COVID-19 Vaccination Site Accessibility, United States, December 11, 2020-March 29, 2022.

During December 11, 2020-March 29, 2022, the US government delivered ≈700 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine to vaccination sites, resulting in vaccination of ≈75% of US adults during that period. We evaluated accessibility of vaccination sites. Sites were accessible by walking within 15 minutes by 46.6% of persons, 30 minutes by 74.8%, 45 minutes by 82.8%, and 60 minutes by 86.7%. When limited to populations in counties with high social vulnerability, accessibility by walking was 55.3%, 81.1%, 86.7%, and 89.4%, respectively. By driving, lowest accessibility was 96.5% at 15 minutes. For urban/rural categories, the 15-minute walking accessibility between noncore and large central metropolitan areas ranged from 27.2% to 65.1%; driving accessibility was 79.9% to 99.5%. By 30 minutes driving accessibility for all urban/rural categories was >95.9%. Walking time variations across jurisdictions and between urban/rural areas indicate that potential gains could have been made by improving walkability or making transportation more readily available.

Assessment of potentially hazardous elements in soils of the Boyacá industrial corridor (Colombia) using GIS, multivariate statistical analysis, and geochemical indexes.

In the industrial corridor of Boyacá, Colombia, population growth is accompanied by anthropogenic activities such as industrial operations, vehicle exhaust fumes, mining, smelting, atmospheric deposition, and excessive use of chemical products to promote crop growth. These activities are known to have a significant impact on urban and rural soils, contributing significantly to elevated concentrations of potentially hazardous elements in the environment. This industrial corridor is an area of economic and social development that needs to provide reference information that will allow us to know the state of soil quality to preserve and manage the public and geoenvironmental health of this region. Anthropogenic activities have contributed to the accumulation of potentially hazardous elements in the environment, affecting various levels of life and creating risks with economic and social implications. However, igneous activity or detrital deposition also enriches soils and creates geochemical anomalies in specific locations. In these cases, the identification of potentially hazardous elements involves the determination of likely sources of contamination and their relationship to the geological setting. In this study, the concentrations of As, Cd, Pb, Mn, Fe, Zn, Hg, Cu and Ni were determined in eighty-one soil samples from the Boyacá industrial corridor (Colombia). The sequential trend of the concentrations of potentially hazardous elements was as follows: Fe > Mn > Zn > Ni > Cu> Pb > As > Cd > Hg. Furthermore, the application of spatial analysis criteria in GIS software with multivariate statistical tools and geochemical indices allowed the identification of anthropogenic and geogenic sources. Most of the potentially hazardous elements were found in soils exposed to industrial and agricultural activities, except for iron. This element showed low variability in all samples, regardless of the geological formations. Due to the lack of reference values for potentially hazardous elements in Colombia, the concentrations were compared with the environmental standards of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Ecuadorian Ministry of Environment, Water and Ecological Transition (MAE). The results demonstrate the complexity of the soil and represent the first exploratory study of potentially hazardous elements in this industrial corridor. These results are the starting point for the establishment of geochemical background lines in Colombia and for inspection policies for areas where productive activities converge.

Detecting the drivers of functional diversity in a local lichen flora: a case study on the extinct volcano of Roccamonfina (southern Italy).

Current strategies for conservation reportedly suffer from an inadequate awareness of the drivers affecting lichen diversity, pointing to the need to fully develop a functional approach to lichen ecology. This study is an attempt to detect the drivers affecting functional diversity in the lichen flora of a volcanic Mediterranean area. Data on epiphytic lichen distribution were correlated with information coming from a GIS analysis. Species richness, functional diversity and indicator values of lichens species were analyzed as a function of altitude, bioclimatic patterns and land use patterns. Both taxonomic and functional diversity were found to increase with altitude, peaking at 600 m a.s.l. and slightly decreasing at higher elevations. A filtering effect of altitude on lichen growth-forms was detected at increasing altitude, with foliose isidiate lichens replacing crustose lichens with sexual reproduction, cyanobacteria replacing Trentepohlia as photobiont, and oligotrophic species linked to partially shaded environments gradually replacing species indicating eutrophic conditions. Forest stations impacted by low impact traditional agriculture tended to express higher lichen diversity compared to either undisturbed broadleaved forests or intensive orchards. These data demonstrate the need to integrate traditional low-impact agricultural practices in protected areas. Moreover, they provide the evidence that reanalyzing past and recent lichenological censuses with the proposed analytical tools may help previewing and driving the evolution of endangered ecosystems.

Feasibility Assessments Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Technology in Heritage Buildings: Rehabilitation-Restoration, Spatial Analysis and Tourism Potential Analysis.

The Transylvanian region of Romania is a place of rich history since ancient times, where the original natural environment around architectural heritage sites or buildings has not been severely altered by urban development. Unfortunately, many such places are left by the authorities to degrade or totally collapse for lack of funds, vision or initiatives. The current paper addresses the potential of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in the assessment of a viable and feasible prospect of restoration on a 19th century mansion that belonged to a nobiliary family. UAV use is rising in many industries and has become very popular in the last decade, but for survey engineering and related domains they represent a quantum leap in technology. Integrating UAV-acquired data and structure from motion software, has enabled modern techniques to obtain useful metrics from the field, accurate photorealistic 3D models for visual inspection, structural damage analyses, architectural rehabilitation-restoration, conservation and spatial analysis of the surrounding area. In this work a socio-cultural planning and design process is explored and presented to improve the local community and inclusion in a tourist circuit based on the regional potential, as well as an evaluation of accessibility derived from a vector-raster database that highlights the central position of the cultural heritage in regards to the axis of circulation between the important metropolitan areas and the local tourist attractions. This established workflow of modern topographic and construction measurements is fully integrable into the architectural process, building information modelling, heritage conservation and reconstruction.

A novel application of remote sensing for modelling impacts of tree shading on water quality.

Uncertainty in capturing the effects of riparian tree shade for assessment of algal growth rates and water temperature hinders the predictive capability of models applied for river basin management. Using photogrammetry-derived tree canopy data, we quantified hourly shade along the River Thames (UK) and used it to estimate the reduction in the amount of direct radiation reaching the water surface. In addition we tested the suitability of freely-available LIDAR data to map ground elevation. Following removal of buildings and objects other than trees from the LIDAR dataset, results revealed considerable differences between photogrammetry- and LIDAR-derived methods in variables including mean canopy height (10.5 m and 4.0 m respectively), percentage occupancy of riparian zones by trees (45% and 16% respectively) and mid-summer fractional penetration of direct radiation (65% and 76% respectively). The generated data on daily direct radiation for 2010 were used as input to a river network water quality model (QUESTOR). Impacts of tree shading were assessed in terms of upper quartile levels, revealing substantial differences in indicators such as biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) (1.58-2.19 mg L-1 respectively) and water temperature (20.1 and 21.2 °C respectively) between 'shaded' and 'non-shaded' radiation inputs. Whilst the differences in canopy height and extent derived by the two methods are appreciable they only make small differences to water quality in the Thames. However such differences may prove more critical in smaller rivers. We highlight the importance of accurate estimation of shading in water quality modelling and recommend use of high resolution remotely sensed spatial data to characterise riparian canopies. Our paper illustrates how it is now possible to make better reach scale estimates of shade and make aggregations of these for use at river basin scale. This will allow provision of more effective guidance for riparian management programmes than currently possible. This is important to support adaptation to future warming and maintenance of water quality standards.

Land-use evaluation for sustainable construction in a protected area: A case of Sara mountain national park.

The process of making decisions on sustainable development and construction begins in spatial and urban planning when defining the suitability of using land for sustainable construction in a protected area (PA) and its immediate and regional surroundings. The aim of this research is to propose and assess a model for evaluating land-use suitability for sustainable construction in a PA and its surroundings. The methodological approach of Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis was used in the formation of this model and adapted for the research; it was combined with the adapted Analytical hierarchy process and the Delphi process, and supported by a geographical information system (GIS) within the framework of ESRI ArcGIS software - Spatial analyst. The model is applied to the case study of Sara mountain National Park in Kosovo. The result of the model is a "map of integrated assessment of land-use suitability for sustainable construction in a PA for the natural factor".

Evaluating the recreation potential of Ilgaz Mountain National Park in Turkey.

In recent years, natural areas have become a preferred recreation area for people looking to escape their busy urban lives. The world has become so complicated that people now seek solace in areas of nature. Recreational activities conducted in natural areas, such as Ilgaz Mountain National Park, should be respectful of the environment to ensure balance and no negative environmental impact. This balance should safeguard environmental protection and only be used with the right to establish recreation planning. National parks are protected areas where the most beautiful wonders of nature exist. Thus, urban planning for recreation, and demand for recreation areas, must demonstrate both the potential of recreation resources and the protection of Ilgaz Mountain National Park. Urban open and green spaces have an important function, and in this study, it has been looked at Ilgaz Mountain National Park to examine the current situation. The aim of this study is to ensure the sustainability of natural and cultural resources via an evaluation to reveal the necessary practices and precautions regarding the area's recreational potential. As a result, Ilgaz Mountain National Park's recreation potential was found to be 72 %, and thus, it is considered to be an area of high recreation potential.

Temporal changes in artificial light exposure of marine turtle nesting areas.

Artificial light at night poses a significant threat to multiple taxa across the globe. In coastal regions, artificial lighting close to marine turtle nesting beaches is disruptive to their breeding success. Prioritizing effective management of light pollution requires an understanding of how the light exposure of nesting areas changes over time in response to changing temporal and spatial distributions of coastal development. We analyzed multitemporal, satellite night-light data, in combination with linear mixed model analysis, to determine broadscale changes in artificial light exposure at Australian marine turtle nesting areas between 1993 and 2010. We found seven marine turtle management units (MU), from five species, have experienced significant increases in light exposure over time, with flatback turtles nesting in east Australia experiencing the fastest increases. The remaining 12 MUs showed no significant change in light exposure. Unchanging MUs included those previously identified as having high exposure to light pollution (located in western Australia and southern Queensland), indicating that turtles in these areas have been potentially exposed to high light levels since at least the early nineties. At a finer geographic scale (within-MU), nine MUs contained nesting areas with significant increases in light exposure. These nesting areas predominantly occurred close to heavily industrialized coastal areas, thus emphasizing the importance of rigorous light management in industry. Within all MUs, nesting areas existed where light levels were extremely low and/or had not significantly increased since 1993. With continued coastal development, nesting females may shift to these darker/unchanging 'buffer' areas in the future. This is valuable information that informs our understanding of the capacity and resilience of marine turtles faced with coastal development: an understanding that is essential for effective marine turtle conservation.

Demonstrating a new framework for the comparison of environmental impacts from small- and large-scale hydropower and wind power projects.

Climate change and the needed reductions in the use of fossil fuels call for the development of renewable energy sources. However, renewable energy production, such as hydropower (both small- and large-scale) and wind power have adverse impacts on the local environment by causing reductions in biodiversity and loss of habitats and species. This paper compares the environmental impacts of many small-scale hydropower plants with a few large-scale hydropower projects and one wind power farm, based on the same set of environmental parameters; land occupation, reduction in wilderness areas (INON), visibility and impacts on red-listed species. Our basis for comparison was similar energy volumes produced, without considering the quality of the energy services provided. The results show that small-scale hydropower performs less favourably in all parameters except land occupation. The land occupation of large hydropower and wind power is in the range of 45-50 m(2)/MWh, which is more than two times larger than the small-scale hydropower, where the large land occupation for large hydropower is explained by the extent of the reservoirs. On all the three other parameters small-scale hydropower performs more than two times worse than both large hydropower and wind power. Wind power compares similarly to large-scale hydropower regarding land occupation, much better on the reduction in INON areas, and in the same range regarding red-listed species. Our results demonstrate that the selected four parameters provide a basis for further development of a fair and consistent comparison of impacts between the analysed renewable technologies.

GIS Mapping and Breast Cancer Health Care Access Gaps for African American Women.

Black women face an unequal opportunity to survive breast cancer compared with White women. One would expect that US metropolitan areas with high percentages of Black people should report similar racial disparities in breast health. Yet, this is not the case. To provide insights about breast cancer disparities in cities with above-average and below-average racial disparities, we use GIS analysis. We depict racial composition and income categories on the same map with mammography facility locations to distinguish unique patterns of mammography access, a critical resource for breast cancer care. Looking more closely at low health disparities cities, a general and consistent pattern arises. Both White and Black people are concentrated in middle-income neighborhoods. Further, MQSA-certified facilities are not clustered in affluent areas but tend to be centrally located in the middle of the city or highly dispersed across the city, regardless of income. Our findings are consistent with the hypothesis that metropolitan areas that have a preponderance of racially segregated low-income Black households-a characteristic of neighborhoods that have experienced a history of racism and disinvestment-are more likely to experience disparities in access to primary breast care than middle-income Black, middle-income White, or high-income White neighborhoods.

Social Vulnerability of Brazilian Metropolitan Schools and Teachers' Absence from Work Due to Vocal and Psychological Symptoms: A Multilevel Analysis.

Teachers' voices and psychological symptoms are the main reasons for absence from work. The objectives of this study were: (i) to spatially represent, through a webGIS, the standardized rates of teachers' absences due to voice (outcome 1) and psychological symptoms (outcome 2) in each Brazilian Federative Unit (FU = 26 states plus Federal District) and (ii) to analyze the relationship between each national outcome rate and the Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) of the municipality where urban schools are located, adjusted for sex, age, and working conditions. This cross-sectional study comprised 4979 randomly sampled teachers working in basic education urban schools, of which 83.3% are women. The national absence rates were 17.25% for voice symptoms and 14.93% for psychological symptoms. The rates, SVI, and school locations in the 27 FUs are dynamically visualized in webGIS. The multilevel multivariate logistic regression model showed a positive association between voice outcome and high/very high SVI (OR = 1.05 [1.03; 1.07]), whereas psychological symptoms were negatively associated with high/very high SVI (OR = 0.86 [0.85 0.88]) and positively associated with intermediate SVI (OR = 1.15 [1.13; 1.16]), in contrast with low/very low SVI. Being a woman (voice: OR = 1.36 [1.35; 1.38]; psychological: 1.22 [1.21; 1.24]) and working in schools with various precarious conditions (17 variables) increased the odds of being absent due to voice and psychological symptoms. The results confirm the need for investments to improve working conditions in schools.

Climatic Niche, Altitudinal Distribution, and Vegetation Type Preference of the Flea Beetle Genus Arsipoda in New Caledonia (Coleoptera Chrysomelidae).

New Caledonia is one of the major biodiversity hotspots. The flea beetle genus Arsipoda (Coleoptera Chrysomelidae) is present with 21 species, all endemic. We investigated, using GIS analyses and ecological niche models, the habitat preferences of these species in terms of vegetation types, altitude, and climate, and assessed the adequacy of knowledge on the spatial parameters affecting the distribution of the genus in New Caledonia. Altitude and geology seem to play an important role in shaping species distribution. Volcanic substrate allows the growth of ultramafic vegetation, which includes most of their host plants. From a biogeographic and conservation perspective, our results report a deep link between Arsipoda species and their habitats, making them particularly sensitive to environmental modifications.

Assessing Climate Change Impacts on Island Bees: The Aegean Archipelago.

Pollinators' climate change impact assessments focus mainly on mainland regions. Thus, we are unaware how island species might fare in a rapidly changing world. This is even more pressing in the Mediterranean Basin, a global biodiversity hotspot. In Greece, a regional pollinator hotspot, climate change research is in its infancy and the insect Wallacean shortfall still remains unaddressed. In a species distribution modelling framework, we used the most comprehensive occurrence database for bees in Greece to locate the bee species richness hotspots in the Aegean, and investigated whether these might shift in the future due to climate change and assessed the Natura 2000 protected areas network effectiveness. Range contractions are anticipated for most taxa, becoming more prominent over time. Species richness hotspots are currently located in the NE Aegean and in highly disturbed sites. They will shift both altitudinally and latitudinally in the future. A small proportion of these hotspots are currently included in the Natura 2000 protected areas network and this proportion is projected to decrease in the coming decades. There is likely an extinction debt present in the Aegean bee communities that could result to pollination network collapse. There is a substantial conservation gap in Greece regarding bees and a critical re-assessment of the established Greek protected areas network is needed, focusing on areas identified as bee diversity hotspots over time.

Functional Zoning and Path Selection of Land Comprehensive Consolidation Based on Grey Constellation Clustering: A Case Study of Dongying City, China.

The functional zoning of land comprehensive consolidation and the selection of consolidation paths are the key content of the current land and space planning, and it is also an important measure to achieve regional sustainable development. At present, the research system on land comprehensive consolidation is not yet mature. The previous research area is relatively small and not representative, and an effective method system has not been formed. Research on the selection of functional zoning and a consolidation path is also relatively scarce. There is an urgent need to construct the theory and method system of land comprehensive consolidation functional zoning and consolidation path selection. Taking Dongying City in China as an example, this paper constructs a zoning index system from four aspects including natural conditions, location advantages, social economy and land use. The entropy method is used to determine the weights, and GIS spatial data visualization is used to analyze the spatial distribution characteristics of the index system. Based on the analysis, the grey constellation clustering method is used to divide the study area into four types of land comprehensive consolidation functional areas, and the results of functional zoning are adjusted according to the ranking of comprehensive index values, the principle of maximum similarity, and the continuity of natural space. The research results show that: ① There are 10 functional zonings for urban development and ecological protection land consolidation, and the main consolidation path should be the ecological country park consolidation model, which can effectively serve the urban ecological construction. ② There are nine functional zonings for rural development and cultivated land conservation consolidation, and their consolidation path should be based on a comprehensive rural improvement model that enhances the quality of the village and the development, utilization and protection of cultivated land resources. ③ There are 18 functional zonings for cultivated land improvement and ecological protection land consolidation, and the main consolidation path should focus on the cultivated land ecological improvement mode that emphasizes the quality of cultivated land and the improvement of regional ecological functions. ④ There are four functional zonings for ecological conservation and fallow recuperative land consolidation, and their main consolidation path should be the land ecological restoration and improvement model of construction land reclamation, cultivated land ecological conservation, and conversion of farmland to forest and grassland. The research results can provide references for Dongying City to formulate land and space planning, and can be extended to the design of comprehensive land remediation projects in other regions. It is of great significance to promote regional sustainable and scientific development.

Spatial Analysis of COVID-19 Vaccine Centers Distribution: A Case Study of the City of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

The COVID-19 pandemic is one of the most devastating public health emergencies in history. In late 2020 and after almost a year from the initial outbreak of the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), several vaccines were approved and administered in most countries. Saudi Arabia has established COVID-19 vaccination centers in all regions. Various facilities were selected to set up these vaccination centers, including conference and exhibition centers, old airport terminals, pre-existing medical facilities, and primary healthcare centers. Deciding the number and locations of these facilities is a fundamental objective for successful epidemic responses to ensure the delivery of vaccines and other health services to the entire population. This study analyzed the spatial distribution of COVID-19 vaccination centers in Jeddah, a major city in Saudi Arabia, by using GIS tools and methods to provide insight on the effectiveness of the selection and distribution of the COVID-19 vaccination centers in terms of accessibility and coverage. Based on a spatial analysis of vaccine centers' coverage in 2020 and 2021 in Jeddah presented in this study, coverage deficiency would have been addressed earlier if the applied GIS analysis methods had been used by authorities while gradually increasing the number of vaccination centers. This study recommends that the Ministry of Health in Saudi Arabia evaluated the assigned vaccination centers to include the less-populated regions and to ensure equity and fairness in vaccine distribution. Adding more vaccine centers or reallocating some existing centers in the denser districts to increase the coverage in the uncovered sparse regions in Jeddah is also recommended. The methods applied in this study could be part of a strategic vaccination administration program for future public health emergencies and other vaccination campaigns.

Taxonomy, Habitat Preference, and Niche Overlap of Two Arrow-Poison Flea Beetle Species of the Genus Polyclada in Sub-Saharan Africa (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae).

Coupling the geographic distribution and the ecological requirements of species often supports taxonomy and biogeography. In this contribution, we update the distribution of two flea beetle species of ethno-entomological interest, Polyclada bohemani and P. pectinicornis, by analyzing original data. In addition, we supply their main morphological diagnostic characters, describing their aedeagal and spermathecal shapes for the first time. We also assess their niche differences in terms of climatic and vegetation needs, by means of ecological niche modelling and remote sensing techniques. Several new localities were identified to improve knowledge of the geographical distribution of both species. Moreover, we located a wide climatic suitability overlap in East Africa for these two flea beetle species, while in other areas they show a clear separation. Our analysis also reports that P. bohemani is associated with areas of denser tree cover than P. pectinicornis. Finally, the lectotypes of Diamphidia bohemani Baly, 1861, Clytra pectinicornis Olivier, 1791, and Diamphidia compacta Fairmaire, 1887 are here designated and the new synonymy Clytra pectinicornis Olivier = Diamphidia compacta Fairmaire syn.nov. is proposed.

Comparison of spatial and temporal changes in riverine nitrate concentration from terrestrial basins to the sea between the 1980s and the 2000s in Japan: Impact of recent demographic shifts.

Nitrogen (N) is an essential nutrient but may become a pollution source in the environment when the N concentration exceeds a certain threshold for humans and nature. Nitrate is a major N species in river water with notable spatial and temporal variations under the influences of natural factors and anthropogenic N inputs. We analyzed the relationship between riverine N (focusing on nitrate) concentration and various factors (land use, climate, basin topography, atmospheric N deposition, agricultural N sources and human-derived N) in 104 rivers located throughout the Japanese Archipelago except small remote islands. We aimed to better understand processes and mechanisms to explain the spatial and temporal changes in riverine nitrate concentration. A publicly available river water quality database observed in the 1980s (1980-1989) and 2000s (2000-2009) was used. This study is the first to evaluate the long-term scale of 20 years in the latter half of Japan's economic growth period at the national level. A geographic information system (GIS) was employed to determine average values of each variable collected from multiple sources of statistical data. We then performed regression analysis and structural equation modeling (SEM) for each period. The forestland area influenced by the basin topography, climate (i.e., air temperature) and other land uses (i.e., farmland and urban area) played a major role in decreasing nitrate concentrations in both the 1980s and 2000s. Atmospheric N deposition (especially N oxides) and agricultural N sources (fertilizer and manure) were also significant variables regarding the spatial variations in riverine nitrate concentrations. The SEM results suggested that human-derived N (via food consumption) intensified by demographic shifts during the 2000s increased riverine nitrate concentrations over other variables within the context of spatial variation. These findings facilitate better decision making regarding land use, agricultural practices, pollution control and individual behaviors toward a sustainable society.

Spatial and temporal analysis of the COVID-19 incidence pattern in Iran.

In the present paper, province-level variations of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) disease incidence across Iran were investigated. To this end, a geo-database from infected cases, deaths, total population, death-to-population ratio, and infected case-to-death ratio for 31 provinces of Iran and during seven successive periods of February 18-March 19 (P1), March 20-April 8 (P2), April 9-April 28 (P3), April 29-May 20 (P4), May 21-June 20 (P5), June 21-September 21 (P6), and September 22-October 21 (P7) of 2020 was built. Based on the last reports of the population and housing census (2018), Iran is home to 81.8 million people. Nationwide case series of 536,181 and 29,403 infected cases and deaths respectively with COVID-19 were reported to Iran's Minister of Health from February 18 to October 21, 2020. Of the infected cases, 5.48% have died. The spatiotemporal patterns of COVID-19 were different throughout the 31 study provinces. Firstly, the central, north, and northwest of Iran were the main hosts of this virus. Shortly after, other parts of Iran, most notably the west and southwest regions, experienced a momentous rise in the numeral of infected cases and deaths. In the first study period, Tehran, West Azerbaijan, Mazandaran, Qom, and Gilan had the most infected cases (> 1000). In the second to fourth periods, the number of provinces with higher than 1000 infected cases, respectively, reached 12, 10, and 17. For the last three periods (P5-P7), 31 provinces were assigned higher than 1000 infected cases. Tehran had the most deaths with an increasing trend for all study periods among other provinces. The areas around Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad, Bushehr, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, South Khorasan, and Ilam had the least death cases. The numbers of infected (death) cases in Iran for the first to seventh periods (P1-P7) respectively were 16,730 (1208), 41,285 (1595), 28,530 (1876), 16,366 (1856), 80,694 (6588), 201,585 (6232), and 128,336 (6953). The location quotient (LQ) index showed that most provinces of Iran have the LQ > 1 indicating a high degree of COVID-19 concentration in most of the province's area in comparison with the nation, especially in the last study period (P7).

Extinction Risk Assessment of the Greek Endemic Flora.

Human-induced biodiversity decline has been on the rise for the past 250 years, due to various causes. What is equally troubling, is that we are unaware which plants are threatened and where they occur. Thus, we are far from reaching Aichi Biodiversity Target 2, i.e., assessing the extinction risk of most species. To that end, based on an extensive occurrence dataset, we performed an extinction risk assessment according to the IUCN Criteria A and B for all the endemic plant taxa occurring in Greece, one of the most biodiverse countries in Europe, in a phylogenetically-informed framework and identified the areas needing conservation prioritization. Several of the Greek endemics are threatened with extinction and fourteen endemics need to be prioritized, as they are evolutionary distinct and globally endangered. Mt. Gramos is identified as the most important conservation hotspot in Greece. However, a significant portion of the identified conservation hotspots is not included in any designated Greek protected area, meaning that the Greek protected areas network might need to be at least partially redesigned. In the Anthropocene era, where climate and land-use change are projected to alter biodiversity patterns and may force many species to extinction, our assessment provides the baseline for future conservation research, ecosystem services maintenance, and might prove crucial for the timely, systematic and effective aversion of plant extinctions in Greece.

Future losses of ecosystem services due to coastal erosion in Europe.

Coastal erosion is a major issue facing Europe that will only worsen under future climate change and the resulting sea level rise. One effect of erosion is the loss of ecosystem services, which are provided by coastal areas, such as provisioning, regulating, habitat, and cultural services. These services can be quantified in monetary terms. Here, we present comprehensive estimates of future decline in coastal ecosystem services due to the erosion of sandy coastlines. We used datasets derived from remote sensing products: a pan-European land cover/use dataset (Corine Land Cover) and new global probabilistic coastal erosion projections constrained by artificial and topographical barriers to erosion. The results include historical changes (2000-2018) and projections under two emission scenarios (RCP4.5 and RCP8.5) for 2050 and 2100 together with uncertainty bounds. We estimate that in 2018, the coastal zone (excluding open sea) included 579,700 km2 of habitats generating 494 billion euros of services annually. The future sea-level rise could erode 1.0% [90% confidence interval 0.7-1.5%] of the 2018 area under RCP4.5, and 1.2% [0.7-2.2%] under RCP8.5. The decline in services would be even greater: 4.2% [3.0-6.1%] under RCP4.5, and 5.1% [3.3-8.5%] under RCP8.5. The highest absolute losses would be sustained by salt marshes, while relative losses would be highest in beaches, sands, and dunes. The most affected countries in relative economic terms would be Denmark, Albania, Greece, Estonia, and Finland, but countries such as Germany, the Netherlands, and France would be among those losing the largest share of their coastal ecosystem services. Regional analysis using NUTS 3 regions shows high diversity of the impacts, with many regions along the North Sea and eastern Mediterranean Sea that are heavily affected by coastal erosion-induced loss of ecosystem services. The study highlights the urgency of undertaking mitigation actions.