scholarly journals Scientistsʼ Warning on Climate Change and Medicinal Plants

Planta Medica ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 86 (01) ◽  
pp. 10-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wendy L. Applequist ◽  
Josef A. Brinckmann ◽  
Anthony B. Cunningham ◽  
Robbie E. Hart ◽  
Michael Heinrich ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Medicinal Plants ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Medicinal Species ◽  
Temperature And Precipitation ◽  
Anthropogenic Habitat ◽  
Precipitation Regimes ◽  
Chemical Content ◽  
Mitigate Climate Change

AbstractThe recent publication of a World Scientistsʼ Warning to Humanity highlighted the fact that climate change, absent strenuous mitigation or adaptation efforts, will have profound negative effects for humanity and other species, affecting numerous aspects of life. In this paper, we call attention to one of these aspects, the effects of climate change on medicinal plants. These plants provide many benefits for human health, particularly in communities where Western medicine is unavailable. As for other species, their populations may be threatened by changing temperature and precipitation regimes, disruption of commensal relationships, and increases in pests and pathogens, combined with anthropogenic habitat fragmentation that impedes migration. Additionally, medicinal species are often harvested unsustainably, and this combination of pressures may push many populations to extinction. A second issue is that some species may respond to increased environmental stresses not only with declines in biomass production but with changes in chemical content, potentially affecting quality or even safety of medicinal products. We therefore recommend actions including conservation and local cultivation of valued plants, sustainability training for harvesters and certification of commercial material, preservation of traditional knowledge, and programs to monitor raw material quality in addition to, of course, efforts to mitigate climate change.

Effects of climate change on threatened Spanish medicinal and aromatic species: predicting future trends and defining conservation guidelines

2016 ◽  
Vol 63 (4) ◽  
pp. 309-319 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Draper Munt ◽  
Pablo Muñoz-Rodríguez ◽  
Isabel Marques ◽  
Juan Carlos Moreno Saiz
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Medicinal Plants ◽  
Ecological Niche Modeling ◽  
Future Trends ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Medicinal Species ◽  
Distribution Ranges ◽  
Aromatic Species ◽  
Excellent Tool ◽  
The Mediterranean Basin

Climate change will impact several ecosystems, and the resilience of the weakest links of the ecological networks may be decisive in maintaining the ecological structure. The assessment of tendencies in the distribution and resilience of endangered medicinal species against global change can be an excellent tool to predict and minimize future negative effects, even more so if we consider that these species may be useful to us. Spain is one of the richest countries in plant diversity along the Mediterranean basin, and many representatives of the Spanish flora are medicinal plants. Under scenarios of climate change, the distribution ranges of many of these species are likely to alter. In this paper we used ecological niche modeling to predict future changes in the distribution of 41 medicinal plants included in the 2013 assessment of threatened species in Spain. We generated climate-based niche models for each medicinal species and projected them for each decade from 2010 until 2080. Our results identified and prioritized the most vulnerable species and areas to future predicted changes. These results should be useful for conservation planning and especially for prioritizing areas for protection.

scholarly journals Climate change in Colombia

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 632-652 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clara Inés Pardo Martínez ◽  
William H. Alfonso P.
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Policy Instruments ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Temperature And Precipitation ◽  
Official Policy ◽  
The Social ◽  
Droughts And Floods ◽  
Mitigate Climate Change ◽  
Main Ideas

Purpose This research analyses and evaluates the trends and perspectives of climate change in Colombia. This study aims to understand the main ideas and concepts of climate change in five regions of the country by analysing attitudes and values, information habits, institutionalism and the social appropriation of science and technology. Design/methodology/approach The research study involved a focus group technique. Ten focus groups in five regions of the country, including rural regions, were administered. The selection of cities and municipalities in this study took into account vulnerability scenarios based on the two criteria of temperature and precipitation for the 2011-2040 period. Findings The participants of the focus groups believe that climate change began 10 years ago and that human activities have caused climate change. The main effects of climate change are believed to be droughts and floods that have appeared in the past several years and have negatively impacted agricultural activities and the quality of life of the population. Moreover, the participants believe that it is important to design and apply adequate measures to adapt to and mitigate climate change. Originality/value This study makes an important contribution to the extant climate change literature by identifying and categorising the main ideas and knowledge on this issue from the perspective of the population in Colombia. In developing countries with high climate change vulnerability, it is especially important to analyse this issue to determine relevant official policy instruments that could promote adequate actions and instruments to prevent, adapt to and mitigate climate change.

scholarly journals High resistance to climatic variability in a dominant tundra shrub species

PeerJ ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. e6967 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victoria T. González ◽  
Mikel Moriana-Armendariz ◽  
Snorre B. Hagen ◽  
Bente Lindgård ◽  
Rigmor Reiersen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
High Resistance ◽  
Climatic Variability ◽  
Growing Season ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Vegetative Cover ◽  
Growth And Survival ◽  
Growing Season Length ◽  
Temperature And Precipitation ◽  
Precipitation Regimes

Climate change is modifying temperature and precipitation regimes across all seasons in northern ecosystems. Summer temperatures are higher, growing seasons extend into spring and fall and snow cover conditions are more variable during winter. The resistance of dominant tundra species to these season-specific changes, with each season potentially having contrasting effects on their growth and survival, can determine the future of tundra plant communities under climate change. In our study, we evaluated the effects of several spring/summer and winter climatic variables (i.e., summer temperature, growing season length, growing degree days, and number of winter freezing days) on the resistance of the dwarf shrub Empetrum nigrum. We measured over six years the ability of E. nigrum to keep a stable shoot growth, berry production, and vegetative cover in five E. nigrum dominated tundra heathlands, in a total of 144 plots covering a 200-km gradient from oceanic to continental climate. Overall, E. nigrum displayed high resistance to climatic variation along the gradient, with positive growth and reproductive output during all years and sites. Climatic conditions varied sharply among sites, especially during the winter months, finding that exposure to freezing temperatures during winter was correlated with reduced shoot length and berry production. These negative effects however, could be compensated if the following growing season was warm and long. Our study demonstrates that E. nigrum is a species resistant to fluctuating climatic conditions during the growing season and winter months in both oceanic and continental areas. Overall, E. nigrum appeared frost hardy and its resistance was determined by interactions among different season-specific climatic conditions with contrasting effects.

scholarly journals Closely-related tree species with overlapping ranges exhibit divergent adaptation to climate

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
John W Whale ◽  
Collin W Ahrens ◽  
David T Tissue ◽  
Paul D Rymer
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Climate Scenario ◽  
Genomic Variation ◽  
Eucalyptus Species ◽  
Temperature And Precipitation ◽  
Local Environments ◽  
Precipitation Regimes ◽  
Restoration Strategies

With global climate change shifting and altering temperature and precipitation regimes, the ability of natural forest stands to persist in their local environments are being challenged. For many taxa, particularly among long lived tree species, the potential to respond is underpinned by genetic and trait diversity and may be limited. We sampled 326 and 366 individuals of two widely distributed and closely-related red gum Eucalyptus species (E. blakelyi and E. tereticornis) from across their entire Australian range. We identified putatively adaptive variants associated within genes of key biological processes for both species. We mapped the change of allele frequencies of two hierarchical gene ontology groups shared by both species across geography and climate and predict genomically vulnerable regions under a projected 2070 climate scenario. Regions of potential vulnerability to decline under future climate differed between species and may be applied to guide conservation and restoration strategies. Our study indicated that some populations may contain the adaptive genomic variation necessary for these species to persist through climate change, while others may benefit from the adaptive variation of those populations to enhance resilience.

scholarly journals Interacting stressors and the potential for adaptation in a changing world: responses of populations and individuals

2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (6) ◽  
pp. 161057 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gareth R. Hopkins ◽  
Susannah S. French ◽  
Edmund D. Brodie
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Complex Nature ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Taricha Granulosa ◽  
Embryonic Survival ◽  
Critical Data ◽  
Abiotic Stressors ◽  
Survival And Development ◽  
The Impact

To accurately predict the impact of environmental change, it is necessary to assay effects of key interacting stressors on vulnerable organisms, and the potential resiliency of their populations. Yet, for the most part, these critical data are missing. We examined the effects of two common abiotic stressors predicted to interact with climate change, salinity and temperature, on the embryonic survival and development of a model freshwater vertebrate, the rough-skinned newt ( Taricha granulosa ) from different populations. We found that salinity and temperature significantly interacted to affect newt embryonic survival and development, with the negative effects of salinity most pronounced at temperature extremes. We also found significant variation among, and especially within, populations, with different females varying in the performance of their eggs at different salinity–temperature combinations, possibly providing the raw material for future natural selection. Our results highlight the complex nature of predicting responses to climate change in space and time, and provide critical data towards that aim.

scholarly journals Genotype Screening and Propagation Techniques of Three Selected Medicinal Plant Species for Production of High-Quality Planting Material

Horticulturae ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (12) ◽  
pp. 570
Author(s):  
Farah Fazwa Md Ariff ◽  
Sures Kumar Muniandi ◽  
Norhayati Saffie ◽  
Syafiqah Nabilah Samsul Bahari ◽  
Zunoliza Abdullah ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medicinal Plants ◽  
Bioactive Compounds ◽  
Antioxidant Properties ◽  
Pharmaceutical Products ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Medicinal Species ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Herbal Products ◽  
Planting Material

Medicinal plants are a vital source of new bioactive compounds due to their ecological biodiversity and varied chemical properties of each species. Phenotypic selection coupled with the evaluation of genotypes based on the chemical profile can be used for the development of a high-yielding variety. However, most of the raw material that has been used for commercial production of herbal products is mainly derived from wild sources, with little knowledge of the quality of genetic materials. Thus, three medicinal species, Chromolaena odorata (Siam weed), Andrographis paniculata (Creat), and Baeckea frutescens (False ru), were chosen based on their significant benefits to human health. These medicinal species have been traditionally used to treat various illnesses, and have been shown to possess anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anticancer, and antioxidant properties. This paper highlights the harvesting method and collection of accessions from natural habitats for the selection of superior genotypes. Individual plants having superior phenotypic characteristics and bioactive compounds were identified. We successfully developed appropriate propagation techniques for each species for the mass production of high-yielding planting material. The establishment of breeding activities for these medicinal plants will provide quality raw materials to support the herbal industry in increasing the value of pharmaceutical products. These efforts will also ensure the sustainable production of high-quality planting materials for the establishment of herbal plantations.

Ocean Fertilization as Climate Change Mitigation Measure—Consideration under International Law

2010 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-78 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harald Ginzky
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Marine Environment ◽  
Climate Change Mitigation ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Mitigation Measure ◽  
Theoretical Assumptions ◽  
Reasonable Approach ◽  
Mitigate Climate Change ◽  
London Protocol ◽  
Change Mitigation

AbstractOcean fertilization is, at least theoretically, perceived as an option to mitigate climate change. However, theoretical assumptions could not be proved by experiments, in fact recent experiments have endorsed existing doubts. On international level seems to be a far-reaching—at least political—consensus that ocean fertilization should not be applied as climate change mitigation measure, based inter alia on unknown risks for the marine environment. Currently the Contracting Parties of the London Protocol are negotiating an international ban of ocean fertilization projects. Only “legitimate scientific research” shall be exempted from the prohibition provided negative effects on the marine environment can be excluded in this field. There is an ongoing discussion on whether a prior permission regime for research projects would be an adequate and reasonable approach and—finally also—legally admissible.

scholarly journals Geographical variation in species' population responses to changes in temperature and precipitation

2015 ◽  
Vol 282 (1818) ◽  
pp. 20151561 ◽  
Author(s):  
James W. Pearce-Higgins ◽  
Nancy Ockendon ◽  
David J. Baker ◽  
Jamie Carr ◽  
Elizabeth C. White ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Climate Change Impacts ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Geographical Differences ◽  
Population Responses ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Temperature And Precipitation ◽  
Northern Latitudes ◽  
Low Latitudes ◽  
Species Population

Despite increasing concerns about the vulnerability of species' populations to climate change, there has been little overall synthesis of how individual population responses to variation in climate differ between taxa, with trophic level or geographically. To address this, we extracted data from 132 long-term (greater than or equal to 20 years) studies of population responses to temperature and precipitation covering 236 animal and plant species across terrestrial and freshwater habitats. Our results identify likely geographical differences in the effects of climate change on populations and communities in line with macroecological theory. Temperature tended to have a greater overall impact on populations than precipitation, although the effects of increased precipitation varied strongly with latitude, being most positive at low latitudes. Population responses to increased temperature were generally positive, but did not vary significantly with latitude. Studies reporting significant climatic trends through time tended to show more negative effects of temperature and more positive effects of precipitation upon populations than other studies, indicating climate change has already impacted many populations. Most studies of climate change impacts on biodiversity have focused on temperature and are from middle to high northern latitudes. Our results suggest their findings may be less applicable to low latitudes.

scholarly journals Evolution of climatic niche specialization: a phylogenetic analysis in amphibians

2014 ◽  
Vol 281 (1795) ◽  
pp. 20133229 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Fernanda Bonetti ◽  
John J. Wiens
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Extreme Environments ◽  
Limited Range ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Climatic Niche ◽  
Amphibian Species ◽  
Niche Specialization ◽  
Temperature And Precipitation ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Precipitation Regimes

The evolution of climatic niche specialization has important implications for many topics in ecology, evolution and conservation. The climatic niche reflects the set of temperature and precipitation conditions where a species can occur. Thus, specialization to a limited set of climatic conditions can be important for understanding patterns of biogeography, species richness, community structure, allopatric speciation, spread of invasive species and responses to climate change. Nevertheless, the factors that determine climatic niche width (level of specialization) remain poorly explored. Here, we test whether species that occur in more extreme climates are more highly specialized for those conditions, and whether there are trade-offs between niche widths on different climatic niche axes (e.g. do species that tolerate a broad range of temperatures tolerate only a limited range of precipitation regimes?). We test these hypotheses in amphibians, using phylogenetic comparative methods and global-scale datasets, including 2712 species with both climatic and phylogenetic data. Our results do not support either hypothesis. Rather than finding narrower niches in more extreme environments, niches tend to be narrower on one end of a climatic gradient but wider on the other. We also find that temperature and precipitation niche breadths are positively related, rather than showing trade-offs. Finally, our results suggest that most amphibian species occur in relatively warm and dry environments and have relatively narrow climatic niche widths on both of these axes. Thus, they may be especially imperilled by anthropogenic climate change.

Genetic diversity of medicinal plants

2020 ◽  
pp. 80-95
Author(s):  
M.P. Kolosovych ◽  
L.A. Hlushchenko ◽  
T.L. Shevchenko
Keyword(s):  
Medicinal Plants ◽  
Gene Pool ◽  
Research Work ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Wild Plants ◽  
Herbarium Specimens ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
Medicinal Species ◽  
Educational Activities ◽  
Experimental Station

Aim. To study accessions of new medicinal plants, to form and augment collections, to use valuable accessions of the gene pool in breeding and collections for educational and outreach activities. Results and Discussion. We present results of multi-year research work on creating collections of medicinal and essential-oil-bearing plants, their using in breeding, training and educational activities. The collection of the Botanical Nursery of the Experimental Station totals 990 samples belonging to 436 species of 254 genera of 69 families. The following genera are most fully represented: Mentha – 13 species (263 samples), Thymus L. – 11 species, Salvia L. – 6, Echinacea Moench – 6 (29 samples), etc. The collection consists of accessions from 22 countries: 605 from Ukraine, 29 from Russia, 22 from Germany, 12 from Bulgaria, 11 from the USA, 5 from France, etc. Training collections of mint and medicinal plants, trait collections of calendula, thyme, and echinacea and the basic collection of mint were formed and registered with the NCPGRU. Collections are dynamically being formed, and accessions of tree/shrub medicinal species belonging to the genera Sambucus L., Berberis L. and Crataegus L. are being studied. Selected accessions and sources of economically valuable traits are constantly involved in breeding. Ten new varieties of medicinal plants were originated from the gene pool accessions variety Yuvileina (2018) – from Dalmatian chamomile , variety Poltavka (2018) – from blessed milk thistle, variety Berezotitska Soniachna (2020) – from pot marigold, variety Struminka (2020) – from dyer's-madder. Acquisition companies in 14 regions of Ukraine resulted in gathering the gene pool accessions of valuable medicinal species for breeding and investigating: 720 seed samples, 62 planting material samples, 42 raw material samples and 691 herbarium specimens. Conclusions. The exploratory research at the Experimental Station of Medicinal Plants of IAEM NAAS allowed building up unique collections of medicinal and aromatic plants, accessions of which are used in breeding, training and educational activities, as well as to preserve the biodiversity of domestic and wild plants.

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