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Little has been studied about microclimate and the thermal comfort during the implementation of silvopastoral systems. This study aimed to evaluate the microclimate and thermal comfort during the implementation of High Biodiversity Silvopastoral System with Nuclei (SPSnu). Three treatments were investigated, SPSnu with 5 and 10% of the pasture area with nuclei, (SPSnu5 and SPSnu10, respectively), and treeless pasture (TLP). Each treatment was subdivided into 4 areas: within the nuclei, around the nuclei, around the nuclei with shade and internuclei. The analyzed variables were soil surface temperature, air temperature, wind speed, relative humidity, black globe temperature and the Heat Load Index (HLI) at 20 and 120 cm height. We hypothesized that the wind speed reduction associated with insufficient shade projection typical of the first years of SPSs may interfere in microclimate and thermal comfort during the hot seasons. SPSnu5 and SPSnu10 had a reduction in wind speed of 51.58% and 68.47% respectively when compared to TLP at 20 cm. Soil surface temperature and air temperature at 120 cm were higher for SPSnu than TLP. The same effect was observed for the HLI. At 20 cm, HLI indicated better thermal comfort in TLP than in the SPSnu treatments. The lack of shade projection from young nuclei in conjunction with the decrease of wind speed between the nuclei caused a higher air temperature and HLI in the SPSnu treatments, we called this conditions, windbreak countereffect. Farmers must knowledge this effect when implementing SPSs, and when necessary, mitigate with the proper management decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Temperature is a pervasive environmental factor influencing animal behavior, yet its effects on the personalities of invasive and native species remain largely unexplored. In this study, we simulated temperature increases from climate change in our lab, i.e., constant temperature treatment (control group) and warming treatment (warming group); the control group temperature was kept at 20 °C, the warming group treatment temperatures were 20 °C, 25 °C, and 30 °C. We reared mosquitofish and medaka fish under different treatments and measured personality (sociability, exploration, novelty, and boldness) in various temperature environments. The results showed that individuals of both species exhibited repeatable variation along the four behavioral axes across all temperature conditions. Sociability was significantly positively correlated with exploration, novelty, and boldness in both species, suggesting the presence of behavioral syndromes. Compared to medaka fish, mosquitofish exhibited higher dispersal ability and greater exploration in elevated temperature environments. These findings indicate that temperature is a crucial factor influencing animal personality and that the dispersal of mosquitofish may pose a potential threat to the survival of native species such as medaka fish. Global warming may accelerate the process of biological invasions, and invasive species that can quickly adapt to new environments will have a negative impact on native species. Animal personalities have significant implications for ecology and evolution. However, few studies have simultaneously examined the combined effects of climate warming and biological invasions on native species. In this study, we hypothesized that temperature was positively correlated with personality, and invasive species had stronger personalities than native species. Accordingly, we established control (20 °C) and warming groups (20 °C, 25 °C, and 30 °C) to rear mosquitofish and medaka fish, individuals acclimatized to rearing temperatures for 7 days, then measured their personalities (sociability, exploration, novelty, and boldness). The results showed that individuals exhibited repeatable variation along the four behavioral axes across all temperature conditions, providing evidence for the presence of personalities. Significant positive correlations were found between each pair of behaviors, indicating the presence of behavioral syndrome. Sociability and exploration were most affected by temperature, showing increasing trends in sociability, exploration, and novelty in both invasive and native species with rising temperatures. Compared to medaka fish, mosquitofish exhibited higher exploration and lower sociability at elevated temperatures, while showing little change in boldness. Our results provide evidence that increased temperatures may promote biological invasions and pose a potential threat to the survival of native species. These findings are significant for understanding the complex impacts of climate change on ecosystems and for formulating effective biodiversity preservation strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vegetation autumn phenology is critical in regulating the ecosystem carbon cycle and regional climate. However, the dominant drivers of autumn senescence and their temporal shifts under climate change remain poorly understood. Here, we conducted a multi‐factor analysis considering both direct climatic controls and biological carryover effects from start‐of‐season (SOS) and seasonal peak vegetation activities on the end‐of‐season (EOS) to fill these knowledge gaps. Combining satellite and ground observations across the northern hemisphere, we found that carryover effects from early‐to‐peak vegetation activities exerted greater influence on EOS than the direct climatic controls on nearly half of the vegetated land. Unexpectedly, the carryover effects from SOS on EOS have significantly weakened over recent decades, accompanied by strengthened climatic controls. Such results indicate the weakened constraint of leaf longevity on senescence due to prolonged growing season in response to climate change. These findings underscore the important role of biological carryover effects in regulating vegetation autumn senescence under climate change, which should be incorporated into the formulation and enhancement of phenology modules utilized in land surface models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to assess the impact of climatic conditions on the water potential in the watershed of river Ansegmir (WRA) over the period 1970–2018. The processing and exploitation of the climatic data acquired has made it possible to carry out an evolution of the climatic conditions at the level of the aforementioned basin. Interpolation of the precipitation data, using the inverse distance weighting (IDW) method, has produced a precipitation map for the catchment area. Combining this with temperature and Emberger’s bioclimatic stages will make it possible to define the bioclimate of the WRA. Statistical processing of Oued Ansegmir flow data and its combination with climatic conditions will allow monitoring climatic trends and their impact on the water potential of the WRA. As a result, the climate of the WRA can be characterized by low rainfall, less than 396 mm/year, which is very poorly distributed in time and space. Rainfall has very high intra- and inter-annual variability, which stimulates thunderstorms in the catchment area, particularly in summer. Thermal amplitudes are high, exceeding 33 °C, which justifies the cold that is fairly frequent in winter. The bioclimate is semi-continental, very cold to cold semiarid. Therefore, the climate is a natural constraint on the development of vegetation, particularly for rain-fed agriculture. This climatic summary provides an introduction to the surface context of the water potential of the WRA. However, further research will be needed to determine the state of the groundwater in the WRA in order to define the different forms of input and the factors causing a drop in the water table in the context of climate change, as well as to assess changes in the piezometry of water sources with the establishment of farms over the said period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An update from the new Chair and Executive Committee of the Students and New Professionals Group of the International Society of Biometeorology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forecasting the impacts of changing climate on the phenology of plant populations is essential for anticipating and managing potential ecological disruptions to biotic communities. Herbarium specimens enable assessments of plant phenology across broad spatiotemporal scales. However, specimens are collected opportunistically, and it is unclear whether their collection dates – used as proxies of phenological stages – are closest to the onset, peak, or termination of a phenophase, or whether sampled individuals represent early, average, or late occurrences in their populations. Despite this, no studies have assessed whether these uncertainties limit the utility of herbarium specimens for estimating the onset and termination of a phenophase. Using simulated data mimicking such uncertainties, we evaluated the accuracy with which the onset and termination of population‐level phenological displays (in this case, of flowering) can be predicted from natural‐history collections data (controlling for biases in collector behavior), and how the duration, variability, and responsiveness to climate of the flowering period of a species and temporal collection biases influence model accuracy. Estimates of population‐level onset and termination were highly accurate for a wide range of simulated species' attributes, but accuracy declined among species with longer individual‐level flowering duration and when there were temporal biases in sample collection, as is common among the earliest and latest‐flowering species. The amount of data required to model population‐level phenological displays is not impractical to obtain; model accuracy declined by less than 1 day as sample sizes rose from 300 to 1000 specimens. Our analyses of simulated data indicate that, absent pervasive biases in collection and if the climate conditions that affect phenological timing are correctly identified, specimen data can predict the onset, termination, and duration of a population's flowering period with similar accuracy to estimates of median flowering time that are commonplace in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Byers Peninsula is considered one of the largest ice-free areas in maritime Antarctica. Since 2006, the Spanish Polar Program has taken part in a large number of environmental studies involving the effects of climate change on biological life cycles, limnology, and microbiology. Soils from maritime Antarctica are generally weakly developed and have chemical, physical, and morphological characteristics that are strongly influenced by the parent material. However, biological activity during the short Antarctic summer promotes intense transference of nutrients and organic matter in areas occupied by different species of birds and marine mammals. Mapping and monitoring those areas that are highly occupied by various species could be very useful to create models prepared from satellite images of the edaphic properties. In this approach, deep learning and linear regression models of the soil properties and spectral indexes, which were considered as explicative variables, were used. We trained the models on soil properties closely related to biological activity such as dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and the iron fraction associated with the organic matter (Fe). We tested the best approach to model the spatial distribution of DOC, Fe, and pH by training the linear regression and deep learning models on Sentinel-2 and WorldView-2 images. The most robust models, the pH model built with the deep learning approach on Sentinel images (MAE of 0.51, RMSE of 0.70, and R2 with a residual of −0.49), the DOC model built with linear regression on Sentinel images (MAE of 189.39, RMSE of 342.23, and R2 with a residual of 0.0), and the organic Fe model built with deep learning (MAE of 116.20, RMSE of 209.93, and R2 of −0.05), were used to track possible areas with ornithogenic soils, as well as areas of Byers Peninsula that could be supporting the highest biological development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To adapt to Earth's rapidly changing climate, detailed modelling of thermal stress is needed. Dangerous stress levels are becoming more frequent, longer, and more severe. While traditional measurements of thermal stress have focused on air temperature and humidity, modern measures including radiation and wind speed are becoming widespread. However, projecting such indices has presented a challenging problem, due to the need for appropriate bias correction of multiple variables that vary on hourly timescales. In this paper, we aim to provide a detailed understanding of changing thermal stress patterns incorporating modern measurements, bias correction techniques, and hourly projections to assess the impact of climate change on thermal stress at human scales. To achieve these aims, we conduct a case study of projected thermal stress in central Hobart, Australia for 2040–2059, compared to the historical period 1990–2005. We present the first hourly metre-scale projections of thermal stress driven by multivariate bias-corrected data. We bias correct four variables from six dynamically downscaled General Circulation Models. These outputs drive the Solar and LongWave Environmental Irradiance Geometry model at metre scale, calculating mean radiant temperature and the Universal Thermal Climate Index. We demonstrate that multivariate bias correction can correct means on multiple time scales while accurately preserving mean seasonal trends. Changes in mean air temperature and UTCI by hour of the day and month of the year reveal diurnal and annual patterns in both temporal trends and model agreement. We present plots of future median stress values in the context of historical percentiles, revealing trends and patterns not evident in mean data. Our modelling illustrates a future Hobart that experiences higher and more consistent numbers of hours of heat stress arriving earlier in the year and extending further throughout the day. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spain accounts for 13.1% of the world's vineyard area, and viticulture is crucial for the socioeconomic and cultural sectors. Vineyards are among the perennial crops that can suffer most negative impacts under climate change which can pose challenges to the sustainability of viticulture. Local and regional studies are needed to assess these impacts to help implement effective strategies in response to climate change. To this end, our approach involves integrating both conventional agroclimatic indices and those new bioclimatic indices that have proven to be essential for the characterization and demarcation of vineyards into species distribution models to assess areas suitable for viticulture under climate change projections. The proposed methodology was tested in a viticultural region located in northwestern Spain (DO León). An ensemble platform was used to build consensus models encompassing three general circulation models, two emission scenario pathways and two time horizons. Only the predictors that effectively characterize each grape variety were included in the models. The results revealed increases in the continentality index, compensated thermicity index, hydrothermic index of Branas, and temperature range during ripening in all the future scenarios analyzed in comparison to current conditions. Conversely, the values for the annual ombrothermic index and growing season precipitation may decrease in the future. The pattern of changes for 2070 will be more pronounced than for 2050. A significant loss of future habitat suitability was detected within the limits of the study area for the grape varieties analyzed. This negative impact could be counteracted to some degree with new and favorable areas for the cultivation of vineyards in territories located at the north of the DO limits. We suggest that our results could help policymakers to develop practices and strategies to conserve existing grape varieties and to implement efficient adaptation measures for mitigating or anticipating the effects of climate change on viticulture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bioclimatic architecture is a sustainable design approach that aims to create buildings that put local climate characteristics into consideration and utilize the natural environment to achieve thermal comfort and reduce energy consumption. Among the various strategies used in bioclimatic architecture, natural ventilation stands out as a cost-effective and eco-friendly method that allows for the flow of air through buildings to provide cooling and improve indoor air quality without relying on mechanical systems. With the growing concerns surrounding climate change and sustainable development, the use of natural ventilation techniques is becoming increasingly vital in buildings design. This paper investigates the importance of natural ventilation as one of the bioclimatic architecture strategies for sustainable building design in hot-arid regions characterized by extreme weather conditions, by providing an overview of the various natural ventilation strategies, including singlesided, double-sided, wind-induced, and stack ventilation and identifies the key factors affecting air movement to enhance thermal comfort and indoor air quality inside spaces. The research findings reveal a set of design guidelines that can be implemented to optimize natural ventilation in hot-arid regions. These guidelines cover building orientation, form, vegetation, and the design of openings and natural ventilation strategies that are most suitable for this climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tourism industry is a significant contribution to the economy of many countries, including Pakistan. However, its activities often have a negative impact on the environment, particularly related to climate change. Notably, Pakistan ranks fifth among countries most affected by climate change, which requires a targeted analysis of the tourism sector to determine its potential impacts. Despite the critical nature of this issue, there is currently a lack of research that examines how climate change specifically impacts Pakistan's tourism industry. This study aims to address this gap by using the Tourism Climate Index (TCI) to assess the impact of climate change on the suitability of different tourism locations across the country. Our results show that popular tourist destinations such as Gilgit-Baltistan experience their peak season in the warmer third quarter (summer), which corresponds to the highest observed TCI values. This suggests that warmer temperatures could boost tourism activity and spending in these regions. Furthermore, our analysis shows that air temperature plays a crucial role in determining tourist comfort levels and significantly influences tourists' TCI values and sensory experiences. The results of this study show that the TCI methodology can be an effective tool for further research into the geographical impacts of climate change on tourism. By identifying necessary changes due to climatic changes, future studies could provide valuable insights into how the tourism industry can adapt to and reduce its environmental footprint.

The observed continuous rise in the frequency of extreme heat events in South America (SA) poses a serious challenge for public health. However, there is a lack on the understanding of the large-scale and long-term variability and trends of thermal stress in this continent. Accordingly, here we developed the first comprehensive bioclimatology of thermal stress over SA during the past four decades. Consecutive heat stress hours were analyzed using the Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) from ERA5-HEAT reanalysis according to the Köppen–Geiger climate classification and also focusing on the 31 most populated cities of SA. Results show an inland/coastline contrast and a marked latitudinal northward increase in the number of hours under heat stress. Heat stress hotspots are located mostly around the Amazon, northern and central parts of SA with 26–35% of the hours between 1979 and 2020 under strong heat stress. The annual number of hours within heat stress increased significantly between 1979 and 2020, varying from + 1.16 h/year to + 8.25 h/year depending on the Köppen–Geiger class. The past 20 years (2000 forward) presented not only more consecutive hours under heat stress than the previous two decades in all the analyzed cities, but also a higher persistence of such conditions. The bioclimatology of thermal stress developed here may provide important guidelines to decision-makers for exploring adaptation strategies to increase societal resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a bioclimatic characterization of the Subtropical Mountain Forests of Yungas in the northern extreme of Argentina. The study used the Bioclimatic Classification of Earth methodology to determine the bioclimatic units and vegetation belts of the forests. The results show that the forests are distributed within the Tropical Macrobioclimate and Tropical Pluviseasonal Bioclimate, with specific thermotypes and ombrotypes. This study provides valuable information for future research on floristic, vegetational, ecological, and biogeographical studies, as well as for the conservation and sustainable management of native forests in this region. [Extracted from the article]

One of the main negative effects of climate change on biological pest control is alteration of relationships between insect pests and their natural enemies (both entomophagous and entomopathogenic). Indeed, environmental conditions can have multiple effects on pest control success when using entomopathogenic fungi (EPF), where conidial depletion, inactivation, and loss in virulence and infectivity can all occur. Appropriate mass production and formulation strategies for EPF can partially solve these problems. However, the only strategy to guarantee high virulence and infectivity is selection of environmentally competent fungal strains that are able to persist in the host environment for the required infection period. This review examines the criteria for selection of environmentally competent EPF. While UV radiation, followed by humidity and temperature, is probably the most important propagule depletion and inactivation factors in epigeal habitats, temperature is most critical for reducing the infectivity and virulence of EPF in epigeal and hypogeal habitats. In addition, geographical origin and other biotic and abiotic factors have an important impact which may guarantee the environmental competence of selected entomopathogenic fungal strains and, therefore, farmer willingness to replace chemicals with mycoinsecticides. To achieve this, it is urgent to promote the development of microbial control solutions adapted to relatively uniform climatic zones through more simplified, targeted, and less costly EPF approval and authorization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Environmental & Social Management Journal / Revista de Gestão Social e Ambiental is the property of Environmental & Social Management Journal and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Maintenance of the health of our oceans is critical for the survival of the oceanic food chain upon which humanity is dependent. Zooplanktonic copepods are among the most numerous multicellular organisms on earth. As the base of the primary consumer food web, they constitute a major biomass in oceans, being an important food source for fish and functioning in the carbon cycle. The potential impact of climate change on copepod populations is an area of intense study. Omics technologies offer the potential to detect early metabolic alterations induced by the stresses of climate change. One such omics approach is lipidomics, which can accurately quantify changes in lipid pools serving structural, signal transduction, and energy roles. We utilized high-resolution mass spectrometry (≤2 ppm mass error) to characterize the lipidome of three different species of copepods in an effort to identify lipid-based biomarkers of copepod health and viability which are more sensitive than observational tools. With the establishment of such a lipid database, we will have an analytical platform useful for prospectively monitoring the lipidome of copepods in a planned long-term five-year ecological study of climate change on this oceanic sentinel species. The copepods examined in this pilot study included a North Atlantic species (Calanus finmarchicus) and two species from the Gulf of Mexico, one a filter feeder (Acartia tonsa) and one a hunter (Labidocerca aestiva). Our findings clearly indicate that the lipidomes of copepod species can vary greatly, supporting the need to obtain a broad snapshot of each unique lipidome in a long-term multigeneration prospective study of climate change. This is critical, since there may well be species-specific responses to the stressors of climate change and co-stressors such as pollution. While lipid nomenclature and biochemistry are extremely complex, it is not essential for all readers interested in climate change to understand all of the various lipid classes presented in this study. The clear message from this research is that we can monitor key copepod lipid families with high accuracy, and therefore potentially monitor lipid families that respond to environmental perturbations evoked by climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this research is to analyze the biometeorological conditions, based on the Physiologically Equivalent Temperature (PET) thermal index, during cold spells (CSs) in south-east Poland and west Ukraine during the years 1966–2021. The research shows a high variability of the occurrence of CSs in the study period and a clear increase in the frequency and total duration of CSs in the east of the study area. The number of CSs in the analyzed years varies from 6 cases in the west (in Katowice) to 34 in the east of the study area (in Shepetivka). The total duration of CSs varied from 26 days (in Raciborz and Katowice) to 166 days (in Rivne). At the majority of stations, CSs occurred most frequently in the first two decades (1966/1967–1975/1976, 1976/1977–1985/986) and in the last full decade (2006/2007–2015/2016). The average PET values at 12:00 UTC during CSs decreased eastwards throughout the study domain and were generally lower than −20.0 °C in the west of Ukraine, while in south-east Poland varied between −18.1 and −20.0 °C. At 40% of stations across the study domain, the lowest average PET values were recorded during a cold spell in January 1987, with PET values varying from −28.0 °C in Chernivtsi to −12.7 °C in Yaremche. The longest or one of the longest spells in most stations (in 77% of stations across the study domain) was the cold spell of 2012 and characterized by mean PET values ranging from −25.4 °C in Rivne to −19.5 °C in Zakopane. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sebastes schlegelii is a typical bottom dwelling boreal species, whose native distribution range includes Japan, Korean peninsula and China. This northwest Pacific originated species has recently been recorded from the Crimean and Caucasian coast (northern Black Sea), whose introduction was assumed to be either by balast waters or the acclimatization of Crassostrea gigas (Pacific oyster). On 16 August 2023, a single S. schlegelii specimen with 20.6 cm standard length and 282.1 g in weight was captured off Ünye, Ordu coast (southeastern Black Sea), which was previously an unreported fish from the Turkish marine waters. Detailed morphometric and meristic characteristics are presented in the paper, and species identification was further confirmed by genetic analysis. Available information reveals this alien species to be fished regularly, although in small quantities, indicating a presumably established population in the region. The species should be treated as a potentially invasive fish, since it may negatively influence to the local biodiversity through interspecific competition. Close monitoring of its existing population is strongly suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A comprehensive analysis of solar thermoelectric generators integrated with radiative cooling technology (STEG-RC) is presented in this study. Basically, the STEG-RC operates outdoors; therefore, the effects of various weather parameters on the output performance of the STEG-RC are determined. The results reveal that the most efficient way of enhancing the output performance of the STEG-RC is by concentrating solar energy. The radiative cooling power increases linearly with the ambient temperature achieving the maximum cooling power of 135 W/m2 and 232 W/m2 at solar concentration ratios of C = 1 and C = 5, respectively. The maximum output power of 1.5 mW and 459.6 mW at the optimum wind speeds of 3 m/s and 2 m/s are obtained for C = 1 and C = 5, respectively. There were no significant changes in the power output and radiative cooling power when relative humidity was varied. The cooling power is linearly proportional to solar irradiance for both concentrated and unconcentrated cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Significant heat-related casualties underlie the urgency of establishing a heat-health warning system (HHWS). This paper presents an evidence-based pilot HHWS developed for Taipei City, Taiwan, through a co-design process engaging stakeholders. In the co-design process, policy concerns related to biometeorology, epidemiology and public health, and risk communication aspects were identified, with knowledge gaps being filled by subsequent findings. The biometeorological results revealed that Taipei residents were exposed to wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT) levels of health concern for at least 100 days in 2016. The hot spots and periods identified using WBGT would be missed out if using temperature, underlining the importance of adopting an appropriate heat indicator. Significant increases in heat-related emergency were found in Taipei at WBGT exceeding 36°C with reference-adjusted risk ratio (RaRR) of 2.42, taking 30°C as the reference; and residents aged 0–14 had the highest risk enhancement (RaRR = 7.70). As for risk communication, occurring frequency was evaluated to avoid too frequent warnings, which would numb the public and exhaust resources. After integrating knowledge and reconciling the different preferences and perspectives, the pilot HHWS was co-implemented in 2018 by the science team and Taipei City officials; accompanying responsive measures were formulated for execution by ten city government departments/offices. The results of this pilot served as a useful reference for establishing a nationwide heat-alert app in 2021/2022. The lessons learnt during the interactive co-design processes provide valuable insights for establishing HHWSs worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of climate change, where the average temperature has risen in recent decades on the Mediterranean coast of the Iberian Peninsula, bioclimatic indicators show an increase in thermal discomfort. This is especially relevant in regions with a clear focus on mass and seasonal sun and beach tourism, with a large number of tourists experiencing discomfort in hot and humid summer environments. The research analyses the temporal evolution (1967–2022) of the coasts of the provinces of Alicante and Murcia (Spain) using the Climate Comfort Index (CCI), divided into four different regions. Used are 14 coastal meteorological observatories divided into four regions. Trend analysis was performed using the Mann–Kendall (MKT) and Theil–Sen (TSE) tests. The results revealed a loss of climate comfort during the summer season (−0.3 to −0.4/decade), as well as an expansion of the warm period toward June and early September, with an increase of 38.7 days in "hot" thermal comfort. The increase in thermal discomfort in the summer is influenced by an increase in average temperature (0.5 to 0.7 °C/decade) and a reduction in the average relative humidity (−1.0 to −2.1%/decade) and wind speed (−0.2 to −0.9 km/h/decade). In the last 22 years (2000–2022), decreases (p  ≤ 0.05) have been recorded in July and September (−0.2 to −0.4/decade), reaching "excessive heat" climatic comfort thresholds for the first time. Finally, there has been an increase in thermal comfort in winter, especially during December in recent years (2000–2022). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Diversitas Journal is the property of Diversitas Journal and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Due to global warming, animal’s heat tolerance and adaptability characteristics to hot environmental conditions are attracting more research interest. The current experimental study was actually designed to evaluate and compare the heat tolerance efficiency of two purebred Saudi sheep when exposed to heat stress conditions under a biometeorologically-simulated environment similar to Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) semi-arid environment. A total of 20 healthy male growing lambs of Najdi and Naimi breed with an initial body weight of 24.71 ± 4.65 Kg and 4 month-old were used in a 2-phases experiment. During the preliminary phase (lasted for 3 weeks), lambs were placed under a stable thermoneutral condition. Meanwhile, simulation of the external environment was performed using climatic-controlled chambers during the experimental phase (lasted for 8 weeks). Several meteorological [ambient temperature (Ta), relative humidity (RH) and temperature humidity index (THI)] and thermophysiological [rectal temperature (Tr), skin temperature (Tsk), respiratory rate (RR), heat tolerance coefficient (HTC), adaptability coefficient (AC), internal (BTGin), external (BTGex) and total (BTGto) body thermal gradients] measurements were recorded at weeks 0, 4 and 8. The obtained meteorological data showed that the prevailed conditions in the climatic chamber exhibited (P

Urban development creates several inadvertent impacts related to urban climate and human biometeorology. Monitoring systems based on microcontrollers are slowly emerging as an alternative to conventional devices for monitoring outdoor thermal comfort (OTC), thus overcoming limitations imposed by the high costs of commercially available equipment. This review was conducted using the Scopus database, searching for articles and conference papers according to a pre-defined search string, which included the terms "microcontrollers" and "human thermal comfort" up to 2022. From a total sample of 113 articles, 52 papers met the desired criteria (written in English, published in peer-reviewed journals, and within the given time frame). Results show a growing, yet timid trend of published material on low-cost, open-source technologies for diverse applications in human biometeorology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. The main idea of this study was to quantify the relationship between climatic variables and tympanic body temperature recorded through the use of wireless sensors in grazing cows located in low tropic. Material and methods. The tympanic temperature of twenty-eight cross breed grazing cows in early lactation was monitored. The sensors were manually installed in the tympanic cavity, recording hourly for 17 days. The climate data was obtained from the network of weather stations of the Centro de Investigación de la Caña de Azúcar "Cenicaña", which is a research center for sugarcane located in Cali, Colombia, this data was analyzed for the same time interval of the temperature. The information was analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation matrices and Random Forest models, through the R software. Results. From the physiological data from automatic collection systems, the response variables that would allow the evaluation of thermoregulation processes were analyzed using big data. We find that the variables environmental temperature, relative humidity and, solar radiation were the factors that most influenced the homeothermic adaptation process of the animals. Conclusions. The introduction of remote devices, and the use of a large amount of data for the analysis of physiological indicators, avoid modifying natural animal behavior and emerges as an important diagnostic and management strategy in the livestock farm, helping in the studies of heat stress, physiological adaptation and, prevalence to hemotropic diseases, which reduce the productivity of the systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the fluorescent method in the modification of Krasnoyarsk State University, we studied the development (as chlorophyll content, ∑CHL) and photosynthetic activity of phytoplankton in seven large flat reservoirs of the Volga River cascade (Russia) in August 2015–2017. In the period of the maximal warming of water, average ∑CHL varied in limits of 19.4–33.7 μg L−1 in the Upper Volga, 8.5–27.8 μg L−1 in the Middle Volga, and 5.2–11.3 μg L−1 in the Lower Volga. The photosynthetic activity coefficient (PhAC) varied mostly in limits of 0.12–0.59, with an average of 0.22–0.38 and only in 2017 decreased to minimal < 0.10 and average < 0.20. The average PhAC values show the normal physiological state of the phytoplankton of the Upper Volga during all periods of observation, with an occasional decrease in PhAC in the Middle Volga and low photosynthetic activity in the Lower Volga. A decrease in the average ∑Chl and PhAC in 2017 was under cyclonic windy weather with a large amount of precipitation, low solar radiation, and large volume of flow. A trend towards a decrease in ∑CHL, like a decrease in PhAC from the Upper Volga to the Lower Volga, is explained by an increase in the flow rate and volume of runoff downstream of the Volga River. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Acadian Forest Region is a temperate‐boreal transitional zone in eastern North America which provides a unique opportunity for understanding the potential effects of climate change on both forest types. Leaf phenology, the timing of leaf life cycle changes, is an important indicator of the biological effects of climate change, which can be observed with stationary timelapse cameras known as phenocams. Using four growing seasons of observations for the species Acer rubrum (red maple), Betula papyrifera (paper/white birch) and Abies balsamea (balsam fir) from the Acadian Phenocam Network as well as multiple growing season observations from the North American PhenoCam Network we parameterized eight leaf emergence and six leaf senescence models for each species which span a range in process and driver representation. With climate models from the Fifth Phase of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5) we simulated future leaf emergence, senescence and season length (senescence minus emergence) for these species at sites within the Acadian Phenocam Network. Model performances were similar across models and leaf emergence model RMSE ranged from about 1 to 2 weeks across species and models, while leaf senescence model RMSE ranged from about 2 to 4 weeks. The simulations suggest that by the late 21st century, leaf senescence may become continuously delayed for boreal species like Betula papyrifera and Abies balsamea, though remain relatively stable for temperate species like Acer rubrum. In contrast, the projected advancement in leaf emergence was similar across boreal and temperate species. This has important implications for carbon uptake, nutrient resorption, ecology and ecotourism for the Acadian Forest Region. More work is needed to improve predictions of leaf phenology for the Acadian Forest Region, especially with respect to senescence. Phenocams have the potential to rapidly advance process‐based model development and predictions of leaf phenology in the context of climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technical interactions (multiple fleets fishing multiple species with various gears, as either target or bycatch), bycatch regulations through a landing obligation, and biological and economic effects of climate change, affecting fisheries yield and profits, provide a challenge for demersal mixed fisheries of the North Sea. A multi‐stock, multi‐fleet, bioeconomic model was used to understand management options under these combined influences. Scenarios considered climate change effects on recruitment of three main gadoid stocks (cod – Gadus morhua, saithe – Pollachius virens, whiting – Merlangius merlangus), possible future developments of fuel and fish prices, and strict implementation of a landing obligation. The latter leads to decreased yield and profits in the short term due to increased choke effects, mainly of North Sea cod, being influenced by climate‐induced productivity changes. Allowing fishing above FMSY, but within sustainable limits, or limiting year‐to‐year quota changes, could help buffer initial losses at the expense of decreased profits in the mid‐ to long‐term. Economic performance of individual fleets was linked to their main target's stock status, cost structure, and fuel and fish prices. The results highlight a need to consider both biological and economic consequences of climate change in the management of mixed fisheries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to global warming, animal's heat tolerance and adaptability characteristics to hot environmental conditions are attracting more research interest. The current experimental study was actually designed to evaluate and compare the heat tolerance efficiency of two purebred Saudi sheep when exposed to heat stress conditions under a biometeorologically-simulated environment similar to Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) semi-arid environment. A total of 20 healthy male growing lambs of Najdi and Naimi breed with an initial body weight of 24.71 ± 4.65 Kg and 4 month-old were used in a 2-phases experiment. During the preliminary phase (lasted for 3 weeks), lambs were placed under a stable thermoneutral condition. Meanwhile, simulation of the external environment was performed using climatic-controlled chambers during the experimental phase (lasted for 8 weeks). Several meteorological [ambient temperature (Ta), relative humidity (RH) and temperature humidity index (THI)] and thermophysiological [rectal temperature (Tr), skin temperature (Tsk), respiratory rate (RR), heat tolerance coefficient (HTC), adaptability coefficient (AC), internal (BTG in), external (BTG ex) and total (BTG to) body thermal gradients] measurements were recorded at weeks 0, 4 and 8. The obtained meteorological data showed that the prevailed conditions in the climatic chamber exhibited (P < 0.05) elevated values compared to the chambers with control or thermoneutral conditions, which indicated that all lambs had undergone a different level of surrounding conditions, which was our goal in the first place. Notably, the obtained findings of all variables showed irrespective to the breed the same trend as they all were affected (P < 0.05) at the 4th weeks and slowly returned to their steady values by the 8th weeks, especially body temperatures. Under such hot climatic condition, lambs showed as well some breed difference, where Naimi lambs kept in eliciting (P < 0.05) higher values of RR, AC, and BTG to as well as lower values of HTC compared to their Najdi associates. In conclusion, the outcomes might collectively enable us to initially recommend selecting Najdi breed over Naimi breed for herding under the hot environmental conditions of KSA. However, identification of genes responsible for acquiring heat tolerance ability of Najdi compared to Naimi is highly recommended in future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to determine the relationships likely to exist between the edaphic variables and the abundance of oak species in the Edough forest of the commune of Seraidi (North East of Algeria), a humid bioclimatic stage where rainfall is abundant. In order to characterize the properties of the soils of the Edough forest (Seraidi) and to verify the usefulness of the fractionation of organic matter in a forest ecosystem, we have established a prospecting sampling plan based on a topographic background of the superposition of the different plant groups. In this context, the approach we adopted consisted on three main steps (i) a stratified sampling of the soil, (ii) the determination of the different strata of vegetation, (iii) describing the soil on which these plant formations settle and develop. Our results revealed that the soils of the Edough forest are acidic to very acidic and non-saline. It is also characterized by clayey texture that is not very permeable, with a high rate of organic matter, which controls the buffering capacity of the soil. The characterization of the soils allowed determining three types of plant formations and thus three types of soils where pedogenesis is under direct control of the supply of organic matter. The relationship between the soil and the vegetation in this forest is clearly close. It is mainly controlled by the supply of organic matter, which shows a significant dynamic and evolution. On the other hand, the climatic conditions and the type of plant formations have a capital role in the mineralization of the existing organic matter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bioclimatic design features in the buildings are based on surrounding geography and climate to create comfortable and healthy spaces. These features are observed in the vernacular architecture styles across the regions of India. Various bioclimatic design strategies are also observed in Northeast India; however, they are less focused when compared to other regions of India. Therefore, this paper attempts to investigate bioclimatic features in the vernacular architecture of Northeast India, wherein it focuses on two typologies, i.e., Assam-type house and Stilt houses (Chang Ghar). A qualitative analysis based on the site surveys was done to identify bioclimatic features used in the two selected typologies. The parameters selected to investigate bioclimatic features include the type of construction materials and methods used; the spatial arrangement of spaces; orientation and layout of the building; wall thickness; nearby open spaces; vegetation and water bodies; openings and ventilation; window to wall ratio; plinth height; design and material of shading devices; structure, height, and material of ceiling, any other special features. Overall, the results indicated that Assam-type houses and stilt houses are highly responsive to the local climate, utilizes locally available materials (bamboo, wood, and mud), and reflects the living style, customs, and socio-economic conditions. The outcome of this qualitative study was the identification of multiple bioclimatic features observed in both typologies. The recommendations from this study can act as a reference for designing buildings that shall promote sustainable built environments as per United Nations Sustainable Development Goal number 11 (Sustainable cities and communities). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. The main idea of this study was to quantify the relationship between climatic variables and tympanic body temperature recorded through the use of wireless sensors in grazing cows located in low tropic. Material and methods. The tympanic temperature of twenty-eight cross breed grazing cows in early lactation was monitored. The sensors were manually installed in the tympanic cavity, recording hourly for 17 days. The climate data was obtained from the network of weather stations of the Centro de Investigación de la Caña de Azúcar “Cenicaña”, which is a research center for sugarcane located in Cali, Colombia, this data was analyzed for the same time interval of the temperature. The information was analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation matrices and Random Forest models, through the R software. Results. From the physiological data from automatic collection systems, the response variables that would allow the evaluation of thermoregulation processes were analyzed using big data. We find that the variables environmental temperature, relative humidity and, solar radiation were the factors that most influenced the homeothermic adaptation process of the animals. Conclusions. The introduction of remote devices, and the use of a large amount of data for the analysis of physiological indicators, avoid modifying natural animal behavior and emerges as an important diagnostic and management strategy in the livestock farm, helping in the studies of heat stress, physiological adaptation and, prevalence to hemotropic diseases, which reduce the productivity of the systems.

Drought occurs naturally all over the world. Global warming has led an increase in the areas affected by this phenomenon. The study of drought involves the analysis of indicators and indices used to assess changes in the hydrological cycle of a region. A large number of indices developed for drought monitoring are based on meteorological and hydrological variables. This research has applied the Ombroxeric Index for the first time in California. It is based on the concept of ombroxericity: a condition of the territory characterised from an ombrothermic point of view, which can develop in relatively humid areas/zones, depending on the time scale of the study (i.e. monthly, seasonal or annual basis). Temperatures and precipitation from 180 meteorological stations have been considered for a period of observation from 1980 to 2016. In order to know the evolution of this index, a modified trend analysis based on the Mann-Kendall test and a modified Sen slope analysis were used. Empirical Bayesian Kriging was applied as an interpolation technique. Results are presented in both surface and contour maps. California showed a wide range of ombroxeric levels that went from upper strong dry in northern zones, to lower weak arid. Trend results showed an increase in bioclimatic drought throughout the whole State. In addition, summer showed the highest levels on the Ombroxeric Index. An increase in drought trends was observed at the seasonal level, being more pronounced in summer and spring. In both cases are increases in the central (+5 and +3.6 units year−1 respectively) and the southern (+4 and +4.5 units year−1 respectively) areas of the State. Increasing frequency and severity of droughts could have implications for the management of water resources and the survival of Californian vegetation types, such as conifers.

The climate-health nexus is well documented in the field of biometeorology. Since its inception, Biometeorology has in many ways become the umbrella under which much of this collaborative research has been conducted. Whilst a range of review papers have considered the development of biometeorological research and its coverage in this journal, and a few have reviewed the literature on specific diseases, none have focused on the sub-field of climate and health as a whole. Since its first issue in 1957, the International Journal of Biometeorology has published a total of 2183 papers that broadly consider human health and its relationship with climate. In this review, we identify a total of 180 (8.3%, n = 2183) of these papers that specifically focus on the intersection between meteorological variables and specific, named diagnosable diseases, and explore the publication trends thereof. The number of publications on climate and health in the journal increases considerably since 2011. The largest number of publications on the topic was in 2017 (18) followed by 2021 (17). Of the 180 studies conducted, respiratory diseases accounted for 37.2% of the publications, cardiovascular disease 17%, and cerebrovascular disease 11.1%. The literature on climate and health in the journal is dominated by studies from the global North, with a particular focus on Asia and Europe. Only 2.2% and 8.3% of these studies explore empirical evidence from the African continent and South America respectively. These findings highlight the importance of continued research on climate and human health, especially in low- and lower-middle-income countries, the populations of which are more vulnerable to climate-sensitive illnesses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ongoing growth of human populations over the past 100 years has led to the widespread degradation of natural ecosystems triggering global environmental, economic, and social problems. Therefore, it is necessary to characterise the priority areas for nature conservation to prevent the loss of ecosystem services and to identify suitable conservation and protection plans. In light of this, the present study aims to identify an operational methodology to characterise the aspects that most influence the highly natural areas, such as those of the Natura 2000 network. Various factors that can influence the vegetation will be considered to identify the best practices to save the naturalness of these ecosystems and habitats. The study area is the forestland "Bosco dell'Incoronata" (Puglia Region, Southern Italy) within the homonymous Natural Regional Park, representing a green island surrounded by cultivated fields. This area was chosen because intense pilgrimages of people for religious purposes are frequent and, therefore, several disturbance factors can be considered. The methodological approach is based on the phytosociological, bio-climatological, and pedological studies, considered essential for an in-depth understanding of the dynamics taking place in the area. The results of the elaborations explain the presence of some of the plant communities found in the area. Finally, some measures are proposed to optimise the conservation strategy and safeguard biodiversity while allowing the use of the area by a man with a more sustainable use of available resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]