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Many cities worldwide lay upon alluvial aquifers which have a great potential for low temperature geothermal installations thanks to the thermal diffusive properties of saturated porous media and the constant temperature of the subsurface. In addition, aquifers with fast moving groundwater have a higher potential due to the additional energy replenishment by advection, which is often underestimated.This work aims at bridging the gap between quantitative hydrothermal numerical analysis and regional scale assessment developing a process-based surrogate model for the estimation of the thermal exchange (geothermal) potential of ground source heat pumps (GSHP) considering groundwater advection. The proposed method is based on a synthetic 3D FEM model reproducing the infinite line source configuration and introducing groundwater advection. Conductive/advective gfunctions were derived from the numerically simulated space-time thermal perturbation for a comprehensive set of hydrogeological regimes, and a surrogate model was developed by a machine learning (ML) regression of the thermal response of the system. This solution, beyond the run time of the numerical study and the ML training phase, is very fast, applicable at any scale and scalable to any desired depth.The trained model can be used to predict the geothermal potential of GSHP for almost all sedimentary basins around the world upon the availability of the required input data (aquifer thickness and saturation, aquifer porosity and groundwater flow velocity). In this study, large scale geothermal potential maps were generated from input layers implemented in a GIS, for a demonstrative area in northern Italy showing highly variable groundwater flow (Darcy velocity from 10-3 to 10+3 m/y). A promising increase (up to +250 %) in the thermal exchange potential of GSHP due to the contribution of advection was highlighted discussing the benefits of groundwater flow and the amount of usable potential with implications on sha

Leptospirosis is a neglected waterborne zoonosis of growing concern in tropical and low-income regions. Endemic in Southeast Asia, its distribution and environmental factors such as climate controlling its dynamics remain poorly documented. In this paper, we investigate for the first time the current and future leptospirosis burden at a local scale in mainland Southeast Asia. We adjusted machine-learning models on incidence reports from the Thai surveillance system to identify environmental determinants of leptospirosis. The explanatory variables tested in our models included climate, topographic, land cover and soil variables. The model performing the best in cross-validation was used to estimate the current incidence regionally in Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos. It then allowed to predict the spatial distribution of leptospirosis future burden from 2021 to 2100 based on an ensemble of CMIP6 climate model projections and 4 Shared Socio-economics Pathways ranging from the most optimistic to the no-climate policy outcomes (SSP1–2.6, SSP2–4.5, SSP3–7.0 and SSP5–8.5). Leptospirosis incidence was best estimated by 10 environmental variables: four landscape-, four rainfall-, two temperature-related variables. Of all tested scenario, the worst-case scenario of climate change (SSP5–8.5) surprisingly appeared as the best-case scenario for the future of leptospirosis since it would induce a significant global decline in disease incidence in Southeast Asia mainly driven by the increasing temperatures. These global patterns are however contrasted regionally with some regions showing increased incidence in the future. Our work highlights climate and the environment as major drivers of leptospirosis incidence in Southeast Asia. Applying our model to regions where leptospirosis is not routinely monitored suggests an overlooked burden in the region. As our model focuses on leptospirosis responses to environmental drivers only, some other factors, such as poverty, li

The impact of the management, use of water and the industrialization process in the municipality of Jocotitlan, State of Mexico, between 1940-1980 is analyzed. In addition, are identified the disputes related to water appropriation between the ejido Los Reyes and the Pasteje Industrial Complex. For the analysis, 4 in-depth interviews were conducted, and archival documents were consulted. It was found that the ejido Los Reyes lived mainly two episodes that affected their agricultural production and access to water, the first with the irruption of the Industrial Complex to the municipality and the second with the second stage of water transfer to Mexico City. The results suggest that disputes over water control in the region are emerging processes that stem from the relationship between the institutions in charge of national water policy and hegemonic actors, whose interaction produces a space on regional scale., Se analiza el impacto que tuvo la gestión, aprovechamiento del agua y el proceso de industrialización en el municipio de Jocotitlán, Estado de México, entre 1940-1980. Además, se identifican las disputas relacionadas con la apropiación del agua protagonizadas por el ejido Los Reyes y el Complejo Industrial Pastejé. Para el análisis se realizaron cuatro entrevistas a profundidad y se consultaron documentos de archivo. Se encontró que el ejido Los Reyes vivió dos episodios que afectaron su producción agrícola y acceso al agua: la irrupción del Complejo Industrial al municipio y la segunda etapa de transferencia de agua al entonces Distrito Federal. Los resultados sugieren que las disputas por el control del agua en la región son procesos emergentes derivados de la relación entre las instituciones encargadas de la política hídrica nacional y actores hegemónicos, cuya interacción produce un espacio a escala regional.

Leptospirosis is a neglected waterborne zoonosis of growing concern in tropical and low-income regions. Endemic in Southeast Asia, its distribution and environmental factors such as climate controlling its dynamics remain poorly documented. In this paper, we investigate for the first time the current and future leptospirosis burden at a local scale in mainland Southeast Asia. We adjusted machine-learning models on incidence reports from the Thai surveillance system to identify environmental determinants of leptospirosis. The explanatory variables tested in our models included climate, topographic, land cover and soil variables. The model performing the best in cross-validation was used to estimate the current incidence regionally in Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos. It then allowed to predict the spatial distribution of leptospirosis future burden from 2021 to 2100 based on an ensemble of CMIP6 climate model projections and 4 Shared Socio-economics Pathways ranging from the most optimistic to the no-climate policy outcomes (SSP1–2.6, SSP2–4.5, SSP3–7.0 and SSP5–8.5). Leptospirosis incidence was best estimated by 10 environmental variables: four landscape-, four rainfall-, two temperature-related variables. Of all tested scenario, the worst-case scenario of climate change (SSP5–8.5) surprisingly appeared as the best-case scenario for the future of leptospirosis since it would induce a significant global decline in disease incidence in Southeast Asia mainly driven by the increasing temperatures. These global patterns are however contrasted regionally with some regions showing increased incidence in the future. Our work highlights climate and the environment as major drivers of leptospirosis incidence in Southeast Asia. Applying our model to regions where leptospirosis is not routinely monitored suggests an overlooked burden in the region. As our model focuses on leptospirosis responses to environmental drivers only, some other factors, such as poverty, li

The impact of the management, use of water and the industrialization process in the municipality of Jocotitlan, State of Mexico, between 1940-1980 is analyzed. In addition, are identified the disputes related to water appropriation between the ejido Los Reyes and the Pasteje Industrial Complex. For the analysis, 4 in-depth interviews were conducted, and archival documents were consulted. It was found that the ejido Los Reyes lived mainly two episodes that affected their agricultural production and access to water, the first with the irruption of the Industrial Complex to the municipality and the second with the second stage of water transfer to Mexico City. The results suggest that disputes over water control in the region are emerging processes that stem from the relationship between the institutions in charge of national water policy and hegemonic actors, whose interaction produces a space on regional scale., Se analiza el impacto que tuvo la gestión, aprovechamiento del agua y el proceso de industrialización en el municipio de Jocotitlán, Estado de México, entre 1940-1980. Además, se identifican las disputas relacionadas con la apropiación del agua protagonizadas por el ejido Los Reyes y el Complejo Industrial Pastejé. Para el análisis se realizaron cuatro entrevistas a profundidad y se consultaron documentos de archivo. Se encontró que el ejido Los Reyes vivió dos episodios que afectaron su producción agrícola y acceso al agua: la irrupción del Complejo Industrial al municipio y la segunda etapa de transferencia de agua al entonces Distrito Federal. Los resultados sugieren que las disputas por el control del agua en la región son procesos emergentes derivados de la relación entre las instituciones encargadas de la política hídrica nacional y actores hegemónicos, cuya interacción produce un espacio a escala regional.

Today, outdoor air quality occupies an important place into civic dialogue because of the many impacts of atmospheric pollution on health. Different legislations and strategies have thus been implemented across the world to improve outdoor air quality. Analysing and comparing the different strategies can help adopting the best practices in favour of air quality. In France, in particular, the national air quality policy is reflected at a regional scale through legislative documents called Atmosphere Protection Plans (PPAs). The analysis of such a document thus represents a powerful way to assess a regional air quality policy. Here, Normandie’s PPA has been analysed through a literature review, working meetings as well as qualitative interviews. The study highlighted that Normandie’s air quality policy had to answer a complex legislative ecosystem of international, national and local documents. The analysis also underlined that the questions of the perimeter of action of the policy and the targeted pollutants were as central as the measures implemented to improve air quality. The working meetings and the qualitative interviews led to consensus that Normandie’s air quality policy should target 3 atmospheric pollutants: nitrogen dioxide, particulate matter 10 and particulate matter 2.5. If road traffic has been identified as the major emitting source of the first, particulate matter emitting sources were pointed as varied and multi-sectoral. Finally, some measures of Normandie’s air quality policy appeared to be particularly efficient and advanced, such as agricultural measures. Yet, many difficulties were encountered when implementing several measures of the policy. The main difficulties were the lack of financial resources, the lack of project leader and the lack of technical expertise. More than a basic analysis of an air quality public policy, these results can also be perceived as a sharing of experience on how a region addresses air quality issues. Because a work, Luftkvaliteten visar den antropogena nedbrytningen av det naturliga tillståndet för luft. Detta ämne har spelat en allt viktigare roll i den offentliga debatten under de senaste decennierna, på grund av de olika effekterna som luftföroreningar har på hälsan. I denna masteruppsats har Normandies politik för luftkvalitet analyserats. I Frankrike regleras nationell luftkvalitetspolitik i regional skala genom lagstiftningsdokument som kallas Atmosphere Protection Plan (PPA). Analysen av detta dokument gör det möjligt att bedöma den regionala luftkvalitetspolitiken. Således har hela studien baserats på analysen av Normandies PPA. Här har Normandies PPA analyserats genom litteraturöversikt, arbetsmöten och kvalitativa intervjuer. Först och främst belyste litteraturöversikten att Normandies PPA måste ta hänsyn till ett komplext lagstiftningsekosystem, allt från internationell till lokal skala. I synnerhet är Normandies PPA-huvudmål att uppnå de tröskelvärden som definieras av de europeiska direktiven. I ett andra steg tillät en granskning av PPA från sex franska regioner att jämföra Normandies luftkvalitetspolitik med andra regioners politik. Under denna fas har såväl strukturer dokumenterats som de presenterade åtgärderna utvärderats med avseende på strukturerna och åtgärderna för de andra PPA. I synnerhet har återkommande kategorier och underavsnitt identifierats i de sex PPA. Dessutom tycktes motiveringen av applikationomkrets vara central, liksom de riktade atmosfäriska föroreningarna. På samma sätt tillät jämförelsen av åtgärderna för de sex PPA att identifiera de relevanta och banbrytande åtgärderna i Normandies PPA, som tillhör hamnsektorn och de sektorsövergripande åtgärderna. Omvänt verkade åtgärderna av Normandies PPA vara otillfredsställande inom industri- och transportsektorn. En mer fördjupad analys genomfördes genom arbetsmöten och kvalitativa intervjuer. Flera frågor har bedömts, till exemp

Today, outdoor air quality occupies an important place into civic dialogue because of the many impacts of atmospheric pollution on health. Different legislations and strategies have thus been implemented across the world to improve outdoor air quality. Analysing and comparing the different strategies can help adopting the best practices in favour of air quality. In France, in particular, the national air quality policy is reflected at a regional scale through legislative documents called Atmosphere Protection Plans (PPAs). The analysis of such a document thus represents a powerful way to assess a regional air quality policy. Here, Normandie’s PPA has been analysed through a literature review, working meetings as well as qualitative interviews. The study highlighted that Normandie’s air quality policy had to answer a complex legislative ecosystem of international, national and local documents. The analysis also underlined that the questions of the perimeter of action of the policy and the targeted pollutants were as central as the measures implemented to improve air quality. The working meetings and the qualitative interviews led to consensus that Normandie’s air quality policy should target 3 atmospheric pollutants: nitrogen dioxide, particulate matter 10 and particulate matter 2.5. If road traffic has been identified as the major emitting source of the first, particulate matter emitting sources were pointed as varied and multi-sectoral. Finally, some measures of Normandie’s air quality policy appeared to be particularly efficient and advanced, such as agricultural measures. Yet, many difficulties were encountered when implementing several measures of the policy. The main difficulties were the lack of financial resources, the lack of project leader and the lack of technical expertise. More than a basic analysis of an air quality public policy, these results can also be perceived as a sharing of experience on how a region addresses air quality issues. Because a work, Luftkvaliteten visar den antropogena nedbrytningen av det naturliga tillståndet för luft. Detta ämne har spelat en allt viktigare roll i den offentliga debatten under de senaste decennierna, på grund av de olika effekterna som luftföroreningar har på hälsan. I denna masteruppsats har Normandies politik för luftkvalitet analyserats. I Frankrike regleras nationell luftkvalitetspolitik i regional skala genom lagstiftningsdokument som kallas Atmosphere Protection Plan (PPA). Analysen av detta dokument gör det möjligt att bedöma den regionala luftkvalitetspolitiken. Således har hela studien baserats på analysen av Normandies PPA. Här har Normandies PPA analyserats genom litteraturöversikt, arbetsmöten och kvalitativa intervjuer. Först och främst belyste litteraturöversikten att Normandies PPA måste ta hänsyn till ett komplext lagstiftningsekosystem, allt från internationell till lokal skala. I synnerhet är Normandies PPA-huvudmål att uppnå de tröskelvärden som definieras av de europeiska direktiven. I ett andra steg tillät en granskning av PPA från sex franska regioner att jämföra Normandies luftkvalitetspolitik med andra regioners politik. Under denna fas har såväl strukturer dokumenterats som de presenterade åtgärderna utvärderats med avseende på strukturerna och åtgärderna för de andra PPA. I synnerhet har återkommande kategorier och underavsnitt identifierats i de sex PPA. Dessutom tycktes motiveringen av applikationomkrets vara central, liksom de riktade atmosfäriska föroreningarna. På samma sätt tillät jämförelsen av åtgärderna för de sex PPA att identifiera de relevanta och banbrytande åtgärderna i Normandies PPA, som tillhör hamnsektorn och de sektorsövergripande åtgärderna. Omvänt verkade åtgärderna av Normandies PPA vara otillfredsställande inom industri- och transportsektorn. En mer fördjupad analys genomfördes genom arbetsmöten och kvalitativa intervjuer. Flera frågor har bedömts, till exemp

Hydraulic conductivity is a basic property of rocks and soil, and its estimation varies as a function of the scale and purpose of the study. This work combines geomorphological analysis, geological data, and groundwater investigations from literature to assess large-scale anisotropies in hydraulic conductivity in the North China Plain. The study area encompasses 144,000 km2 and represents the most important groundwater system of China, affected in the last 40 years by severe groundwater depletion, pollution, and subsidence. The investigation area is at the center of a massive groundwater project, the South to North Water Transfer Project, which was designed and implemented to alleviate water scarcity and facilitate environmental recovery. A conceptual model based on geomorphological evidence, supported by borehole logs, and satellite image analysis is used to assess the hydraulic conductivity anisotropies at the regional scale. The model divides the alluvial plain into four geomorphological zones with similar hydraulic conductivity characteristics. Along the general groundwater flow direction, upstream hydraulic conductivity is assumed isotropic but strong anisotropies are deduced downstream. An accurate hydraulic conductivity assessment is essential to improve quantitative studies of contaminant transport, artificial aquifer recharge, and land subsidence in the North China Plain and elsewhere.

The aim of this paper is to achieve a quantitative assessment of rockfall protection forest efficiency at regional scale, considering site specific forest, morphological and lithological parameters. At first, a semi-automatic GIS-based method, integrated with a multi-scenario 3D-rockfall model realized by using the simulation code HY-STONE, was used to map protection forests of Regione Lombardia (central Italian Alps). For each different forest type, a rockfall protective efficiency was assessed by using empirical (energy line angle) and modelling (HY-STONE) approaches. The empirical approach shows an increase of the energy line angle value from about 36° for the bare slopes to over 40° in forested slopes, with a value ranging from 37° to 44° for different forests types. The modelling approach is based on a new efficiency index EEI ranging from 0 (minimum efficiency, equal to no forest condition) to 1 (maximum efficiency): the efficiency of different forest types ranges from 0.08 to 0.98 by using average values of the controlling parameters. To modulate the efficiency in each single forest at regional scale, a set of parametric simulations was performed to evaluate the effects of controlling parameters. The parametric simulations show that block volume, slope gradient, DBH (diameter at breast height) and forest density are the most important parameters at controlling the efficiency. These parameters were used within a multiple linear regression function to associate a protection efficiency to each specific protection forest in the regional map. This allows to discriminate quantitatively the individual forests according to their actual efficiency. Most of the protection forest area (46%) shows an efficiency greater than 0.50 and only the 24% of the total covered area shows a value lower than 0.25.

Surface soil moisture (SSM) plays a critical role in many hydrological, biological and biogeochemical processes. It is relevant to farmers, scientists, and policymakers for making effective land management decisions. However, coarse spatial resolution and complex interactions of microwave radiation with surface roughness and vegetation structure present limitations within active remote sensing products to directly monitor soil moisture variations with sufficient detail. This paper discusses a strategy to use vegetation indices (VI) such as greenness, water stress, coverage, vigor, and growth dynamics, derived from Earth Observation (EO) data for an indirect characterization of SSM conditions. In this regional-scale study of a wetland environment, correlations between the coarse Advanced SCATterometer-Soil Water Index (ASCAT-SWI or SWI) product and statistical measurements of four vegetation indices from higher resolution Sentinel-2 data were analyzed. The results indicate that the mean value of Fraction of Absorbed Photosynthetically Active Radiation (FAPAR) correlates most strongly to the SWI and that the wet season vegetation traits show stronger linear relation to the SWI than during the dry season. The correlation between VIs and SWI was found to be independent of the underlying dominant vegetation classes which are not derived in real-time. Therefore, fine-scale vegetation information from optical satellite data convey the spatial heterogeneity missed by coarse synthetic aperture radar (SAR)-derived SSM products and is linked to the SSM condition underneath for regionalization purposes.

Changes in land-use, agricultural management and climate affect the turnover and storage of organic carbon in soils (SOC) as well as the nitrogen mobilization from soil organic matter (SOM), with potential side effects on nitrogen availability and leaching. When addressing the requests for increased carbon storage in soil as well as for the reduction of nitrogen losses, integrated approaches on regional scales are required that take into account the actual changes in agricultural management and climate. This study investigated the arable land (7345 km2) of Saxony (Germany) with regard to the following: (1) the trends of SOC storage and organic matter-related nitrogen fluxes, including their subregional and annual dynamics, (2) changes in the carbon input to arable soils and the turnover of organic matter, and (3) the contribution of different drivers (climate, crop production and fertilization, tillage system) to the simulated SOM changes for the period 1998–2014 on a 500 m grid. The model CANDY carbon balance (CCB) was specifically adapted for large-scale simulations of SOM turnover to link spatial data on soils and climate with regional statistics on agricultural management. This new ‘regional mode’ of CCB has been validated using data from 391 plots across different European locations. The initial SOC levels for Saxony assumed steady state conditions at the beginning of the simulation period and have been validated using data from 667 monitoring sites. The results showed an increase in the SOC stocks of the arable soils of Saxony of 785 × 103 t C (1.24‰ annually) during the simulation period. At the same time, the model simulated an average increase in organic nitrogen stored in SOM of approximately 7.5 kg N ha−1 a−1, with considerable differences between individual years and subregions. Both the increase in carbon inputs to soil (+8%) and the reduction of carbon turnover rates (−10%) had positive effects on SOC storage. While the increased use of conservation ti

Understanding the complexity of social-ecological systems is fundamental for achieving sustainability. Historically, humans have benefited from the ecosystem services offered by nature at the same time that natural systems have increasingly changed because of anthropogenic activities. The lack of methods to unveil and understand such associations might hinder the integrated management of coastal marine areas. In our study, we applied a methodological framework used in terrestrial systems to identify and spatially locate the coastal marine social-ecological systems (CMSESs) on the southern Mediterranean Spanish coast. These CMSESs represent areas with similar human-nature associations that result from sharing similar socioeconomic and marine environmental characteristics. We applied several multivariate analyses to identify and characterize these CMSESs. We found the presence of twelve CMSESs that suggest a co-evolution of the social-ecological associations in these areas. Our results highlight the need for integrated coastal planning and management that consider the specific characteristics and conservation challenges of each CMSES. Our study provides evidence that a successful methodological framework to identify and characterize social-ecological systems can be applied in coastal areas and contribute to integrated management for the sustainability of these fragile systems.

The WOFOST cropping systems model has been applied operationally over the last 25 years as part of the MARS crop yield forecasting system. In this paper we provide an updated description of the model and reflect on the lessons learned over the last 25 years. The latter includes issues like system performance, model sensitivity, spatial model setup, parameterization and calibration approaches as well as software implementation and version management. Particularly for spatial model calibrations we provide experience and guidelines on how to execute calibrations and how to evaluate WOFOST model simulation results, particularly under conditions of limited field data availability. As an open source model WOFOST has been a success with at least 10 different implementations of the same concept. An overview is provided for those implementations which are managed by MARS or Wageningen groups. However, the proliferation of WOFOST implementations has also led to questions on the reproducibility of results from different implementations as is demonstrated with an example from MARS. In order to certify that the different WOFOST implementations and versions available can reproduce basic sets of inputs and outputs we make available a large set of test cases as appendix to this publication. Finally, new methodological extensions have been added to WOFOST in simulating the impact of nutrients limitations, extreme events and climate variability. Also, a difference is made in the operational and scientific versions of WOFOST with different licensing models and possible revenue generation. Capitalizing both on academic development as well as model testing in real-world situations will help to enable new applications of the WOFOST model in precision agriculture and smart farming.

Here, we illustrate the use of Defence Meteorological Satellite Program-Operational Linescan System (DMSP/OLS) night-time imageries as a dataset to monitor human activities and urban change at regional scale. With the new approach, Compounded Night Light Index (CNLI) was extracted from DMSP/OLS imageries and this process was applied in a special time series from 2000 to 2010. Spatial patterns of CNLI changes showed that human activities such as urbanization and industrialization more dominated in the central-southern parts and coastal areas. In the end, this paper identifies that the mentioned human activities are sharply rising, and its consequences on the environment must be mutually considered. © 2018 CEUR-WS. All rights reserved.

Here, we illustrate the use of Defence Meteorological Satellite Program-Operational Linescan System (DMSP/OLS) night-time imageries as a dataset to monitor human activities and urban change at regional scale. With the new approach, Compounded Night Light Index (CNLI) was extracted from DMSP/OLS imageries and this process was applied in a special time series from 2000 to 2010. Spatial patterns of CNLI changes showed that human activities such as urbanization and industrialization more dominated in the central-southern parts and coastal areas. In the end, this paper identifies that the mentioned human activities are sharply rising, and its consequences on the environment must be mutually considered. © 2018 CEUR-WS. All rights reserved.

This study deals with one of the regulating ecosystem services, nutrient regulation. In order to guarantee sustainable land management, it is of great relevance to gain spatial information on this ecosystem service. Unsustainable land management with regard to nutrient regulation may, for example, result in eutrophication which has been identified as a major threat for the environmental state of our water bodies. In the first step of research, the potential supplies and demands of/for nutrient regulation were assessed and mapped at two different spatial scales: The German federal state of Schleswig-Holstein (regional scale) and the Bornhöved Lakes District (local scale). The assessment was undertaken for nitrogen, as an exemplary nutrient. Subsequently, potential supply and demand, combined with the nitrate leaching potential and the groundwater nitrate concentration, were incorporated into a correlation analysis. The data was statistically analysed with varying pre-processing and spatial resolutions. The statistical analysis reveals that large scale data with low resolution leads to more uncertain results. Decreasing the spatial scale and increasing the resolution of the data through a spatially more explicit assessment, leads to more explicit results. It is striking that the study reveals a spatial mismatch between the potential supply and demand for the ecosystem service nutrient regulation, which denotes unsustainable land management in the study areas.

Significant soil pH decrease has been reported in Chinese croplands in response to enhanced chemical fertilizer application and crop yields. However, the temporal and spatial variation of soil acidification rates across Chinese croplands is still unclear. We therefore assessed trends in soil acidification rates across provincial China for the period 1980-2010 by calculating inputs-outputs of major cations and anions in cropland systems. Nitrogen (N) induced proton production increased from 4.7keqH+/ha/yr in 1980 to a peak of 11.0keqH+/ha/yr in 1996 and remained nearly constant after 2000 at a rate of approximately 8.6keqH+/ha/yr. The proton production induced by crop removal increased from 1.2 to 2.3keqH+/ha/yr. The total proton production thus increased from 5.9 to 10.9keqH+/ha/yr in the 30years. As a result, the actual acidification rate, reflected by (base) cation losses, accelerated from 2.3 to 6.2keqH+/ha/yr and the potential acidification rate, reflected by phosphorus accumulation accelerated from 0.2 to 1.3keqH+/ha/yr. The national averaged total acidification rates were thus estimated to increase from 2.6 to 7.6keqH+/ha/yr in the past 30years. The highest soil acidification rate occurred in the Jiangsu Province with a rate of 17.9keqH+/ha/yr, which was due to both high N application rates and high base cation removals by crops and crop residues. The combination of elevated N inputs and decreased N use efficiency (NUE) in response to those N inputs, thus enhancing the nitrate discharge, were the main reasons for the accelerated acidification in Chinese croplands. Considering the expected growth of food demand in the future, and the linkage between grain production and fertilizer N consumption, a further acceleration of soil acidification can thus be expected, unless the N inputs is reduced and/or the NUE is increased substantially.

To allow for the assessment of regional-scale geographically non-contiguous production system derived environmental impacts, a combined method of Territorial Metabolism Life Cycle Assessment (TM-LCA) is proposed. by creating a two-pronged framework for the development of background system modelling, the TM-LCA method allows for process-based environmental impact modeling at a regional scale utilizing the concept of a production territory for the assessment of changes to durable production systems, such as energy infrastructure and agricultural systems. The TM-LCA framework creates the opportunity for direct assessment of environmental impacts, incorporation of system dynamics, and the use of multi-criteria decision analysis, which might be difficult or impossible to implement in other regional scale environmental impact assessment frameworks. (C) 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.

An intercomparison of climate change impacts projected by nine regional-scale hydrological models for 12 large river basins on all continents was performed, and sources of uncertainty were quantified in the framework of the ISIMIP project. The models ECOMAG, HBV, HYMOD, HYPE, mHM, SWAT, SWIM, VIC and WaterGAP3 were applied in the following basins: Rhine and Tagus in Europe, Niger and Blue Nile in Africa, Ganges, Lena, Upper Yellow and Upper Yangtze in Asia, Upper Mississippi, MacKenzie and Upper Amazon in America, and Darling in Australia. The model calibration and validation was done using WATCH climate data for the period 1971-2000. The results, evaluated with 14 criteria, are mostly satisfactory, except for the low flow. Climate change impacts were analyzed using projections from five global climate models under four representative concentration pathways. Trends in the period 2070-2099 in relation to the reference period 1975-2004 were evaluated for three variables: the long-term mean annual flow and high and low flow percentiles Q 10 and Q 90, as well as for flows in three months high- and low-flow periods denoted as HF and LF. For three river basins: the Lena, MacKenzie and Tagus strong trends in all five variables were found (except for Q 10 in the MacKenzie); trends with moderate certainty for three to five variables were confirmed for the Rhine, Ganges and Upper Mississippi; and increases in HF and LF were found for the Upper Amazon, Upper Yangtze and Upper Yellow. The analysis of projected streamflow seasonality demonstrated increasing streamflow volumes during the high-flow period in four basins influenced by monsoonal precipitation (Ganges, Upper Amazon, Upper Yangtze and Upper Yellow), an amplification of the snowmelt flood peaks in the Lena and MacKenzie, and a substantial decrease of discharge in the Tagus (all months). The overall average fractions of uncertainty for the annual mean flow projections in the multi-model ensemble applied for all basins w

The lack of long-term PM2.5 measurements in developing countries makes it difficult to quantify the overall PM2.5 pollution exposures and health impacts in these countries where the PM2.5 concentrations are often very high. Moreover, it is also difficult for traditional fixed-site monitoring to capture the substantial spatial variability of PM2.5 over dense urban areas or regions with significant topography. Hence, recent developments in satellite-based remote-sensing allowing the reconstruction of long-term, wide-area and high-resolution estimates of current and historical PM2.5 concentration is an important step forward, allowing the quantification of the long-term pollution exposure of PM2.5 in developing cities and in dense urban areas using the satellite-derived PM2.5 data. In this study, instead of just looking at the spatial average PM2.5 concentrations, we have studied the long-term population exposure of PM2.5 by analyzing the population-weighted PM2.5 concentrations at regional, city and district scales by combining 1 km × 1 km satellite-derived PM2.5 and population density data sets. The variation of population exposure to PM2.5 across the urban areas in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region from 2000 to 2014 was studied. Our result shows that the PM2.5 concentrations over the PRD increased steadily from 2000 to 2004, remained at quite a high level through 2008 and then started to decline after 2009. More importantly, our analysis also shows that, at regional, city and district levels, the population-weighted mean PM2.5 concentrations from data with 1 km resolutions are typically the highest, followed by the population-weighted mean PM2.5 concentrations from data with 10 km resolutions and then the simple spatial PM2.5 averages. This suggests that the use of simple spatial concentrations can lead to systematic underestimation of the overall population exposure and the associated health impacts. This systematic difference is related to the positive correlatio

The lack of long-term PM2.5 measurements in developing countries makes it difficult to quantify the overall PM2.5 pollution exposures and health impacts in these countries where the PM2.5 concentrations are often very high. Moreover, it is also difficult for traditional fixed-site monitoring to capture the substantial spatial variability of PM2.5 over dense urban areas or regions with significant topography. Hence, recent developments in satellite-based remote-sensing allowing the reconstruction of long-term, wide-area and high-resolution estimates of current and historical PM2.5 concentration is an important step forward, allowing the quantification of the long-term pollution exposure of PM2.5 in developing cities and in dense urban areas using the satellite-derived PM2.5 data. In this study, instead of just looking at the spatial average PM2.5 concentrations, we have studied the long-term population exposure of PM2.5 by analyzing the population-weighted PM2.5 concentrations at regional, city and district scales by combining 1 km × 1 km satellite-derived PM2.5 and population density data sets. The variation of population exposure to PM2.5 across the urban areas in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region from 2000 to 2014 was studied. Our result shows that the PM2.5 concentrations over the PRD increased steadily from 2000 to 2004, remained at quite a high level through 2008 and then started to decline after 2009. More importantly, our analysis also shows that, at regional, city and district levels, the population-weighted mean PM2.5 concentrations from data with 1 km resolutions are typically the highest, followed by the population-weighted mean PM2.5 concentrations from data with 10 km resolutions and then the simple spatial PM2.5 averages. This suggests that the use of simple spatial concentrations can lead to systematic underestimation of the overall population exposure and the associated health impacts. This systematic difference is related to the positive correlatio

What is the relationship between landscape and agriculture? How can agriculture contibute to the development of the landscape? This research aims to investigate the power of agriculture over landscape form. The research goals are the creation of a diverse landscape structure with sustainable principals and strong identity. The hypothesis is that this will happen by strengthening the relationship between landscape and agriculture with Boxtel, North Brabant, the Netherlands serving as a case study. Wild boar and deer farming are introduced in the forest next to Boxtel, as an alternative kind of agriculture in order to improve the landscape qualities of the site. More productive functions are discussed as a potential development for this landscape following the starting principals, diversity, sustainability and identity., Architecture and The Built Environment, Urbanism, Landscape Architecture, Flowscapes

The boundary between land and sea, i.e. the littoral zone, is home to a large number of habitats whose distribution is primarily driven by the distance to the sea level but also by other environmental factors such as littoral's geomorphological features, wave exposure, water temperature or orientation. Here we explore the relative importance of those major environmental factors that drive the presence of littoral rocky habitats along 1100 Km of Catalonia's shoreline (Spain, NW Mediterranean) by using Geographic Information Systems and Generalized Linear Models. The distribution of mediolittoral and upper infralittoral habitats responded to different environmental factors. Mediolittoral habitats showed regional differences drawn by sea-water temperature and substrate type. Wave exposure (hydrodynamism), slope and geological features were only relevant to those mediolittoral habitats with specific environmental needs. We did not find any regional pattern of distribution in upper infralittoral habitats, and selected factors only played a moderate role in habitat distribution at the local scale. This study shows for the first time that environmental factors determining habitat distribution differ within the mediolittoral and the upper infralittoral zones and provides the basis for further development of models oriented at predicting the distribution of littoral marine habitats.

Soil C sequestration in croplands is deemed to be one of the most promising greenhouse gas mitigation options for agriculture. We have used crop-level yields, modeled heterotrophic respiration (Rh) and land use data to estimate spatio-temporal changes in regional scale net primary productivity (NPP), plant C inputs, and net biome productivity (NBP) in northern Japan's arable croplands and grasslands for the period of 1959–2011. We compared the changes in C stocks derived from estimated NBP and using repeated inventory datasets for each individual land use type from 2005 to 2011. For the entire study region of 2193 ha, overall annual plant C inputs to the soil constituted 37% of total region NPP. Plant C inputs in upland areas (excluding bush/fallow) could be predicted by climate variables. Overall NBP for all land use types increased from − 1.26 Mg C ha− 1 yr− 1 in 1959–0.26 Mg C ha− 1 yr− 1 in 2011. However, upland and paddy fields showed a decreased in NBP over the period of 1959–2011, under the current C input scenario. From 1988, an increase in agricultural abandonment (bush/fallow) and grassland cover caused a slow increase in the regional C pools. The comparison of carbon budgets using the NBP estimation method and the soil inventory method indicated no significant difference between the two methods. Our results showed C loss in upland crops, paddy fields and sites that underwent land use change from paddy field to upland sites. We also show C gain in grassland from 2005 to 2011. An underestimation of NBP or an overestimation of repeated C inventories cannot be excluded, but either method may be suitable for tracking absolute changes in soil C, considering the uncertainty associated with these methods.

Soil C sequestration in croplands is deemed to be one of the most promising greenhouse gas mitigation options for agriculture. We have used crop-level yields, modeled heterotrophic respiration (Rh) and land use data to estimate spatio-temporal changes in regional scale net primary productivity (NPP), plant C inputs, and net biome productivity (NBP) in northern Japan's arable croplands and grasslands for the period of 1959–2011. We compared the changes in C stocks derived from estimated NBP and using repeated inventory datasets for each individual land use type from 2005 to 2011. For the entire study region of 2193 ha, overall annual plant C inputs to the soil constituted 37% of total region NPP. Plant C inputs in upland areas (excluding bush/fallow) could be predicted by climate variables. Overall NBP for all land use types increased from − 1.26 Mg C ha− 1 yr− 1 in 1959–0.26 Mg C ha− 1 yr− 1 in 2011. However, upland and paddy fields showed a decreased in NBP over the period of 1959–2011, under the current C input scenario. From 1988, an increase in agricultural abandonment (bush/fallow) and grassland cover caused a slow increase in the regional C pools. The comparison of carbon budgets using the NBP estimation method and the soil inventory method indicated no significant difference between the two methods. Our results showed C loss in upland crops, paddy fields and sites that underwent land use change from paddy field to upland sites. We also show C gain in grassland from 2005 to 2011. An underestimation of NBP or an overestimation of repeated C inventories cannot be excluded, but either method may be suitable for tracking absolute changes in soil C, considering the uncertainty associated with these methods.

Soil C sequestration in croplands is deemed to be one of the most promising greenhouse gas mitigation options for agriculture. We have used crop-level yields, modeled heterotrophic respiration (Rh) and land use data to estimate spatio-temporal changes in regional scale net primary productivity (NPP), plant C inputs, and net biome productivity (NBP) in northern Japan's arable croplands and grasslands for the period of 1959–2011. We compared the changes in C stocks derived from estimated NBP and using repeated inventory datasets for each individual land use type from 2005 to 2011. For the entire study region of 2193 ha, overall annual plant C inputs to the soil constituted 37% of total region NPP. Plant C inputs in upland areas (excluding bush/fallow) could be predicted by climate variables. Overall NBP for all land use types increased from − 1.26 Mg C ha− 1 yr− 1 in 1959–0.26 Mg C ha− 1 yr− 1 in 2011. However, upland and paddy fields showed a decreased in NBP over the period of 1959–2011, under the current C input scenario. From 1988, an increase in agricultural abandonment (bush/fallow) and grassland cover caused a slow increase in the regional C pools. The comparison of carbon budgets using the NBP estimation method and the soil inventory method indicated no significant difference between the two methods. Our results showed C loss in upland crops, paddy fields and sites that underwent land use change from paddy field to upland sites. We also show C gain in grassland from 2005 to 2011. An underestimation of NBP or an overestimation of repeated C inventories cannot be excluded, but either method may be suitable for tracking absolute changes in soil C, considering the uncertainty associated with these methods.

The boundary between land and sea, i.e. the littoral zone, is home to a large number of habitats whose distribution is primarily driven by the distance to the sea level but also by other environmental factors such as littoral's geomorphological features, wave exposure, water temperature or orientation. Here we explore the relative importance of those major environmental factors that drive the presence of littoral rocky habitats along 1100 Km of Catalonia's shoreline (Spain, NW Mediterranean) by using Geographic Information Systems and Generalized Linear Models. The distribution of mediolittoral and upper infralittoral habitats responded to different environmental factors. Mediolittoral habitats showed regional differences drawn by sea-water temperature and substrate type. Wave exposure (hydrodynamism), slope and geological features were only relevant to those mediolittoral habitats with specific environmental needs. We did not find any regional pattern of distribution in upper infralittoral habitats, and selected factors only played a moderate role in habitat distribution at the local scale. This study shows for the first time that environmental factors determining habitat distribution differ within the mediolittoral and the upper infralittoral zones and provides the basis for further development of models oriented at predicting the distribution of littoral marine habitats.

The lack of long-term PM2.5 measurements in developing countries makes it difficult to quantify the overall PM2.5 pollution exposures and health impacts in these countries where the PM2.5 concentrations are often very high. Moreover, it is also difficult for traditional fixed-site monitoring to capture the substantial spatial variability of PM2.5 over dense urban areas or regions with significant topography. Hence, recent developments in satellite-based remote-sensing allowing the reconstruction of long-term, wide-area and high-resolution estimates of current and historical PM2.5 concentration is an important step forward, allowing the quantification of the long-term pollution exposure of PM2.5 in developing cities and in dense urban areas using the satellite-derived PM2.5 data. In this study, instead of just looking at the spatial average PM2.5 concentrations, we have studied the long-term population exposure of PM2.5 by analyzing the population-weighted PM2.5 concentrations at regional, city and district scales by combining 1 km × 1 km satellite-derived PM2.5 and population density data sets. The variation of population exposure to PM2.5 across the urban areas in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region from 2000 to 2014 was studied. Our result shows that the PM2.5 concentrations over the PRD increased steadily from 2000 to 2004, remained at quite a high level through 2008 and then started to decline after 2009. More importantly, our analysis also shows that, at regional, city and district levels, the population-weighted mean PM2.5 concentrations from data with 1 km resolutions are typically the highest, followed by the population-weighted mean PM2.5 concentrations from data with 10 km resolutions and then the simple spatial PM2.5 averages. This suggests that the use of simple spatial concentrations can lead to systematic underestimation of the overall population exposure and the associated health impacts. This systematic difference is related to the positive correlatio

What is the relationship between landscape and agriculture? How can agriculture contibute to the development of the landscape? This research aims to investigate the power of agriculture over landscape form. The research goals are the creation of a diverse landscape structure with sustainable principals and strong identity. The hypothesis is that this will happen by strengthening the relationship between landscape and agriculture with Boxtel, North Brabant, the Netherlands serving as a case study. Wild boar and deer farming are introduced in the forest next to Boxtel, as an alternative kind of agriculture in order to improve the landscape qualities of the site. More productive functions are discussed as a potential development for this landscape following the starting principals, diversity, sustainability and identity., Architecture and The Built Environment, Urbanism, Landscape Architecture, Flowscapes

Objectives. Establish the genetic profiles of cats from 12 neighboring municipalities in southwestern Colombia, in a town course from Pereira-Popayán. Estimate the degree of diversity, genetic structure, and quantify gene flow. Materials and methods. Were inventoried the phenotypic markers present in the pigmentation and structure of the coat of 1482 cats of the municipalities surveyed. Based on these phenotypic frequencies, allele frequencies, heterozygosity, Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, F statistics and Nei genetic distances were calculated. A comparison was also made between genetic and geographic distance matrices to determine if there was a significant association between the two. Results. With the genetic profiles of the populations we estimated the degree of diversity. We found the populations in equilibrium for the S autosomal locus and for the O sex-linked locus. We found a low level genetic structure, and it was determined that there was no significant correlation between the genetic and geographic distance matrices among populations. Conclusions: These findings can be explained on the basis of the processes of human displacement for this region, due to the fact that the establishment of feline populations in these municipalities originated during the same historical period. Identical genetic profiles are shared as a result of colonization events, and due to possible continued migration among these populations., RESUMEN Objetivos. Determinar los perfiles genéticos de los gatos de 12 municipios contiguos del suroccidente colombiano en un trayecto Pereira-Popayán; estimar el grado de diversidad, estructura genética y cuantificar el flujo de genes. Materiales y métodos. Se inventariaron los marcadores fenotípicos presentes en la pigmentación y estructura del pelaje de 1482 gatos de los municipios estudiados, con base en estas frecuencias fenotípicas se calcularon frecuencias alélicas, heterocigosidad, equilibrio Hardy-Weinberg, el estadístico FST y distancias genéticas de Nei. También se realizó una comparación entre matrices de distancia genética y geográfica para determinar si existía asociación significativa entre las dos. Resultados. Con los perfiles genéticos de las poblaciones se estimó el grado de diversidad, se halló en equilibrio Hardy-Weinberg a las poblaciones para el locus autosómico S y el locus ligado al sexo O. Se encontró bajo nivel de estructura genética y se determinó que no existe correlación significativa entre las matrices de distancia genética y geográfica entre poblaciones. Conclusiones. Estos hallazgos se pueden explicar con base en los procesos de desplazamiento humano para esta región, debido a que el establecimiento de poblaciones felinas en estos municipios se originó en el mismo período histórico. Se comparten perfiles genéticos idénticos como resultado, posiblemente, de eventos de colonización y migración continua entre estas poblaciones.

The boundary between land and sea, i.e. the littoral zone, is home to a large number of habitats whose distribution is primarily driven by the distance to the sea level but also by other environmental factors such as littoral's geomorphological features, wave exposure, water temperature or orientation. Here we explore the relative importance of those major environmental factors that drive the presence of littoral rocky habitats along 1100 Km of Catalonia's shoreline (Spain, NW Mediterranean) by using Geographic Information Systems and Generalized Linear Models. The distribution of mediolittoral and upper infralittoral habitats responded to different environmental factors. Mediolittoral habitats showed regional differences drawn by sea-water temperature and substrate type.Wave exposure (hydrodynamism), slope and geological features were only relevant to those mediolittoral habitats with specific environmental needs. We did not find any regional pattern of distribution in upper infralittoral habitats, and selected factors only played a moderate role in habitat distribution at the local scale. This study shows for the first time that environmental factors determining habitat distribution differ within the mediolittoral and the upper infralittoral zones and provides the basis for further development of models oriented at predicting the distribution of littoral marine habitats.

Ecosystem services (ES) is a valuable concept to be used in the planning and management of social-ecological landscapes. However, the understanding of the determinant factors affecting the interaction between services in the form of synergies or trade-offs is still limited. We assessed the production of 16 ES across 62 municipalities in the Norrstrom drainage basin in Sweden. We combined GIS data with publically available information for quantifying and mapping the distribution of services. Additionally, we calculated the diversity of ES for each municipality and used correlations and k-means clustering analyses to assess the existence of ES bundles. We found five distinct types of bundles of ES spatially agglomerated in the landscape that could be explained by regional social and ecological gradients. Human-dominated landscapes were highly multifunctional in our study area and urban densely populated areas were hotspots of cultural services., AuthorCount:7

Most land surface models require information on aerodynamic roughness length and its temporal and spatial variability. This research presents a practical approach for determining the aerodynamic roughness length at fine temporal and spatial resolution over the landscape by combining remote sensing and ground measurements. The basic framework of Raupach, with the bulk surface parameters redefined by Jasinski et al., has been applied to optical remote sensing data collected by the HJ-1A/1B satellites. In addition, a method for estimating vegetation height was introduced to derive the aerodynamic roughness length, which is preferred by users over the height-normalized form. Finally, mapping different vegetation classes was validated taking advantage of the data-dense field experiments conducted in the Heihe Watershed Allied Telemetry Experimental Research (HiWATER) project. Overall, the roughness model performed well against the measurements collected at most HiWATER flux tower sites. However, deviations still occurred at some sites, which have been further analyzed., Geoscience & Remote Sensing, Civil Engineering and Geosciences

Territorial cohesion has become one of the policy objectives more clearly shared by the member states of the European Union in the last decade. At the same time, progress has been made in its definition from various initiatives, including the consultation conducted by the Commission through the Green Paper on Territorial Cohesion in 2008. Despite this progress, it is still considered a fuzzy concept on the need for further specifying in order to make it operational for the purposes of public policy design. This article makes a proposal for its definition and measurement at a regional scale, from the experience accumulated after the Territorial Development Reports of Andalusia., La cohesión territorial se ha convertido en la última década en uno de los objetivos políticos más claramente compartidos por los estados miembros de la Unión Europea. Al mismo tiempo, se ha avanzado en su definición y concreción a partir de diversas iniciativas, entre ellas la consulta realizada por la Comisión a través de la publicación del Libro Verde de la Cohesión Territorial en 2008. A pesar de estos avances aún es considerado un concepto difuso sobre el que es necesario seguir concretando sus componentes para hacerlo operativo a los fines del diseño de las políticas públicas. En este artículo se realiza una propuesta de su medición a escala regional, recogiendo la experiencia de los Informes de Desarrollo Territorial de Andalucía.

Phosphorus (P) is an essential element for global food production, but it is geographically limited, non-substitutable, and non-renewable. In the traditional P management system, there exist a number of challenges to the sustainability of this vital resource, which, if not properly tackled, may lead to global P scarcity and hinder global food security. In order to provide effective policy and management response to overcome these challenges, and to safeguard global P sustainability, there is need for a sound understanding of the nature and magnitude of P flow through different systems at various geographical and temporal scales. An in-depth review of the available P flow analyses at different geographical and temporal scales has revealed that the regional scale which is significant in terms of the magnitude of P flow, has received limited attention in the multi-year analysis of P flow. Thus, there is a knowledge gap regarding the nature and magnitude of P flow over several years at the regional scale, but this understanding is essential for providing long-term and effective P management decisions. Therefore, utilizing the Substance Flow Analysis (SFA) method that relies on the mass balance principle, this study has performed a quantitative modelling of P flow over multiple years at the regional scale. In this regard, this study has developed SFA model of P in MATLAB/Simulink® software platform that can be utilized for analysing the nature and magnitude of multi-year P flow at the regional scale. This model takes into account both structurally and operationally, all the relevant P flows and storage associated with all key systems, subsystems, processes or components, and associated interactions of P flow to represent a typical P flow system at the regional scale. The main advantage of this model over available regional scale SFA models is that it is capable of analysing the trends or dynamic changes in P flow and storage over many years at an annual time step, wherea

Territorial cohesion has become one of the policy objectives more clearly shared by the member states of the European Union in the last decade. At the same time, progress has been made in its definition from various initiatives, including the consultation conducted by the Commission through the Green Paper on Territorial Cohesion in 2008. Despite this progress, it is still considered a fuzzy concept on the need for further specifying in order to make it operational for the purposes of public policy design. This article makes a proposal for its definition and measurement at a regional scale, from the experience accumulated after the Territorial Development Reports of Andalusia., La cohesión territorial se ha convertido en la última década en uno de los objetivos políticos más claramente compartidos por los estados miembros de la Unión Europea. Al mismo tiempo, se ha avanzado en su definición y concreción a partir de diversas iniciativas, entre ellas la consulta realizada por la Comisión a través de la publicación del Libro Verde de la Cohesión Territorial en 2008. A pesar de estos avances aún es considerado un concepto difuso sobre el que es necesario seguir concretando sus componentes para hacerlo operativo a los fines del diseño de las políticas públicas. En este artículo se realiza una propuesta de su medición a escala regional, recogiendo la experiencia de los Informes de Desarrollo Territorial de Andalucía.

Most land surface models require information on aerodynamic roughness length and its temporal and spatial variability. This research presents a practical approach for determining the aerodynamic roughness length at fine temporal and spatial resolution over the landscape by combining remote sensing and ground measurements. The basic framework of Raupach, with the bulk surface parameters redefined by Jasinski et al., has been applied to optical remote sensing data collected by the HJ-1A/1B satellites. In addition, a method for estimating vegetation height was introduced to derive the aerodynamic roughness length, which is preferred by users over the height-normalized form. Finally, mapping different vegetation classes was validated taking advantage of the data-dense field experiments conducted in the Heihe Watershed Allied Telemetry Experimental Research (HiWATER) project. Overall, the roughness model performed well against the measurements collected at most HiWATER flux tower sites. However, deviations still occurred at some sites, which have been further analyzed., Geoscience & Remote Sensing, Civil Engineering and Geosciences

The retrobelts of doubly vergent collisional orogens are classically interpreted as late-stage postcollisional features. Here, we integrate literature data with new structural and thermochronological evidence from the European Alps in order to document the precollisional development of the retrobelt segment exposed in the central southern Alps. During the Late Cretaceous, by inversion of inherited extensional faults of Permian age, the Variscan basement of the central southern Alps was stacked southward onto the Permian-Mesozoic cover sequences of the Adria margin. These thrust systems were first deformed within regional-scale antiforms (the "Orobic anticlines") and then cut by Eocene magmatic bodies. Our apatite fission-track data show that these units were largely structured and exhumed to shallow crustal levels before the intrusion of the Eocene magmatic rocks. Therefore, thrusting and folding in the Alpine retrobelt took place before the final closure of the Alpine Tethys and subsequent continental collision between Adria and Europe. Final exhumation and uplift in the northern part of the Southalpine retrobelt took place under a dextral transpressional regime largely coeval with the right-lateral strike-slip activity along the Insubric fault. In Neogene times, deformation propagated southward, leading to the formation of a frontal thrust belt that is largely buried beneath the Po Plain.

Online supplementary data available from stacks.iop.org/ERL/9/125005/mmedia, [EN] Synthetic nitrogen (N) fertilizer and field application of livestock manure are the major sources of ammonia (NH3) volatilization. This N loss may decrease crop productivity and subsequent deposition promotes environmental problems associated with soil acidification and eutrophication. Mitigation measures may have associated side effects such as decreased crop productivity (e.g. if N fertilizer application is reduced), or the release of other reactive N compounds (e.g. N2O emissions if manure is incorporated). Here, we present a novel methodology to provide an integrated assessment of the best strategies to abate NH3 from N applications to crops. Using scenario analyses, we assessed the potential of 11 mitigation measures to reduce NH3 volatilization while accounting for their side effects on crop productivity, N use efficiency (NUE) and N surplus (used as an indicator of potential N losses by denitrification/nitrification and NO3 − leaching/run-off). Spain, including its 48 provinces, was selected as a case study as it is the third major producer of agricultural goods in Europe, and also the European country with the highest increase in NH3 emissions from 1990 to 2011. Mitigation scenarios comprised of individual measures and combinations of strategies were evaluated at a country- and regional level. Compared to the reference situation of standard practices for the year 2008, implementation of the most effective region-specific mitigation strategy led to 63% NH3 mitigation at the country level. Implementation of a single strategy for all regions reduced NH3 by 57% at the highest. Strategies that involved combining mitigation measures produced the largest NH3 abatement in all cases, with an 80% reduction in some regions. Among the strategies analyzed, only suppression of urea application combined with manure incorporation and incorporation of N synthetic fertilizers other than urea showed a fully beneficial situation: yieldscaled NH3 emissions were reduced by 8

Online supplementary data available from stacks.iop.org/ERL/9/125005/mmedia, [EN] Synthetic nitrogen (N) fertilizer and field application of livestock manure are the major sources of ammonia (NH3) volatilization. This N loss may decrease crop productivity and subsequent deposition promotes environmental problems associated with soil acidification and eutrophication. Mitigation measures may have associated side effects such as decreased crop productivity (e.g. if N fertilizer application is reduced), or the release of other reactive N compounds (e.g. N2O emissions if manure is incorporated). Here, we present a novel methodology to provide an integrated assessment of the best strategies to abate NH3 from N applications to crops. Using scenario analyses, we assessed the potential of 11 mitigation measures to reduce NH3 volatilization while accounting for their side effects on crop productivity, N use efficiency (NUE) and N surplus (used as an indicator of potential N losses by denitrification/nitrification and NO3 − leaching/run-off). Spain, including its 48 provinces, was selected as a case study as it is the third major producer of agricultural goods in Europe, and also the European country with the highest increase in NH3 emissions from 1990 to 2011. Mitigation scenarios comprised of individual measures and combinations of strategies were evaluated at a country- and regional level. Compared to the reference situation of standard practices for the year 2008, implementation of the most effective region-specific mitigation strategy led to 63% NH3 mitigation at the country level. Implementation of a single strategy for all regions reduced NH3 by 57% at the highest. Strategies that involved combining mitigation measures produced the largest NH3 abatement in all cases, with an 80% reduction in some regions. Among the strategies analyzed, only suppression of urea application combined with manure incorporation and incorporation of N synthetic fertilizers other than urea showed a fully beneficial situation: yieldscaled NH3 emissions were reduced by 8

An international overview of the extent and type of ecological restoration can offer new perspectives for understanding, planning, and implementation. The Nordic countries, with a great range of natural conditions but historically similar social and political structures, provide an opportunity to compare restoration approaches and efforts across borders. The aim of this study was to explore variation in ecological restoration using the Nordic countries as an example. We used recent national assessments and expert evaluations of ecological restoration. Restoration efforts differed among countries: forest and peatland restoration was most common in Finland, freshwater restoration was most common in Sweden, restoration of natural heathlands and grasslands was most common in Iceland, restoration of natural and semi-cultural heathlands was most common in Norway, and restoration of cultural ecosystems, mainly abandoned agricultural land, was most common in Denmark. Ecological restoration currently does not occur on the Faroe Islands. Economic incentives influence ecological restoration and depend on laws and policies in each country. Our analyses suggest that habitat types determine the methods of ecological restoration, whereas socio-economic drivers are more important for the decisions concerning the timing and location of restoration. To improve the understanding, planning, and implementation of ecological restoration, we advocate increased cooperation and knowledge sharing across disciplines and among countries, both in the Nordic countries and internationally. An obvious advantage of such cooperation is that a wider range of experiences from different habitats and different socio-economic conditions becomes available and thus provides a more solid basis for developing practical solutions for restoration methods and policies.

An international overview of the extent and type of ecological restoration can offer new perspectives for understanding, planning, and implementation. The Nordic countries, with a great range of natural conditions but historically similar social and political structures, provide an opportunity to compare restoration approaches and efforts across borders. The aim of this study was to explore variation in ecological restoration using the Nordic countries as an example. We used recent national assessments and expert evaluations of ecological restoration. Restoration efforts differed among countries: forest and peatland restoration was most common in Finland, freshwater restoration was most common in Sweden, restoration of natural heathlands and grasslands was most common in Iceland, restoration of natural and semi-cultural heathlands was most common in Norway, and restoration of cultural ecosystems, mainly abandoned agricultural land, was most common in Denmark. Ecological restoration currently does not occur on the Faroe Islands. Economic incentives influence ecological restoration and depend on laws and policies in each country. Our analyses suggest that habitat types determine the methods of ecological restoration, whereas socio-economic drivers are more important for the decisions concerning the timing and location of restoration. To improve the understanding, planning, and implementation of ecological restoration, we advocate increased cooperation and knowledge sharing across disciplines and among countries, both in the Nordic countries and internationally. An obvious advantage of such cooperation is that a wider range of experiences from different habitats and different socio-economic conditions becomes available and thus provides a more solid basis for developing practical solutions for restoration methods and policies.

An international overview of the extent and type of ecological restoration can offer new perspectives for understanding, planning, and implementation. The Nordic countries, with a great range of natural conditions but historically similar social and political structures, provide an opportunity to compare restoration approaches and efforts across borders. The aim of this study was to explore variation in ecological restoration using the Nordic countries as an example. We used recent national assessments and expert evaluations of ecological restoration. Restoration efforts differed among countries: forest and peatland restoration was most common in Finland, freshwater restoration was most common in Sweden, restoration of natural heathlands and grasslands was most common in Iceland, restoration of natural and semi-cultural heathlands was most common in Norway, and restoration of cultural ecosystems, mainly abandoned agricultural land, was most common in Denmark. Ecological restoration currently does not occur on the Faroe Islands. Economic incentives influence ecological restoration and depend on laws and policies in each country. Our analyses suggest that habitat types determine the methods of ecological restoration, whereas socio-economic drivers are more important for the decisions concerning the timing and location of restoration. To improve the understanding, planning, and implementation of ecological restoration, we advocate increased cooperation and knowledge sharing across disciplines and among countries, both in the Nordic countries and internationally. An obvious advantage of such cooperation is that a wider range of experiences from different habitats and different socio-economic conditions becomes available and thus provides a more solid basis for developing practical solutions for restoration methods and policies.

We investigate in this study (i) a redefinition of crop variety zonations at a spatial scale of 10x10 km, and (ii) the influence of recalibrated crop parameters on regional yield forecasting of winter wheat and grain maize in western Europe. The baseline zonation and initial crop parameter set was derived from the operational European crop growth monitoring system (CGMS) which involves the agrometeorological model WOFOST. Air temperature data from 325 weather stations over the 1992-2007 period were used to define new zonations in a 300 x 300 km test site. Two parameters which influenced mostly the phenological development stages (i.e. TSUM1 and TSUM2, the effective air temperature sums from emergence to anthesis, and from anthesis to maturity, respectively) were chosen and calibrated. The CGMS was finally run based on these new recalibrated parameters and simulated crop status indicators were compared with official statistics over the 2000-2007 period. Our results showed that the days of anthesis and maturity were simulated with coefficients of determination (R2)ranging from 0.22 to 0.87 for both crops over the study site. A qualitative assessment of maximum leaf area index and harvest index also revealed a more consistent spatial pattern than the initial zonation in the simulation results. Finally, recalibrated TSUM1 and TSUM2 led to improved relationships between official yield and simulated crop indicators (significant R2 in 17 out of 28 and in 14 out of 59 NUTS3 regions with respect to the best predictor for grain maize and winter wheat, respectively).

An international overview of the extent and type of ecological restoration can offer new perspectives for understanding, planning, and implementation. The Nordic countries, with a great range of natural conditions but historically similar social and political structures, provide an opportunity to compare restoration approaches and efforts across borders. The aim of this study was to explore variation in ecological restoration using the Nordic countries as an example. We used recent national assessments and expert evaluations of ecological restoration. Restoration efforts differed among countries: forest and peatland restoration was most common in Finland, freshwater restoration was most common in Sweden, restoration of natural heathlands and grasslands was most common in Iceland, restoration of natural and semi-cultural heathlands was most common in Norway, and restoration of cultural ecosystems, mainly abandoned agricultural land, was most common in Denmark. Ecological restoration currently does not occur on the Faroe Islands. Economic incentives influence ecological restoration and depend on laws and policies in each country. Our analyses suggest that habitat types determine the methods of ecological restoration, whereas socio-economic drivers are more important for the decisions concerning the timing and location of restoration. To improve the understanding, planning, and implementation of ecological restoration, we advocate increased cooperation and knowledge sharing across disciplines and among countries, both in the Nordic countries and internationally. An obvious advantage of such cooperation is that a wider range of experiences from different habitats and different socio-economic conditions becomes available and thus provides a more solid basis for developing practical solutions for restoration methods and policies.

An international overview of the extent and type of ecological restoration can offer new perspectives for understanding, planning, and implementation. The Nordic countries, with a great range of natural conditions but historically similar social and political structures, provide an opportunity to compare restoration approaches and efforts across borders. The aim of this study was to explore variation in ecological restoration using the Nordic countries as an example. We used recent national assessments and expert evaluations of ecological restoration. Restoration efforts differed among countries: forest and peatland restoration was most common in Finland, freshwater restoration was most common in Sweden, restoration of natural heathlands and grasslands was most common in Iceland, restoration of natural and semi-cultural heathlands was most common in Norway, and restoration of cultural ecosystems, mainly abandoned agricultural land, was most common in Denmark. Ecological restoration currently does not occur on the Faroe Islands. Economic incentives influence ecological restoration and depend on laws and policies in each country. Our analyses suggest that habitat types determine the methods of ecological restoration, whereas socio-economic drivers are more important for the decisions concerning the timing and location of restoration. To improve the understanding, planning, and implementation of ecological restoration, we advocate increased cooperation and knowledge sharing across disciplines and among countries, both in the Nordic countries and internationally. An obvious advantage of such cooperation is that a wider range of experiences from different habitats and different socio-economic conditions becomes available and thus provides a more solid basis for developing practical solutions for restoration methods and policies.

MODIS instruments have been designed to include special channels for fire monitoring by adding more spectral thermal band detector on them. The basic understanding of remote sensing fire detection should be kept in mind to be able to improve the algorithm for regional scale detection purposes. It still gives many chances for more exploration. This paper describes the principle of fire investigation applied on MODIS data. The main used algorithm in this research is contextual algorithm which has been developed by NASA scientist team. By varying applied threshold of T4 value in the range of 320-360K it shows that detected fire is significantly changed. While significant difference of detected FHS by changing ΔT threshold value is occurred in the range of 15-35K. Improve and adjustment of fire detection algorithm is needed to get the best accuracy result proper to local or regional conditions. MOD14 algorithm is applied threshold values of 325K for T4 and 20K for ΔT. Validation has been done from the algorithm result of MODIS dataset over Indonesia and South Africa. The accuracy of MODIS fire detection by MOD14 algorithm is 73.2% and 91.7% on MODIS data over Sumatra-Borneo and South Africa respectively.

Here, we describe and test a method for optimising winter wheat green area index (GAI) simulated with the WOFOST crop model using MODIS estimates of GAI in the Walloon region of Belgium. Detailed crop type maps during the period of 2000–2009 were used to derive time series of crop-specific GAI by selecting only the 250-m MODIS pixels that have at least 75% purity of the target crop. Two important model parameters were optimised by minimising the difference between the simulated and observed GAI for each individual pixel and year. The resulting year-specific joint parameter distributions were then used to run an ensemble of crop simulations in which the ensemble was initialised by sampling from the joint distribution of the corresponding year. The semi-variograms of the retrieved parameters revealed that the spatial patterns were consistent with agricultural practices and that seasonal characteristics of weather patterns in Wallonia can explain – at least partially – the temporal variability observed in the retrieved parameter distributions. Finally, the results of the average ensemble crop simulation were aggregated to the provincial and regional levels. A validation using yields reported by EUROSTAT over the period 2000–2009 revealed that assimilating MODIS with GAI provides an improved relationship between simulation results and reported yields at the regional level.

Bioenergy production is seen as one way of meeting future energy needs. The growing demand for biomass for energy production induces the cultivation of a few fast growing and high-yielding energy crops on vast areas of arable land. This land-use change has been found associated with the reduction of habitat suitability for farmland birds and a decline in farmland biodiversity in general. A large number of studies have assessed the ecological effects of energy crop cultivation at the local scale of a single field. This study focuses on regional landscape changes caused by increased energy crop cultivation, which includes reduction of crop-type richness and spatial concentration of single crop-types. We present a spatially explicit ecological model to assess the population-level consequences of these effects on the abundance of the farmland bird species Skylark (Alauda arvensis). We also investigate the impacts of different land-use scenarios and aim to identify adaptive conservation options. We show that (1) the impacts of increased energy crop cultivation on Skylark population abundance depend strongly on the landscape structure; (2) impacts could be tolerated as long as a certain minimum level of crop-type heterogeneity is retained at the landscape level and (3) conservation actions are required and effective especially on landscapes where crop-field size is large.

The spawning habitats of many large marine pelagic predators are poorly known. This lack of knowledge hampers conservation efforts that are aimed at identifying critical habitats for the spawning of these species. We hypothesized that phylogenetically related species show different adaptations and respond differently to environmental and geographical cues for when and where to spawn. We tested this hypothesis on a 5 yr data set (2001 to 2005) from the Balearic Islands region (Mediterranean Sea), targeting the early larval stage of 3 abundant species of tuna: bluefin tuna Thunnus thynnus, a large migratory oceanic species; albacore T. alalunga, a smaller species; and bullet tuna Auxis rochei, often found closer to coastal areas. The spatial distribution of spawning locations at the regional scale differed for the 3 tuna species. Bluefin tuna relied heavily on environmental signals, and therefore their spawning habitats can vary depending on the environment. In contrast, the spawning habitat of albacore and bullet tuna was driven mostly by geography and was less variable over contrasting environmental conditions. These regional adaptations for spawning habitats among the 3 tuna species may play a critical role in offspring survival and species interactions, and should be taken into account when establishing conservation practices