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Climate change is impacting locally adapted species such as the keystone tree species cork oak (Quercus suber L.). Quantifying the importance of environmental variables in explaining the species distribution can help build resilient populations in restoration projects and design forest management strategies. Using landscape genomics, we investigated the population structure and ecological adaptation of this tree species across the Mediterranean Basin. We applied genotyping by sequencing and derived 2,583 single nucleotide polymorphism markers genotyped from 81 individuals across 17 sites in the studied region. We implemented an approach based on the nearest neighbour haplotype 'coancestry' and uncovered a weak population structure along an east-west climatic gradient across the Mediterranean region. We identified genomic regions potentially involved in local adaptation and predicted differences in the genetic composition across the landscape under current and future climates. Variants associated with temperature and precipitation variables were detected, and we applied a nonlinear multivariate association method, gradient forest, to project these gene-environment relationships across space. The model allowed the identification of geographic areas within the western Mediterranean region most sensitive to climate change: south-western Iberia and northern Morocco. Our findings provide a preliminary assessment towards a potential management strategy for the conservation of cork oak in the Mediterranean Basin., (© 2021 European Society For Evolutionary Biology.)

Climate changes boosted the frequency and severity of drought and heat events, with aggravated when these stresses occur simultaneously, turning crucial to unveil the plant response mechanisms to such harsh conditions. Therefore, plant responses/resilience to single and combined exposure to severe water deficit (SWD) and heat were assessed in two cultivars of the main coffee-producing species: Coffea arabica cv. Icatu and C. canephora cv. Conilon Clone 153 (CL153). Well-watered plants (WW) were exposed to SWD under an adequate temperature of 25/20°C (day/night), and thereafter submitted to a gradual increase up to 42/30°C, and a 14-d recovery period (Rec14). Greater protective response was found to single SWD than to single 37/28°C and/or 42/30°C (except for HSP70) in both cultivars, but CL153-SWD plants showed the larger variations of leaf thermal imaging crop water stress index (CWSI, 85% rise at 37/28°C) and stomatal conductance index (IG, 66% decline at 25/20°C). Both cultivars revealed great resilience to SWD and/or 37/28°C, but a tolerance limit was surpassed at 42/30°C. Under stress combination, Icatu usually displayed lower impacts on membrane permeability, and PSII function, likely associated with various responses, usually mostly driven by drought (but often kept or even strengthened under SWD and 42/30°C). These included the photoprotective zeaxanthin and lutein, antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, Cu, Zn-SOD; ascorbate peroxidase, APX), HSP70, arabinose and mannitol (involving de novo sugar synthesis), contributing to constrain lipoperoxidation. Also, only Icatu showed a strong reinforcement of glutathione reductase activity under stress combination. In general, the activities of antioxidative enzymes declined at 42/30°C (except Cu,Zn-SOD in Icatu and CAT in CL153), but HSP70 and raffinose were maintained higher in Icatu, whereas mannitol and arabinose markedly increased in CL153. Overall, a great leaf plasticity was found, especially in Icatu that revealed greater responsiveness of coordinated protection under all experimental conditions, justifying low PIChr and absence of lipoperoxidation increase at 42/30°C. Despite a clear recovery by Rec14, some aftereffects persisted especially in SWD plants (e.g., membranes), relevant in terms of repeated stress exposure and full plant recovery to stresses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is negatively affecting the coffee value chain, with a direct effect on approximately 100 million people from 80 countries. This has been attributed to the high vulnerability of the two-mainstream species, Coffea arabica and Coffea canephora, to extreme weather events, with notable uneven increases in market prices. Taking into account the narrow genetic plasticity of the commercial coffee cultivars, wild-relatives and underutilized Coffea species are valuable genetic resources. In this work, we have assessed the occurrence of Coffea species in to understand the degree of genetic relationships between Coffea species in the country, as well as the patterns of genetic diversity, differentiation, and genetic structure. Only one wild species was found, C. racemosa, which showed a high level of genetic separation with C. arabica, based on plastid, as well as SSR and SNP analysis. C. arabica presented low levels of diversity likely related to their autogamous nature, while the allogamous C. racemosa presented higher levels of diversity and heterozygosity. The analysis of the functional pathways based on SNPs suggests that the stress signaling pathways are more robust in this species. This novel approach shows that it is vital to introduce more resilient species and increase genomic diversity in climate-smart practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate changes with global warming associated with rising atmospheric [CO2] can strongly impact crop performance, including coffee, which is one of the most world's traded agricultural commodities. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to understand the mechanisms of heat tolerance and the potential role of elevated air CO2 (eCO2) in the coffee plant response, particularly regarding the antioxidant and other protective mechanisms, which are crucial for coffee plant acclimation. For that, plants of Coffea arabica cv. Geisha 3, cv. Marsellesa and their hybrid (Geisha 3 × Marsellesa) were grown for 2 years at 25/20 °C (day/night), under 400 (ambient CO2, aCO2) or 700 µL (elevated CO2, eCO2) CO2 L−1, and then gradually submitted to a temperature increase up to 42/30 °C, followed by recovery periods of 4 (Rec4) and 14 days (Rec14). Heat (37/28 °C and/or 42/30 °C) was the major driver of the response of the studied protective molecules and associated genes in all genotypes. That was the case for carotenoids (mostly neoxanthin and lutein), but the maximal (α + β) carotenes pool was found at 37/28 °C only in Marsellesa. All genes (except VDE) encoding for antioxidative enzymes (catalase, CAT; superoxide dismutases, CuSODs; ascorbate peroxidases, APX) or other protective proteins (HSP70, ELIP, Chape20, Chape60) were strongly up-regulated at 37/28 °C, and, especially, at 42/30 °C, in all genotypes, but with maximal transcription in Hybrid plants. Accordingly, heat greatly stimulated the activity of APX and CAT (all genotypes) and glutathione reductase (Geisha3, Hybrid) but not of SOD. Notably, CAT activity increased even at 42/30 °C, concomitantly with a strongly declined APX activity. Therefore, increased thermotolerance might arise through the reinforcement of some ROS-scavenging enzymes and other protective molecules (HSP70, ELIP, Chape20, Chape60). Plants showed low responsiveness to single eCO2 under unstressed conditions, while heat promoted changes in aCO2 plants. Only eCO2 Marsellesa plants showed greater contents of lutein, the pool of the xanthophyll cycle components (V + A + Z), and β-carotene, compared to aCO2 plants at 42/30 °C. This, together with a lower CAT activity, suggests a lower presence of H2O2, likely also associated with the higher photochemical use of energy under eCO2. An incomplete heat stress recovery seemed evident, especially in aCO2 plants, as judged by the maintenance of the greater expression of all genes in all genotypes and increased levels of zeaxanthin (Marsellesa and Hybrid) relative to their initial controls. Altogether, heat was the main response driver of the addressed protective molecules and genes, whereas eCO2 usually attenuated the heat response and promoted a better recovery. Hybrid plants showed stronger gene expression responses, especially at the highest temperature, when compared to their parental genotypes, but altogether, Marsellesa showed a greater acclimation potential. The reinforcement of antioxidative and other protective molecules are, therefore, useful biomarkers to be included in breeding and selection programs to obtain coffee genotypes to thrive under global warming conditions, thus contributing to improved crop sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable use of renewable natural resources, through value addition, using biological life processes, is an ideal transition from an oil-based economy to bioresource economy. Addressing climate change, renewable resources such as agro-industrial wastes, currently seen as low value materials, are in fact natural sources of value-added compounds that can be used, for example, as economic sources of bioactive substances of high interest for chemical, pharmaceutical and food industries. Moreover, agro-industrial by-products such as most of organic effluents have a high organic load content and can be vaporizable through a gaseous energy carrier production (methane/hydrogen) and a digested flow for agricultural purposes, using anaerobic digestion techniques. Once adopted, biological processes of these materials may contribute to reduce the environmental pollution burden. The present work refers to different procedures and methodologies applied to wastes valorisation that, within a biorefinery concept, had the achievement of valuable biomolecules as a core of the entire recovery line system. Several wastes/wastewaters mainly produced in the Mediterranean area were under study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Growing water restrictions associated with climate changes constitute daunting challenges to crop performance. This study unveils the impacts of moderate (MWD) or severe (SWD) water deficit, and their interaction with air [CO2], on the photosynthetic apparatus of Coffea canephora Pierre ex A. Froehner cv. Conilon Clone 153 (CL153) and Coffea arabica L. cv. Icatu. Seven year-old potted plants grown under 380 (aCO2) or 700 μl l −1 (eCO2) [CO2] gradually reached predawn water potentials between −1.6 and −2.1 MPa (MWD), and below −3.5 MPa (SWD). Under drought, stomata closure was chiefly related to abscisic acid (ABA) rise. Increasing drought severity progressively affected gas exchange and fluorescence parameters in both genotypes, with non-stomatal limitations becoming gradually dominating, especially regarding the photochemical and biochemical components of CL153 SWD plants. In contrast, Icatu plants were highly tolerant to SWD, with minor, if any, negative impacts on the potential photosynthetic functioning and components (e.g. A max, F v/ F m, electron carriers, photosystems (PSs) and ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase oxygenase (RuBisCO) activities). Besides, drought-stressed Icatu plants displayed increased abundance of a large set of proteins associated with the photosynthetic apparatus (PSs, light-harvesting complexes, cyclic electron flow, RuBisCO activase) regardless of [CO2]. Single eCO2 did not promote stomatal and photosynthetic down-regulation in both genotypes. Instead, eCO2 increased photosynthetic performance, moderately reinforced photochemical (PSs activity, electron carriers) and biochemical (RuBisCO, ribulose-5-phosphate kinase) components, whereas photoprotective mechanisms and protein abundance remained mostly unaffected. In both genotypes, under MWD, eCO2 superimposition delayed stress severity and promoted photosynthetic functioning with lower energy dissipation and PSII impacts, whereas stomatal closure was decoupled from increases in ABA. In SWD plants, most impacts on the photosynthetic performance were reduced by eCO2, especially in the moderately drought affected CL153 genotype, although maintaining RuBisCO as the most sensitive component, deserving special breeder's attention to improve coffee sustainability under future climate scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study unveils the single and combined drought and heat impacts on the photosynthetic performance of Coffea arabica cv. Icatu and C. canephora cv. Conilon Clone 153 (CL153). Well-watered (WW) potted plants were gradually submitted to severe water deficit (SWD) along 20 days under adequate temperature (25/20°C, day/night), and thereafter exposed to a gradual temperature rise up to 42/30°C, followed by a 14-day water and temperature recovery. Single drought affected all gas exchanges (including Amax) and most fluorescence parameters in both genotypes. However, Icatu maintained Fv/Fm and RuBisCO activity, and reinforced electron transport rates, carrier contents, and proton gradient regulation (PGR5) and chloroplast NADH dehydrogenase-like (NDH) complex proteins abundance. This suggested negligible non-stomatal limitations of photosynthesis that were accompanied by a triggering of protective cyclic electron transport (CEF) involving both photosystems (PSs). These findings contrasted with declines in RuBisCO and PSs activities, and cytochromes (b559 , f , b563) contents in CL153. Remarkable heat tolerance in potential photosynthetic functioning was detected in WW plants of both genotypes (up to 37/28°C or 39/30°C), likely associated with CEF in Icatu. Yet, at 42/30°C the tolerance limit was exceeded. Reduced Amax and increased Ci values reflected non-stomatal limitations of photosynthesis, agreeing with impairments in energy capture (F0 rise), PSII photochemical efficiency, and RuBisCO and Ru5PK activities. In contrast to PSs activities and electron carrier contents, enzyme activities were highly heat sensitive. Until 37/28°C, stresses interaction was largely absent, and drought played the major role in constraining photosynthesis functioning. Harsher conditions (SWD, 42/30°C) exacerbated impairments to PSs, enzymes, and electron carriers, but uncontrolled energy dissipation was mitigated by photoprotective mechanisms. Most parameters recovered fully between 4 and 14 days after stress relief in both genotypes, although some aftereffects persisted in SWD plants. Icatu was more drought tolerant, with WW and SWD plants usually showing a faster and/or greater recovery than CL153. Heat affected both genotypes mostly at 42/30°C, especially in SWD and Icatu plants. Overall, photochemical components were highly tolerant to heat and to stress interaction in contrast to enzymes that deserve special attention by breeding programs to increase coffee sustainability in climate change scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change will impact several ecosystems, and the resilience of the weakest links of the ecological networks may be decisive in maintaining the ecological structure. The assessment of tendencies in the distribution and resilience of endangered medicinal species against global change can be an excellent tool to predict and minimize future negative effects, even more so if we consider that these species may be useful to us. Spain is one of the richest countries in plant diversity along the Mediterranean basin, and many representatives of the Spanish flora are medicinal plants. Under scenarios of climate change, the distribution ranges of many of these species are likely to alter. In this paper we used ecological niche modeling to predict future changes in the distribution of 41 medicinal plants included in the 2013 assessment of threatened species in Spain. We generated climate-based niche models for each medicinal species and projected them for each decade from 2010 until 2080. Our results identified and prioritized the most vulnerable species and areas to future predicted changes. These results should be useful for conservation planning and especially for prioritizing areas for protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As drought threatens crop productivity it is crucial to characterize the defense mechanisms against water deficit and unveil their interaction with the expected rise in the air [CO 2 ]. For that, plants of Coffea canephora cv. Conilon Clone 153 (CL153) and C. arabica cv. Icatu grown under 380 (aCO 2) or 700 μL L−1 (eCO 2) were exposed to moderate (MWD) and severe (SWD) water deficits. Responses were characterized through the activity and/or abundance of a selected set of proteins associated with antioxidative (e.g., Violaxanthin de-epoxidase, Superoxide dismutase, Ascorbate peroxidases, Monodehydroascorbate reductase), energy/sugar (e.g., Ferredoxin-NADP reductase, NADP-dependent glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, sucrose synthase, mannose-6-phosphate isomerase, Enolase), and lipid (Lineolate 13S-lipoxygenase) processes, as well as with other antioxidative (ascorbate) and protective (HSP70) molecules. MWD caused small changes in both genotypes regardless of [CO 2 ] level while under the single imposition to SWD, only Icatu showed a global reinforcement of most studied proteins supporting its tolerance to drought. eCO 2 alone did not promote remarkable changes but strengthened a robust multi-response under SWD, even supporting the reversion of impacts already observed by CL153 at aCO 2. In the context of climate changes where water constraints and [CO 2 ] levels are expected to increase, these results highlight why eCO 2 might have an important role in improving drought tolerance in Coffea species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drought is a major threat to coffee, compromising the quality and quantity of its production. We have analyzed the core proteome of 18 Coffea canephora cv. Conilon Clone 153 and C. arabica cv. Icatu plants and assessed their responses to moderate (MWD) and severe (SWD) water deficits. Label-free quantitative shotgun proteomics identified 3000 proteins in both genotypes, but less than 0.8% contributed to ca. 20% of proteome biomass. Proteomic changes were dependent on the severity of drought, being stronger under SWD and with an enrolment of different proteins, functions, and pathways than under MWD. The two genotypes displayed stress-responsive proteins under SWD, but only C. arabica showed a higher abundance of proteins involved in antioxidant detoxification activities. Overall, the impact of MWD was minor in the two genotypes, contrary to previous studies. In contrast, an extensive proteomic response was found under SWD, with C. arabica having a greater potential for acclimation/resilience than C. canephora. This is likely supported by a wider antioxidative response and an ability to repair photosynthetic structures, being crucial to develop new elite genotypes that assure coffee supply under water scarcity levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change scenarios pose major threats to many crops worldwide, including coffee. We explored the primary metabolite responses in two Coffea genotypes, C. canephora cv. Conilon Clone 153 and C. arabica cv. Icatu, grown at normal (aCO2) or elevated (eCO2) CO2 concentrations of 380 or 700 ppm, respectively, under well-watered (WW), moderate (MWD), or severe (SWD) water deficit conditions, in order to assess coffee responses to drought and how eCO2 can influence such responses. Primary metabolites were analyzed with a gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry metabolomics platform (GC-TOF-MS). A total of 48 primary metabolites were identified in both genotypes (23 amino acids and derivatives, 10 organic acids, 11 sugars, and 4 other metabolites), with differences recorded in both genotypes. Increased metabolite levels were observed in CL153 plants under single and combined conditions of aCO2 and drought (MWD and SWD), as opposed to the observed decreased levels under eCO2 in both drought conditions. In contrast, Icatu showed minor differences under MWD, and increased levels (especially amino acids) only under SWD at both CO2 concentration conditions, although with a tendency towards greater increases under eCO2. Altogether, CL153 demonstrated large impact under MWD, and seemed not to benefit from eCO2 in either MWD and SWD, in contrast with Icatu. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As atmospheric [CO2] continues to rise to unprecedented levels, understanding its impact on plants is imperative to improve crop performance and sustainability under future climate conditions. In this context, transcriptional changes promoted by elevated CO2 (eCO2) were studied in genotypes from the two major traded coffee species: the allopolyploid Coffea arabica (Icatu) and its diploid parent, C. canephora (CL153). While Icatu expressed more genes than CL153, a higher number of differentially expressed genes were found in CL153 as a response to eCO2. Although many genes were found to be commonly expressed by the two genotypes under eCO2, unique genes and pathways differed between them, with CL153 showing more enriched GO terms and metabolic pathways than Icatu. Divergent functional categories and significantly enriched pathways were found in these genotypes, which altogether supports contrasting responses to eCO2. A considerable number of genes linked to coffee physiological and biochemical responses were found to be affected by eCO2 with the significant upregulation of photosynthetic, antioxidant, and lipidic genes. This supports the absence of photosynthesis down-regulation and, therefore, the maintenance of increased photosynthetic potential promoted by eCO2 in these coffee genotypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The energy challenge is a complex issue that EU is facing. A sustainable, safe and competitive energy supply and climate change mitigation are nowadays key priorities of EU energy policy and a need for each EU Member State. Sustainable energy development at the regional level is a multiple and complex activity, involving various stakeholders and different measures. Three main thematic pillars, policy making, energy market and community involvement, have been identified as crucial in order to implement effective and feasible policy and measures at the regional scale. In this framework, the initial assessment of regional energy systems is an essential step to set up customized sustainable energy strategies. In the framework of the INTERREG IVC RENERGY project a structured methodology for the initial assessment of local communities (Self-Assessment -SAA) was defined and applied to the analysis of the partners’ communities located in nine European Countries (Lithuania, Denmark, Italy, Portugal, United Kingdom, Germany, Austria, Hungary and Romania) in order to outline the status of local energy infrastructures, renewable and energy efficiency potentials and to highlight the key issues to be exploited in the local implementation plans. The holistic approach of the SAA methodology is aimed at characterising the energy systems in terms of policy background, energy uses and infrastructures as well as market behaviour and community attitude for sustainable development, valorising the interrelationships among the project thematic pillars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Growing water restrictions associated with climate changes constitute daunting challenges to crop performance. This study unveils the impacts of moderate (MWD) or severe (SWD) water deficit, and their interaction with air [CO2], on the photosynthetic apparatus of Coffea canephora Pierre ex A. Froehner cv. Conilon Clone 153 (CL153) and Coffea arabica L. cv. Icatu. Seven year-old potted plants grown under 380 (aCO2) or 700 μl l −1 (eCO2) [CO2] gradually reached predawn water potentials between −1.6 and −2.1 MPa (MWD), and below −3.5 MPa (SWD). Under drought, stomata closure was chiefly related to abscisic acid (ABA) rise. Increasing drought severity progressively affected gas exchange and fluorescence parameters in both genotypes, with non-stomatal limitations becoming gradually dominating, especially regarding the photochemical and biochemical components of CL153 SWD plants. In contrast, Icatu plants were highly tolerant to SWD, with minor, if any, negative impacts on the potential photosynthetic functioning and components (e.g. A max, F v/ F m, electron carriers, photosystems (PSs) and ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase oxygenase (RuBisCO) activities). Besides, drought-stressed Icatu plants displayed increased abundance of a large set of proteins associated with the photosynthetic apparatus (PSs, light-harvesting complexes, cyclic electron flow, RuBisCO activase) regardless of [CO2]. Single eCO2 did not promote stomatal and photosynthetic down-regulation in both genotypes. Instead, eCO2 increased photosynthetic performance, moderately reinforced photochemical (PSs activity, electron carriers) and biochemical (RuBisCO, ribulose-5-phosphate kinase) components, whereas photoprotective mechanisms and protein abundance remained mostly unaffected. In both genotypes, under MWD, eCO2 superimposition delayed stress severity and promoted photosynthetic functioning with lower energy dissipation and PSII impacts, whereas stomatal closure was decoupled from increases in ABA. In SWD plants, most impacts on the photosynthetic performance were reduced by eCO2, especially in the moderately drought affected CL153 genotype, although maintaining RuBisCO as the most sensitive component, deserving special breeder's attention to improve coffee sustainability under future climate scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate changes (CC) are a main global phenomenon, with a worldwide impact on natural and agricultural ecosystems. The objective of this study was to analyse the potential impact of future CC on the suitability of areas for rainfed coffee growth, both at the Mozambique national scale and in the Gorongosa Mountain, under Agroforestry (AFS) and Full Sun (FS) management systems. The latter study site is part of the Gorongosa National Park (PNG), one of the most biodiverse places and an outstanding case of successful ecosystem restoration, including the rainforest from Gorongosa Mountain. Additionally, coffee cultivation in PNG under AFS is part of a strategy to strengthen the socio-economic sustainability of the local population, and the recovery of biodiversity in a degraded tropical rainforest ecosystem. Future climate assessments were elaborated through bioclimatic and biophysical variables (Elevation), with Coffea arabica L. being modeled under the current conditions and four global climate models (GCMs) using four Shared Socio-economic Pathways (SSPs). Isothermality, annual precipitation, and altitude were the most important variables influencing suitable areas in Mozambique. The analysis revealed that currently suitable areas where C. arabica is grown in Mozambique will be negatively affected under future scenarios (SSP126 to SSP585) in both systems (AFS and FS), although with clear worst impacts for FS. Under AFS, suitable areas will be reduced between about half and two-thirds by 2041–2060, and up to 91% by 2081–2100 (depending on scenarios) at the whole country level. Additionally, in Gorongosa Mountain, almost all scenarios point to a 30% reduction of the suitable area by 2041–2060, reaching 50% by 2081–2100, both in SSP126 and SSP245 scenarios. In sharp contrast, at the whole country level, the FS system is projected to be unsuitable for most of Mozambique, with area losses close to or above two-thirds already in 2021–2040, and greater than 80% by 2061–2080. Under this system, the projections were even more dramatic, pointing to a total absence of adequate areas at Gorongosa Mountain already by 2021–2040. Overall, our study provides clear evidence that the implementation of AFS greatly reduces CC deleterious impacts, being crucial to guarantee the sustainability of the coffee crop in the near future. • Annual precipitation and altitude are the most important variables determining coffee suitability areas in Mozambique. • Full Sun, but not agroforestry cultivation, is unsuitable for coffee from 2040 onwards in Mozambique. • Agroforestry system greatly reduces climate changes and global warming impacts along this century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]