Density-dependent predatory impacts of an invasive beetle across a subantarctic archipelago.

Biological invasions represent a major threat to biodiversity, especially in cold insular environments characterized by high levels of endemism and low species diversity which are heavily impacted by global warming. Terrestrial invertebrates are very responsive to environmental changes, and native terrestrial invertebrates from cold islands tend to be naive to novel predators. Therefore, understanding the relationships between predators and prey in the context of global changes is essential for the management of these areas, particularly in the case of non-native predators. Merizodus soledadinus (Guérin-Méneville, 1830) is an invasive non-native insect species present on two subantarctic archipelagos, where it has extensive distribution and increasing impacts. While the biology of M. soledadinus has recently received attention, its trophic interactions have been less examined. We investigated how characteristics of M. soledadinus, its density, as well as prey density influence its predation rate on the Kerguelen Islands where the temporal evolution of its geographic distribution is precisely known. Our results show that M. soledadinus can have high ecological impacts on insect communities when present in high densities regardless of its residence time, consistent with the observed decline of the native fauna of the Kerguelen Islands in other studies. Special attention should be paid to limiting factors enhancing its dispersal and improving biosecurity for invasive insect species.

Demographic and Socioeconomic Correlates of Disproportionate Beef Consumption among US Adults in an Age of Global Warming.

Concern for the environment when making dietary choices has grown as the contribution of the food sector to global greenhouse gas emissions becomes more widely known. Understanding the correlates of beef eating could assist in the targeting of campaigns to reduce the consumption of high-impact foods. The objective of this study was to identify the demographic, socioeconomic, and behavioral correlates of disproportionate beef consumption in the United States. We analyzed 24-h dietary recall data from adults (n = 10,248) in the 2015-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Disproportionate beef consumption was defined as an intake greater than four ounce-equivalents per 2200 kcal. Associations of this indicator variable with gender, age, race/ethnicity, education, family income, diet knowledge, and away-from-home meals were assessed using logistic regression, incorporating survey design and weighting. Disproportionate beef diets were consumed by 12% of individuals, but accounted for half of all beef consumed. Males were more likely than females (p < 0.001) to consume these diets. This relationship was seen in all bivariate and multivariable models. Older adults, college graduates, and those who looked up the MyPlate educational campaign online were less likely (p < 0.01) to consume a disproportionate beef diet. While almost one-third of reported consumption came from cuts of beef (e.g., steak or brisket), six of the top ten beef sources were mixed dishes: burgers, meat mixed dishes, burritos and tacos, frankfurters, soups, and pasta. Efforts to address climate change through diet modification could benefit from targeting campaigns to the highest consumers of beef, as their consumption accounts for half of all beef consumed.

Future distribution of the epiphytic leafless orchid (Dendrophylax lindenii), its pollinators and phorophytes evaluated using niche modelling and three different climate change projections.

The identification of future refugia for endangered species from the effects of global warming is crucial for improving their conservation. Because climate-driven shifts in ranges and local extinctions can result in a spatial mismatch with their symbiotic organisms, however, it is important to incorporate in niche modelling the ecological partners of the species studied. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of climate change on the distribution of suitable niches for the ghost orchid (Dendrophylax lindenii) and its phorophytes and pollinators. Thus, its five species of host trees and three pollen vectors were included in the analysis. Climatic preferences of all the species studied were evaluated. The modelling was based on three different climate change projections and four Shared Socio-economic Pathway trajectories. All the species analysed are characterized by narrow temperature tolerances, which with global warming are likely to result in local extinctions and range shifts. D. lindenii is likely to be subjected to a significant loss of suitable niches, but within a reduced geographical range, both host trees and pollen vectors will be available in the future. Future conservation of this orchid should focus on areas that are likely be suitable for it and its ecological partners.

Effects of deterministic assembly of communities caused by global warming on coexistence patterns and ecosystem functions.

Seasonal rhythms in biological and ecological dynamics are fundamental in regulating the structuring of microbial communities. Evaluating the seasonal rhythms of microorganisms in response to climate change could provide information on their variability and stability over longer timescales (>20-year). However, information on temporal variability in microorganism responses to medium- and long-term global warming is limited. In this study, we aimed to elucidate the temporal dynamics of microbial communities in response to global warming; to this end, we integrated data on the maintenance of species diversity, community composition, temporal turnover rates (v), and community assembly process in two typical ecosystems (meadows and shrub habitat) on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Our results showed that 21 years of global warming would increase the importance of the deterministic process for microorganisms in both ecosystems across all seasons (R2 of grassland (GL) control: 0.524, R2 of GL warming: 0.467; R2 of shrubland (SL) control: 0.556, R2 of SL warming: 0.543), reducing species diversity and altering community composition. Due to environmental filtration pressure from 21 years of warming, the low turnover rate (v of warming: -3.13/-2.00, v of control: -2.44/-1.48) of soil microorganisms reduces the resistance and resilience of ecological communities, which could lead to higher community similarity and more clustered taxonomic assemblages occurring across years. Changes to temperature might increase selection pressure on specialist taxa, which directly causes dominant species (v of warming: -1.63, v of control: -2.49) primarily comprising these taxa to be more strongly impacted by changing temperature than conditionally (v of warming: -1.47, v of control: -1.75) or always rare taxa (v of warming: -0.57, v of control: -1.33). Evaluation of the seasonal rhythms of microorganisms in response to global warming revealed that the variability and stability of different microbial communities in different habitats had dissimilar biological and ecological performances when challenged with an external disturbance. The balance of competition and cooperation, because of environmental selection, also influenced ecosystem function in complex terrestrial ecosystems. Overall, our study enriches the limited information on the temporal variability in microorganism responses to 21 years of global warming, and provides a scientific basis for evaluating the impact of climate warming on the temporal stability of soil ecosystems.

Planktonic and epilithic prokaryota community compositions in a large temperate river reflect climate change related seasonal shifts.

In freshwaters, microbial communities are of outstanding importance both from ecological and public health perspectives, however, they are threatened by the impact of global warming. To reveal how different prokaryotic communities in a large temperate river respond to environment conditions related to climate change, the present study provides the first detailed insight into the composition and spatial and year-round temporal variations of planktonic and epilithic prokaryotic community. Microbial diversity was studied using high-throughput next generation amplicon sequencing. Sampling was carried out monthly in the midstream and the littoral zone of the Danube, upstream and downstream from a large urban area. Result demonstrated that river habitats predominantly determine the taxonomic composition of the microbiota; diverse and well-differentiated microbial communities developed in water and epilithon, with higher variance in the latter. The composition of bacterioplankton clearly followed the prolongation of the summer resulting from climate change, while the epilithon community was less responsive. Rising water temperatures was associated with increased abundances of many taxa (such as phylum Actinobacteria, class Gammaproteobacteria and orders Synechococcales, Alteromonadales, Chitinophagales, Pseudomonadales, Rhizobiales and Xanthomonadales), and the composition of the microbiota also reflected changes of several further environmental factors (such as turbidity, TOC, electric conductivity, pH and the concentration of phosphate, sulphate, nitrate, total nitrogen and the dissolved oxygen). The results indicate that shift in microbial community responding to changing environment may be of crucial importance in the decomposition of organic compounds (including pollutants and xenobiotics), the transformation and accumulation of heavy metals and the occurrence of pathogens or antimicrobial resistant organisms.

Hazard assessment of global warming around the world using GIS.

Global warming is among the important environmental problems of the earth. The present research aims to study temperature variations around the world. For this purpose, the monthly temperature data of 178 points from the NOAA site were studied from 1950 to 2019. In this study, the temperature changes were investigated in terms of its increase, decrease, and significance level by the Mann-Kendall method. Geographic Information System (GIS) and interpolation methods were used to determine the changes in temperature in global warming maps. According to the obtained results, except for 3.8% of the designated area, other parts of the world show change toward warmer conditions. Overall, the world's land temperature has increased by 1.08℃ during the study period. Also, about 85% of the designated area shows moderate and severe hazardous conditions in terms of global warming. The spatial analysis showed higher change and hazardous conditions for global warming in mid-longitude and high-latitude close to both poles.

Trifluoroiodomethane as a Precursor to High Global Warming Potential Climate Pollutants: Could the Transformation of Climatically Benign CF3I into Potent Greenhouse Gases Significantly Increase Refrigerant-Related Greenhouse Gas Emissions?

The transition away from the production and consumption of high global warming potential (GWP) hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) under the 2016 Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer (Montreal Protocol) has prompted air conditioning, refrigeration, and heat pump equipment manufacturers to seek alternative refrigerants with lower direct climate impacts. Additional factors affecting alternative refrigerant choice include safety (i.e., flammability and toxicity), environmental, and thermodynamic constraints. At the same time, manufacturers are incentivized to seek refrigerants with higher energy efficiency, which saves on electricity costs and reduces indirect greenhouse gas emissions from electricity generation. The life cycle climate performance (LCCP) metric is commonly used to assess the combined direct and indirect climate impacts of refrigerant-use equipment. Here, we consider an additional impact on climate performance: the degradation of refrigerant in equipment, i.e., the direct climate impacts of high-GWP byproducts that can form as the result of adding trifluoroiodomethane (CF3I) to refrigerant blends to reduce flammability. Such a production of high-GWP gases could change the acceptability of CF3I-containing refrigerants. Further, it highlights the need to understand refrigerant degradation within equipment in calculations of the environmental acceptability of new cooling technology.

Fennoscandian tree-ring anatomy shows a warmer modern than medieval climate.

Earth system models and various climate proxy sources indicate global warming is unprecedented during at least the Common Era1. However, tree-ring proxies often estimate temperatures during the Medieval Climate Anomaly (950-1250 CE) that are similar to, or exceed, those recorded for the past century2,3, in contrast to simulation experiments at regional scales4. This not only calls into question the reliability of models and proxies but also contributes to uncertainty in future climate projections5. Here we show that the current climate of the Fennoscandian Peninsula is substantially warmer than that of the medieval period. This highlights the dominant role of anthropogenic forcing in climate warming even at the regional scale, thereby reconciling inconsistencies between reconstructions and model simulations. We used an annually resolved 1,170-year-long tree-ring record that relies exclusively on tracheid anatomical measurements from Pinus sylvestris trees, providing high-fidelity measurements of instrumental temperature variability during the warm season. We therefore call for the construction of more such millennia-long records to further improve our understanding and reduce uncertainties around historical and future climate change at inter-regional and eventually global scales.

The current distribution of tick species in Inner Mongolia and inferring potential suitability areas for dominant tick species based on the MaxEnt model.

BACKGROUND: Ticks are known to transmit a wide range of diseases, including those caused by bacteria, viruses, and protozoa. The expansion of tick habitats has been intensified in recent years due to various factors such as global warming, alterations in microclimate, and human activities. Consequently, the probability of human exposure to diseases transmitted by ticks has increased, leading to a higher degree of risk associated with such diseases. METHODS: In this study, we conducted a comprehensive review of domestic and international literature databases to determine the current distribution of tick species in Inner Mongolia. Next, we employed the MaxEnt model to analyze vital climatic and environmental factors influencing dominant tick distribution. Subsequently, we predicted the potential suitability areas of these dominant tick species under the near current conditions and the BCC-CSM2.MR model SSP245 scenario for the future periods of 2021-2040, 2041-2060, 2061-2080, and 2081-2100. RESULTS: Our study revealed the presence of 23 tick species from six genera in Inner Mongolia, including four dominant tick species (Dermacentor nuttalli, Ixodes persulcatus, Dermacentor silvarum, and Hyalomma asiaticum). Dermacentor nuttalli, D. silvarum, and I. persulcatus are predominantly found in regions such as Xilin Gol and Hulunbuir. Temperature seasonality (Bio4), elevation (elev), and precipitation seasonality (Bio15) were the primary variables impacting the distribution of three tick species. In contrast, H. asiaticum is mainly distributed in Alxa and Bayannur and demonstrates heightened sensitivity to precipitation and other climatic factors. Our modeling results suggested that the potential suitability areas of these tick species would experience fluctuations over the four future periods (2021-2040, 2041-2060, 2061-2080, and 2081-2100). Specifically, by 2081-2100, the centroid of suitable habitat for D. nuttalli, H. asiaticum, and I. persulcatus was predicted to shift westward, with new suitability areas emerging in regions such as Chifeng and Xilin Gol. The centroid of suitable habitat for H. asiaticum will move northeastward, and new suitability areas are likely to appear in areas such as Ordos and Bayannur. CONCLUSIONS: This study provided a comprehensive overview of the tick species distribution patterns in Inner Mongolia. Our research has revealed a significant diversity of tick species in the region, exhibiting a wide distribution but with notable regional disparities. Our modeling results suggested that the dominant tick species' suitable habitats will significantly expand in the future compared to their existing distribution under the near current conditions. Temperature and precipitation are the primary variables influencing these shifts in distribution. These findings can provide a valuable reference for future research on tick distribution and the surveillance of tick-borne diseases in the region.

How Rice Plants Response to Abiotic Stresses.

With the combustion of fossil fuels, unequal and unsustainable energy and land use, and irrational human activities, greenhouse gas emissions remain high, which leads to global warming [...].

Sulfur-aided aerobic biostabilization of swine manure and sawdust mixture: Humification and carbon loss.

To investigate how sulfur addition affects humification and carbon loss during swine manure (SM) biostabilisation, various proportions of sulfur, i.e., 0 (CK), 0.2%-0.8% (S1-S4) were added to SM in a 70-day pilot-scale test. Compared to CK (16.07%), sulfur addition resulted in the mineralization of 17.05%-24.27% of the total organic carbon. Sulfur addition also reduced CH4 emissions, which were 3.7%-29.3% lower than that of CK. The total global warming potential values were in the range of 913.1-968.2 g CO2 eq kg-1 for all treatments. Although the sulfur-added treatments showed lower HA/FA ratios than CK after 70 days, no significant impact on the maturity of the final products was observed. Sulfur addition impacted the microbial community, CH4, CO2, N2O emissions, and affected the variation of temperature in biowaste biostabilization. These discoveries provided an important basis for understanding the function of sulfur in regulating the aerobic bio-decomposition of organic waste.

The recovery of European freshwater biodiversity has come to a halt.

Owing to a long history of anthropogenic pressures, freshwater ecosystems are among the most vulnerable to biodiversity loss1. Mitigation measures, including wastewater treatment and hydromorphological restoration, have aimed to improve environmental quality and foster the recovery of freshwater biodiversity2. Here, using 1,816 time series of freshwater invertebrate communities collected across 22 European countries between 1968 and 2020, we quantified temporal trends in taxonomic and functional diversity and their responses to environmental pressures and gradients. We observed overall increases in taxon richness (0.73% per year), functional richness (2.4% per year) and abundance (1.17% per year). However, these increases primarily occurred before the 2010s, and have since plateaued. Freshwater communities downstream of dams, urban areas and cropland were less likely to experience recovery. Communities at sites with faster rates of warming had fewer gains in taxon richness, functional richness and abundance. Although biodiversity gains in the 1990s and 2000s probably reflect the effectiveness of water-quality improvements and restoration projects, the decelerating trajectory in the 2010s suggests that the current measures offer diminishing returns. Given new and persistent pressures on freshwater ecosystems, including emerging pollutants, climate change and the spread of invasive species, we call for additional mitigation to revive the recovery of freshwater biodiversity.

Future emergence of new ecosystems caused by glacial retreat.

Glacier shrinkage and the development of post-glacial ecosystems related to anthropogenic climate change are some of the fastest ongoing ecosystem shifts, with marked ecological and societal cascading consequences1-6. Yet, no complete spatial analysis exists, to our knowledge, to quantify or anticipate this important changeover7,8. Here we show that by 2100, the decline of all glaciers outside the Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets may produce new terrestrial, marine and freshwater ecosystems over an area ranging from the size of Nepal (149,000 ± 55,000 km2) to that of Finland (339,000 ± 99,000 km2). Our analysis shows that the loss of glacier area will range from 22 ± 8% to 51 ± 15%, depending on the climate scenario. In deglaciated areas, the emerging ecosystems will be characterized by extreme to mild ecological conditions, offering refuge for cold-adapted species or favouring primary productivity and generalist species. Exploring the future of glacierized areas highlights the importance of glaciers and emerging post-glacial ecosystems in the face of climate change, biodiversity loss and freshwater scarcity. We find that less than half of glacial areas are located in protected areas. Echoing the recent United Nations resolution declaring 2025 as the International Year of Glaciers' Preservation9 and the Global Biodiversity Framework10, we emphasize the need to urgently and simultaneously enhance climate-change mitigation and the in situ protection of these ecosystems to secure their existence, functioning and values.