scholarly journals Bryophyte cover and richness decline after 18 years of experimental warming in Alpine Sweden

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juha Alatalo ◽  
Annika Jägerbrand ◽  
Mohammad Bagher Erfanian ◽  
Shengbin Chen ◽  
Shou-Qin Sun ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Species Abundance ◽  
Experimental Warming ◽  
Litter Cover ◽  
General Decline ◽  
Principal Response Curve ◽  
Heath Community ◽  
Abundance And Diversity

Background and Aims: Climate change is expected to affect alpine and Arctic tundra communities. Most previous long-term studies have focused on impacts on vascular plants, but this study examined potential impacts of long-term warming on bryophyte communities.Methods: Experimental warming with open-top chambers (OTCs) was applied for 18 years to a mesic meadow and a dry heath alpine plant community. Species abundance was measured in 1995, 1999, 2001 and 2013. Key results: Species composition changed significantly from the original communities in the heath, but remained similar in the mesic meadow. Experimental warming increased beta diversity in the heath community. Bryophyte cover and species richness both declined with long-term warming, while Simpson diversity showed no significant responses. Over the 18-year period, bryophyte cover in warmed plots decreased from 43% to 11% in heath and from 68% to 35% in meadow (75% and 48% decline, respectively, in original cover), while richness declined by 39% and 26%, respectively. The decline in both cover and richness first emerged after seven years. Warming caused a significant increase in litter in both plant communities. Litter cover had a negative impact on bryophyte cover in both communities. Conclusions: This study showed that bryophyte species do not all respond similarly to climate change. Total bryophyte cover declined in both dry heath and mesic meadow communities under experimental long-term warming (by 1.5-3°C), driven by general declines in many species. Principal response curve, cover and richness results suggested that bryophytes in alpine heath vegetation are more susceptible to warming than those in meadow vegetation, supporting the suggestion that bryophyte communities may be less resistant in drier environments than in wetter habitats. Species loss was slower than the general decline in bryophyte abundance, and diversity remained similar in both communities. Increased litter cover led to a steep decline in bryophyte cover.

scholarly journals Bryophyte cover and richness decline after 18 years of experimental warming in alpine Sweden

AoB Plants ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Juha M Alatalo ◽  
Annika K Jägerbrand ◽  
Mohammad Bagher Erfanian ◽  
Shengbin Chen ◽  
Shou-Qin Sun ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Species Abundance ◽  
Experimental Warming ◽  
Litter Cover ◽  
Principal Response Curve ◽  
Abundance And Diversity ◽  
Deciduous Shrub ◽  
Long Term Studies

Abstract Climate change is expected to affect alpine and Arctic tundra communities. Most previous long-term studies have focused on impacts on vascular plants, this study examined impacts of long-term warming on bryophyte communities. Experimental warming with open-top chambers (OTCs) was applied for 18 years to a mesic meadow and a dry heath alpine plant community. Species abundance was measured in 1995, 1999, 2001 and 2013. Species composition changed significantly from original communities in the heath, but remained similar in mesic meadow. Experimental warming increased beta diversity in the heath. Bryophyte cover and species richness both declined with long-term warming, while Simpson diversity showed no significant responses. Over the 18-year period, bryophyte cover in warmed plots decreased from 43 % to 11 % in heath and from 68 % to 35 % in meadow (75 % and 48 % decline, respectively, in original cover), while richness declined by 39 % and 26 %, respectively. Importantly, the decline in cover and richness first emerged after 7 years. Warming caused significant increase in litter in both plant communities. Deciduous shrub and litter cover had negative impact on bryophyte cover. We show that bryophyte species do not respond similarly to climate change. Total bryophyte cover declined in both heath and mesic meadow under experimental long-term warming (by 1.5–3 °C), driven by general declines in many species. Principal response curve, cover and richness results suggested that bryophytes in alpine heath are more susceptible to warming than in meadow, supporting the suggestion that bryophytes may be less resistant in drier environments than in wetter habitats. Species loss was slower than the decline in bryophyte abundance, and diversity remained similar in both communities. Increased deciduous shrub and litter cover led to decline in bryophyte cover. The non-linear response to warming over time underlines the importance of long-term experiments and monitoring.

scholarly journals Impact of climate change on livestock productivity: A review

2021 ◽  
Vol 48 (4) ◽  
pp. 149-164
Author(s):  
I. I. Madziga
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Heat Stress ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Livestock Production ◽  
Changement Climatique ◽  
Impact Of Climate Change ◽  
Stress Thermique ◽  
Temperature Radiation ◽  
Livestock Productivity

Climate change is a long-term shift in the statistics of the weather such as temperature,  radiation, and wind and rainfall characteristics of a particular region. Sustainability in  livestock production system is largely affected by climate change. A disproportion between  metabolic high temperature production inside the animal body and its dissipation to the  surroundings results to heat stress under high air temperature and humid climates. The  foremost reaction of animals under thermal weather is an increase in respiration rate, rectal  temperature and heart rate. The anticipated rise in temperature due to climate change is  likely to aggravate the heat stress in livestock, adversely affecting their productive and  reproductive performance and even death in extreme cases. The predicted negative impact of  climate change on agriculture would also adversely affect livestock production by  aggravating the feed and fodder shortages. The paper mainly reviews the impacts of climate  change on livestock productive performance.  Le changement climatique est un changement à long terme dans les statistiques  météorologiques telles que la température, le rayonnement et les caractéristiques du vent et  des précipitations d'une région particulière. La durabilité du système de production de bétail  est largement affectée par le changement climatique. Une disproportion entre la production  métabolique à haute température à l'intérieur du corps de l'animal et sa dissipation dans  l'environnement entraîne un stress thermique sous des températures élevées de l'air et des  climats humides. La réaction la plus importante des animaux sous temps thermique est une  augmentation de la fréquence respiratoire, de la température rectale et de la fréquence  cardiaque. L'augmentation prévue de la température due au changement climatique est  susceptible d'aggraver le stress thermique du bétail, affectant négativement ses  performances productives et reproductives et même la mort dans les cas extrêmes. L'impact  négatif prévu du changement climatique sur l'agriculture aurait également un effet négatif  sur la production animale en aggravant les pénuries d'aliments et de fourrage. Le document  passe principalement en revue les impacts du changement climatique sur les performances  de production de bétail. 

scholarly journals Low-Carbon Transport Policy in ASEAN Countries: A Comparative Analysis

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan Bakker ◽  
Kathleen Dematera Contreras ◽  
Monica Kappiantari ◽  
Tuan Anh Nguyen ◽  
Danielle Guillen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Comparative Analysis ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
Transport Policy ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Current Trends ◽  
Asean Countries ◽  
Carbon Transport

Emerging countries in Southeast Asia are facing considerable challenges in addressing rising motorisation and its negative impact on air quality, traffic, energy security, liveability, and greenhouse gas emissions. Indeed, even as initial policies to address these issues are being agreed and implemented, current trends are incompatible with sustainable development and long-term climate change targets. This paper presents a comparative analysis of the approach and status of sustainable, low-carbon transport policy in ASEAN countries and identifies differences and similarities, with the aim of helping assessment of feasibility of future policies and informing future studies on policy innovations and cross-country learning. The methodology is based on the taxonomy of policy components developed by Howlett and Cashore, and our data on comprehensive country studies for Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam and interviews. We find that each country has a specific set of goals, objectives and targets that support sustainable transport, and, directly or indirectly, climate change mitigation. In terms of specific instruments and calibrations, which we analyse based on the Avoid-Shift-Improve approach, there are notable differences between the countries, for example in fuel economy policy.

scholarly journals GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE: CAUSES OF OCCURRENCE AND CONSEQUENCES FOR AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION IN THE SOUTHERN STEPPE

2019 ◽  
pp. 88-98
Author(s):  
S. P. Goloborodko ◽  
O. M. Dymov
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Air Temperature ◽  
Global Climate Change ◽  
Agricultural Production ◽  
System Analysis ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
World Ocean ◽  
Simultaneous Increase

Relevance of the research. If greenhouse gases in the XXI century enter the atmosphere in the same volume as now, the increase in the average temperature on the planet will reach 2–4°C, and therefore the threat of extinction of up to 20–30% of species of animals and plants in existing biocenosis is not excluded. At the same time, the water level in the world ocean will rise, which during the XX century became higher by 17 cm, that is, more than for the previous 2000 years. Simultaneously with the increase in the average monthly air temperature in the conditions of natural moisturizing (without irrigation) of the southern Steppe subzone of Ukraine in recent years, insufficient precipitation has been recorded, especially in July, August and September that, according to various estimates, is typical for the semi-desert and desert. As a result, the aridity of the climate has increased and the frequency of droughts has risen as well. If for the period of 400 years, in the XI–XIV centuries droughts occurred only 8 times, in the XVII–XVIII – 17, in the XIX – 20, in the XX century the number of them increased to 30. The purpose of the article is to reveal the causes of global climate change on the planet and its impact on agricultural production of the southern Steppe subzone that resulted in increasing the coefficient of moisture, evaporation and moisture deficit. Research methods. The study was carried out using long-term meteorological observations of Kherson meteorological station. Scientific research was based on the complex application of statistical, monographic, abstract-logical methods and system analysis. Research results. The analysis of the main causes of global and regional climate change was conducted. Four models of the bases of climate change on the planet Earth were made. The influence of climate change on the formation of crops yield in the subzone of the southern Steppe was specified. The amount of precipitation fell during the growing period of 2011–2017 in medium dry and dry years shows that, compared to the long-term average precipitation, it was significantly lower and amounted to 47.2–63.6 mm. In average for the 65 years (1945–2010) evaporation was 722.0 mm, and the deficit of moisture, respectively 487.4 mm. In wet years, the volatility does not exceed 608.6 mm, and the deficit of moisture was made up of 243.6 mm. In average as to water supply years the evaporation increased up to 645.7–746.3 mm and the deficit of moisture increased up to 406.7–507.7 mm. In mid-dry and dry years, evaporation increased up to 769.8–934.5 mm, and the deficit of moisture – up to 580.9–791.0 mm. Conclusions. The decrease in precipitation, especially in dry years, compared to average annual indicators, was recorded in spring period as 24–27% and in autumn – as 62–65%, along with a simultaneous increase in air temperature in those periods as 2.7 and 2.8°C respectively. In general, during the vegetation period the increase in evaporation was 30–31% and the deficit of moisture was 53–55% that resulted in low yields of crops. The main way to overcome the negative impact of global climate change on the agricultural production of the southern Steppe subzone is the effective use and further extending the areas of actual irrigation, that will ensure stable high yields and food security of the state.

Nutrient addition increases rotifer abundance and diversity in a temperate bog

2020 ◽  
Vol 194 (2) ◽  
pp. 77-83
Author(s):  
Leszek A. Błędzki ◽  
Jill L. Bubier ◽  
Tim R. Moore ◽  
Sari Juutinen
Keyword(s):  
Interstitial Water ◽  
Carbon Sink ◽  
Species Abundance ◽  
Ecological Role ◽  
Decomposition Rates ◽  
Sink Capacity ◽  
Abundance And Diversity ◽  
P Addition

Rotifers are among the smallest metazoan animals living in lakes, ponds, rivers and in interstitial water within Sphagnum mats. When in sufficient numbers they are capable of regenerating large amounts of nitrogen (N) as NO3 and NH4 and phosphorus (P) as PO4; all of these nutrients are immediately available to bog plants. The ecological role of rotifers in bog ecosystems has been recognized at both local and global scales, but the effect of N and P addition on rotifers in bogs remains unknown. Here we present data on the influence of N and P addition on rotifers at a temperate Canadian bog dominated by Sphagnum mosses. We found that rotifer species abundance and diversity were significantly higher in surficial pore water after long-term exposure to increased N and P addition than in the control. A change in plant species distribution and increased rotifer abundance may partly explain the faster decomposition rates, jeopardizing the carbon sink capacity of bogs.

Demography and the Future of Democracy

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 867-880
Author(s):  
Jack A. Goldstone ◽  
Larry Diamond
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
The United States ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Global Democracy ◽  
Liberal Democratic ◽  
The World ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Long Term Trend

The world is in the midst of a demographic recession. This counters what should be a long-term trend toward greater democracy. Recent research has shown that progress toward stable democracy is strongly associated with progress in the demographic transition. Since most of the world is rapidly dropping in fertility as more countries complete this transition, democracy should be spreading. However, a resurgence of anxiety, nationalism, and support for strong-man governance is associated with sudden waves of immigration from unfamiliar sources. Because certain parts of the world—mainly Central America, sub-Saharan Africa, and the Middle East—still have very young and rapidly growing populations who suffer from poor economic prospects, adverse climate change, and bad governance, those regions are sending waves of migrants seeking asylum to Europe and the United States, raising anxieties that undermine liberal democratic governance. Global democracy is thus being tugged in opposing directions by current demographic trends. Improving governance in poorer countries to cope with the negative impact of climate change and to create better economic prospects, as well as efforts to reduce fertility, are essential to diminish the surges of migrants and restore the impetus toward democracy that should prevail in mature societies.

scholarly journals Ambient and experimental warming effects on an alpine bryophyte community

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristel van Zuijlen ◽  
Johan Asplund ◽  
Snorre Sundsbø ◽  
Oda Sofie Dahle ◽  
Kari Klanderud
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Functional Group ◽  
Positive Response ◽  
Individual Species ◽  
Experimental Warming ◽  
Dryas Octopetala ◽  
Pleurocarpous Mosses ◽  
Species Specific ◽  
Over Time

Alpine and arctic bryophytes have been found to respond negatively to climate change, but since they are often analysed as one functional group, there is limited knowledge on species-specific responses. In this study, we examine how nearly two decades of experimental warming by open top chambers (OTC) and ambient warming have affected the bryophyte community structure in an alpine Dryas octopetala heath in Finse, southwest Norway. In contrast to what we expected, we found that bryophyte abundance, species richness and evenness increased over time in the control plots, indicating a positive response to ambient warming. However, the increase in bryophyte abundance and cover was suppressed in experimentally warmed plots compared to control plots. Bryophyte community composition changed in a similar direction in response to both ambient and experimental warming. Acrocarpous mosses were not affected stronger by warming than pleurocarpous mosses, but individual species and taxa showed contrasting responses. Our study highlights the importance of studying bryophyte responses to environmental change, as well as combining long-term observations with experimental warming.

Patterns in diversity and composition of the microbenthos of subarctic intertidal beaches with different morphodynamics

2020 ◽  
Vol 648 ◽  
pp. 19-38
Author(s):  
AI Azovsky ◽  
YA Mazei ◽  
MA Saburova ◽  
PV Sapozhnikov
Keyword(s):  
Species Abundance ◽  
Abundance Ratio ◽  
Wave Action ◽  
Coarse Grained ◽  
Sediment Properties ◽  
Β Diversity ◽  
Α Diversity ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Similar Mode ◽  
Abundance And Diversity

Diversity and composition of benthic diatom algae and ciliates were studied at several beaches along the White and Barents seas: from highly exposed, reflective beaches with coarse-grained sands to sheltered, dissipative silty-sandy flats. For diatoms, the epipelic to epipsammic species abundance ratio was significantly correlated with the beach index and mean particle size, while neither α-diversity measures nor mean cell length were related to beach properties. In contrast, most of the characteristics of ciliate assemblages (diversity, total abundance and biomass, mean individual weight and percentage of karyorelictids) demonstrated a strong correlation to beach properties, remaining low at exposed beaches but increasing sharply in more sheltered conditions. β-diversity did not correlate with beach properties for either diatoms or ciliates. We suggest that wave action and sediment properties are the main drivers controlling the diversity and composition of the intertidal microbenthos. Diatoms and ciliates, however, demonstrated divergent response to these factors. Epipelic and epipsammic diatoms exhibited 2 different strategies to adapt to their environments and therefore were complementarily distributed along the environmental gradient and compensated for each other in diversity. Most ciliates demonstrated a similar mode of habitat selection but differed in their degree of tolerance. Euryporal (including mesoporal) species were relatively tolerant to wave action and therefore occurred under a wide range of beach conditions, though their abundance and diversity were highest in fine, relatively stable sediments on sheltered beaches, whereas the specific interstitial (i.e. genuine microporal) species were mostly restricted to only these habitats.

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