scholarly journals Impact of Rising Temperatures on the Biomass of Humid Old-Growth Forests of the World

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Markku Larjavaara ◽  
Xiancheng Lu ◽  
Xia Chen ◽  
Mikko Vastaranta
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Primary Productivity ◽  
Temperature Response ◽  
Maintenance Cost ◽  
Above Ground Biomass ◽  
Empirical Methods ◽  
Old Growth ◽  
C Stocks ◽  
The World ◽  
The Tropics

Abstract Background: Understanding how warming temperatures are influencing biomasses in the world’s forests is necessary for quantifying future global C (carbon) budgets. A temperature-driven decrease in future C stocks could dangerously strengthen climate change. Empirical methods for studying the temperature response of forests have important limitations, and modelling is needed to provide another perspective. We modelled current and future AGB (old-growth above-ground biomass) in humid lowland areas of the world by dividing GPP (gross primary productivity) and a measure of energy needed to support a given about of biomass called here MCB (maintenance cost per unit biomass). Results: Based on the modelling, we predict a temperature-driven increase in both GPP and MCB, except in the tropics, where GPP will decrease. Their ratio, and therefore also ABG, is expected to decrease in all other regions except the boreal. The AGB is expected to decrease 41% in the tropics and 29% globally.Conclusions: The estimated drops in AGB are dramatic. However, we did not include the fertilisation effects of increasing CO2 (carbon dioxide) and N (nitrogen) that potentially mitigate the temperature-caused drop in AGB.

scholarly journals Impact of rising temperatures on the biomass of humid old-growth forests of the world

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Markku Larjavaara ◽  
Xiancheng Lu ◽  
Xia Chen ◽  
Mikko Vastaranta
Keyword(s):  
Air Temperature ◽  
Carbon Dioxide Concentration ◽  
Temperature Response ◽  
Above Ground Biomass ◽  
Old Growth ◽  
Ground Biomass ◽  
The World ◽  
Old Growth Forests ◽  
Fertilization Effects ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background Understanding how warming influence above-ground biomass in the world’s forests is necessary for quantifying future global carbon budgets. A climate-driven decrease in future carbon stocks could dangerously strengthen climate change. Empirical methods for studying the temperature response of forests have important limitations, and modelling is needed to provide another perspective. Here we evaluate the impact of rising air temperature on the future above-ground biomass of old-growth forests using a model that explains well the observed current variation in the above-ground biomass over the humid lowland areas of the world based on monthly air temperature. Results Applying this model to the monthly air temperature data for 1970–2000 and monthly air temperature projections for 2081–2100, we found that the above-ground biomass of old-growth forests is expected to decrease everywhere in the humid lowland areas except boreal regions. The temperature-driven decrease is estimated at 41% in the tropics and at 29% globally. Conclusions Our findings suggest that rising temperatures impact the above-ground biomass of old-growth forests dramatically. However, this impact could be mitigated by fertilization effects of increasing carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere and nitrogen deposition.

The Tropical Agenda

2011 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandra Harding
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Environmental Degradation ◽  
Educational Outcomes ◽  
Extreme Poverty ◽  
Impact Of Climate Change ◽  
The World ◽  
Dangerous Place ◽  
The Tropics ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Growing Population

The Torrid Zone, more casually referred to as the tropics, has been discriminated against since Aristotle divided the world into three zones. The tropics have been considered too hot for civilised habitation, a place of great horrors, and a dangerous place of pestilence. Consequently, others have chosen to explore the Temperate and Frigid zones. However, the tropics has become an increasingly critical global zone. With a huge, and rapidly growing, population it is facing some of the most formidable issues in history, including the impact of climate change and environmental degradation, poor health and educational outcomes, extreme poverty, and political and economic instability. This article advocates for the tropics to be recognised as a major expanding geo-political region that needs to be comprehensively understood by psychology and other disciplines through research and investigation.

scholarly journals Singapore ‘A Land Imagined’: Rising Seas, Land Reclamation and the Tropical Film-Noir City

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 201-227 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anita Lundberg ◽  
Jasmin Thamima Peer
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Urban Development ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Migrant Workers ◽  
Land Reclamation ◽  
Film Noir ◽  
Global City ◽  
Active Response ◽  
The World ◽  
The Tropics

Sea level rise due to climate change is predicted to be higher in the Tropics. As a low-lying, highly urbanised island near the equator, Singapore is taking an active response to this problem, including through large land reclamation projects. Incorporating both environmental and aesthetic elements, these projects also serve to bolster Singapore’s reputation as a shining example of a global city, a leading arts centre in Southeast Asia, and an economic hub to the world. This paper draws attention to urban development through an ethnographic reading of Yeo Siew Hua’s film A Land Imagined. A Singaporean tropical-noir mystery thriller, the film follows the rhizomatic path of a police investigator and his partner as they attempt to solve the disappearance of two foreign labourers. Interwoven within the film is a critique of Singapore’s treatment of migrant workers as it constructs the imaginary of the ‘Singapore Dream’.

Australian Climate Fiction

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Milner
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
National Research Council ◽  
Short History ◽  
Australian Climate ◽  
The Us ◽  
The World ◽  
History Of ◽  
Per Se ◽  
Climate Fiction ◽  
The Tropics

Climate is an important part of fictional scene setting, whether it be geographical—is the scene in the desert or in the tropics?—or seasonal—is it winter or is it summer? And this is perhaps especially true of Australian literature, where the majority of writers are still descendants of Anglo-Celtic settlers, living in more or less uneasy relationship with a distinctly non-Anglo-Celtic natural environment. Climate has thus been a characteristically Australian literary preoccupation: the titles of Vance Palmer’s Cyclone (1947), for example, or Patrick White’s Eye of the Storm (1973) speak for themselves. But “cli-fi” in the sense of the term coined by Dan Bloom in 2007 refers, not to climate per se, nor even to climate change per se, but much more specifically to fictions concerned with the effects of anthropogenic climate change, that is, to the literature of global warming. This is a much more recent preoccupation, which dates only from the late 1970s when the US National Research Council and the World Meteorological Organization first published predictions that then current levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions would result in significant increases in average global temperatures. The short history of Australian “cli-fi” can be traced from the first publication of George Turner’s The Sea and Summer in 1987.

Achieving energy efficiency and aesthetics through windows in the Tropics

2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-35
Author(s):  
Kwabena Abrokwa Gyimah
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Comparative Analysis ◽  
Major Contributor ◽  
Construction Process ◽  
The World ◽  
Materials Used ◽  
The Tropics ◽  
Window Pane

The world today is faced with climate change issues and due to the activities man has been involved in over the years. Worldleaders have become very concerned with this and lot of measures are been laid down to mitigate this. The built environmentis a major contributor since its construction process, materials used and even the daily operation uses a lot energy which is amajor concern. Architects are therefore challenged with creating a balance between their traditional aesthetics of buildingsand energy efficiency. This research therefore seeks to find out how this balance can be achieved in the tropics through theuse of different window pane properties. The study therefore sought to identify developments of windows with regards to theirpane properties to see how both aesthetics and energy efficiency can be achieved. Literature was reviewed to find out thecurrent situation and then a case study building analysed for results. The case study buildings were then modified to see theeffect of each modification. Comparative analysis was done with the original buildings and the modified buildings and it wasfound that reflection was a key to achieve both aesthetics and energy efficiency. Other factors had impact and influence onthe aesthetics and energy efficiency but reflection stood out of the lot.

The World Economic Forum Principles on "Climate Governance on Corporate Boards": can soft law help to face climate change around the world?

2020 ◽  
pp. 37-55
Author(s):  
Sabrina Bruno
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Comparative Analysis ◽  
Boards Of Directors ◽  
Soft Law ◽  
Corporate Boards ◽  
World Economic Forum ◽  
Financial Factor ◽  
The World ◽  
World Economic

Climate change is a financial factor that carries with it risks and opportunities for companies. To support boards of directors of companies belonging to all jurisdictions, the World Economic Forum issued in January 2019 eight Principlescontaining both theoretical and practical provisions on: climate accountability, competence, governance, management, disclosure and dialogue. The paper analyses each Principle to understand scope and managerial consequences for boards and to evaluate whether the legal distinctions, among the various jurisdictions, may undermine the application of the Principles or, by contrast, despite the differences the Principles may be a useful and effective guidance to drive boards' of directors' conduct around the world in handling climate change challenges. Five jurisdictions are taken into consideration for this comparative analysis: Europe (and UK), US, Australia, South Africa and Canada. The conclusion is that the WEF Principles, as soft law, is the best possible instrument to address boards of directors of worldwide companies, harmonise their conduct and effectively help facing such global emergency.

How Can Latin America Help the World to Cope with Climate Change?

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sebastian Galiani ◽  
Manuel Puente ◽  
Federico Weinschelbaum
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Latin America ◽  
The World

North Atlantic Oscillation; a Climatic Indicator to Predict Hydropower Availability in Scandinavia

2002 ◽  
Vol 33 (5) ◽  
pp. 415-424 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cintia B. Uvo ◽  
Ronny Berndtsson
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Spatial Distribution ◽  
Climate Variability ◽  
North Atlantic Oscillation ◽  
North Atlantic ◽  
Winter Precipitation ◽  
Model Driven ◽  
The World ◽  
Hydropower Production ◽  
Precipitation And Temperature

Climate variability and climate change are of great concern to economists and energy producers as well as environmentalists as both affect the precipitation and temperature in many regions of the world. Among those affected by climate variability is the Scandinavian Peninsula. Particularly, its winter precipitation and temperature are affected by the variations of the so-called North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). The objective of this paper is to analyze the spatial distribution of the influence of NAO over Scandinavia. This analysis is a first step to establishing a predictive model, driven by a climatic indicator such as NAO, for the available water resources of different regions in Scandinavia. Such a tool would be valuable for predicting potential of hydropower production one or more seasons in advance.

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