Limnology in northeastern Ontario: from acidification to multiple stressorsThis Perspective is based on the author’s F.H. Rigler Lecture delivered at the annual meeting of the Society of Canadian Limnologists in Halifax, Nova Scotia, January 2008.

2009 ◽  
Vol 66 (7) ◽  
pp. 1189-1198 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. (Bill) Keller
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Acid Deposition ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Environmental Science ◽  
Environmental Stressors ◽  
Lake Recovery ◽  
Recovery Processes ◽  
Multiple Stressor ◽  
Future Outcomes ◽  
Sulphur Emission

Thousands of lakes around Sudbury, in northeastern Ontario, Canada, were badly damaged by acid deposition and many were also metal-contaminated. Large reductions in atmospheric sulphur and metal emissions have led to widespread chemical improvements in these lakes, and recovery has been documented for various biota. These findings were very important in establishing the necessity and value of sulphur emission controls during the international debates about the effects of acid deposition and the need for cleaner air. Studies of northeastern Ontario lakes are continuing to advance our understanding of chemical and biological recovery processes; however, that knowledge is still incomplete. It has become apparent that the recovery of lakes from acidification is closely linked with the responses to, and interactions with, other large-scale environmental stressors like climate change and calcium declines. Developing a better understanding of lake recovery processes and their future outcomes within such a multiple stressor context will be difficult. It will demand the merging of various approaches, including monitoring, experimentation, paleolimnology, and modelling, and will require effective collaboration among different research and monitoring sites and various agencies and institutions engaged in environmental science.

scholarly journals Coherent responses of sulphate concentration in Norwegian lakes: relationships with sulphur deposition and climate indices

2003 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 596-608 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. J. Dillon ◽  
B. L. Skjelkvåle ◽  
K. M. Somers ◽  
K. Tørseth
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Acid Deposition ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Temporal Trends ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Climate Indices ◽  
Strongly Correlated ◽  
Sulphur Deposition ◽  
Arctic Oscillation Index ◽  
S Deposition

Abstract. The coherence or synchrony in the trends in SO42– concentration in a set of 100 lakes in Norway that have a long-term chemical record was evaluated. Using a statistical technique that compares patterns or trends that are not uni-directional, the lakes were grouped into 18 subsets or clusters, each with between 2 and 11 lakes that had similar trends. These temporal trends were strongly correlated with several climate indices, notably the Arctic Oscillation Index (AOI) measured in the autumn, and the annual North Atlantic Oscillation Index (NAOI). Because these clusters of lakes were spatially dispersed, they could not be compared directly with trends in wet S deposition, because S deposition varied substantially between lakes within each cluster. However, the average trend in SO42– concentration was evaluated in each of 10 regions of Norway that were defined previously on the basis of pollution load, meteorological variables and biogeography. Although these regions did not match the statistically-selected clusters of lakes with equal trends very closely, there were similar, strong correlations between climate indices (the AOI and NAOI) and the 10 average SO42– trends, although there were even stronger relationships with average wet S deposition in the regions. When subsets of lakes with coherent SO42– trends were selected from within each of the 10 regions, both wet S deposition and the climate indices were strongly correlated with those SO42– trends. Hence, lakes in Norway respond to changes in wet S deposition and are influenced by large-scale, i.e. global, climate signals. Future evaluation of recovery of lakes affected by acid deposition must therefore consider the confounding effects of climate and potential climate change. Keywords: recovery, acid deposition, coherence, sulphate, climate change

Implications of climate warming for Boreal Shield lakes: a review and synthesis

2007 ◽  
Vol 15 (NA) ◽  
pp. 99-112 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Keller
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Biological Interactions ◽  
Lake Ecosystems ◽  
Multiple Stressor ◽  
Species Invasions ◽  
Boreal Shield ◽  
Shield Lakes

Climate change is a reality. A warming climate will have large effects on lakes of the Boreal Shield. Our ability to forecast these effects, however, is hampered by a very incomplete understanding of the actual interactions between weather and many aspects of lake ecosystems. Climate change will affect lakes in very complex ways. Changing weather conditions will have direct effects on thermal habitats; however, there will also be very important indirect effects on lake ecosystems through influences on watershed processes that affect the thermal and chemical characteristics of lakes. Altered habitat conditions will affect the resident biota in both positive and negative ways and may favour range expansions of some native and non-native species. Our understanding of the altered biological interactions that will structure lake communities in a warmer climate is still limited, making the prediction of biological outcomes very difficult. Modelling efforts, experiments and empirical analyses of relationships between important attributes of lakes, lake communities, and weather conditions in the past are beginning to further our ability to predict likely future effects. Much more work is needed in all these research areas to further our understanding of the probable effects of climate change on Boreal Shield lakes. Because of the potential interactions of climate with other large-scale environmental stressors such as UV-B irradiance, exotic species invasions, base cation depletion, and acidification, future studies need to consider multiple stressor effects.

Indigenous-Settler Climate Change Boundary Organizations Contending With U.S. Colonialism

2021 ◽  
pp. 000276422110133
Author(s):  
Carla M. Dhillon
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Environmental Science ◽  
Climate Adaptation ◽  
Climate Science ◽  
Mentoring Relationships ◽  
Power Dynamics ◽  
Human Relationships ◽  
Boundary Organizations ◽  
Politics And Culture

Indigenous peoples who are taking actions on climate change issues have formed networks that are at the intersect between Indigenous knowledges and various environmental science fields. These climate organizations work across many boundaries in science, politics, and culture. This article asks how large-scale U.S. climate boundary organizations that convene Indigenous and non-Indigenous climate practitioners contend with ongoing colonialism. Analysis indicates that Indigenous-settler networks offer avenues for Indigenous values to be practiced in collaborative climate science. Such organizations also provide limited opportunities to utilize climate science in tribal climate adaptation. While these boundary organizations aim to build meaningful cross-cultural and mentoring relationships, uneven power dynamics and resources also permeate the partnerships. These structural inequalities cause tensions to arise. Tensions further arise from uses of new terminology to navigate longstanding struggles over places, political sovereignties, and human relationships to natural worlds. I argue that a decolonial environmental framework discerns roles for Indigenous governance in attending to anthropogenic climate change. The approach broadens sociological understandings of climate change by examining the attempts of Indigenous and non-Indigenous actors to build climate networks.

scholarly journals Recovery of acidified Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, lakes: a multi-decade synthesis and update

2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. (Bill) Keller ◽  
Jocelyne Heneberry ◽  
Brie A. Edwards
Keyword(s):  
Aquatic Ecosystems ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Dispersal Ability ◽  
Chemical Recovery ◽  
Biological Recovery ◽  
Lake Recovery ◽  
Multiple Stressor ◽  
Complicated Process ◽  
Limited Dispersal ◽  
Brighter Future

The Sudbury region of northeastern Ontario, Canada, provides one of the world’s best examples of the resilience of aquatic ecosystems after reductions in atmospheric contaminant deposition. Thousands of lakes around the Sudbury metal smelters were badly damaged by acid deposition. Lakes closest to the smelters were also contaminated by metal particulates. However, large reductions in atmospheric SO2 and metal emissions starting in the early 1970s have led to widespread chemical improvements in these lakes, and recovery has been observed for various aquatic biota. Studies of Sudbury-area lakes are advancing our understanding of chemical and biological lake recovery; however, recovery is a complicated process and much remains to be learned. Biological recovery has often been slow to follow chemical recovery, and it has become apparent that the recovery of lakes from acidification is closely linked to interactions with other large-scale environmental stressors like climate change and Ca declines. Thus, in our multiple-stressor world, recovery may not bring individual lakes back to their exact former state. However, with time, substantial natural biological recovery toward typical lake communities can be reasonably expected for most but not necessarily all biota. For organisms with limited dispersal ability, particularly fish, human assistance may be necessary to re-establish typical communities. In lakes where food webs have been severely altered, re-establishment of typical diverse fish communities may in fact be an important element aiding the recovery of other important components of aquatic ecosystems including zooplankton and benthic macroinvertebrates. In the lakes closest to the smelters, where historically watersheds as well as lakes were severely damaged, the recovery of aquatic systems will be closely linked to ongoing terrestrial recovery and rehabilitation, particularly through the benefits of increased inputs of terrestrially derived organic matter. The dramatic lake recovery observed in the Sudbury area points to a brighter future for these lakes. However, continued monitoring will be needed to determine future changes and help guide the management and protection of Sudbury-area lakes in this multiple-stressor age.

Climate Ethics

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen M. Gardiner ◽  
Simon Caney ◽  
Dale Jamieson ◽  
Henry Shue
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Global Justice ◽  
Environmental Science ◽  
Human Dimensions ◽  
Individual Responsibility ◽  
General Reference ◽  
Science And Policy ◽  
Climate Ethics ◽  
Climate Economics ◽  
Intergenerational Ethics

This collection gathers a set of seminal papers from the emerging area of ethics and climate change. Topics covered include human rights, international justice, intergenerational ethics, individual responsibility, climate economics, and the ethics of geoengineering. Climate Ethics is intended to serve as a source book for general reference, and for university courses that include a focus on the human dimensions of climate change. It should be of broad interest to all those concerned with global justice, environmental science and policy, and the future of humanity.

scholarly journals Public Awareness: What Climate Change Scientists Should Consider

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (20) ◽  
pp. 8369
Author(s):  
Mohammad Rahimi
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
Connected Network ◽  
Multi Scale ◽  
Valuable Addition ◽  
Scientific Approach ◽  
Design Solutions ◽  
Mitigate Climate Change

In this Opinion, the importance of public awareness to design solutions to mitigate climate change issues is highlighted. A large-scale acknowledgment of the climate change consequences has great potential to build social momentum. Momentum, in turn, builds motivation and demand, which can be leveraged to develop a multi-scale strategy to tackle the issue. The pursuit of public awareness is a valuable addition to the scientific approach to addressing climate change issues. The Opinion is concluded by providing strategies on how to effectively raise public awareness on climate change-related topics through an integrated, well-connected network of mavens (e.g., scientists) and connectors (e.g., social media influencers).

scholarly journals Impact of air–sea coupling on the climate change signal over the Iberian Peninsula

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alba de la Vara ◽  
William Cabos ◽  
Dmitry V. Sein ◽  
Claas Teichmann ◽  
Daniela Jacob
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Iberian Peninsula ◽  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Regional Distribution ◽  
Coupled Model ◽  
Climate Change Signal ◽  
The North ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
The Impact

AbstractIn this work we use a regional atmosphere–ocean coupled model (RAOCM) and its stand-alone atmospheric component to gain insight into the impact of atmosphere–ocean coupling on the climate change signal over the Iberian Peninsula (IP). The IP climate is influenced by both the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean sea. Complex interactions with the orography take place there and high-resolution models are required to realistically reproduce its current and future climate. We find that under the RCP8.5 scenario, the generalized 2-m air temperature (T2M) increase by the end of the twenty-first century (2070–2099) in the atmospheric-only simulation is tempered by the coupling. The impact of coupling is specially seen in summer, when the warming is stronger. Precipitation shows regionally-dependent changes in winter, whilst a drier climate is found in summer. The coupling generally reduces the magnitude of the changes. Differences in T2M and precipitation between the coupled and uncoupled simulations are caused by changes in the Atlantic large-scale circulation and in the Mediterranean Sea. Additionally, the differences in projected changes of T2M and precipitation with the RAOCM under the RCP8.5 and RCP4.5 scenarios are tackled. Results show that in winter and summer T2M increases less and precipitation changes are of a smaller magnitude with the RCP4.5. Whilst in summer changes present a similar regional distribution in both runs, in winter there are some differences in the NW of the IP due to differences in the North Atlantic circulation. The differences in the climate change signal from the RAOCM and the driving Global Coupled Model show that regionalization has an effect in terms of higher resolution over the land and ocean.

scholarly journals Contributions of Vegetation Greening and Climate Change to Evapotranspiration Trend after Large-Scale Vegetation Restoration on the Loess Plateau, China

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (13) ◽  
pp. 1755
Author(s):  
Shuo Wang ◽  
Chenfeng Cui ◽  
Qin Dai
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Loess Plateau ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Vegetation Index ◽  
Normalized Difference Vegetation Index ◽  
Potential Evapotranspiration ◽  
Development Trend ◽  
Future Trend ◽  
Natural Ecosystem ◽  
The Loess Plateau

Since the early 2000s, the vegetation cover of the Loess Plateau (LP) has increased significantly, which has been fully recorded. However, the effects on relevant eco-hydrological processes are still unclear. Here, we made an investigation on the changes of actual evapotranspiration (ETa) during 2000–2018 and connected them with vegetation greening and climate change in the LP, based on the remote sensing data with correlation and attribution analysis. Results identified that the average annual ETa on the LP exhibited an obvious increasing trend with the value of 9.11 mm yr−1, and the annual ETa trend was dominated by the changes of ETa in the third quarter (July, August, and September). The future trend of ETa was predicted by the Hurst exponent. Partial correlation analysis indicated that annual ETa variations in 87.8% regions of the LP were controlled by vegetation greening. Multiple regression analysis suggested that the relative contributions of potential evapotranspiration (ETp), precipitation, and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), to the trend of ETa were 5.7%, −26.3%, and 61.4%, separately. Vegetation greening has a close relationship with the Grain for Green (GFG) project and acts as an essential driver for the long-term development trend of water consumption on the LP. In this research, the potential conflicts of water demanding between the natural ecosystem and social-economic system in the LP were highlighted, which were caused by the fast vegetation expansion.

scholarly journals Repeated surveying over 6 years reveals that fine-scale habitat variables are key to tropical mountain ant assemblage composition and functional diversity

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mulalo M. Muluvhahothe ◽  
Grant S. Joseph ◽  
Colleen L. Seymour ◽  
Thinandavha C. Munyai ◽  
Stefan H. Foord
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Species Composition ◽  
High Altitude ◽  
Functional Diversity ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Climate Models ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Abiotic Factors ◽  
Composition Analysis ◽  
Fine Scale

AbstractHigh-altitude-adapted ectotherms can escape competition from dominant species by tolerating low temperatures at cooler elevations, but climate change is eroding such advantages. Studies evaluating broad-scale impacts of global change for high-altitude organisms often overlook the mitigating role of biotic factors. Yet, at fine spatial-scales, vegetation-associated microclimates provide refuges from climatic extremes. Using one of the largest standardised data sets collected to date, we tested how ant species composition and functional diversity (i.e., the range and value of species traits found within assemblages) respond to large-scale abiotic factors (altitude, aspect), and fine-scale factors (vegetation, soil structure) along an elevational gradient in tropical Africa. Altitude emerged as the principal factor explaining species composition. Analysis of nestedness and turnover components of beta diversity indicated that ant assemblages are specific to each elevation, so species are not filtered out but replaced with new species as elevation increases. Similarity of assemblages over time (assessed using beta decay) did not change significantly at low and mid elevations but declined at the highest elevations. Assemblages also differed between northern and southern mountain aspects, although at highest elevations, composition was restricted to a set of species found on both aspects. Functional diversity was not explained by large scale variables like elevation, but by factors associated with elevation that operate at fine scales (i.e., temperature and habitat structure). Our findings highlight the significance of fine-scale variables in predicting organisms’ responses to changing temperature, offering management possibilities that might dilute climate change impacts, and caution when predicting assemblage responses using climate models, alone.

scholarly journals Predicting Shifts in Land Suitability for Maize Cultivation Worldwide Due to Climate Change: A Modeling Approach

Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 295
Author(s):  
Yuan Gao ◽  
Anyu Zhang ◽  
Yaojie Yue ◽  
Jing’ai Wang ◽  
Peng Su
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Land Suitability ◽  
Large Scale Assessment ◽  
Scale Assessment ◽  
Maize Cultivation ◽  
Large Scale Screening ◽  
Selection Of

Suitable land is an important prerequisite for crop cultivation and, given the prospect of climate change, it is essential to assess such suitability to minimize crop production risks and to ensure food security. Although a variety of methods to assess the suitability are available, a comprehensive, objective, and large-scale screening of environmental variables that influence the results—and therefore their accuracy—of these methods has rarely been explored. An approach to the selection of such variables is proposed and the criteria established for large-scale assessment of land, based on big data, for its suitability to maize (Zea mays L.) cultivation as a case study. The predicted suitability matched the past distribution of maize with an overall accuracy of 79% and a Kappa coefficient of 0.72. The land suitability for maize is likely to decrease markedly at low latitudes and even at mid latitudes. The total area suitable for maize globally and in most major maize-producing countries will decrease, the decrease being particularly steep in those regions optimally suited for maize at present. Compared with earlier research, the method proposed in the present paper is simple yet objective, comprehensive, and reliable for large-scale assessment. The findings of the study highlight the necessity of adopting relevant strategies to cope with the adverse impacts of climate change.

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