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Soil mosses are among the most widely distributed organisms on land. Experiments and observations suggest that they contribute to terrestrial soil biodiversity and function, yet their ecological contribution to soil has never been assessed globally under natural conditions. Here we conducted the most comprehensive global standardized field study to quantify how soil mosses influence 8 ecosystem services associated with 24 soil biodiversity and functional attributes across wide environmental gradients from all continents. We found that soil mosses are associated with greater carbon sequestration, pool sizes for key nutrients and organic matter decomposition rates but a lower proportion of soil-borne plant pathogens than unvegetated soils. Mosses are especially important for supporting multiple ecosystem services where vascular-plant cover is low. Globally, soil mosses potentially support 6.43 Gt more carbon in the soil layer than do bare soils. The amount of soil carbon associated with mosses is up to six times the annual global carbon emissions from any altered land use globally. The largest positive contribution of mosses to soils occurs under a high cover of mat and turf mosses, in less-productive ecosystems and on sandy and salty soils. Our results highlight the contribution of mosses to soil life and functions and the need to conserve these important organisms to support healthy soils.

In regions with water scarcity, utilizing Unconventional Water Resources (UWRs) is an option to meet the growing demand of water. This doctoral thesis aims to improve the understanding and insights on UWRs distribution globally, with a particular focus on benefits in different climates. Twelve UWRs were studied at the global scale for better understanding state of the art of UWRs. Among them i) fog water harvesting, ii) artificial recharge of groundwater resources, and iii) iceberg water harvesting was included for more detailed analyzing in the specific case studies. As a literature review, the global distribution of twelve types of UWRs was prepared and the results showed besides geographic, economic, and political constraints, climatic conditions are the main drivers on UWRs utilization. Also, results indicated that illustrating of opportunities and challenges in UWRs utilizations can potentially help water resources managers to better planning and policymaking. The next phase of the thesis was three case studies where different environmental variables were considered for developing Fog-water harvesting Capability Index (FCI) in the Vazroud watershed, Iran (semi-humid region) using Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithms. The results showed all AI algorithms (Generalized Dissimilarity Model: GDM, Generalized Boosted Model: GBM, Linear Additive Model: GLM, and Generalized Additive Model: GAM) had high accuracy in FCI mapping. The highest values of importance were obtained for sky view factor and the lowest for slope curvature in FCI mapping. In the second case study, changes in groundwater levels were detected by comparing data for the periods before (1985–1996) and after (1997–2018) Managed Aquifer Recharge Structure (MARS) construction. Results showed that the rate of groundwater depletion decreased after MARS construction. Also, the permeability of the MARSs have been decreased due to sedimentation and led to reducing the efficiency of the MARSs in gro, Tiivistelmä Alueilla, joita vaivaa vesipula, voivat vaihtoetoiset vesilähteet (VVL) tarjota mahdollisuuden lisääntyvään vesivarojen kysyntään. Tämän väitöstyön tavoitteen on lisätä tietoa vaihtoehtoisten vesilähteiden jakautumisesta maailmanlaajuisesti huomioiden erityisesti eri ilmastojen erityiskysymykset. Työssä tarkasteltiin kirjallisuuteen perustuen kaksitoista erilaista vesilähdettä kokonaiskuvan hahmottamiseksi. Tapauskohtaisesti tarkasteltiin erikseen kolmea erilaista vesilähdettä tarkemmin eli i) sumun hyödyntäminen, ii) tekopohjaveden muodostamista sekä iii) jäätikkövesien käyttöä. Kirjallisuuskatsauksessa, 12 vesilähteen käyttöä tarkasteltiin maailmanlaajuisesti, mikä osoitti maantieteellisten, taloudellisten ja poliittisten sekä ilmastollisten tekijöiden vaikuttavan eniten eri vaihtoehtoisten vesilähteiden käyttöön. Tarkastelu osoitti myös että vaihtoehtoisten vesivarojen rajoitteiden ja mahdollisuuksien tarkastelu voi edesauttaa vesialan päättäjien parempaan suunnitteluun ja politiikan tekoon. Työn seuraavassa vaiheessa tarkasteltiin kolmea luonnonoloiltaan erilaista aluetta sumuveden talteenottoon Vazroudin valuma-alueella Iranissa tavoitteena kehittää sumuveden talteenotto indeksi (FCI) käyttäen tekoälyä. Tulokset osoittivat, että kaikilla tekoälyn algoritmeilla (GDM, GBM, GLM ja GAM) oli hyvä tarkkuus FCI kartoituksessa. Merkittävin tekijä oli taivas näkymällä ja huonoin selittäjä maaston kaltevuudella FCI kartoituksessa. Toisessa tapaustutkimuksessa, pohjaveden pinnan muutoksia havainnoitiin vertaamalla ennen (1985–1996) ja jälkeen (1997–2018) tekopohjavettä muodostavien rakenteiden rakentamista. Tulokset osoittivat tekopohjaveden lisäävän pohjaveden alenemaa. Sedimentaatio vähensi pohjaveden muodostusta heikentäen suodatavan rakenteen toimintaa. Kolmannessa tapaustutkimuksessa tarkasteltiin Etelä- ja Pohjoisnapojen jäätiköiden käyttöä vesilähteenä. Taloudelliset lähtökohdat ja riskit kuljetuksessa todettiin keskeisemmäksi rajoitteeksi jäätikköveden

Seagrasses are marine flowering plants that provide critical ecosystem services in coastal environments worldwide. Marine fungi are often overlooked in microbiome and seagrass studies, despite terrestrial fungi having critical functional roles as decomposers, pathogens, or endophytes in global ecosystems. Here, we characterize the distribution of fungi associated with the seagrass Zostera marina, using leaves, roots, and rhizosphere sediment from 16 locations across its full biogeographic range. Using high-throughput sequencing of the ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region and 18S rRNA gene, we first measured fungal community composition and diversity. We then tested hypotheses of neutral community assembly theory and the degree to which deviations suggested that amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) were plant selected or dispersal limited. Finally, we identified a core mycobiome and investigated the global distribution of differentially abundant ASVs. We found that the fungal community is significantly different between sites and that the leaf mycobiome follows a weak but significant pattern of distance decay in the Pacific Ocean. Generally, there was evidence for both deterministic and stochastic factors contributing to community assembly of the mycobiome, with most taxa assembling through stochastic processes. The Z. marina core leaf and root mycobiomes were dominated by unclassified Sordariomycetes spp., unclassified Chytridiomycota lineages (including Lobulomycetaceae spp.), unclassified Capnodiales spp., and Saccharomyces sp. It is clear from the many unclassified fungal ASVs and fungal functional guilds that knowledge of marine fungi is still rudimentary. Further studies characterizing seagrass-associated fungi are needed to understand the roles of these microorganisms generally and when associated with seagrasses. IMPORTANCE Fungi have important functional roles when associated with land plants, yet very little is known about the roles of fungi asso

Seagrasses are marine flowering plants that provide critical ecosystem services in coastal environments worldwide. Marine fungi are often overlooked in microbiome and seagrass studies, despite terrestrial fungi having critical functional roles as decomposers, pathogens, or endophytes in global ecosystems. Here, we characterize the distribution of fungi associated with the seagrass Zostera marina, using leaves, roots, and rhizosphere sediment from 16 locations across its full biogeographic range. Using high-throughput sequencing of the ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region and 18S rRNA gene, we first measured fungal community composition and diversity. We then tested hypotheses of neutral community assembly theory and the degree to which deviations suggested that amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) were plant selected or dispersal limited. Finally, we identified a core mycobiome and investigated the global distribution of differentially abundant ASVs. We found that the fungal community is significantly different between sites and that the leaf mycobiome follows a weak but significant pattern of distance decay in the Pacific Ocean. Generally, there was evidence for both deterministic and stochastic factors contributing to community assembly of the mycobiome, with most taxa assembling through stochastic processes. The Z. marina core leaf and root mycobiomes were dominated by unclassified Sordariomycetes spp., unclassified Chytridiomycota lineages (including Lobulomycetaceae spp.), unclassified Capnodiales spp., and Saccharomyces sp. It is clear from the many unclassified fungal ASVs and fungal functional guilds that knowledge of marine fungi is still rudimentary. Further studies characterizing seagrass-associated fungi are needed to understand the roles of these microorganisms generally and when associated with seagrasses. IMPORTANCE Fungi have important functional roles when associated with land plants, yet very little is known about the roles of fungi asso

Aim: Cyanobacteria have shaped the history of life on Earth and continue to play important roles as carbon and nitrogen fixers in terrestrial ecosystems. However, their global distribution and ecological preferences remain poorly understood, particularly for two recently discovered non‐photosynthetic cyanobacterial classes (Sericytochromatia and Melainabacteria). Location: Two hundred and thirty‐seven locations across six continents encompassing multiple climates (arid, temperate, tropical, continental and polar) and vegetation types (forests, grasslands and shrublands). Time period: Sampling was carried out between 2003 and 2015. Major taxa studied: Photosynthetic and non‐photosynthetic cyanobacterial taxa. Methods: We conducted a field survey and used co‐occurrence network analysis and structural equation modelling to evaluate the distribution and environmental preferences of soil cyanobacteria across the globe. These ecological preferences were used to create a global atlas (predictive distribution maps) of soil cyanobacteria. Results: Network analyses identified three major groups of cyanobacterial taxa, which resembled the three main cyanobacterial classes: the photosynthetic Oxyphotobacteria‐dominated cluster, which were prevalent in arid and semi‐arid areas, and the non‐photosynthetic Sericytochromatia‐ and Melainabacteria‐dominated clusters, which preferred hyper‐arid oligotrophic and acidic/humid environments, respectively. Main conclusions: This study provides new insights into the environmental preferences of non‐photosynthetic cyanobacteria in soils globally. Our findings highlight the contrasting environmental preferences among the three clusters of cyanobacteria and suggest that alterations in environmental conditions linked to climate change might result in important changes in the ecology and biogeography of these functionally important microorganisms.

Understanding the present and future distribution of soil-borne plant pathogens is critical to supporting food and fibre production in a warmer world. Using data from a global field survey and a nine-year field experiment, we show that warmer temperatures increase the relative abundance of soil-borne potential fungal plant pathogens. Moreover, we provide a global atlas of these organisms along with future distribution projections under different climate change and land-use scenarios. These projections show an overall increase in the relative abundance of potential plant pathogens worldwide. This work advances our understanding of the global distribution of potential fungal plant pathogens and their sensitivity to ongoing climate and land-use changes, which is fundamental to reduce their incidence and impacts on terrestrial ecosystems globally.

Aim Cyanobacteria have shaped the history of life on Earth and continue to play important roles as carbon and nitrogen fixers in terrestrial ecosystems. However, their global distribution and ecological preferences remain poorly understood, particularly for two recently discovered non-photosynthetic cyanobacterial classes (Sericytochromatia and Melainabacteria). Location Two hundred and thirty-seven locations across six continents encompassing multiple climates (arid, temperate, tropical, continental and polar) and vegetation types (forests, grasslands and shrublands). Time period Sampling was carried out between 2003 and 2015. Major taxa studied Photosynthetic and non-photosynthetic cyanobacterial taxa. Methods We conducted a field survey and used co-occurrence network analysis and structural equation modelling to evaluate the distribution and environmental preferences of soil cyanobacteria across the globe. These ecological preferences were used to create a global atlas (predictive distribution maps) of soil cyanobacteria. Results Network analyses identified three major groups of cyanobacterial taxa, which resembled the three main cyanobacterial classes: the photosynthetic Oxyphotobacteria-dominated cluster, which were prevalent in arid and semi-arid areas, and the non-photosynthetic Sericytochromatia- and Melainabacteria-dominated clusters, which preferred hyper-arid oligotrophic and acidic/humid environments, respectively. Main conclusions This study provides new insights into the environmental preferences of non-photosynthetic cyanobacteria in soils globally. Our findings highlight the contrasting environmental preferences among the three clusters of cyanobacteria and suggest that alterations in environmental conditions linked to climate change might result in important changes in the ecology and biogeography of these functionally important microorganisms.

Aim: Cyanobacteria have shaped the history of life on Earth and continue to play important roles as carbon and nitrogen fixers in terrestrial ecosystems. However, their global distribution and ecological preferences remain poorly understood, particularly for two recently discovered non‐photosynthetic cyanobacterial classes (Sericytochromatia and Melainabacteria). Location: Two hundred and thirty‐seven locations across six continents encompassing multiple climates (arid, temperate, tropical, continental and polar) and vegetation types (forests, grasslands and shrublands). Time period: Sampling was carried out between 2003 and 2015. Major taxa studied: Photosynthetic and non‐photosynthetic cyanobacterial taxa. Methods: We conducted a field survey and used co‐occurrence network analysis and structural equation modelling to evaluate the distribution and environmental preferences of soil cyanobacteria across the globe. These ecological preferences were used to create a global atlas (predictive distribution maps) of soil cyanobacteria. Results: Network analyses identified three major groups of cyanobacterial taxa, which resembled the three main cyanobacterial classes: the photosynthetic Oxyphotobacteria‐dominated cluster, which were prevalent in arid and semi‐arid areas, and the non‐photosynthetic Sericytochromatia‐ and Melainabacteria‐dominated clusters, which preferred hyper‐arid oligotrophic and acidic/humid environments, respectively. Main conclusions: This study provides new insights into the environmental preferences of non‐photosynthetic cyanobacteria in soils globally. Our findings highlight the contrasting environmental preferences among the three clusters of cyanobacteria and suggest that alterations in environmental conditions linked to climate change might result in important changes in the ecology and biogeography of these functionally important microorganisms.

Understanding the present and future distribution of soil-borne plant pathogens is critical to supporting food and fibre production in a warmer world. Using data from a global field survey and a nine-year field experiment, we show that warmer temperatures increase the relative abundance of soil-borne potential fungal plant pathogens. Moreover, we provide a global atlas of these organisms along with future distribution projections under different climate change and land-use scenarios. These projections show an overall increase in the relative abundance of potential plant pathogens worldwide. This work advances our understanding of the global distribution of potential fungal plant pathogens and their sensitivity to ongoing climate and land-use changes, which is fundamental to reduce their incidence and impacts on terrestrial ecosystems globally.

BACKGROUND:Virophages are small viruses with double-stranded DNA genomes that replicate along with giant viruses and co-infect eukaryotic cells. Due to the paucity of virophage reference genomes, a collective understanding of the global virophage diversity, distribution, and evolution is lacking. RESULTS:Here we screened a public collection of over 14,000 metagenomes using the virophage-specific major capsid protein (MCP) as "bait." We identified 44,221 assembled virophage sequences, of which 328 represent high-quality (complete or near-complete) genomes from diverse habitats including the human gut, plant rhizosphere, and terrestrial subsurface. Comparative genomic analysis confirmed the presence of four core genes in a conserved block. We used these genes to establish a revised virophage classification including 27 clades with consistent genome length, gene content, and habitat distribution. Moreover, for eight high-quality virophage genomes, we computationally predicted putative eukaryotic virus hosts. CONCLUSION:Overall, our approach has increased the number of known virophage genomes by 10-fold and revealed patterns of genome evolution and global virophage distribution. We anticipate that the expanded diversity presented here will provide the backbone for further virophage studies.

BACKGROUND:Virophages are small viruses with double-stranded DNA genomes that replicate along with giant viruses and co-infect eukaryotic cells. Due to the paucity of virophage reference genomes, a collective understanding of the global virophage diversity, distribution, and evolution is lacking. RESULTS:Here we screened a public collection of over 14,000 metagenomes using the virophage-specific major capsid protein (MCP) as "bait." We identified 44,221 assembled virophage sequences, of which 328 represent high-quality (complete or near-complete) genomes from diverse habitats including the human gut, plant rhizosphere, and terrestrial subsurface. Comparative genomic analysis confirmed the presence of four core genes in a conserved block. We used these genes to establish a revised virophage classification including 27 clades with consistent genome length, gene content, and habitat distribution. Moreover, for eight high-quality virophage genomes, we computationally predicted putative eukaryotic virus hosts. CONCLUSION:Overall, our approach has increased the number of known virophage genomes by 10-fold and revealed patterns of genome evolution and global virophage distribution. We anticipate that the expanded diversity presented here will provide the backbone for further virophage studies.

Inland surface waters (i.e., lakes, reservoirs, running waters, and wetlands) are highly valued ecosystems [1] and are greatly relevant to global biodiversity [2].

This dataset provides the Global Naturalized Alien Flora (GloNAF) database, ver-sion 1.2. Glo NAF represents a data compendium on th e occurrence and identit y of naturalizedalien vascular plant taxa across geographic regions (e.g. countries, states, provinces, districts,islands) around the globe. The dataset includes 13,939 taxa and covers 1,029 regions (including381 islands). The dataset is based on 210 data sources. For each ta x on-b y-region combination, wepr ovide information on whether the tax on is consider ed to be naturalized in the specific region(i.e. has established self-sustaining popula tions in the wild). Non-native taxa are marked as“alien”, when it is not clear whether they are naturalized. To facilitate alignment with other plantdatabases, we pro v ide f or each taxon the name as given in the original data source and the stan-dardized taxon and family names used by The Plant List Version 1.1 (http://www.theplantlist.org/). We pro vide an ESRI shapefile including polygons f or each region and informa tion on whetherit is an island or a mainland region, the country and the Taxonomic Databases Working Group(TDWG) regions it is part of (TDWG levels 1–4). We also provide several variables that can beused to filter the data according to quality and completeness of alien taxon lists, which varyamong the combinations of regions and da ta sources. A pre vious version of the GloNAF dataset(version 1.1) has already been used in several studies on, for example, historical spatial flows oftaxa between continents and geographical patterns and determinants of naturalization across dif-ferent taxonomic groups. We intend the updated and expanded GloNAF version presented hereto be a global resource useful for studying plant inv asions and changes in biodiversity from regio-nal to global scales. We release these data into the public domain under a Crea ti ve CommonsZer o license waiver (https://creati v ecommons.org/share-y our -work/public-domain/cc0/). Wheny ou us

The recent global (re)emergence of arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses), such as chikungunya and Zika virus, was widely reported in the media as though it was a new phenomenon. This is not the case. Arboviruses and other human microbial pathogens have been (re)emerging for centuries. The major difference today is that arbovirus emergence and dispersion are more rapid and geographically extensive, largely due to intensive growth of global transportation systems, arthropod adaptation to increasing urbanisation, our failure to contain mosquito population density increases and land perturbation. Here we select examples of (re)emerging pathogenic arboviruses and explain the reasons for their emergence and different patterns of dispersal, focusing particularly on the mosquito vectors which are important determinants of arbovirus emergence. We also attempt to identify arboviruses likely to (re)emerge in the future.

The recent global (re)emergence of arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses), such as chikungunya and Zika virus, was widely reported in the media as though it was a new phenomenon. This is not the case. Arboviruses and other human microbial pathogens have been (re)emerging for centuries. The major difference today is that arbovirus emergence and dispersion are more rapid and geographically extensive, largely due to intensive growth of global transportation systems, arthropod adaptation to increasing urbanisation, our failure to contain mosquito population density increases and land perturbation. Here we select examples of (re)emerging pathogenic arboviruses and explain the reasons for their emergence and different patterns of dispersal, focusing particularly on the mosquito vectors which are important determinants of arbovirus emergence. We also attempt to identify arboviruses likely to (re)emerge in the future.

The recent global (re)emergence of arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses), such as chikungunya and Zika virus, was widely reported in the media as though it was a new phenomenon. This is not the case. Arboviruses and other human microbial pathogens have been (re)emerging for centuries. The major difference today is that arbovirus emergence and dispersion are more rapid and geographically extensive, largely due to intensive growth of global transportation systems, arthropod adaptation to increasing urbanisation, our failure to contain mosquito population density increases and land perturbation. Here we select examples of (re)emerging pathogenic arboviruses and explain the reasons for their emergence and different patterns of dispersal, focusing particularly on the mosquito vectors which are important determinants of arbovirus emergence. We also attempt to identify arboviruses likely to (re)emerge in the future.

The recent global (re)emergence of arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses), such as chikungunya and Zika virus, was widely reported in the media as though it was a new phenomenon. This is not the case. Arboviruses and other human microbial pathogens have been (re)emerging for centuries. The major difference today is that arbovirus emergence and dispersion are more rapid and geographically extensive, largely due to intensive growth of global transportation systems, arthropod adaptation to increasing urbanisation, our failure to contain mosquito population density increases and land perturbation. Here we select examples of (re)emerging pathogenic arboviruses and explain the reasons for their emergence and different patterns of dispersal, focusing particularly on the mosquito vectors which are important determinants of arbovirus emergence. We also attempt to identify arboviruses likely to (re)emerge in the future.

The recent global (re)emergence of arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses), such as chikungunya and Zika virus, was widely reported in the media as though it was a new phenomenon. This is not the case. Arboviruses and other human microbial pathogens have been (re)emerging for centuries. The major difference today is that arbovirus emergence and dispersion are more rapid and geographically extensive, largely due to intensive growth of global transportation systems, arthropod adaptation to increasing urbanisation, our failure to contain mosquito population density increases and land perturbation. Here we select examples of (re)emerging pathogenic arboviruses and explain the reasons for their emergence and different patterns of dispersal, focusing particularly on the mosquito vectors which are important determinants of arbovirus emergence. We also attempt to identify arboviruses likely to (re)emerge in the future.

Top international Chinese contractors' (TICCs) are now major influential players in the global construction market. The last two decades have witnessed a remarkable growth in their global rankings, by revenue. The spatial distribution and expansive behaviors of TICCs are of interest to international contractors generally, as well as to national infrastructure procurers. Nevertheless, few researchers have considered the spatial distribution of TICCs. This study demonstrates that TICCs’ market selection and market positioning are not independent, but have similar characteristics. Clustering methods were used to order the data, with ESDA methods used to analyze the data. The key findings are that TICCs’ target specific national markets and that these markets tend to be geographically proximate creating regional agglomerations. The inference to be drawn is that TICCs tend to follow in each other's footsteps as they expand globally.

Live (Rose Bengal stained) benthic foraminifera from the Murray Ridge, within and below the northern Arabian Sea oxygen minimum zone (OMZ), were studied in order to determine the relationship between faunal composition, bottom water oxygenation (BWO), pore water chemistry and organic matter (organic carbon and phytopigment) distribution. A series of multicores were recovered from a ten-station oxygen (BWO: 2–78 μM) and bathymetric (885–3010 m depth) transect during the winter monsoon in January 2009. Foraminifera were investigated from three different size fractions (63–125 μm, 125–150 μm and >150 μm). The larger foraminifera (>125 μm) were strongly dominated by agglutinated species (e.g. Reophax spp.). In contrast, in the 63–125 μm fraction, calcareous taxa were more abundant, especially in the core of the OMZ. On the basis of a principal components analysis, three foraminiferal groups were identified and correlated to the environmental parameters by canonical correspondence analysis. The faunas from the shallowest stations, in the core of the OMZ (BWO: 2 μM), were composed of "low oxygen" species, typical of the Arabian Sea OMZ (e.g. Rotaliatinopsis semiinvoluta, Praeglobobulimina sp., Bulimina exilis, Uvigerina peregrina type parva). These taxa are adapted to the very low BWO conditions and to high phytodetritus supplies. The transitional group, typical for the lower part of the OMZ (BWO: 5–16 μM), is composed of species that are tolerant as well to low-oxygen concentrations, but may be less critical with respect to organic supplies (e.g. Globocassidulina subglobosa, Ehrenbergina trigona). Below the OMZ (BWO: 26–78 μM), where food availability is more limited and becomes increasingly restricted to surficial sediments, cosmopolitan calcareous taxa were present, such as Bulimina aculeata, Melonis barleeanus, Uvigerina peregrina and Epistominella exigua. Miliolids were uniquely observed in this last zone, reflecting the higher BWO and/or lower organic input. At thes

Persistent environmental pollutants, including heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants (POPs), have a ubiquitous presence. Many of these pollutants affect neurobiological processes, either accidentally or by design. The aim of this study was to explore the associations between assayed measures of POPs and heavy metals and depressive symptoms. We hypothesised that higher levels of pollutants and metals would be associated with depressive symptoms.

We performed a global assessment of how fish biomass has changed over the last 100 yr, applying a previously developed methodology using ecological modeling. Our assessment built on more than 200 food web models representing marine ecosystems throughout the world covering the period from 1880 to 2007. All models were constructed based on the same approach, and have been previously documented. We spatially and temporally distributed fish biomasses delivered by these models based on fish habitat preferences, ecology, and feeding conditions. From these distributions, we extracted over 68000 estimates of biomass (for predatory and prey fishes separately, including trophic level of 3.5 or higher, and trophic level between 2.0 and 3.0, respectively), and predicted spatial-temporal trends in fish biomass using multiple regression. Our results predicted that the biomass of predatory fish in the world oceans has declined by twothirds over the last 100 yr. This decline is accelerating, with 54% occurring in the last 40 yr. Results also showed that the biomass of prey fish has increased over the last 100 yr, likely as a consequence of predation release. These findings allowed us to predict that there will be fish in the future ocean, but the composition of fish assemblages will be very different from current ones, with small prey fish dominating. Our results show that the trophic structure of marine ecosystems has changed at a global scale, in a manner consistent with fishing down marine food webs. © Inter-Research 2014

An assessment of the global distribution of nitrogen oxides (NOx) is required for a satisfactory description of tropospheric chemistry and in the evaluation of the global impact of increasing anthropogenic emissions of NOx. In the mathematical models utilized for this purpose, it is necessary to have the natural as well as man-made sources of NOx in the atmosphere as inputs. Thunderstorms are a main natural source of NOx in the atmosphere and it may be the dominant source of NOx in the troposphere in equatorial and tropical South Pacific., QC 20170622

The dinoflagellate Noctiluca scintillans is one of the most important and abundant red tide organisms and it is distributed world-wide. It occurs in two forms. Red Noctiluca is heterotrophic and fills the role of one of the microzooplankton grazers in the foodweb. In contrast, green Noctiluca contains a photosynthetic symbiont Pedinomonas noctilucae (a prasinophyte), but it also feeds on other plankton when the food supply is abundant. In this review, we document the global distribution of these two forms and include the first maps of their global distribution. Red Noctiluca occurs widely in the temperate to sub-tropical coastal regions of the world. It occurs over a wide temperature range of about 10A degrees C to 25A degrees C and at higher salinities (generally not in estuaries). It is particularly abundant in high productivity areas such as upwelling or eutrophic areas where diatoms dominate since they are its preferred food source. Green Noctiluca is much more restricted to a temperature range of 25A degrees C-30A degrees C and mainly occurs in tropical waters of Southeast Asia, Bay of Bengal (east coast of India), in the eastern, western and northern Arabian Sea, the Red Sea, and recently it has become very abundant in the Gulf of Oman. Red and green Noctiluca do overlap in their distribution in the eastern, northern and western Arabian Sea with a seasonal shift from green Noctiluca in the cooler winter convective mixing, higher productivity season, to red Noctiluca in the more oligotrophic warmer summer season.

The dinoflagellate Noctiluca scintillans is one of the most important and abundant red tide organisms and it is distributed world-wide. It occurs in two forms. Red Noctiluca is heterotrophic and fills the role of one of the microzooplankton grazers in the foodweb. In contrast, green Noctiluca contains a photosynthetic symbiont Pedinomonas noctilucae (a prasinophyte), but it also feeds on other plankton when the food supply is abundant. In this review, we document the global distribution of these two forms and include the first maps of their global distribution. Red Noctiluca occurs widely in the temperate to sub-tropical coastal regions of the world. It occurs over a wide temperature range of about 10A degrees C to 25A degrees C and at higher salinities (generally not in estuaries). It is particularly abundant in high productivity areas such as upwelling or eutrophic areas where diatoms dominate since they are its preferred food source. Green Noctiluca is much more restricted to a temperature range of 25A degrees C-30A degrees C and mainly occurs in tropical waters of Southeast Asia, Bay of Bengal (east coast of India), in the eastern, western and northern Arabian Sea, the Red Sea, and recently it has become very abundant in the Gulf of Oman. Red and green Noctiluca do overlap in their distribution in the eastern, northern and western Arabian Sea with a seasonal shift from green Noctiluca in the cooler winter convective mixing, higher productivity season, to red Noctiluca in the more oligotrophic warmer summer season.

The dinoflagellate Noctiluca scintillans is one of the most important and abundant red tide organisms and it is distributed world-wide. It occurs in two forms. Red Noctiluca is heterotrophic and fills the role of one of the microzooplankton grazers in the foodweb. In contrast, green Noctiluca contains a photosynthetic symbiont Pedinomonas noctilucae (a prasinophyte), but it also feeds on other plankton when the food supply is abundant. In this review, we document the global distribution of these two forms and include the first maps of their global distribution. Red Noctiluca occurs widely in the temperate to sub-tropical coastal regions of the world. It occurs over a wide temperature range of about 10A degrees C to 25A degrees C and at higher salinities (generally not in estuaries). It is particularly abundant in high productivity areas such as upwelling or eutrophic areas where diatoms dominate since they are its preferred food source. Green Noctiluca is much more restricted to a temperature range of 25A degrees C-30A degrees C and mainly occurs in tropical waters of Southeast Asia, Bay of Bengal (east coast of India), in the eastern, western and northern Arabian Sea, the Red Sea, and recently it has become very abundant in the Gulf of Oman. Red and green Noctiluca do overlap in their distribution in the eastern, northern and western Arabian Sea with a seasonal shift from green Noctiluca in the cooler winter convective mixing, higher productivity season, to red Noctiluca in the more oligotrophic warmer summer season.

Distribution has become a key factor in today's logistics system due to companies' desires to achieve considerable economies of scale in production, achieved by focused factories, as well as customers' demands for shorter lead-times and customer adapted products. The purpose of this research is to investigate if the in-transit distribution strategy may offer companies a competitive advantage and may be used as a complement to the centralised distribution strategy and/or the decentralised distribution strategy. This study shows that the in-transit distribution strategy can give major competitive advantages by offering rather short lead-times for customers without having to store products locally in warehouses. This, in turn, gives lower warehousing costs, lower tied-up capital, a less interrupted manufacturing, and steady and continuous production volumes. In order to be successful with this strategy, it takes good planning, working closely with customers, good market knowledge, and an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system that is able to support the strategy sufficiently. Among these factors, low variation in demand as well as manufacturing output is required, and furthermore distribution lead time needs to be predictable.

Distribution has become a key factor in today’s logistics system due to companies’ desires to achieve considerable economies of scale in production, achieved by focused factories, as well as customers’ demands for shorter lead-times and customer adapted products. The purpose of this research is to investigate if the in-transit distribution strategy may offer companies a competitive advantage and may be used as a complement to the centralised distribution strategy and/or the decentralised distribution strategy. This study shows that the in-transit distribution strategy can give major competitive advantages by offering rather short lead-times for customers without having to store products locally in warehouses. This, in turn, gives lower warehousing costs, lower tied-up capital, a less interrupted manufacturing, and steady and continuous production volumes. In order to be successful with this strategy, it takes good planning, working closely with customers, good market knowledge, and an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system that is able to support the strategy sufficiently. Among these factors, low variation in demand as well as manufacturing output is required, and furthermore distribution lead time needs to be predictable.

Meteoric material entering Earth's atmosphere ablates in the mesosphere and is then expected to recondense into tiny so-called "smoke particles." These particles are thought to be of great importance for middle atmosphere phenomena like noctilucent clouds, polar mesospheric summer echoes, metal layers, and heterogeneous chemistry. Commonly used one-dimensional (1-D) meteoric smoke profiles refer to average global conditions and yield of the order of a thousand nanometer sized particles per cubic centimeter at the mesopause, independent of latitude and time of year. Using the first two-dimensional model of both coagulation and transport of meteoric material we here show that such profiles are too simplistic, and that the distribution of smoke particles indeed is dependent on both latitude and season. The reason is that the atmospheric circulation, which cannot be properly handled by 1-D models, efficiently transports the particles to the winter hemisphere and down into the polar vortex. Using the assumptions commonly used in 1-D studies results in number densities of nanometer sized particles of around 4000/cc at the winter pole, while very few particles remain at the Arctic summer mesopause. If smoke particles are the only nucleation kernel for ice in the mesosphere this would imply that there could only be of the order of 100 or less ice particles per cc at the Arctic summer mesopause. This is much less than the ice number densities expected for the formation of ice phenomena (noctilucent clouds and polar mesospheric summer echoes) that commonly occur in this region. However, we find that especially the uncertainty of the amount of material that is deposited in Earth's atmosphere imposes a large error bar on this number, which may allow for number densities up to 1000/cc near the polar summer mesopause., Published in Journal of Geophysical Research, v113 D03202 p1-15, 2008.

This study compares the CH4 fluxes from two arctic wetland sites of different annual temperatures during 2004 to 2006. The PEATLAND-VU model was used to simulate the emissions. The CH4 module of PEATLAND-VU is based on the Walter-Heimann model. The first site is located in northeast Siberia, Indigirka lowlands, Kytalyk reserve (70 degrees N, 147 degrees E) in a continuous permafrost region with mean annual temperatures of -14.3 degrees C. The other site is Stordalen mire in the eastern part of Lake Tornetrask (68 degrees N, 19 degrees E) ten kilometres east of Abisko, northern Sweden. It is located in a discontinuous permafrost region. Stordalen has a sub arctic climate with a mean annual temperature of -0.7 degrees C. Model input consisted of observed temperature, precipitation and snow cover data. In all cases, modelled CH4 emissions show a direct correlation between variations in water table and soil temperature variations. The differences in CH4 emissions between the two sites are caused by different climate, hydrology, soil physical properties, vegetation type and NPP. For Kytalyk the simulated CH4 fluxes show similar trends during the growing season, having average values for 2004 to 2006 between 1.29-2.09 mg CH4 m(-2) hr(-1). At Stordalen the simulated fluxes show a slightly lower average value for the same years (3.52 mg CH4 m(-2) hr(-1)) than the observed 4.7 mg CH4 m(-2) hr(-1). The effect of the longer growing season at Stordalen is simulated correctly. Our study shows that modelling of arctic CH4 fluxes is improved by adding a relatively simple hydrological model that simulates the water table position from generic weather data. Our results support the generalization in literature that CH4 fluxes in northern wetland are regulated more tightly by water table than temperature. Furthermore, parameter uncertainty at site level in wetland CH4 process models is an important factor in large scale modelling of CH4 fluxes., authorCount :8

While Southeast Asia and northern Australia are well recognized as the major endemic regions for melioidosis, recent reports have expanded the endemic zone. Severe weather events and environmental disasters such as the 2004 Asian tsunami have unmasked locations of sporadic cases and have reconfirmed endemicity in Indonesia. The endemic region now includes the majority of the Indian subcontinent, southern China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Sporadic cases have occurred in Brazil and elsewhere in the Americas and in island communities such as New Caledonia, in the Pacific Ocean, and Mauritius in the Indian Ocean. Some of the factors that are critical to further elucidating the global distribution of Burkholderia pseudomallei and melioidosis include improved access to diagnostic laboratory facilities and formal confirmation of the identity of bacterial isolates from suspected cases.

Aim: Numerous studies have examined the climatic factors that influence the abundance of C-4 species within the grass flora (C-4 relative species richness) in various regions throughout the world, but very few have examined the relative abundance of C-4 vs. C-3 grasses (C-4 relative abundance). We sought to determine the climatic factors that influence C-4 relative abundance throughout Australia. Location: Australia (including Tasmania). Methods: We measured C-4 relative abundance at 168 locations and measured delta C-13 (the abundance of C-13 relative to C-12) of the bone collagen of 779 kangaroos collected throughout Australia, as bone collagen delta C-13 was assumed to be proportional to the relative abundance of C-4 grasses in the diet. Results: Both C-4 relative abundance and kangaroo bone collagen delta C-13 were found to have a strong positive relationship with seasonal water availability, i.e. the distribution of rainfall in the C-4 vs. C-3 growing seasons (76% and 69% of deviance explained, respectively). There was clear evidence that seasonal water availability was a better predictor of both C-4 relative abundance and bone collagen delta C-13 than other climate variables such as mean annual temperature and January daily minimum temperature. However, seasonal water availability appeared to be a relatively poor predictor of C-4 relative species richness, which was most closely related to January daily minimum temperature (90% of deviance explained). Main conclusions: Our results highlight the relatively poor relationship between C-4 relative abundance and C-4 relative species richness, and suggest that these two variables may be related to different climatic factors. They also suggest that caution is required when using C-4 relative species richness to infer the relative biomass and productivity of C-4 grasses on a global scale.

Several algorithms for analyzing the diversity of the world pedosphere are reviewed and employed. Special emphasis has been laid on indices based on the Theory of Information. We study the diversity and distribution of major soil groups by continents and climatic zones on the basis of data compiled by the FAO at the scale I : 5,000,OOO. Major soil group-distribution model relationships on a world level seem to follow more equitable patterns than those established for biocenoses and soil patterns at fine scales. At a continental level, the pedosphere’s diversity is characterized by similarities rather than differences. Differences in diversity by climatic zones are more marked. Evenness (Pielou’s index) and diversity (Shannon’s index) tend to be greater in the climatic zones of intermediate latitudes than in circumequatorial and circumboreal latitudes. The climatic zones closest to the Poles could be the planet’s most uniform soil patterns at small scales. Mountain areas, in general, achieve the highest pedorichness and lowest values of diversity. Global soil pattern distribution was also analyzed using multivariate techniques. At a continental level, it is possible for the structure of the global pedosphere to be determined by the continent’s geological, tectonic and climatic histories. Soil patterns of different climatic zones are linked in a very well-defined latitudinal gradient., Depto. de Geodinámica, Estratigrafía y Paleontología, Fac. de Ciencias Geológicas, TRUE, pub

Chlorinated aromatic compounds have been used extensively in industry and agriculture. Even though chloroaromatic compounds are generally viewed as xenobiotic, numerous bacteria have been isolated that are able to mineralize these compounds. However, it is not known whether these isolates have recently evolved new catabolic traits or if they are genetically preadapted for xenobiotic degradation. In this study, 3-chlorobenzoic acid (3-CBA) was chosen as a model substrate to test the hypothesis that natural bacterial populations are preadapted for xenobiotic degradation. Pristine soils were sampled to determine if isolates could be cultivated without long-term enrichment. Two ecosystems were selected: (1) Mediterranean, selerophyllous woodlands in California, Chile, South Africa, and Australia; and (2) boreal forests in Canada and Russia. A two-step enrichment protocol using 3-CBA-UL-ring-14C was used to detect mineralization in mixed communities. Isolates were obtained by plating on R2A agar. In all 610 3-CBA degrading isolates were cultured from these sites indicating that the distribution of 3-CBA catabolic activity is widespread in pristine soil ecosystems. Catabolic activity of individual strains was assessed by HPLC analysis. Population structures of 3-CBA degraders were compared by rank ordering the percent transformation in these incubations. The variation in the ability of different strains to transform 3-CBA is attributed to natural variation in the specificity of catabolic enzymes. To determine if variability was present in other enzymes, genotypically distinct strains were examined for their catabolic versatility using other substituted aromatic compounds and a novel (33)S incorporation assay. The data reveal appreciable diversity in the range of other metabolizable compounds.

peer-reviewed, This thesis examines how software professionals, working on a real software product, are aided by their work practices, on a daily basis, in dealing with the practical and local consequences of global distribution. We present an examination of the phase in project orientated software development work when defects are uncovered, documented, investigated and resolved. This is a period of intense, stressful, even frenetic activity, with frequent interaction between the Test, Development and Management teams who form a temporary, but highly focused community of interest. Their Work Practices require the daily use of artefacts such as defect reports and software builds and are reflected, and even come to be embodied, in the artefacts; artefacts and work practice in turn shaping one another. This examination is done by means of a field study where a crucial part of the software work has been distributed. Through this study we find revealed to us the local nature of the work practices and their criticality to all those dealing with those blocking defects. Blocking defects are those defects in functionality that prevents the Testing team from examining areas of the software in particular features that have been implemented by the development team. Artefacts, such as defect tracking reports or packaged builds of the software, generated as a matter of routine, assist in maintaining the rhythm and visibility of work cycles, knitting together and underpinning the fluidity of work from day to day, to sustain the work practices over the many months of a commercial software project. These Artefacts which straddle the boundaries of the work worlds of the various professionals need to exhibit contrasting flexibility and relative stability; flexible enough to allow workarounds to present themselves when faced with blockages to the progress of work of members of the project group, yet stable enough that work performed on them successfully builds upon what has gone before. Resolving th

peer-reviewed, This thesis examines how software professionals, working on a real software product, are aided by their work practices, on a daily basis, in dealing with the practical and local consequences of global distribution. We present an examination of the phase in project orientated software development work when defects are uncovered, documented, investigated and resolved. This is a period of intense, stressful, even frenetic activity, with frequent interaction between the Test, Development and Management teams who form a temporary, but highly focused community of interest. Their Work Practices require the daily use of artefacts such as defect reports and software builds and are reflected, and even come to be embodied, in the artefacts; artefacts and work practice in turn shaping one another. This examination is done by means of a field study where a crucial part of the software work has been distributed. Through this study we find revealed to us the local nature of the work practices and their criticality to all those dealing with those blocking defects. Blocking defects are those defects in functionality that prevents the Testing team from examining areas of the software in particular features that have been implemented by the development team. Artefacts, such as defect tracking reports or packaged builds of the software, generated as a matter of routine, assist in maintaining the rhythm and visibility of work cycles, knitting together and underpinning the fluidity of work from day to day, to sustain the work practices over the many months of a commercial software project. These Artefacts which straddle the boundaries of the work worlds of the various professionals need to exhibit contrasting flexibility and relative stability; flexible enough to allow workarounds to present themselves when faced with blockages to the progress of work of members of the project group, yet stable enough that work performed on them successfully builds upon what has gone before. Resolving th

peer-reviewed, This thesis examines how software professionals, working on a real software product, are aided by their work practices, on a daily basis, in dealing with the practical and local consequences of global distribution. We present an examination of the phase in project orientated software development work when defects are uncovered, documented, investigated and resolved. This is a period of intense, stressful, even frenetic activity, with frequent interaction between the Test, Development and Management teams who form a temporary, but highly focused community of interest. Their Work Practices require the daily use of artefacts such as defect reports and software builds and are reflected, and even come to be embodied, in the artefacts; artefacts and work practice in turn shaping one another. This examination is done by means of a field study where a crucial part of the software work has been distributed. Through this study we find revealed to us the local nature of the work practices and their criticality to all those dealing with those blocking defects. Blocking defects are those defects in functionality that prevents the Testing team from examining areas of the software in particular features that have been implemented by the development team. Artefacts, such as defect tracking reports or packaged builds of the software, generated as a matter of routine, assist in maintaining the rhythm and visibility of work cycles, knitting together and underpinning the fluidity of work from day to day, to sustain the work practices over the many months of a commercial software project. These Artefacts which straddle the boundaries of the work worlds of the various professionals need to exhibit contrasting flexibility and relative stability; flexible enough to allow workarounds to present themselves when faced with blockages to the progress of work of members of the project group, yet stable enough that work performed on them successfully builds upon what has gone before. Resolving th

peer-reviewed, This thesis examines how software professionals, working on a real software product, are aided by their work practices, on a daily basis, in dealing with the practical and local consequences of global distribution. We present an examination of the phase in project orientated software development work when defects are uncovered, documented, investigated and resolved. This is a period of intense, stressful, even frenetic activity, with frequent interaction between the Test, Development and Management teams who form a temporary, but highly focused community of interest. Their Work Practices require the daily use of artefacts such as defect reports and software builds and are reflected, and even come to be embodied, in the artefacts; artefacts and work practice in turn shaping one another. This examination is done by means of a field study where a crucial part of the software work has been distributed. Through this study we find revealed to us the local nature of the work practices and their criticality to all those dealing with those blocking defects. Blocking defects are those defects in functionality that prevents the Testing team from examining areas of the software in particular features that have been implemented by the development team. Artefacts, such as defect tracking reports or packaged builds of the software, generated as a matter of routine, assist in maintaining the rhythm and visibility of work cycles, knitting together and underpinning the fluidity of work from day to day, to sustain the work practices over the many months of a commercial software project. These Artefacts which straddle the boundaries of the work worlds of the various professionals need to exhibit contrasting flexibility and relative stability; flexible enough to allow workarounds to present themselves when faced with blockages to the progress of work of members of the project group, yet stable enough that work performed on them successfully builds upon what has gone before. Resolving th