Seasonal ecosystem vulnerability to climatic anomalies in the Mediterranean

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johannes Vogel
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Mediterranean Basin ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
Ecosystem Productivity ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Ecosystem Vulnerability ◽  
Dry Conditions ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
The Mediterranean Basin

<p>The ecosystems of the Mediterranean Basin are particularly prone to climate change and related alterations in climatic anomalies. The seasonal timing of climatic anomalies is crucial for the assessment of the corresponding ecosystem impacts; however, the incorporation of seasonality is neglected in many studies. We quantify ecosystem vulnerability by investigating deviations of the climatic drivers temperature and soil moisture during phases of low ecosystem productivity for each month of the year over the period 1999 – 2019. The fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (FAPAR) is used as a proxy for ecosystem productivity. Air temperature is obtained from the reanalysis data set ERA5 Land and soil moisture and FAPAR satellite products are retrieved from ESA CCI and Copernicus Global Land Service, respectively. Our results show that Mediterranean ecosystems are vulnerable to three soil moisture regimes during the course of the year. A phase of vulnerability to hot and dry conditions during late spring to midsummer is followed by a period of vulnerability to cold and dry conditions in autumn. The third phase is characterized by cold and wet conditions coinciding with low ecosystem productivity in winter and early spring. These phases illustrate well the shift between a soil moisture-limited regime in summer and an energy-limited regime in winter in the Mediterranean Basin. Notably, the vulnerability to hot and dry conditions during the course of the year is prolonged by several months in the Eastern Mediterranean compared to the Western Mediterranean. Our approach facilitates a better understanding of ecosystem vulnerability at certain stages during the year and is easily transferable to other study areas and ecoclimatological variables.</p>

scholarly journals Seasonal ecosystem vulnerability to climatic anomalies in the Mediterranean

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johannes Vogel ◽  
Eva Paton ◽  
Valentin Aich
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean ◽  
Time Lag ◽  
Mediterranean Ecosystems ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
Bivariate Analysis ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Variability ◽  
Ecosystem Vulnerability ◽  
Dry Conditions ◽  
The Mediterranean

Abstract. Mediterranean ecosystems are particularly vulnerable to climate change and the associated increase in climate extremes. This study investigates extreme ecosystem responses evoked by climatic drivers in the Mediterranean Basin for the time span 1999–2019 with a specific focus on seasonal variations, as the seasonal timing of climatic anomalies is considered essential for impact and vulnerability assessment. A bivariate vulnerability analysis is performed for each month of the year to quantify which combinations of the drivers temperature (obtained from ER5 Land) and soil moisture (obtained from ESA CCI and ERA5 Land) lead to extreme reductions of ecosystem productivity using the fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (FAPAR; obtained from Copernicus Global Land Service) as a proxy. The bivariate analysis clearly showed that, in many cases, it is not just one but a combination of both drivers that causes ecosystem vulnerability. The overall pattern shows that Mediterranean ecosystems are prone to three soil moisture regimes during the yearly cycle: They are vulnerable to hot and dry conditions from May to July, to cold and dry conditions from August to October, and to cold conditions from November to April, illustrating the shift from a soil moisture-limited regime in summer to an energy-limited regime in winter. In late spring, a month with significant vulnerability to hot conditions only often precedes the next stage of vulnerability to both hot and dry conditions, suggesting that high temperatures lead to critically low soil moisture levels with a certain time lag. In the eastern Mediterranean, the period of vulnerability to hot and dry conditions within the year is much longer than in the western Mediterranean. Our results show that it is crucial to account for both spatial and temporal variability to adequately assess ecosystem vulnerability. The seasonal vulnerability approach presented in this study helps to provide detailed insights regarding the specific phenological stage of the year in which ecosystem vulnerability to a certain climatic condition occurs.

scholarly journals Seasonal ecosystem vulnerability to climatic anomalies in the Mediterranean

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (22) ◽  
pp. 5903-5927
Author(s):  
Johannes Vogel ◽  
Eva Paton ◽  
Valentin Aich
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean ◽  
Time Lag ◽  
Mediterranean Ecosystems ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
Bivariate Analysis ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Variability ◽  
Ecosystem Vulnerability ◽  
Dry Conditions ◽  
The Mediterranean

Abstract. Mediterranean ecosystems are particularly vulnerable to climate change and the associated increase in climate anomalies. This study investigates extreme ecosystem responses evoked by climatic drivers in the Mediterranean Basin for the time span 1999–2019 with a specific focus on seasonal variations as the seasonal timing of climatic anomalies is considered essential for impact and vulnerability assessment. A bivariate vulnerability analysis is performed for each month of the year to quantify which combinations of the drivers temperature (obtained from ERA5-Land) and soil moisture (obtained from ESA CCI and ERA5-Land) lead to extreme reductions in ecosystem productivity using the fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (FAPAR; obtained from the Copernicus Global Land Service) as a proxy. The bivariate analysis clearly showed that, in many cases, it is not just one but a combination of both drivers that causes ecosystem vulnerability. The overall pattern shows that Mediterranean ecosystems are prone to three soil moisture regimes during the yearly cycle: they are vulnerable to hot and dry conditions from May to July, to cold and dry conditions from August to October, and to cold conditions from November to April, illustrating the shift from a soil-moisture-limited regime in summer to an energy-limited regime in winter. In late spring, a month with significant vulnerability to hot conditions only often precedes the next stage of vulnerability to both hot and dry conditions, suggesting that high temperatures lead to critically low soil moisture levels with a certain time lag. In the eastern Mediterranean, the period of vulnerability to hot and dry conditions within the year is much longer than in the western Mediterranean. Our results show that it is crucial to account for both spatial and temporal variability to adequately assess ecosystem vulnerability. The seasonal vulnerability approach presented in this study helps to provide detailed insights regarding the specific phenological stage of the year in which ecosystem vulnerability to a certain climatic condition occurs.

scholarly journals Review Article: Atmospheric conditions inducing extreme precipitation over the Eastern and Western Mediterranean

2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (6) ◽  
pp. 3687-3732 ◽  
Author(s):  
U. Dayan ◽  
K. M. Nissen ◽  
U. Ulbrich
Keyword(s):  
Extreme Precipitation ◽  
Mediterranean Basin ◽  
Heavy Rainfall ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
Atmospheric Conditions ◽  
Synoptic Scale ◽  
Extreme Precipitation Events ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
The Mediterranean Basin

Abstract. This review discusses published studies of heavy rainfall events over the Mediterranean Basin, combining them in a more general picture of the dynamic and thermodynamic factors and processes producing heavy rain storms. It distinguishes the Western and Eastern Mediterranean in order to point at specific regional peculiarities. The crucial moisture for developing intensive convection over these regions can be originated not only from the adjacent Mediterranean Sea but also from distant upwind sources. Transport from remote sources is usually in the mid-tropospheric layers and associated with specific features and patterns of the larger scale circulations. The synoptic systems (tropical and extra-tropical) accounting for most of the major extreme precipitation events and the coupling of circulation and extreme rainfall patterns are presented. Heavy rainfall over the Mediterranean Basin is caused at times in concert by several atmospheric processes working at different atmospheric scales, such as local convection, upper-level synoptic-scale troughs, and meso-scale convective systems. Under tropical air mass intrusions, convection generated by static instability seems to play a more important role than synoptic-scale vertical motions. Locally, the occurrence of torrential rains and their intensity is dependent on factors such as temperature profiles and implied instability, atmospheric moisture, and lower-level convergence.

scholarly journals Review Article: Atmospheric conditions inducing extreme precipitation over the eastern and western Mediterranean

2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (11) ◽  
pp. 2525-2544 ◽  
Author(s):  
U. Dayan ◽  
K. Nissen ◽  
U. Ulbrich
Keyword(s):  
Extreme Precipitation ◽  
Mediterranean Basin ◽  
Heavy Rainfall ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
Atmospheric Conditions ◽  
Synoptic Scale ◽  
Extreme Precipitation Events ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
The Mediterranean Basin

Abstract. This review discusses published studies of heavy rainfall events over the Mediterranean Basin, combining them in a more general picture of the dynamic and thermodynamic factors and processes that produce heavy rain storms. It distinguishes the western and eastern Mediterranean in order to point out specific regional peculiarities. The crucial moisture for developing intensive convection over these regions can be originated not only from the adjacent Mediterranean Sea but also from distant upwind sources. Transport from remote sources is usually in the mid-tropospheric layers and associated with specific features and patterns of the larger-scale circulations. The synoptic systems (tropical and extratropical) that account for most of the major extreme precipitation events and the coupling of circulation and extreme rainfall patterns are presented. Heavy rainfall over the Mediterranean Basin is caused at times in concert by several atmospheric processes working at different atmospheric scales, such as local convection, upper synoptic-scale-level troughs, and mesoscale convective systems. Under tropical air-mass intrusions, convection generated by static instability seems to play a more important role than synoptic-scale vertical motions. Locally, the occurrence of torrential rains and their intensity is dependent on factors such as temperature profiles and implied instability, atmospheric moisture, and lower-level convergence.

scholarly journals The GLAM Airborne Campaign across the Mediterranean Basin

2018 ◽  
Vol 99 (2) ◽  
pp. 361-380 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philippe Ricaud ◽  
Régina Zbinden ◽  
Valéry Catoire ◽  
Vanessa Brocchi ◽  
François Dulac ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Greenhouse Gases ◽  
Mediterranean Basin ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
Chemical Mapping ◽  
Air Masses ◽  
Airborne Measurements ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Mediterranean Basin

Abstract The Gradient in Longitude of Atmospheric Constituents above the Mediterranean Basin (GLAM) airborne campaign was set up to investigate the summertime variability of gaseous pollutants, greenhouse gases, and aerosols between the western (∼3°E) and eastern (∼35°E) sections of the Mediterranean basin as well as how this connects with the impact of the Asian monsoon anticyclone on the eastern Mediterranean in the mid- to upper troposphere (∼5–10 km). GLAM falls within the framework of the Chemistry–Aerosol Mediterranean Experiment (ChArMEx) program. GLAM used the French Falcon-20 research aircraft to measure aerosols, humidity, and chemical compounds: ozone, carbon monoxide, methane, and carbon dioxide. GLAM took place between 6 and 10 August 2014, following a route from Toulouse (France) to Larnaca (Cyprus) and back again via Minorca (Spain), Lampedusa (Italy), and Heraklion (Crete, Greece). The aircraft flew at an altitude of 5 km on its outbound journey and 10 km on the return leg. GLAM also collected vertical profiles around the landing sites listed above. A combination of model outputs, chemical mapping analyses, and spaceborne and surface station measurements gathered prior to and during the campaign were used to interpret the in situ airborne measurements. The main outcome of this study is the impact of intercontinental transport on the longitudinal variability of pollutants, greenhouse gases, and aerosols at an altitude of 10 km. The eastern Mediterranean is affected by air masses from the Arabian Sea surface, and the western Mediterranean is impacted by air masses from North America (biomass burning) and West Africa (desert dust).

scholarly journals Genetic differentiation of the house mouse around the Mediterranean basin: matrilineal footprints of early and late colonization

2010 ◽  
Vol 278 (1708) ◽  
pp. 1034-1043 ◽  
Author(s):  
François Bonhomme ◽  
Annie Orth ◽  
Thomas Cucchi ◽  
Hassan Rajabi-Maham ◽  
Josette Catalan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
House Mouse ◽  
Mediterranean Basin ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
Mus Musculus Domesticus ◽  
Westward Expansion ◽  
Multiple Introductions ◽  
D Loop ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
The Mediterranean Basin

The molecular signatures of the recent expansion of the western house mouse, Mus musculus domesticus , around the Mediterranean basin are investigated through the study of mitochondrial D-loop polymorphism on a 1313 individual dataset. When reducing the complexity of the matrilineal network to a series of haplogroups (HGs), our main results indicate that: (i) several HGs are recognized which seem to have almost simultaneously diverged from each other, confirming a recent expansion for the whole subspecies; (ii) some HGs are geographically delimited while others are widespread, indicative of multiple introductions or secondary exchanges; (iii) mice from the western and the eastern coasts of Africa harbour largely different sets of HGs; and (iv) HGs from the two shores of the Mediterranean are more similar in the west than in the east. This pattern is in keeping with the two-step westward expansion proposed by zooarchaeological data, an early one coincident with the Neolithic progression and limited to the eastern Mediterranean and a later one, particularly evident in the western Mediterranean, related to the generalization of maritime trade during the first millennium BC and onwards. The dispersal of mice along with humans, which continues until today, has for instance left complex footprints on the long ago colonized Cyprus or more simple ones on the much more recently populated Canary Islands.

scholarly journals Origin and transport of Mediterranean moisture and air

2010 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 5089-5105 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. Schicker ◽  
S. Radanovics ◽  
P. Seibert
Keyword(s):  
Residence Time ◽  
Mediterranean Basin ◽  
Trade Wind ◽  
Trajectory Data ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Mediterranean Regions ◽  
Diagnosis Method ◽  
Seasonal Basis ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
The Mediterranean Basin

Abstract. Considering the Mediterranean as a region of high evaporation and low precipitation, evaluations of sinks and sources of moisture and precipitation in the Mediterranean basin have been carried out within the frame of the CIRCE (Climate Change and Impact Research: the Mediterranean Environment) project. Besides these evaluations, residence time and stagnation/ventilation analyses have been carried out to investigate transport to and from the Mediterranean basin and in the basin itself. A Lagrangian moisture diagnosis method calculating budgets of evaporation minus precipitation was applied to a 5.5 year (October 1999–April 2005) trajectory data set and evaluated for eight representative Mediterranean Regions Of Interest (ROI). The Mediterranean basin has been identified as a major source of moisture and precipitation to the surrounding land area and to the basin itself. Main regions of stagnation, i.e. the Po basin, have been defined on a seasonal basis through residence time analysis. Evaluation of the transport to and from the basin shows that the Mediterranean is a crossroad of airstreams where air enters mainly from the northwest and continues in two separate streams, one going southwest over North Africa into the trade wind zone and the other one to the northeast through Central Asia.

scholarly journals Genetic flow among olive populations within the Mediterranean basin

PeerJ ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. e5260 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valentina di Rienzo ◽  
Sara Sion ◽  
Francesca Taranto ◽  
Nunzio D’Agostino ◽  
Cinzia Montemurro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Diversity ◽  
Genetic Resources ◽  
Mediterranean Basin ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean ◽  
Olive Tree ◽  
Gene Pools ◽  
The North ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
And Migration ◽  
The Mediterranean Basin

Background The olive tree is a typical crop of the Mediterranean basin where it shows a wide diversity, accounting for more than 2,600 cultivars. The ability to discriminate olive cultivars and determine their genetic variability is pivotal for an optimal exploitation of olive genetic resources. Methods We investigated the genetic diversity within 128 olive accessions belonging to four countries in the Mediterranean Basin (Italy, Algeria, Syria, and Malta), with the purpose of better understanding the origin and spread of the olive genotypes across Mediterranean Basin countries. Eleven highly polymorphic simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers were used and proved to be very informative, producing a total of 179 alleles. Results Cluster analysis distinguished three main groups according to their geographical origin, with the current sample of Maltese accessions included in the Italian group. Phylogenetic analysis further differentiated Italian and Maltese olive accessions, clarifying the intermediate position of Maltese accessions along the x/y-axes of principal coordinate analysis (PCoA). Model-based and neighbor clustering, PCoA, and migration analysis suggested the existence of two different gene pools (Algerian and Syrian) and that the genetic exchange occurred between the Syrian, Italian and Maltese populations. Discussion The close relationship between Syrian and Italian and Maltese olives was consistent with the historical domestication and migration of olive tree from the North Levant to eastern Mediterranean basin. This study lays the foundations for a better understanding of olive genetic diversity in the Mediterranean basin and represents a step toward an optimal conservation and exploitation of olive genetic resources.

A Werner A2 ewer from Byzantine Cartagena and the distribution of bronze cast vessels in the western Mediterranean around 600 CE

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-26
Author(s):  
Joan Pinar Gil ◽  
Jaime Vizcaíno Sánchez
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Basin ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
Northern Adriatic ◽  
Trade Networks ◽  
Ancient City ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
The Temple ◽  
Archaeological Excavations ◽  
The Mediterranean Basin ◽  
Early Byzantine

Abstract During the 6th and 7th c. CE, Carthago Spartaria (modern Cartagena) became one of the most important cities in the Byzantine province of Spania. Recent archaeological excavations at Cerro del Molinete have significantly increased our knowledge of the ancient city, enabling the exploration of an early Byzantine neighborhood built over the Roman Forum district. A cast bronze ewer of type Werner A2 was found in a pit dug over the temple that presided over the Forum. The associated materials, mainly pottery and glass vessels, are compatible with a deposition between 580/90 and 650/60 CE. This assemblage improves our understanding of the trade networks interconnecting the Mediterranean basin during the 6th and 7th c. CE. In this context, we argue that the unknown production center of the A2 ewers was located in the northern Adriatic, probably in Ravenna.

scholarly journals Lightning-ignited wildfires and long-continuing-current lightning in the Mediterranean Basin: Preferential meteorological conditions

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francisco J. Pérez-Invernón ◽  
Heidi Huntrieser ◽  
Sergio Soler ◽  
Francisco J. Gordillo-Vázquez ◽  
Nicolau Pineda ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Iberian Peninsula ◽  
Forest Fires ◽  
Mediterranean Basin ◽  
Meteorological Conditions ◽  
Precipitation Rate ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Fire Emissions ◽  
Forecasting Models ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
The Mediterranean Basin

Abstract. Lightning is the major cause of natural ignition of wildfires worldwide and produces the largest wildfires in some regions. Lightning strokes produce about 5 % of forest fires in the Mediterranean basin and are one of the most important precursors of the largest forest fires during the summer. Lightning-ignited wildfires produce significant emissions of aerosols, black carbon and trace gases, such as CO, SO2, CH4 and O3, affecting air quality. Characterization of the meteorological and cloud conditions of lightning-ignited wildfires in the Mediterranean basin can serve to improve fire forecasting models and to upgrade the implementation of fire emissions in atmospheric models. This study investigates the meteorological and cloud conditions of Lightning-Ignited Wildfires (LIW) and Long-Continuing-Current (LCC) lightning flashes in the Iberian Peninsula and Greece. LCC lightning and lightning in dry thunderstorms with low precipitation rate have been proposed to be the main precursors of the largest wildfires. We use lightning data provided by the World Wide Lightning Location Network (WWLLN), the Earth Network Total Lightning Network (ENTLN) and the Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS) onboard the International Space Station (ISS) together with four databases of wildfires produced in Spain, Portugal, Southern France and Greece, respectively, in order to produce a climatology of LIW and LCC lightning over the Mediterranean basin. In addition, we use meteorological data provided by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) ERA5-reanalysis data set and by the Spanish State Meteorological Agency (AEMET) together with the Cloud Top Height (CTH) product derived from Meteosat Second Generation (MSG) satellites measurements to investigate the meteorological conditions of LIW and LCC lightning. According to our results, LIW and a significant amount of LCC lightning flashes tend to occur in dry thunderstorms with weak updrafts. Our results suggest that lightning-ignited wildfires tend to occur in high-based clouds with a vertical content of moisture lower than the climatological value, as well as with a higher temperature and a lower precipitation rate. Meteorological conditions of LIW from the Iberian Peninsula and Greece are in agreement, although some differences possibly caused by highly variable topography in Greece and a more humid environment are observed. These results show the possibility of using the typical meteorological and cloud conditions of LCC lightning flashes as proxy to parameterize the ignition of wildfires in atmospheric or forecasting models.

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