scholarly journals Evidence of climate change impacts on the iconic Welwitschia mirabilis in the Namib Desert

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pierluigi Bombi ◽  
Daniele Salvi ◽  
Titus Shuuya ◽  
Leonardo Vignoli ◽  
Theo Wassenaar
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Plant Size ◽  
Climatic Suitability ◽  
Ecological Niche Models ◽  
Namib Desert ◽  
Desert Ecosystems ◽  
Change Effect ◽  
Climate Change Effect ◽  
Welwitschia Mirabilis ◽  
Negative Population

AbstractClimate change represents an important threat to global biodiversity and African ecosystems are particularly vulnerable. Recent studies predicted substantial variations of climatic suitability for Welwitschia mirabilis under future conditions. Latitudinal/altitudinal range shifts are well-known responses to climate change but not coherent patterns were documented. This study aims to verify whether welwitschia populations are responding to climate change and if the assumption of a latitudinal/altitudinal shift is applicable. We collected field data on welwitschia distribution, health condition, reproductive status, and plant size in northern Namibia. We used ecological niche models to predict the expected geographic shift of climatic suitability under future scenarios. For each variable, we compared the observed pattern with the expected responses. Finally, we tested the presence of simple geographical gradients in the observed patterns. The realized thermal niche of welwitschia will be almost completely unavailable in the next 30 years in northern Namibia. Expected reductions of climatic suitability in the stand sites are strongly associated with indicators of negative population conditions. The same population conditions does not fit any simple latitudinal or altitudinal gradient. The observed pattern of population conditions mirrors the expected pattern of climate change effect but no simple geographical gradient was relieved. Overall, we observed negative population conditions in areas with stronger reductions of suitability. This makes welwitschia a suitable sentinel for climate change effect in the Namib Desert ecosystems. Our approach to detect population responses to climate change could be extensively adopted for selecting sentinel species in other regions and ecosystems.

scholarly journals Climate change effects on desert ecosystems: A case study on the keystone species of the Namib Desert Welwitschia mirabilis

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (11) ◽  
pp. e0259767
Author(s):  
Pierluigi Bombi ◽  
Daniele Salvi ◽  
Titus Shuuya ◽  
Leonardo Vignoli ◽  
Theo Wassenaar
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Adult Mortality ◽  
Reproductive Status ◽  
Climate Change Scenarios ◽  
Ecological Niche Models ◽  
Namib Desert ◽  
Endemic Plant ◽  
Desert Ecosystems ◽  
Welwitschia Mirabilis

Deserts have been predicted to be one of the most responsive ecosystems to global climate change. In this study, we examine the spatial and demographic response of a keystone endemic plant of the Namib Desert (Welwitschia mirabilis), for which displacement and reduction of suitable climate has been foreseen under future conditions. The main aim is to assess the association between ongoing climate change and geographical patterns of welwitschia health, reproductive status, and size. We collected data on welwitschia distribution, health condition, reproductive status, and plant size in northern Namibia. We used ecological niche models to predict the expected geographic shift of suitability under climate change scenarios. For each variable, we compared our field measurements with the expected ongoing change in climate suitability. Finally, we tested the presence of simple geographical gradients in the observed patterns. The historically realized thermal niche of welwitschia will be almost completely unavailable in the next 30 years in northern Namibia. Expected reductions of climatic suitability in our study sites were strongly associated with indicators of negative population conditions, namely lower plant health, reduced recruitment and increased adult mortality. Population condition does not follow simple latitudinal or altitudinal gradients. The observed pattern of population traits is consistent with climate change trends and projections. This makes welwitschia a suitable bioindicator (i.e. a ‘sentinel’) for climate change effect in the Namib Desert ecosystems. Our spatially explicit approach, combining suitability modeling with geographic combinations of population conditions measured in the field, could be extensively adopted to identify sentinel species, and detect population responses to climate change in other regions and ecosystems.

scholarly journals Study of climate change effect on water balance in upper Citarum Watershed, the Krueng Cunda Watershed, and the Woske Watershed, Indonesia

2021 ◽  
Vol 930 (1) ◽  
pp. 012074
Author(s):  
A Chalid ◽  
A Mulyadi
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Water Balance ◽  
Water Availability ◽  
Rainy Season ◽  
Water Reservoirs ◽  
Change Effect ◽  
Climate Change Effect

Abstract The community feels the changes in water availability due to climate change will directly impact water availability, especially water availability in rivers, reservoirs and other water reservoirs. The purpose of this analysis is to determine changes in the rainy season shift, changes in mainstay discharge, and the effect of climate change on water balance. The results show a shift in the rainy season and a significant decrease in rainfall during the last ten years. In the Upper Citarum watershed (UCW), there is a change in the maximum and minimum mainstay discharge in the three watersheds. Climate change significantly affects the water balance in a watershed. Meanwhile, in the Krueng Cunda watershed (KCW) and the Woske watersheds (WW), there was a decrease in the value of the water balance, which was the same as the UCW. However, still able to meet the water needs of the population. There was a decrease in the value of the water balance, which was the same as the UCW, but still able to meet the population’s water needs.

scholarly journals Shifting surface

Novos Olhares ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 98-113
Author(s):  
Ansgar Fellendorf
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Sea Ice ◽  
Policy Research ◽  
Arctic Sea Ice ◽  
Spatial Reference ◽  
Visual Discourse ◽  
Change Effect ◽  
Arctic Sea ◽  
Climate Change Effect ◽  
Policy Measures

This research explores how satellite images of Arctic sea ice contribute to climate change discourse. Different discourses require distinct responses. Policy measures are contingent upon representation, be it i.e. a threat or opportunity. The representations discussed are by the NSIDC and NASA, which hold a visual hegemony. First, the introduction discusses visual studies in policy research and identifies a simplified dichotomy of a threat discourse and environmental citizenship. Moreover, the methodology of visual discourse analysis based on poststructuralism is described. The delineated images portray a vertical, planar view allowing for spatial reference. Arctic sea ice is a visible climate change effect and the absence of boundaries, intervisuality with the Earthrise icon and focus on environmental effects support a discourse of citizenship.

Statistical Understanding and Optimization of Building Energy Consumption and Climate Change Consequences

2021 ◽  
pp. 195-220
Author(s):  
José Antonio Orosa ◽  
Diego Vergara ◽  
Feliciano Fraguela ◽  
Antonio Masdías-Bonome
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Weibull Model ◽  
Building Energy ◽  
Calculation Procedure ◽  
Building Energy Consumption ◽  
Existing Building ◽  
Change Effect ◽  
Weibull Models ◽  
Climate Change Effect

In the present chapter, a new tool was designed to find a better alternative for improving building energy consumption in the next years. In this sense, in the first stage of this calculation procedure, ISO Standard 13790 calculation procedure was developed in accordance with Monte Carlo method and results showed the probability of energy consumption as a Weibull model. Furthermore, a map of different Weibull models in accordance with different input parameters and future climate change effect was developed as a future building design guide. This tool defines the probability of energy consumption of an existing building, or a building that is being designed today and in the near future, preventing the climate change effect. More applications at the time of building retrofitting and healthy indoor ambiences are proposed.

scholarly journals Attitude of the farmers towards climate change effect on agriculture

2015 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 367-379
Author(s):  
Md Rakibul Islam ◽  
Md Jamil Hossain Biswas ◽  
Md Golam Rabbani Akanda ◽  
Md Ruhul Amin ◽  
Imam Mehedi Hasan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Research Work ◽  
Coastal Region ◽  
Study Data ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Farm Size ◽  
Favourable Attitude ◽  
Change Effect ◽  
Climate Change Effect

Global climate change has triggered the increased incidence of extreme disasters like cyclone, flood, soil salinity, etc. in the coastal region of Bangladesh. In the recent past, an amplified number of fatalities happened and the greater impact also acted upon the attitude of coastal people. Badarpur Union under Patuakhali Sadar upazila of Patuakhali District was the selected locale of the concerned study. Data for this research work were personally collected from a randomly sampled 121 farmers from different villages of Badarpur union by using an interview schedule. Attitude of the farmers was ascertained through a five-point-Likert type scale. Co-efficient of correlation (r) was computed to explore the relationships between farmers? attitude and their selected characteristics. The findings revealed that 51.2 percent of the farmers had moderately favourable attitude towards climate change effect while 42.1 percent had slightly favourable and 6.6 percent had highly favourable attitude. The correlation test showed that the education, farming experience, farm size, annual income, training received and agricultural knowledge had positive significant relationships with farmers? attitude towards climate change effect on agriculture while the rest of the characteristics had no relationship in the present study. The focus findings of the present study were that, the attitude of the farmers is changing due to changes in the climatic conditions and there was a positive effect of it on agriculture.Asian J. Med. Biol. Res. June 2015, 1(2): 367-379

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