 in Sub‐Seasonal to Seasonal Models: Implications for Empirical Prediction of the Low Arctic Total Ozone Extreme

AbstractUsing reanalysis and real‐time forecasts from 11 sub‐seasonal to seasonal (S2S) models, the strong stratospheric polar vortex in March 2020 coupled with Arctic ozone loss and their predictability are reported in this study. Arctic ozone reached a minimum value in March 2020 similar to the events in 1997 and 2011. Upward propagation of waves into the stratosphere in winter–early spring was anomalously weak, and the weakened Brewer‐Dobson circulation transported less ozone‐rich air to the Arctic stratosphere in November 2019–March 2020, which contributes around 40% of the total Arctic ozone loss in March, with the residual mainly explained by the chemical loss. Anomalous upwelling in the Arctic further cooled and intensified the polar vortex for ozone depletion and weak mixing, preventing recovery of ozone in early spring 2020. The polar vortex intensity and Arctic total ozone are strongly coupled, so a prediction of Arctic total ozone becomes possible for S2S models using metrics of the polar vortex as a proxy. The prediction of the strong stratospheric polar vortex in late March 2020 is assessed for four common initializations (February 27, March 5, March 12, and March 19) for S2S models. Displacement of the polar vortex toward the Western Hemisphere can only be forecasted in the two later initializations, and its intensity anomaly is underestimated in nearly all of those forecasts. Therefore, the empirical model using the S2S outputs also underestimates the Arctic total ozone. Despite this underestimation, this extremely strong polar vortex event led to improved surface predictability on subseasonal timescales: near‐surface temperature and precipitation are well forecasted 2–3 weeks in advance.

Overview of Aerosol Properties in the European Arctic in Spring 2019 Based on In Situ Measurements and Lidar Data

In this work, we analysed aerosol measurements from lidar and PM10 samples around the European Arctic site of Ny-Ålesund during late winter–early spring 2019. Lidar observations above 700 m revealed time-independent values for the aerosol backscatter coefficient (ββ), colour ratio (CR), linear particle depolarisation ratio (δδ) and lidar ratio (LR) from January to April. In contrast to previous years, in 2019 the early springtime backscatter increase in the troposphere, linked to Arctic haze, was not observed. In situ nss-sulphate (nss-SO42−) concentration was measured both at a coastal (Gruvebadet) and a mountain (Zeppelin) station, a few kilometres apart. As we employed different measurement techniques at sites embedded in complex orography, we investigated their agreement. From the lidar perspective, the aerosol load (indicated by ββ) above 700 m changed by less than a factor of 3.5. On the contrary, the daily nss-SO42− concentration erratically changed by a factor of 25 (from 0.1 to 2.5 ng m−3) both at Gruvebadet and Zeppelin station, with the latter mostly lying above the boundary layer. Moreover, daily nss-SO42− concentration was remarkably variable (correlation about 0.7 between the sites), despite its long-range origin. However, on a seasonal average basis the in situ sites agreed very well. Therefore, it can be argued that nss-SO42− advection mainly takes place in the lowest free troposphere, while under complex orography it is mixed downwards by local boundary layer processes. Our study suggests that at Arctic sites with complex orography ground-based aerosol properties show higher temporal variability compared to the free troposphere. This implies that the comparison between remote sensing and in situ observations might be more reasonable on longer time scales, i.e., monthly and seasonal basis even for nearby sites.

Phenological tracking of a seasonal climate window in a recovering tropical island bird species

Constraints on evolutionary adaptation and range shifts mean that phenotypic plasticity, which includes physiological, developmental or behavioural responses to environmental conditions, could be an important mode of adaptation to a changing climate for many species with small insular populations. While there is evidence to suggest adaptive plasticity to climate in some island populations, little is known about this capacity in species that have experienced a severe population bottleneck. In a changing climate, plasticity in the timing of life-history events, such as in breeding phenology, is adaptive if timing is optimised in seasonal environments, although these processes are poorly understood for tropical species. Here, we quantify the effects of climate on the breeding phenology and success of the Mauritius kestrel (Falco punctatus), a tropical raptor whose extinction has been averted by conservation management. We show that the timing of egg-laying is advancing in response to warming, at rates similar to temperate bird populations. Individual females show plasticity to temperature, although there is limited variation among individual responses. We show that advances in breeding phenology are likely to be adaptive, as they track changes in a seasonal climate window of favourable conditions, defined by late winter-early spring temperatures and the onset of the summer rainy season. Our results provide a rare example of a small and bottlenecked insular population that has adjusted to recent climate change through phenotypic plasticity. Furthermore, seasonal climate windows and their dynamics may be widespread mechanisms through which tropical species are impacted by and respond to climate change.

Cupressaceae Pollen in the City of Évora, South of Portugal: Disruption of the Pollen during Air Transport Facilitates Allergen Exposure

Research Highlights: Daily airborne Cupressaceae pollen disruption ranged from 20 to 90%; relative humidity (RH), rainfall and atmospheric pressure (AtP) were the major meteorological determinants of this phenomenon. Background and Objectives: Cupressaceae family includes several species that are widely used as ornamental plants pollinating in late winter-early spring and might be responsible for allergic outbreaks. Cupressaceae pollen disruption may favour allergen dissemination, potentiating its allergenicity. The aim of this work was to characterize the Cupressaceae pollen aerobiology in Évora, South of Portugal, in 2017 and 2018, particularly the pollen disruption, and to identify the meteorological parameters contributing to this phenomenon. Materials and Methods: Pollen was collected using a Hirst type 7-day pollen trap and was identified following the standard methodology. Temperature, RH, rainfall, global solar radiation (Global Srad), AtP, wind speed and direction were obtained from a weather station installed side-by-side to the Hirst platform. Back trajectories (12-h) of air masses arriving at Évora were calculated using the HYSPLIT model. Results: Cupressaceae pollen index was higher in 2017 compared to 2018 (>5994 and 3175 pollen/m3, respectively) and 36 ± 19% (2017) and 64 ± 17% (2018) of the pollen was disrupted. Higher levels of disrupted pollen coincided with RH > 60% and rainfall. Temperature, Global Srad and AtP correlated negatively with pollen disruption. Wind speed and wind direction did not significantly correlate with pollen disruption. Intra-diurnal pollen pattern peaked between 9:00 am–2:00 pm, suggesting local origin, confirmed by the back trajectory analysis. Intra-diurnal pollen disruption profile followed hourly pollen pattern and it negatively correlated with AtP, temperature and Global Srad but was uncorrelated with RH. Conclusions: The results suggest that RH, rainfall and AtP are the main factors affecting airborne Cupressaceae pollen integrity and in conjunction with daily pollen concentration may be used to predict the risk of allergy outbreaks to this pollen type.

Eficacia de captura de tejones (Meles meles) en el contexto de la investigación de la tuberculosis animal en la España atlántica

Understanding factors affecting the number of badgers (Meles meles) captured around the setts, latrine and passage areas, is of considerable application in a context of animal tuberculosis research. These factors could be used to define and develop strategies to control tuberculosis, to estimate badgers densities and, in the future, to manage vaccination programs. This study analyzes the trappability of 49 badgers from 2015 to 2017 and describes the capture rate in comparison with these variables: season of the year, meteorological temperature and precipitation, number of night traps and different trapping habitats. The highest capture rate (2.76 badgers/100 night traps) was obtained in late winter-early spring, which could be directly related to the availability of food. Among the adult badgers captured, the females were trapped in higher proportion (63%) than males (37%), which could be related to a greater involvement of the females in the search for food. The best capture rate was obtained around of the setts and no statistical significance was found with respect to the meteorological variables studied.

A flow-weighted ensemble strategy to assess the impacts of climate change on watershed hydrology

Evaluation of hydrological response to future climate change is essential for water quality risk assessment and adaptive management implementation within a watershed context. In this study, we present a modeling framework that integrates a hydrological model with projections of General Circulation Models (GCMs). Temperature and precipitation projections of six GCMs with two downscaling methods are used to force the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model in the Hamilton Harbour watershed in Ontario, Canada. A flow-based weighting strategy was developed to integrate the projections of multiple GCMs based on their ability to recreate empirical flow frequency distributions in multiple monitoring sites. Our study renders support to the ability of the weighted model ensemble to draw meaningful hydrological forecasts. Nonetheless, we also note that the ensemble strategy understates the frequency and magnitude of flow extremes, and therefore the domain that is collectively delineated by individual GCMs can still provide complementary planning information. Climate change is projected to trigger a distinct increase in air temperature and precipitation during the late winter-early spring period, which in turn will likely result in an earlier snowmelt and changes in the magnitude and timing of peak flow events. Analysis of the water cycle shows that the sensitivity of the individual hydrological components to climate change may vary along the urban-to-agriculture gradient. The projected declining soil–water content in agricultural catchments highlights the likelihood of more intensified drought conditions in the croplands. Evapotranspiration rates will likely increase across the entire watershed, whereas surface runoff could be reduced but less so in urbanized locations. Overall, our findings suggest that any future planning exercise to ameliorate the prevailing water quality conditions will only be insightful if we consider the interplay between climate change and urbanization processes in the area.

Guest or pest? Spatio-temporal occurrence and effects on soil and vegetation of the wild boar on Elba island

Where allochthonous large mammals, such as the wild boars, occur in high density, human-wildlife conflicts may arise. Thus, assessing their spatio-temporal patterns is paramount to their management. We studied the wild boars on Elba island, Italy, where they have been introduced and are perceived as pests to address their occurrence and impact of foraging on natural habitat. We surveyed the western island with three camera trapping surveys within one year. We found that the species' estimated occupancy probability was higher in summer-autumn (0.75 ± 0.14) and winter-early spring (0.70 ± 0.10) than in spring–summer (0.53 ± 0.15), whereas detection probability did not vary. Occupancy was significantly associated with lower elevation and woodland cover. Lower site use of wild boars during spring–summer might reflect lower food availability in this season and/or boars’ movements towards landfarms outside the sampled area. Detectability increased with proximity to roads during spring–summer and decreased with humans’ relative abundance in other periods. Boars were mainly nocturnal, with decreasing overlap with human activity when human presence was higher in the park. Soil degradation caused by wild boars was higher in pine plantations, which is the cover with a lower conservation interest. The spatio-temporal activity of wild boars on the island appears driven by seasonal preferences for food-rich cover and avoidance of human disturbance. The lowered site use in months with lower resources could partially reflect increased proximity to settled and farmed areas, which may trigger crop-raiding and the negative perception by residents.

Metabolic and Population Effects of Winter Tick Infestations on Moose: Unique Evolutionary Circumstances?

Moose (Alces alces) have evolved to store adequate body fat to emerge from winter in adequate nutritional condition that is key to annual productivity and neonatal survival. Blood consumption by winter ticks (Dermacentor albipictus) affects survival and productivity of moose, often resulting in marked local and regional die-offs of the calf segment of the population. Concurrent with an unprecedented frequency of winter tick epizootics (> 50% calf mortality) in the northeastern United States, productivity but not mortality of adult female moose has also declined due to low rates of twinning and calving. Chronic blood loss to winter ticks affects protein and energy balance in late winter-early spring when pregnant cows are in their energy- and protein-costly 3rd trimester, and will eventually calve and lactate initially in an environment low in digestible energy and protein. To describe this dynamic, I calculated the endogenous fat and protein balance of different-sized pregnant cows by developing energy balance equations that accounted temporally for gestation, winter tick infestation, and lactation under two consumption levels. The analysis revealed the critical importance of body mass and body fat as only large cows (25% pre-winter body fat) were immune from depletion of body fat at birth in all scenarios. Mid-sized cows (20% body fat) depleted fat reserves during gestation in most scenarios, and small cows (15% body fat) in all scenarios. The infestation and forage consumption levels influenced the predicted date of fat depletion up to several weeks, and failed calving or mortal mass loss associated with rapid loss of endogenous protein was possible in mid-sized and small cows. The continual decline in demographic parameters points to reduced body mass and body fat over time, or increased numbers of mid-sized and small cows in the population. Recent research is suggestive of a self-sustaining relationship largely influenced, ironically, by quality habitat and patterns of habitat use. This regional population is confronted with a unique and sustained combination of environmental and parasitic conditions associated with a warming climate that markedly affects its survival and reproduction in quality habitat, a unique occurrence in their evolutionary history.

Climatology of the Linke and Unsworth–Monteith Turbidity Parameters for Greece: Introduction to the Notion of a Typical Atmospheric Turbidity Year

Solar rays are attenuated by the Earth’s atmosphere. This attenuation can be expressed by the turbidity parameters; two of them are the Linke turbidity factor (TL) and the Unsworth–Monteith turbidity coefficient (TUM). In this sudy, both parameters are estimated for 33 sites across Greece, and the notion of a Typical Atmospheric Turbidity Year (TATY) is also introduced. Use of the modified clearness index (k’t) is made, while a suggestion for a modified diffuse fraction (k’d) is given. The adoption of the four climatic zones in Greece for energy purposes is made, where the variation of TL and TUM is studied during a TATY under all and clear-sky conditions. The analysis shows maximum levels in both parameters in late winter–early spring in morning and evening hours, with minimum values at midday. The intra-annual variation of the parameters shows maximum values around March and August and minimum values in summertime and late winter. Maps of annual mean TL and TUM values over Greece show persistent minimum values over Peloponnese and maximum values over South Ionian Sea. Linear expressions of TUM vs. TL are derived for all sites under all and clear-sky conditions. Finally, linear expressions for k’d vs. k’t are given for all sites and sky conditions.