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With Yucca Mountain dead, the United States needs an alternative home for its nuclear waste. It would do well to look to Germany, which invented interim dry-cask storage and still relies on the technology today to store its spent fuel safely. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Numerous enigmatic tube-shaped holes in the limestone ceilings of overhangs and small caves in a restricted area north of the village St. Aegyd am Neuwalde (Lower Austria) have been known at least since 1933, but so far, no detailed study concerning their origin has been conducted. The vertical holes occur in Middle Triassic limestone and they are almost perfect cylinders tapering gently to a rounded apex. Their diameters are up to 5.5 cm and their depths reach 45 cm. They occur on both sides of the Unrechttraisen valley located in the north-eastern part of the Northern Calcareous Alps. Almost identical features were described from the shores of lakes in western Ireland and termed röhrenkarren or tube karren (Simms, 2002). According to Simms' model, they have formed by condensation corrosion within air pockets trapped in limestone overhangs by rising water levels during floods. The occurrence of these features is surprising, because presently, there is no lake and so far, no palaeolake has been known from this area. Based on high-resolution airborne laser scanning data and detailed field observations, a landslide deposit was identified in a narrow section of the valley, downstream of the röhrenkarren sites. Fine-grained, partly laminated sediments with abundant dragonfly (Anisoptera) or flatworm (Turbellaria) eggs, indicative of lacustrine sediments, up to ca.100 m above present river bed. These data indicate that a landslide had dammed the Unrechttraisen River resulting in a ca.100 m deep lake. The röhrenkarren have formed due to fluctuations of the lake level, resulting from differences in river run-off and seepage through the landslide dam. Since 230Th/U-dating of calcite crusts covering some röhrenkarren was not successful, the age is not well constrained. Highlights • Documentation and morphometric measurements of rare röhrenkarren • These karst features have formed due to water table fluctuation of a palaeolake. • A previously unknown palaeo-landslide body is identified. • A landslide dammed lake is reconstructed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change will impact the dynamics of invasive alien plant species (IAPS). However, the ability of IAPS under changing climate to invade mountain ecosystems, particularly the Himalayan region, is less known. This study investigates the current and future habitat of five IAPS of the Himalayan region using MaxEnt and two representative concentration pathways (RCPs). Two invasive species, Ageratum conyzoides and Parthenium hysterophorus, will lose overall suitable area by 2070, while Ageratina adenophora, Chromolaena odorata and Lantana camara will gain suitable areas and all of them will retain most of the current habitat as stable. The southern Himalayan foothills will mostly conserve species ecological niches, while suitability of all the five species will decrease with increasing elevation. Such invasion dynamics in the Himalayan region could have impacts on numerous ecosystems and their biota, ecosystem services and human well-being. Trans-boundary response strategies suitable to the local context of the region could buffer some of the likely invasion impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adaptation is crucial to curb down the negative impact of climate change particularly on agricultural sector. Hence, a study was conducted to identify the strategies adopted by the cereal growers in Eastern Himalaya region of India and determine the factors affecting them. A total 120 farmers were surveyed from Senapati district in Manipur and East Sikkim district in Sikkim. The widely adopted strategies were the change in transplanting time and change in transplanting as well as harvesting time, which were autonomous, traditional, and taken in response to the scarcity of water. Tobit model has identified that the area under rice cultivation, support received from Village Science Centre, and decline in food availability positively influenced the farmers to adapt to climate change. Multinomial logit model revealed that the female farmers, area under rice cultivation, and decline in rice productivity positively influenced the adoption of the strategies, whereas number of cattle owned, irrigated area, and support from Agricultural Department revealed the negative influence. To sustain farming in hill agriculture, the study recommends the integration of the farmers’ knowledge along with scientific measures. Planned intervention, viz., in the form of construction of water harvesting structure, should be initiated by the State Government. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, temperature extremes are analyzed for observed (1979-2005) and projected scenarios using three global climate models (GCMs) and their Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) based on Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) datasets, to investigate the spatio-temporal variations and possible changes in joint probability behavior of temperature extremes over North Sikkim Himalaya, India. Statistical downscaling model (SDSM) and copulas are applied to downscale the GCM outputs and to construct joint probability distribution of extremes, respectively. A set of ten climate extreme indices are selected to understand the inter-annual variability. Joint return period of extreme indices was calculated using six temperature extreme indices (based on days). Linear trends were estimated using Mann Kendall test with statistical significance and indicated widespread significant changes in temperature extremes. The significant changes in temperature extremes such as the temperature of warmest night and day have increased by 1.41 and 1.83 °C, and the temperature of coldest night and day has decreased by 3.61 and 4.83 °C, respectively, during 2006-2100 with the baseline period of 1979-2005. The spatial distribution of 5-year return periods and 10-year return periods is almost similar during 1979-2005. There is less co-occurrence of warm nights and days, but higher chance to co-occurrence of cool and warm nights in the same year during 2021-2100. The change in joint return periods under the RCP8.5 shows frequent co-occurrence of cool days and nights, ice and frost days, and cool and frost days than RCP2.6 and RCP4.5. This study implies that the warm days, cool days, warmer nights, and cool nights are decreased with increased warming intensity, which shows the overall warming trend over the North Sikkim Himalaya, India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The climate and hydrology of the Western Himalayas is complex and a function of snow and glacier melt, land use, topography, and Indian summer and winter monsoon dynamics. Improving our knowledge about these processes is important from societal and agricultural points of view. In this study, an observational analysis is carried out to assess the changing climatic trends and the associated interannual variability in winter temperature and precipitation at three glacierized regions of Western Himalayas having distinctly different sub-regional characteristics. In situ observations of 23 years (1985-2007) are used. These observations are passed through rigorous statistical quality control checks. Results show higher interannual variability with increasing temperature trends in the glacierized regions of the Siachen (Karakoram Range) and Chotasigri (Great Himalayan Range). Karakoram Range has higher warming trends than the Great Himalayan Range. In case of precipitation, an overall decrease in precipitation is observed with contrasting trends in the last decade. Nino3.4 index is positively correlated with winter precipitation with similar interannual variability. In addition, at Siachen temperature and precipitation show strong negative correlation, and precipitation to spell length correlation is opposite at Siachen and Chotasigri. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The life cycles of intense high-latitude mesoscale cyclones and polar lows are strongly shaped by their ambient environments. This study focuses on the influence of the orography of Svalbard and the sea ice cover in the Norwegian and Barents Seas on polar low development. We investigate two typical polar lows that formed near Svalbard during northerly cold-air outbreaks. Each case is simulated using the Met Office Unified Model with convection-permitting grid spacing. A series of sensitivity experiments is conducted with an artificially changed land mask, orography, and sea ice distribution. We find that Svalbard acts to block stably stratified air from the ice-covered Arctic Ocean, and as an additional source of low-level cyclonic vorticity aiding polar low genesis and intensification. A decrease in sea ice cover west of Svalbard results in a moderate intensification of the polar lows, particularly for the more convectively driven case, while an increase in the sea ice cover significantly hinders their development. These experiments exemplify that polar mesoscale cyclones in the northeast Atlantic can withstand large perturbations in the surface conditions (such as the removal of Svalbard) and still develop to sufficient intensity to be labeled as polar lows. However, there is a sensitivity to Svalbard's orography and surrounding sea ice cover, illustrated by a clear modulation of polar low genesis and development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Part I of our study (Zazulie et al. Clim Dyn, 2017, hereafter Z17) we analyzed the ability of a subset of fifteen high-resolution global climate models (GCMs) from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 5 to reproduce the past climate of the Subtropical Central Andes (SCA) of Argentina and Chile. A subset of only five GCMs was shown to reproduce well the past climate (1980-2005), for austral summer and winter. In this study we analyze future climate projections for the twenty-first century over this complex orography region using those five GCMs. We evaluate the projections under two of the representative concentration pathways considered as future scenarios: RCP4.5 and RCP8.5. Future projections indicate warming during the twenty-first century over the SCA region, especially pronounced over the mountains. Projections of warming at high elevations in the SCA depend on altitude, and are larger than the projected global mean warming. This phenomenon is expected to strengthen by the end of the century under the high-emission scenario. Increases in winter temperatures of up to 2.5 °C, relative to 1980-2005, are projected by 2040-2065, while a 5 °C warming is expected at the highest elevations by 2075-2100. Such a large monthly-mean warming during winter would most likely result in snowpack melting by late winter-early spring, with serious implication for water availability during summer, when precipitation is a minimum over the mountains. We also explore changes in the albedo, as a contributing factor affecting the net flux of energy at the surface and found a reduction in albedo of 20-60% at high elevations, related to the elevation dependent warming. Furthermore, a decrease in winter precipitation is projected in central Chile by the end of the century, independent of the scenario considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was carried out to assess floristic diversity, community composition and regeneration status of different forests in Nanda Devi National Park after prohibition of human activities in 1983 with a view to understand the impact of ban, and provide a basis for assessing subsequent changes on plant diversity and composition. The comparison of the present study with the earlier studies conducted in 1993 and 2003, indicated positive changes on plant diversity, forest composition and ecological conditions of the National Park. A total of 409 taxa belonging to 203 genera and 71 families (377 Angiosperms, 7 Gymnosperms and 25 Pteridophytes) were documented from the National Park. Two types of forest communities, i.e. Betula utilis along timberline, and mixed forest of Abies spectabilis with B. utilis form the dominant forests inside the National Park. Proportionate distribution of individuals in seedling, sapling and tree layers showed considerable variation in the population structure of different communities. Maximum species richness was observed in Dibrugheta (128) followed by Dharansi (43) and Sarsopatal (34) among the studied alpine meadows of this National Park. The present results could be a pilot to strengthen conservation measures across the Protected Area Network by understanding the impact of the ban on anthropogenic activities, and is also useful for future assessment of floristic diversity and forest composition in the National Park. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Giménez-Casalduero, F.; Gomariz-Castillo, F.; Canales, R., and Calvín J. C., 2018. Identifying the conservation state of marine rocky habitats along the western Mediterranean using focal species. Marine management in Europe has progressed in implementing a European legal framework. The directives stand out among the legal instruments of such framework; their main objective is to conserve biodiversity in the marine environment in order to maintain a good ecological status. For the application of the directives, it is necessary to improve knowledge of the reef habitat by identifying its ecological value as a first step to define its conservation and ecological status. This study has identified the state of conservation in the rocky coastal habitat of the Region of Murcia (SE Spain) by using the presence of benthic focal species for each type of landscape as an indicator. To identify the landscape units, a hierarchical classification of rocky habitats was carried out. The existence of comparable units makes it possible to search for indicators of ecological status and compare the units within each category. After the definition of landscape units, the specific reference level for rock habitat, adapted to each of the “landscape types,” was defined, allowing its ecological value to be determined; the focus on focal species can help in defining conservation objectives. Of the rocky landscape units analysed, 94% have a high ecological value. In conclusion, with the methodology proposed in this paper, it is possible to easily define the specific reference level for rock habitat and determine its status in relation to it. This way it is possible to provide rapid information on the environmental status of rocky landscape units. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT: Population bottlenecks, fragmentation, and isolation can have lasting effects on population genetic structure by decreasing diversity and increasing differentiation among regions. Fishers (Pekania pennanti) were extirpated from many regions of Ontario, Canada, in the early twentieth century because of overharvest, habitat loss, and predator control, although the species has since recolonized much of its former range. Between 2001 and 2003, the recolonized population could be split into several genetically distinct clusters likely corresponding to historical trapping refuges. We reassessed the genetic diversity and population structure of fishers approximately 10 years after recolonization to determine whether homogenization had occurred among genetic clusters, and whether hypothesized northward migration had continued following recolonization of southeastern Ontario by fishers from the Adirondack Mountains of New York, USA. We found no significant changes in the uppermost level of genetic structure but did find evidence of increased lower‐level structure and decreased migration throughout the province, contrary to our hypothesis. This may be indicative of a reduction in fisher density or could be due to the population reaching a migration‐drift equilibrium following a period of rapid expansion. Our results highlight the potential importance and utility of continued genetic monitoring following local extirpation and recolonization. Conservation managers can use periodically sampled population genetic information to adapt and update management strategies. © 2018 The Wildlife Society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A DC (double couple) constrained multiple point-source moment-tensor inversion is performed on the band-passed (0.008-0.10 Hz) displacement data of the 25 April (Mw 7.8) 2015 Nepal mainshock, from 17 broadband stations in India. Our results reveal that the 25 April event (strike = 324°, dip = 14°, rake = 88°) ruptured the north-dipping main Himalayan thrust (MHT) at 16 km depth. We modeled the Coulomb failure stress changes (ΔCFS) produced by the slip on the fault plane of the 25 April Nepal mainshock. A strong correlation with occurrences of aftershocks and regions of increased positive ΔCFS is obtained below the aftershock zone of the 2015 Nepal mainshock. We notice that predicted ΔCFS at 16 km depth show a positive Coulomb stress of 0.06 MPa at the location of the 12 May 2015 event. These small modeled stress changes can lead to trigger events if the crust is already near to failure, but these small stresses can also advance the occurrence of future earthquakes. The main finding of our ΔCFS modeling implies that the 25 April event increased the Coulomb stress changes by 0.06 MPa at 16 km depth below the site of the 12 May event, and thus, this event can be termed as triggered. We propose that the seismic hazard in the Himalaya is not only caused by the mainshock slip on the MHT; rather, the occurrence of large triggered event on the MHT can also enhance our understanding of the seismic hazard in the Nepal Himalaya. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The Andes of southern Patagonia experienced a Miocene shift towards faster and higher angle subduction followed by the approach and collision of the Chile oceanic ridge. We present a kinematic study characterizing palaeostress fields computed from brittle tectonics to better constrain upper crustal deformation during this complex scenario. Although previous studies already suggested variable kinematics, it is striking that in a long‐lasting subduction environment, the computed palaeostress tensors are mostly strike‐slip (55%), while 35% are extensional, and only 10% compressive which are concentrated along a main frontal thrust. Cross‐cutting relationships and synsedimentary deformation indicate that a long‐lived strike‐slip regime was punctuated by a lower Miocene extensional event in the foreland before the main compressional event. The results are discussed in contrasting geodynamic models of plate coupling/decoupling versus direction and rate of convergence of the subducting plate, to explain the main mechanisms that control back‐arc deformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The precipitation is a meteorological variable studied in Argentina mainly in annual, seasonal and monthly scales. Its variability is a significant climate element and also a critical socioeconomic factor. This study aims to contribute to the knowledge of daily rainfall in Argentina. Daily records of precipitation for 66 stations provided by the Servicio Meteorológico Nacional are used (period 1991-2014). The spatial distribution of the annual precipitation presents an east-west gradient in the north of the country. In monthly scale, there are different precipitation distributions such as a double maximum in the centre-east zone or a single maximum in the northwest in summer time and in the southern Andes range during the winter. To carry out the study, the concentration index (CI) of daily precipitation with a resolution of 1 mm is used. Precipitation in Argentina, given its vast territory, presents a great variability with a wide range of rainfall regimes; CI values are found between 0.54 and 0.68. These values are categorized as high (greater than 0.61) and low (less than 0.58). The north of the country and the Atlantic coast show the highest CI values. The lower values are present in the Andes range and in the south of the country. The results are compared with other studies in the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Feddema’s generic climate classification method is applied to study climate and climate change in the Austrian-Swiss region of the European Alps during the course of the twentieth century. A fine-tuned version of it is also tested in addition to the original scheme. Monthly precipitation and air temperature data at a spatial resolution of 10′ × 10′ are taken from the Climatic Research Unit TS 1.2 database to construct 30- and 50-year period averages. It is shown that the alpine climate is sufficiently heterogeneous to make it unnecessary to perform fine-tuning of the original scheme for its characterization on the meso-β scale (20-200 km). It is also demonstrated that data organizational effects are much less intense than the effects caused by the fine-tuning. The area heterogeneity of climate and climate change types is the highest in the vicinity of lakes (Austria: Lake Constance; Switzerland: Lakes Geneva, Neuchâtel, Biel, Zurich, and Constance) and along river valleys (Austria: the Danube, Drava, and Mur; Switzerland: the Aare and Ticino). The dominant climate change process was drying in Austria and warming in Switzerland. Large areas characterized by cold and saturated climate in the Central Eastern Alps did not experience climate change during the twentieth century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Biodiversity studies of global change mainly focus on direct impacts such as losses in species numbers or ecosystem functions. In this study, we focus on the long‐term effects of recent land‐cover conversion and subsequent ecological isolation of Kilimanjaro on biodiversity in a paleobiogeographical context, linking our findings with the long‐standing question whether colonization of African mountains mainly depended on long‐distance dispersal, or whether gradual migration has been possible through habitat bridges under colder climates. For this, we used Orthoptera as bioindicators, whose patterns of endemism and habitat demands we studied on about 500 vegetation plots on Kilimanjaro and Mt. Meru (Tanzania) since 1996. Land‐cover changes in the same area were revealed using a supervised classification of Landsat images from 1976 to 2000. In 1976, there was a corridor of submontane forest vegetation linking Kilimanjaro with Mt. Meru, replaced by human settlements and agriculture after 2000. Until recently, this submontane forest bridge facilitated the dispersal of forest animals, illustrated by the large number of endemic submontane forest Orthoptera shared by both mountains. Furthermore, the occurrence of common montane endemics suggests the existence of a former forest corridor with montane vegetation during much earlier times under climatic conditions 2–7°C cooler and 400–1,700 mm wetter than today. Based on the endemicity patterns of forest Orthoptera, negative consequences are predicted due to the effects of isolation, in particular for larger forest animals. Kilimanjaro is becoming an increasingly isolated ecosystem with far reaching consequences for diversity and endemism. Forest bridges between East African mountains acted as important migratory corridors and are not only a prehistoric phenomenon during periods with other climatic conditions but also disappeared in some places recently due to increasing and direct anthropogenic impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cumulative impacts of multiple environmental and anthropogenic stressors on freshwater biodiversity have been studied in systems across the globe. The magnitude of multiple interdependent stressors on alpine systems may lead to increased primary productivity and jeopardize these unique communities. In this review, the consequences of individual stressors on alpine lake and pond ecology are synthesized, as well as the cumulative and potentially synergistic or antagonistic effects of multiple stressors. Beside temperature variability, other stressors reviewed include ultra violet (UV) radiation, organic pollutants, nutrient deposition, and biological invasions. Each stressor was evaluated individually and in combination with increasing water temperatures. In alpine environments, climatic warming is anticipated to increase with elevation, therefore amplifying the effects of temperature-related responses. The purpose of this review is to highlight the ecological effects of climate change on alpine lakes and ponds in the Rocky Mountains of North America and fill knowledge gaps between disciplines of aquatic studies. This work underscores that to better understand and face the overall effects of climate change on alpine biota, investigations must continue to assess the compounded impacts of multiple stressors. Emphasis must be put on the standardization of monitoring methods across alpine regions to aid in consistent trend and prediction analysis within the context of both current and future climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Federal investments by U.S. agencies to enhance climate resilience at regional scales grew over the past decade (2010s). To maximize efficiency and effectiveness in serving multiple sectors and scales, it has become critical to leverage existing agency-specific research, infrastructure, and capacity while avoiding redundancy. We discuss lessons learned from a multi-institutional “regional climate response collaborative” that comprises three different federally supported climate service entities in the Rocky Mountain west and northern plains region. These lessons include leveraging different strengths of each partner, creating deliberate mechanisms to increase cross-entity communication and joint ownership of projects, and placing a common priority on stakeholder-relevant research and outcomes. We share the conditions that fostered successful collaboration, which can be transferred elsewhere, and suggest mechanisms for overcoming potential barriers. Synergies are essential for producing actionable research that informs climate-related decisions for stakeholders and ultimately enhances climate resilience at regional scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The variables of snow cover extent (SCE), snow cover duration (SCD), and snow albedo (SAL) are primary factors determining the surface energy balance and hydrological response of the cryosphere, influencing snow pack and glacier mass-balance, melt, and runoff conditions. This study examines spatiotemporal patterns and trends in SCE, SCD, and SAL (2000–2016; 16 years) for central Chilean and Argentinean Andes using the MODIS MOD10A1 C6 daily snow product. Observed changes in these variables are analyzed in relation to climatic variability by using ground truth observations (meteorological data from the El Yeso Embalse and Valle Nevado weather stations) and the Multivariate El Niño index (MEI) data. We identified significant downward trends in both SCE and SAL, especially during the onset and offset of snow seasons. SCE and SAL showed high inter-annual variability which correlate significantly with MEI applied with a one-month time-lag. SCE and SCD decreased by an average of ~13 ± 2% and 43 ± 20 days respectively, over the study period. Analysis of spatial pattern of SCE indicates a slightly greater reduction on the eastern side (~14 ± 2%) of the Andes Cordillera compared to the western side (~12 ± 3%). The downward SCE, SAL, and SCD trends identified in this study are likely to have adverse impacts on downstream water resource availability to agricultural and densely populated regions in central Chile and Argentina. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Invasive alien plant species (IAPS) can pose severe threats to biodiversity and stability of native ecosystems, therefore, predicting the distribution of the IAPS plays a crucial role in effective planning and management of ecosystems. In the present study, we use Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt) modelling approach to predict the potential of distribution of eleven IAPS under future climatic conditions under RCP 2.6 and RCP 8.5 in part of Kailash sacred landscape region in Western Himalaya. Based on the model predictions, distribution of most of these invasive plants is expected to expand under future climatic scenarios, which might pose a serious threat to the native ecosystems through competition for resources in the study area. Native scrublands and subtropical needle-leaved forests will be the most affected ecosystems by the expansion of these IAPS. The present study is first of its kind in the Kailash Sacred Landscape in the field of invasive plants and the predictions of potential distribution under future climatic conditions from our study could help decision makers in planning and managing these forest ecosystems effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) have recently become one of the primary natural hazards in the Himalayas. There is therefore an urgent need to assess GLOF hazards in the region. Cirenmaco, a moraine-dammed lake located in the upstream portion of Zhangzangbo valley, Central Himalayas, has received public attention after its damaging 1981 outburst flood. Here, by combining remote sensing methods, bathymetric survey and 2D hydraulic modeling, we assessed the hazard posed by Cirenmaco in its current status. Inter-annual variation of Cirenmaco lake area indicates a rapid lake expansion from 0.10 ± 0.08 km 2 in 1988 to 0.39 ± 0.04 km 2 in 2013. Bathymetric survey shows the maximum water depth of the lake in 2012 was 115 ± 2 m and the lake volume was calculated to be 1.8 × 10 7 m 3 . Field geomorphic analysis shows that Cirenmaco glacial lake is prone to GLOFs as mass movements and ice and snow avalanches can impact the lake and the melting of the dead ice in the moraine can lower the dam level. HEC-RAS 2D model was then used to simulate moraine dam failure of the Cirenmaco and assess GLOF impacts downstream. Reconstruction of Cirenmaco 1981 GLOF shows that HEC-RAS can produce reasonable flood extent and water depth, thus demonstrate its ability to effectively model complex GLOFs. GLOF modeling results presented can be used as a basis for the implementation of disaster prevention and mitigation measures. As a case study, this work shows how we can integrate different methods to GLOF hazard assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents environmental and industrial news briefs. Topics include the impact of the chemical weathering of silicates on the Himalayan mountain ranges and the Ganges, the use of electro-catalytic oxidation for the treatment of wastewater from textiles, and the use of Guava leaves in the degradation of synthetic dye.

The character and causes of elevation-dependent warming (EDW) of surface temperatures are examined in a suite of high-resolution (Δχ≤ km) regional climate model (RCM) simulations of climate change over the Rocky Mountains using the Weather Research and Forecasting Model. A clear EDW signal is found over the region, with warming enhanced in certain elevation bands by as much as 2°C. During some months warming maximizes at middle elevations, whereas during others it increases monotonically with elevation or is nearly independent of elevation. Simulated EDW is primarily caused by the snow albedo feedback (SAF). Warming maximizes in regions of maximum snow loss and albedo reduction. The role of the SAF is confirmed by sensitivity experiments wherein the SAF is artificially suppressed. The elevation dependence of free-tropospheric warming appears to play a secondary role in shaping EDW. No evidence is found for a contribution from elevation-dependent water vapor feedbacks. Sensitivity experiments show that EDW depends strongly on certain aspects of RCM configuration. Simulations using 4- and 12-km horizontal grid spacings show similar EDW signals, but substantial differences are found when using a grid spacing of 36 km due to the influence of terrain resolution on snow cover and the SAF. Simulations using the Noah and Noah-MP land surface models (LSMs) exhibit large differences in EDW. These are caused by differences between LSMs in their representations of midelevation snow extent and in their parameterization of subpixel fractional snow cover. These lead to albedo differences that act to modulate the simulated SAF and its effect on EDW. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The southeastern European Alps represent the spot where mean annual precipitation is at its highest in the entire Alpine chain. Accordingly, the glacial evolution here might have a different spatial and chronological pattern if compared with other alpine areas. This paper discusses geomorphological evidence of three glacial stages from the Krnica Valley in the Julian Alps of Slovenia, and is the first step towards a comprehensive palaeoglaciological studies in this alpine sector. Very well-preserved glacial landforms in the Upper Krnica Valley allowed the reconstruction of glacier surface topographies and corresponding equilibrium line altitudes (ELAs) by means of field-based geomorphological and sedimentological data and by using geospatial analysis. The uppermost frontal moraines belong to the Little Ice Age (LIA) and the corresponding ELA is estimated at 1973 m a.s.l. Other two stages with the ELA depressed by 50 m and 161 m compared to the LIA ELA, suggest early Holocene and Younger Dryas ages of the palaeoglaciers, respectively. This assumption ensues from absolute age datings and related ELA depressions observed elsewhere in the European Alps. The presence of buried ice under the debris in the Krnica cirque, imaged through geophysical investigations, point to peculiar microclimatic conditions able to preserve relict glacier ice. This is favoured by the recursive presence of snow on the ground caused by the extreme summer shading and the significant winter snow-recharge triggered by snowblow and avalanche feeding. The possible evolution of such relict ice under the ongoing climate warming is also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shifting cultivation in North Eastern Region of India is practised along the hill slopes by tribes of the region for subsistence living. The present study was carried out to examine the dynamics of shifting cultivation in relation to slope and elevation in Mokokchung, Teunsang and Wokha districts of Nagaland. Temporal Advanced Widefield Sensor data of Resources I were used to derive information on the changes and spatial extent of shifting cultivation areas in these districts. Slope and elevation parameters were derived from Shuttle Radar Thematic Mapper data. The study found a change in current shifting cultivation lands to regenerating shifting cultivation. All three districts showed an increasing trend in regenerating shifting cultivation and decrease in current shifting cultivation lands. A shift of cultivation plots towards higher elevations was noted. Southern slopes are mostly occupied for shifting cultivation by tribal communities in these areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using a sediment core covering the last 3,500 years, we analysed photosynthetic pigments’ concentrations in lake sediments and carbon stable isotopic composition of chironomid (Diptera, Chironomidae) remains (δ13CHC). We aimed to reconstruct temporal changes in aquatic primary productivity and carbon resources sustaining chironomid larvae in a high mountain lake (Lake Pyramid Inferior; 5,067 m a.s.l.) located in the Nepalese Himalayas. Both pigments and δ13CHC trends followed a similar fluctuating pattern over time, and we found significant positive relationships between these proxies, suggesting the strong reliance of benthic consumers on the aquatic primary production. Temporal trends matched well with main known climatic phases in the Eastern part of the Himalayan Mountains. Past glacier dynamics and associated in-lake solute concentrations appeared to be the main driver of autochthonous primary productivity, suggesting then the indirect impact of climate change on carbon processing in the benthic food web. During warm periods, the glacier retreat induced a rise in in-lake solute concentrations leading to an increasing primary productivity. Complementary investigations are still needed to strengthen our understanding about the response of past aquatic carbon cycling in CO2-limiting environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

En Sudamérica, los corredores migratorios que utilizan las aves rapaces son en gran parte desconocidos, lo que obstaculiza el estudio y la conservación eficientes de estas especies. Realizamos un esfuerzo sistemático diurno para estimar el flujo migratorio durante el otoño austral en la pre-cordillera y cordillera de los Andes en el extremo norte de Chile. Elegimos esta región debido a que es el área más estrecha entre la costa del Océano Pacífico y la sección más ancha de la parte alta de la cordillera de los Andes y en base a datos de ubicación precisos de un individuo de Buteo albigula proporcionados por transmisores satelitales GPS. En este estudio documentamos la composición de especies, la fenología, y la abundancia promedio de aves rapaces migratorias, usando dos puntos de observación diferentes, registrando un total de 719 individuos de dos especies principales. Geranoaetus polyosoma representó el 58% de todos los individuos, migrando a una tasa promedio de 2.6 ± 0.6 aves/h. B.albigula fue menos común, con un promedio de 1.8 ± 0.5 aves/h. Empleando estimaciones conservadoras, este corredor es utilizado por 3-30% de la población biogeográfica estimada a nivel global de B. albigula y un porcentaje desconocido, pero superior al 4% de la población de G. polyosoma. Nuestros resultados documentan un mayor flujo migratorio de aves rapaces en comparación con estudios previos de conteos migratorios australes, lo que apoya la importancia de este corredor, al menos para estas dos especies. [Traducción de los autores editada] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Field data of fish occurrences and specific conductivity were used to estimate the tolerance of freshwater fish to elevated ion concentrations and to compare the differences between species‐ and genus‐level analyses for individual effects. We derived extirpation concentrations at the 95th percentile (XC95) of a weighted cumulative frequency distribution for fish species inhabiting streams of the central and southern Appalachians by customizing methods used previously with macroinvertebrate genera. Weighting factors were calculated based on the number of sites in basins where each species occurred, reducing overweighting observations of species restricted to fewer basins. Comparing the species‐ and genus‐level fish XC95 values, XC95s for fish genera were near the XC95s for the most salt‐tolerant species in the genus. Therefore, a genus‐level effect threshold is not reliably predictive of species‐level extirpation, unless the genus is monospecific in the assessed assemblage. Of the 101 fish species XC95 values, 5% were <509 and 10% were <565 µS/cm. The lowest XC95 for a species was 322 µS/cm, which is >300 µS/cm, the exposure estimated to extirpate 5% of macroinvertebrate genera in the central Appalachians. Above 509 µS/cm, 41 of the 101 species are expected to decline in occurrence. Environ Toxicol Chem 2018;37:871–883. Published 2017 Wiley Periodicals Inc. on behalf of SETAC. This article is a US government work and, as such, is in the public domain in the United States of America. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analyze trends in temperature from 18 temperature stations and one upper air sounding site at 30°–35° S in central Chile between 1979–2015, to explore geographical and season temperature trends and their controls, using regional ocean-atmosphere indices. Significant warming trends are widespread at inland stations, while trends are non-significant or negative at coastal sites, as found in previous studies. However, ubiquitous warming across the region in the past 8 years, suggests the recent period of coastal cooling has ended. Significant warming trends are largely restricted to austral spring, summer and autumn seasons, with very few significant positive or negative trends in winter identified. Autumn warming is notably strong in the Andes, which, together with significant warming in spring, could help to explain the negative mass balance of snow and glaciers in the region. A strong Pacific maritime influence on regional temperature trends is inferred through correlation with the Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation (IPO) index and coastal sea surface temperature, but the strength of this influence rapidly diminishes inland, and the majority of valley, and all Andes, sites are independent of the IPO index. Instead, valley and Andes sites, and mid-troposphere temperature in the coastal radiosonde profile, show correlation with the autumn Antarctic Oscillation which, in its current positive phase, promotes subsidence and warming at the latitude of central Chile. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acca sellowiana is an important crop and ornamental tree worldwide. The current investigation examines the phenological growth stages of A. sellowiana according to the BBCH (Biologische Bundesantalt, Bundessortenamt und Chemische Industrie) scale. We identified six principal growth stages in A. sellowiana , which depict (1) bud development, (2) leaf development, (3) shoot development, (4) flower emergence, (5) flowering and (6) fruit development. Leaf development since bud initiation to mature leaf stage occurs between three to four months. Floral button to full flowering occurs in about eight day period. Anthesis occurs between three to four days since the time of the floral button forms a ball of petals. Two fruit production events occurred yearly and fruits reach maturity by four to five months. The BBCH scale has important applications in the ornamental and crop production industries. The scale can be used in management, production and pest control practices. Environmental factors such as precipitation play an important role in phenological changes. This investigation is sought to expand the current knowledge on the phenology of A. sellowiana which is of interest to the general public, horticulturists, students and researchers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mountainous terrain covers nearly half of China and is susceptible to floods, which can lead to substantial losses of human life and property. Historical flooding records from government bulletins and newspapers, the only available information regarding floods that have occurred in some mountainous areas, are valuable for understanding flood disaster mechanisms in these regions. In this study, the flood susceptibility in mountainous regions in China was mapped based on historical flooding records from 1949 to 2000. A Random Forest (RF) model, which can handle large datasets through factor contribution analysis, was chosen to characterize the relationships between flooding occurrences and twelve geographic, meteorological, and hydrological explanatory factors. The results indicate that the RF model can effectively identify flood-prone areas and has advantages over artificial neural network (ANN) and support vector machine (SVM) methods. Among these explanatory factors, the geographic factors (elevation, longitude and drainage density) are the most important predictors of flooding in China's mountainous areas, whereas the hydrological factors (relative elevation and curve number) are the least important. Two independent datasets of historical flooding events from the Bulletin of Flood and Drought Disasters in China (2006–2014) alongside news reports and yearbooks (2008–2014) were collected and chosen to validate the capability of the RF model. The validation results confirm that the RF model can identify the flood susceptibility with satisfactory accuracy. This study proposes a preliminary flood susceptibility map of mountainous areas in China and provides a reference for predicting and mitigating potentially disastrous flooding events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Aims: Species distributions are hypothesized to be underlain by a complex association of processes that span multiple spatial scales including biotic interactions, dispersal limitation, fine‐scale resource gradients and climate. Species disequilibrium with climate may reflect the effects of non‐climatic processes on species distributions, yet distribution models have rarely directly considered non‐climatic processes. Here, we use a Joint Species Distribution Model (JSDM) to investigate the influence of non‐climatic factors on species co‐occurrence patterns and to directly quantify the relative influences of climate and alternative processes that may generate correlated responses in species distributions, such as species interactions, on tree co‐occurrence patterns. Location: US Rocky Mountains. Methods: We apply a Bayesian JSDM to simultaneously model the co‐occurrence patterns of ten dominant tree species across the Rocky Mountains, and evaluate climatic and residual correlations from the fitted model to determine the relative contribution of each component to observed co‐occurrence patterns. We also evaluate predictions generated from the fitted model relative to a single‐species modelling approach. Results: For most species, correlation due to climate covariates exceeded residual correlation, indicating an overriding influence of broad‐scale climate on co‐occurrence patterns. Accounting for covariance among species did not significantly improve predictions relative to a single‐species approach, providing limited evidence for a strong independent influence of species interactions on distribution patterns. Conclusions: Overall, our findings indicate that climate is an important driver of regional biodiversity patterns and that interactions between dominant tree species contribute little to explain species co‐occurrence patterns among Rocky Mountain trees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The monsoonal paleoclimate of India has been critical for understanding the tectonic history of Himalayan and Tibetan uplift over the past 60My. Monsoonal circulation in deep time has been inferred fromvariation in stable isotopes of tooth enamel, diatomblooms, and dust influx in the Indian Ocean and the advent of C4 grasses, but these proxies are compromised by temperature, biotic, and source effects. Our study uses a proxy of carbonate distribution within paleosol profiles to infer appearance ofmonsoonal circulation ofmodern strength in theHimachal Pradesh segment of the Himalayan foreland by at least 20 My ago, cued to HighHimalayan deformation and ongoing Tibetan Plateau uplift and retreat of the Paratethys Sea. Paleosol records also demonstrate declining chemical weathering with Himalayan and Tibetan uplift, which was a force for global warming, rather than cooling, over the past 20 My. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forests around the world are undergoing rapid changes due to changing climate and increasing physiological stress, but forest response to climate at the ecosystem scale can be highly variable due to the mixed responses of different trees across heterogeneous landscapes. To determine the response of ecosystems in the Rocky Mountains to climate stress, we investigated the response of subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa) and Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii), two widely distributed subalpine forest species of Rocky Mountains, to climate warming across a region characterized by gradients of elevation, aspect and soil type. We investigated the growth trend of individual trees through time, determined the climate variables most important for driving growth and quantified the interactions between climate and topography that influence long-term growth trends and potential ecological changes across the study region. Growth trends of these two species are similar through the first part of the century, but diverge during the last several decades. Since 1975, subalpine fir growth decreased through time, while Engelmann spruce growth increased. We find that aspect and warm summer temperatures are the most important factors determining growth in subalpine fir, and subalpine fir growth declines are greatest on east- and south-facing aspects. In contrast, Engelmann spruce growth is uniformly unresponsive to climate. In addition to highlighting the importance of species-level differences in growth response to climate, our results also identify interactions between climate and local physiography as controls on long-term growth trends and suggest that the local landscape physiography can mediate climate-related stress in forested ecosystems. This work advances our understanding of how forest stress is mitigated by landscape factors at the ecosystem scale, and how interactions of species, landscape and climate will control future ecosystem composition and forest growth dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glacier mass loss in the Everest region of Nepal is accelerating in response to a warming climate, which is a trend observed across the central and eastern Himalaya. Thinning glaciers and the development of supraglacial (surface) ponds and large glacial lakes will increasingly restrict access to glacier surfaces and will affect popular trekking routes and mountaineering activities in the region. Through quantifying glacier accessibility and supraglacial pond expansion, we estimate that the Kongma La Pass trail across the Khumbu Glacier is likely to be impassable by 2020 due to supraglacial pond expansion and glacier thinning, and will require significant re‐routing. An estimated 197 649 227 m3 of ice melted over the period 1984–2015 on the Khumbu Glacier. Additionally, expert opinion from Everest mountaineers suggest that rockfall activity is likely to increase in the high‐mountain environment as snow and ice melts from mountain slopes, requiring changes to climbing routes on the world's highest peaks. Similarly, route difficulty will be affected by changing monsoon precipitation patterns, which determines windows of opportunity for ascents, and the distribution and quantity of snowfall. We conclude that increased collaboration between the scientific, local, and mountaineering communities offers mutual benefits for data collection and dissemination, and we identify key areas that should be investigated further. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is still considerable uncertainty about precipitation at high elevation in mountain terrain due to the relatively few in situ measurements available and to the particular variability of the parameter. In this study, several spatialization techniques were tested, some for climatological time scale and others for daily fields, for precipitation over the western Alps for the period of 1990-2012. The study domain and period were chosen for the quality of available in situ observations and density of the network. First, a weather-type classification was established with a technique based on canonical correlation analysis combining large- and regional-scale data. The spatialization techniques applied for the climatological time scale were adapted from the Aurelhy method which uses elevation and principal components of the topography as predictors. The spatialization techniques applied to daily fields were based on kriging of daily rain gauges and used the climatological fields as predictors. This study aims to validate the advantage of using the climatology of the weather type of the day as predictor for daily fields over a monthly climatology. The climatology of the weather type of the day seems to demonstrate some small improvement. Finally, annual means over the period of 1990-2012 were produced using several methods, including some from accumulation of daily fields and others from the spatialization of in situ station means. Precipitation at high elevations and vertical climatological gradients were particularly scrutinized. Annual means based on sums of daily fields seem to have better performances. This paper only presents results for precipitation but temperature was also analysed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mountains over the world are considered as the indicators of climate change. The Himalayas are comprised of five ranges, viz., Pir Panjal, Great Himalayas, Zanskar, Ladhak, and Karakorum. The Ladakh region lies in the northernmost state of India, Jammu and Kashmir, in the Ladhak range. It has a unique cold-arid climate and lies immediately south of the Karakorum range. With scarce water resources, such regions show high sensitivity and vulnerability to the change in climate and need urgent attention. The objective of this study is to understand the climate of the Ladakh region and to characterize its changing climate. Using different temperature and precipitation datasets over Leh and surrounding regions, we statistically analyze the current trends of climatic patterns over the region. The study shows that the climate over Leh shows a warming trend with reduced precipitation in the current decade. The reduced average seasonal precipitation might also be associated with some indications of reducing number of days with higher precipitation amounts over the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the study that shows the fragmentation of the river connectivity of Andes to Amazon by hydropower dams. Topics mentioned include the documenation of dams that drains the Andean headwaters, the fragmetation by existing dams of the tributary networks of six major Andean Amazon river basins, and the threat to biodiversity of endemic and migratory species.

Cutleaf coneflower ( Rudbeckia laciniata L. var. digitata ) is native to Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GRSM) and an ozone bioindicator species. Variety ampla , whose ozone sensitivity is less well known, is native to Rocky Mountain National Park (ROMO). In the early 2000s, researchers found putative ozone symptoms on var. ampla and rhizomes were sent to Appalachian State University to verify that the symptoms were the result of ozone exposure. In 2011, potted plants were exposed to ambient ozone from May to August. These same plants were grown in open-top chambers (OTCs) in 2012 and 2013, and exposed to charcoal-filtered (CF), non-filtered (NF), elevated ozone (EO), NF + 50 ppb in 2012 for 47 days and NF + 30/NF + 50 ppb ozone in 2013 for 36 and 36 days, respectively. Ozone symptoms similar to those found in ROMO (blue-black adaxial stippling) were reproduced both in ambient air and in the OTCs. Both varieties exhibited foliar injury in the OTCs in an exposure-dependent manner, verifying that symptoms resulted from ozone exposure. In two of the three study years, var. digitata appeared more sensitive than var. ampla . Exposure to EO caused reductions in ambient photosynthetic rate ( A ) and stomatal conductance ( g s ) for both varieties. Light response curves indicated that ozone reduced A , g s , and the apparent quantum yield while it increased the light compensation point. In CF air, var. ampla had higher light saturated A (18.2 ± 1.04 vs 11.6 ± 0.37 μmol m − 2 s − 1 ), higher light saturation (1833 ± 166.7 vs 1108 ± 141.7 μmol m − 2 s − 1 ), and lower Ci/Ca ratio (0.67 ± 0.01 vs 0.77 ± 0.01) than var. digitata . Coneflowers in both Parks are adversely affected by exposure to ambient ozone and if ozone concentrations increase in the Rocky Mountains, greater amounts of injury on var. ampla can be expected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Permafrost is an integral, but hardly ever studied, component of cryosphere in the Indian Himalayan. Despite the fact that a considerable area of the Indian Himalaya is underlain by frozen ground (permafrost) which is highly sensitive to climate change, scientific data on its degradation and environmental effects are lacking. Meteorological air temperature data has shown an increase in the global average temperatures and more importantly the rise of temperature in the Himalaya has been reported to be double than the global averages. This has resulted in the permafrost thawing and increase in the instability of the rock slopes in steep areas. Therefore, it is indispensable to study and generate scientific data on permafrost, covering wider geographical and ecological domains of the Indian Himalaya and use multiple parameters that directly or indirectly influence the permafrost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concentrations, depositions and optical properties of precipitation DOC at three remote stations (Nam Co, Lulang and Everest) were investigated in the Himalayas and Tibetan Plateau (HTP). The results showed that their volume-weighted mean DOC concentrations were 1.05 ± 1.01 mg C L − 1 , 0.83 ± 0.85 mg C L − 1 and 0.86 ± 0.91 mg C L − 1 , respectively, close to those of other remote areas in the world and lower than those of typical polluted urban cities. Combined with precipitation amounts, the DOC depositions at these three stations were calculated to be 0.34 ± 0.32 g C m − 2 yr − 1 , 0.84 ± 0.86 g C m − 2 yr − 1 and 0.16 ± 0.17 g C m − 2 yr − 1 , respectively. The annual DOC deposition in the HTP was approximately 0.94 ± 0.87 Tg C, the highest and lowest values appeared in the southeastern and northwestern plateau, respectively. The sources of DOC in the precipitation at these three stations were remarkably different, indicating large spatial heterogeneity in the sources of precipitation DOC over the HTP. Nam Co presented combustion sources from South Asia and local residents, Lulang showed biomass combustion source from South Asia, and Everest was mainly influenced by local mineral dust. The values of the MAC DOC at 365 nm were 0.48 ± 0.47 m 2 g − 1 , 0.25 ± 0.15 m 2 g − 1 , and 0.64 ± 0.49 m 2 g − 1 , respectively, for the precipitation at the three stations. All of these values were significantly lower than those of corresponding near-surface aerosol samples because precipitation DOC contains more secondary organic aerosol with low light absorption abilities. Additionally, this phenomenon was also observed in seriously polluted urban areas, implying it is universal in the atmosphere. Because precipitation DOC contains information for both particle-bound and gaseous components from the near surface up to the altitude of clouds where precipitation occurs, the MAC DOC of precipitation is more representative than that of near-surface aerosols for a given region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Secondary organic aerosol (SOA) is an important constituent of airborne fine particles. PM 2.5 (particles with aerodynamic diameters ≤ 2.5 μm) samples were collected at a mountainous site in Hong Kong in autumn of 2010, and analyzed for SOA tracers. Results indicated that the concentrations of isoprene SOA tracers (54.7 ± 22.7 ng/m 3 ) and aromatics SOA tracers (2.1 ± 1.6 ng/m 3 ) were on relatively high levels in Hong Kong. Secondary organic carbon (SOC) derived from isoprene, monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes and aromatics was estimated with the SOA tracer based approach, which constituted 0.35 ± 0.15 μg/m 3 (40.6 ± 5.7%), 0.20 ± 0.03 μg/m 3 (30.4 ± 5.5%), 0.05 ± 0.02 μg/m 3 (5.6 ± 1.7%) and 0.26 ± 0.20 μg/m 3 (21.3 ± 8.2%) of the total estimated SOC. Biogenic SOC (0.60 ± 0.18 μg/m 3 ) dominated over anthropogenic SOC (0.26 ± 0.20 μg/m 3 ) at this site. In addition to the total estimated SOC (17.8 ± 4.6% of organic carbon (OC) in PM 2.5 ), primary organic carbon (POC) emitted from biomass burning also accounted for a considerable proportion of OC (11.6 ± 3.2%). Insight into the OC origins found that regional transport significantly ( p < 0.05) elevated SOC from 0.37 ± 0.17 to 1.04 ± 0.39 μg/m 3 . Besides, SOC load could also increase significantly if there was influence from local ship emission. Biomass burning related POC in regional air masses (0.81 ± 0.24 μg/m 3 ) was also higher ( p < 0.05) than that in samples affected by local air (0.29 ± 0.35 μg/m 3 ). Evidences indicated that SOA formation was closely related to new particle formation and the growth of nucleation mode particles, while biomass burning was responsible for some particle burst events in Hong Kong. This is the first SOA study in afforested areas of Hong Kong. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Snow cover is one of the most important land surface parameters in global water and energy cycle. Large area of North West Himalaya (NWH) receives precipitation mostly in the form of snow. The major share of discharge in rivers of NWH comes from snow and glacier melt. The hydrological models, used to quantify this runoff contribution, use snow-covered area (SCA) along with hydro-meteorological data as essential inputs. In this context, information about SCA is essential for water resource management in NWH region. Regular mapping and monitoring of snow cover by traditional means is difficult due to scarce snow gauges and inaccessible terrain. Remote sensing has proven its capability of mapping and monitoring snow cover and glacier extents in these area, with high spatial and temporal resolution. In this study, 8-day snow cover products from MODIS, and 15-daily snow cover fraction product from AWiFS were used to generate long-term SCA maps (2000–2017) for entire NWH region. Further, the long term variability of 8-daily SCA and its current status has been analysed. The SCA mapped has been validated using AWiFS derived SCA. The analysis of current status (2016–17) of SCA has indicated that the maximum extent of snow cover in NWH region in last 17 years. In 2nd week of February 2017, around 67% of NWH region was snow covered. The comparison of SCA during the 1st week of March and April in 2016–17 against 2015–16 indicates 7.3% and 6.5%, increased SCA in current year. The difference in SCA during 1st week of March 2017 and 1st week of April 2017 was observed to be 14%, which indicates that the 14% SCA has contributed to the snow melt during this period. The change in snow water equivalent retrieved using SCATSAT-1 data also validates this change in snow volume. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high tropical Andes host one of the richest alpine floras of the world, with exceptionally high levels of endemism and turnover rates. Yet, little is known about the patterns and processes that structure altitudinal and latitudinal variation in plant community diversity. Herein we present the first continental-scale comparative study of plant community diversity on summits of the tropical Andes. Data were obtained from 792 permanent vegetation plots (1 m2) within 50 summits, distributed along a 4200 km transect; summit elevations ranged between 3220 and 5498 m a.s.l. We analyzed the plant community data to assess: 1) differences in species abundance patterns in summits across the region, 2) the role of geographic distance in explaining floristic similarity and 3) the importance of altitudinal and latitudinal environmental gradients in explaining plant community composition and richness. On the basis of species abundance patterns, our summit communities were separated into two major groups: Puna and Páramo. Floristic similarity declined with increasing geographic distance between study-sites, the correlation being stronger in the more insular Páramo than in the Puna (corresponding to higher species turnover rates within the Páramo). Ordination analysis (CCA) showed that precipitation, maximum temperature and rock cover were the strongest predictors of community similarity across all summits. Generalized linear model (GLM) quasi-Poisson regression indicated that across all summits species richness increased with maximum air temperature and above-ground necromass and decreased on summits where scree was the dominant substrate. Our results point to different environmental variables as key factors for explaining vertical and latitudinal species turnover and species richness patterns on high Andean summits, offering a powerful tool to detect contrasting latitudinal and altitudinal effects of climate change across the tropical Andes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although Quechua farmers contribute little to climate change, they are disproportionately experiencing the impacts of rapid changes in the high-altitude environment of the Andes. We describe how Quechua farmers and Association ANDES, a local non-profit organization, are rising to the challenge in Peru, using traditional knowledge and science in community-led research to mitigate and adapt to the impacts of climate change. A globally important food crop, the potato ( Solanum sp.) originated in the central Andean Mountains. Indigenous farmers collectively manage the Potato Park as a Biocultural Heritage Territory, and together with ANDES, are implementing the Pluriversity for Biocultural Landscapes and Resilient Food Systems to facilitate knowledge exchange and creative solution seeking for complex global problems such as climate change. We describe programs that support community resilience, local biocultural heritage, biocultural products and services, and global policy processes strengthening the rights of Pacha Mama (Mother Earth) and world indigenous peoples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teesta river basin in Eastern Himalaya is being subjected to cascade hydropower development. To assess the impacts of this developmental activity on fish fauna of the basin, fish habitats of the four largest tributaries in the basin were selected for the present study. A total of 18 large hydroelectric projects are planned on these rivers. Here, a total of 11 EIAs and 2 carrying capacity studies in Teesta basin were reviewed. Our investigations show that after commissioning all the projects, 52–88% of the free-flowing river stretches will be diverted and 7.6–24% of the riverine ecosystems will be converted into semi lacustrine ecosystems in different rivers. The cascade hydropower development is likely to affect more than 100 fish species. All the EIA reports reviewed have investigated fish species richness, impacts on fish fauna and fishery management plans. EIA studies and management plans, however, do not adequately address important ecological and conservation issues due to various limitations. An integrated fish conservation plan for the upper Teesta basin is suggested in this contribution. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Texture information from passive remote sensing images provides surrogates for habitat structure, which is relevant for modeling biodiversity across space and time and for developing effective ecological indicators. However, the applicability of this information might differ among taxa and diversity measures. We compared the ability of indicators developed from texture analysis of remotely sensed images to predict species richness and species turnover of six taxa (trees, pyraloid moths, geometrid moths, arctiinae moths, ants, and birds) in a megadiverse Andean mountain rainforest ecosystem. Partial least-squares regression models were fitted using 12 predictors that characterize the habitat and included three topographical metrics derived from a high-resolution digital elevation model and nine texture metrics derived from very high-resolution multi-spectral orthophotos. We calculated image textures derived from mean, correlation, and entropy statistics within a relatively broad moving window (102 m × 102 m) of the near infra-red band and two vegetation indices. The model performances of species richness were taxon dependent, with the lowest predictive power for arctiinae moths (4%) and the highest for ants (78%). Topographical metrics sufficiently modeled species richness of pyraloid moths and ants, while models for species richness of trees, geometrid moths, and birds benefited from texture metrics. When more complexity was added to the model such as additional texture statistics calculated from a smaller moving window (18 m × 18 m), the predictive power for trees and birds increased significantly from 12% to 22% and 13% to 27%, respectively. Gradients of species turnover, assessed by non-metric two-dimensional scaling (NMDS) of Bray-Curtis dissimilarities, allowed the construction of models with far higher predictability than species richness across all taxonomic groups, with predictability for the first response variable of species turnover ranging from 64% (birds) to 98% (trees) of the explained change in species composition, and predictability for the second response variable of species turnover ranging from 33% (trees) to 74% (pyraloid moths). The two NMDS axes effectively separated compositional change along the elevational gradient, explained by a combination of elevation and texture metrics, from more subtle, local changes in habitat structure surrogated by varying combinations of texture metrics. The application of indicators arising from texture analysis of remote sensing images differed among taxa and diversity measures. However, these habitat indicators improved predictions of species diversity measures of most taxa, and therefore, we highly recommend their use in biodiversity research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper explores the dynamics of the forest cover change in the Iezer Mountains, part of Southern Carpathians, in the context of the forest ownership recovery and deforestation processes, combined with the effects of biotic and abiotic disturbances. The aim of the study is to map and evaluate the typology and the spatial extension of changes in the montane forest cover between 700 and 2462 m a.s.l., sampling all the representative Carpathian ecosystems, from the European beech zone up to the spruce-fir zone and the subalpine-alpine pastures. The methodology uses a change detection analysis of satellite imagery with Landsat ETM +/OLI and Sentinel-2 MSI data. The workflow started with a complete calibration of multispectral data from 2002, before the massive forest restitution to private owners, after the Law 247/2005 empowerment, and 2015, the intensification of deforestation process. For the data classification, a Maximum Likelihood supervised classification algorithm was utilized. The forest change map was developed after combining the classifications in a unitary formula using image difference. The principal outcome of the research identifies the type of forest cover change using a quantitative formula. This information can be integrated in the future decision-making strategies for forest stand management and sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]