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The amount of impervious surface is increasing rapidly worldwide. Although urban expansion has been studied extensively, the alteration of impervious land cover in rural regions remains under-examined. In particular, insights into the utilization of these sealed surfaces are crucially needed to unravel the underlying dynamics of land use changes beyond urban areas. This study focuses on rural regions from a Swiss case study and presents an analysis of the use of sealed surfaces in such regions, rather than solely quantifying the extent of sealed surfaces. Utilizing a synergistic approach that merges detailed cadastral plans with very-high-resolution remote sensing imagery and sophisticated deep learning algorithms, we characterized the uses of sealed surfaces, including buildings and their surroundings. Our findings reveal that 2.1 % of the study area’s rural regions comprises sealed surfaces - an area comparable to the sealed surfaces in the urban regions. Within these rural regions, transport infrastructure represents 68 % of this impervious surface. Buildings account for 12 %, and their surroundings, constituting 13 %, are utilized primarily for agricultural purposes, including farming and livestock activities. The deep learning approach achieved a classification accuracy of 72 % for a shallow model and 79 % for a deeper model, indicating that mapping building types is possible with reasonable accuracy. The outcomes of this study underscore the critical need to factor in the presence and utilization of impervious land cover within rural regions for the sustainable management of land resources.

Effective evidence synthesis is important for the integration of scientific research into decision-making. However, fully depicting the vast mosaic of concepts and applications in environmental sciences and ecology often entails a substantial workload. New Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools present an attractive option for addressing this challenge but require sufficient validation to match the vigorous standards of a systematic review. This article demonstrates the use of generative AI in the selection of relevant literature as part of a systematic review on indicators of ecosystem condition. We highlight, through the development of an optimal prompt to communicate inclusion and exclusion criteria, the need to describe ecosystem condition as a multidimensional concept whilst also maintaining clarity on what does not meet the criteria of comprehensiveness. We show that, although not completely infallible, the GPT-3.5 model significantly outperforms traditional literature screening processes in terms of speed and efficiency whilst correctly selecting 83 % of relevant literature for review. Our study highlights the importance of precision in prompt design and the setting of query parameters for the AI model and opens the perspective for future work using language models to contextualize complex concepts in the environmental sciences. Future development of this methodology in tandem with the continued evolution of the accessibility and capacity of AI tools presents a great potential to improve evidence synthesis through gains in efficiency and possible scope.

Aiming at understanding the role of plural values in decision-making, the IPBES Values Assessment defined nature valuation broadly as including biophysical, economic and socio-cultural assessments, including ecosystem service assessment. IPBES reviews of scientific literature revealed a lack of documentation of uptake by stakeholders across method types. The EU project SELINA aims to contribute to increasing uptake of ES assessments at different governance levels. This paper reviews guidance in national and local applications by compiling study design recommendations for ES assessments from 111 guidance documents on ES assessments covering 12 European languages. Guidance documents are evaluated for seven diagnostic topics suggested to increase relevance and robustness of ES assessments: ecosystem condition variables; capacity-potential; supply-demand; spatial scaling and resolution capability; social and health benefit compatibility; economic valuation compatibility; and uncertainty assessment. The paper develops the guidance recommendations across these topics into a set of checklists for practitioners and contractors of ES assessments. We find synergies between these study design features and gaps in guidance in relation to the policy cycle. Checklists are aimed at projects self-assessing and improving their design and implementation to increase robustness of their ES assessment. From a knowledge supply perspective, this is expected to increase the likelihood of uptake of results by stakeholders. We end the paper with some cautions on limitations to uptake from different perspectives and the demand for and political uses of ES assessment knowledge.

Abstract Traffic on roads outside of urban areas (i.e. extra-urban roads) can have major ecological and environmental impacts on agricultural, forested, and natural areas. Yet, data on extra-urban traffic volumes is lacking in many regions. To address this data gap, we produced a global time-series of traffic volumes (Annual Average Daily Traffic; AADT) on all extra-urban highways, primary roads, and secondary roads for the years 1975, 1990, 2000 and 2015. We constructed time series of road networks from existing global datasets on roads, population density, and socio-economic indicators, and combined these with a large collection of empirical AADT data from all continents except Antarctica. We used quantile regression forests to predict the median and 5% and 95% prediction intervals of AADT on each road section. The validation accuracy of the model was high (pseudo-R2 = 0.7407) and AADT predictions from 1975 were also accurate. The resulting map series provides standardised and fine-scaled information on the development of extra-urban road traffic and has a wide variety of practical and scientific applications.

Abstract Although metacommunity theory provides many useful insights for conservation planning, the transfer of this knowledge to practice is hampered due to the difficulty of identifying metacommunities in bioregions. This study aims to identify the spatial extent of metacommunities at bioregional scales using current and historical habitat data, especially because contemporary biodiversity patterns may be a result of time‐lagged responses to historical habitat configurations. Further, this estimation of the metacommunity spatial extent is based on both the habitat structure and the dispersal ability of the species. Focusing on dragonfly and damselfly (odonate) species in the eastern Swiss Plateau, the research uses wetland habitat information spanning over 110 years to create a time series of nine habitat networks between 1899 and 2010. From these networks, we identified the spatial extents of metacommunities based on the year of habitat information as well as on watershed boundaries. To identify the best metacommunity spatial extents, the study investigates whether patch pairs within a metacommunity exhibit greater similarity in species composition (i.e. lower beta‐diversity) than patch pairs between metacommunities. For the different metacommunities, we further investigated correlations between gamma diversity and metacommunity size and compare them to theoretical expectations. In both analyses we found that augmenting spatial metacommunity identification with historical geographical proximity results in stronger associations with biodiversity patterns (beta and gamma diversity) than when using only current‐day habitat or watershed information.

Abstract Growing urban population and contemporary urban systems lock-in unsustainable urban development pathways, deteriorating the living quality of urban dwellers. The systemic complexity of these challenges renders it difficult to find solutions using existing planning processes. Alternatively, transformative planning processes are radical, take place on multiple scales, and are often irreversible; therefore, require the integration of local stakeholders’ perspectives, which are often contradictory. We identify perceived levers of urban transformative change using a serious game to facilitate the integration of these perspectives through simulating neighbourhood transformation processes in two European case studies. Building on existing transformation frameworks, we organize, conceptualize, and compare the effectiveness of these levers through demonstrating their interactions with different scales of transformation. Specifically, drawing from close commonalities between large-scale (Three Spheres of Transformation) and place-based (Place-making) transformation frameworks, we show how these interactions can help to develop recommendations to unlock urban transformative change. Results show that access to participation is a key lever enabling urban transformative change. It appears to be mid-level effective to unlock urban transformative change through interactions with the political sphere of transformation and procedural element of Place-making. Ultimately, however, most effective are those levers that interact with all scales of transformation. For example, by engaging a combination of levers including access to participation, public spaces, parking, place-characteristics and place-identity. These findings could be operationalized by self-organized transformation processes focused on repurposing hard infrastructure into public spaces, whilst ensuring continuity of place-based social- and physical features. Local stakeholders could further use such processes to better understand and engage with their individual roles in the transformative process, because interactions with the personal scale, i.e., personal sphere of transformation appear paramount to unlock urban transformative change.

Changes in climate and land use represent significant risks of biodiversity loss globally, affect ecological stability, impact nature’s contributions to people (NCP, i.e. ecosystem services) and compromise human livelihood. As framings of conservation evolve to consider the interdependence between species and human needs, there is a growing recognition of the importance of NCP and biodiversity in conservation actions. However, knowledge on the interactions and spatial repartition of NCP and biodiversity remains limited. Here we show a comprehensive spatial assessment for 15 NCP and one biodiversity – distribution of threatened species – indicators in Switzerland. Indicators values were computed using a panel of mapping and modelling methods extracted from the literature, or specifically developed for this study. Through the analysis of their relationships, we reveal significant trade-offs and synergies in the spatial repartition of these indicators. Results from a spatial bundle analysis performed on the 16 indicators revealed the existence of four bundles showing a heterogeneous repartition over the Swiss landscape. Furthermore, we identified that topography (slope), climate (temperature and precipitations), and habitat (forest and meadows) were among the most influential factors to explain the spatial distribution of the four bundles. We conclude that various significant relationships exist between NCP and biodiversity indicators in Switzerland, emphasizing the importance of informed conservation approaches considering both NCP and biodiversity supply. This work helps fill the gap in our understanding of the links among different NCP, between NCP and biodiversity, and highlight their relationship to climate and land use, providing key insights for optimizing conservation efforts.

Abstract Previous experiences play a multifaceted role in shaping current perspectives in integrated natural resource management. We used qualitative interviews and a quantitative survey to study the similarities and differences in terms of the links between the diverse actors' previous experiences and their current perspectives on the various issues to be resolved in a real‐world integrated watershed management project. We found that the quantity and quality of experiences in past projects including water management, participation and politics are dissimilarly linked to the information, mental models and beliefs of perspectives regarding present issues. More experienced actors generally have broader perspectives than less experienced actors. Less experienced actors are particularly curious about approaches to water management. Actors with more experience in water management are more focused on ecological issues due to positive experience. Actors with more experience in participation are more sceptical about constructive solutions due to negative experience. Actors with more experience in politics emphasise the importance of agriculture and learning processes due to positive or negative experience. Actors with more negative experience in water management, participation and politics can nevertheless be motivated for participatory processes and integrated natural resource management. We conclude that previous experiences are critical factors that should be considered when designing participatory processes in integrated natural resource management. It could be valuable to include mixed compositions of actors with different types of previous experiences and different aspects of current perspectives to benefit from their complementary strengths. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Abstract Homogeneous settlement morphologies negatively impact urban vibrancy, the environment, and emotions. Mainly resulting from the separation of functions such as work and living, homogeneous settlements have often been found around large cities. However, it remains unknown whether this phenomenon occurs in settlements of any size and persisted over time. In this study, we investigated the relationship between the internal structures of settlements and their location within a settlement network at a large spatial scale and a fine resolution, over seven time steps covering 120 years of settlement development. Using building footprints and road geometries from historical maps of the Swiss Plateau in combination with historical travel speeds, we analyzed networks at both the local- (building networks) and the regional-scale (settlement networks). Our findings show that particularly small settlements located near larger settlements exhibit a high degree of morphological homogeneity, and that this pattern persisted since the early twentieth century despite strong changes in mobility. These results suggest that the position of a settlement within a settlement network can have an impact on its morphological homogeneity, which in turn can have consequences for the functionality and livability of the settlement and provides useful insight to the development of settlements.

This study examines the siting scenarios for renewable energy installations (REI) in a mountainous region of Europe (Switzerland), incorporating the external costs of ecosystem services and, innovatively, social preferences. This approach challenges the prevalent techno-economic siting paradigm, which often overlooks these externalities. To minimize the external costs of the scenarios while maximizing energy yield, Marxan, an optimization software, was employed. The energy target for all scenarios is set at 25 TWh/a, stemming from the energy gap anticipated due to the phase-out of Swiss nuclear reactors by 2050. This target is met using renewable energy infrastructure such as wind, roof-mounted photovoltaic, and ground-mounted photovoltaic systems. By integrating social preferences into the optimization, this study showcases a promising implementation that transcends the software's intended applications. It complements techno-economic approaches and offers alternative decision-making avenues. The conventional "roof first" strategy proved ineffective in preventing extensive land use for the development of new renewable energy infrastructure. Strategies incorporating ground-mounted photovoltaic infrastructure were more spatially, ecologically, and socially efficient than those without. The strategy optimized for energy yield exhibited the highest spatial efficiency but incurred significant ecosystem service costs and, surprisingly, had low social costs. In contrast, the strategy prioritizing ecosystem services was the most efficient in terms of ecosystem service costs but had elevated social costs and was spatially less efficient than other strategies. The strategy optimized for social preferences incurred the lowest social costs and excelled in spatial efficiency and ecosystem service costs. Notably, this strategy employed a limited number of planning units linked to both high ecosystem service and social costs. The findings underscore that incorporating social preferences significantly enhances the evaluation of siting options. This inclusion allows for the social acceptance of investments to be factored into costs, facilitating more informed and inclusive decisions.

Abstract Background The prognostic role of decongestion‐related change of cardiac morphology and in particular right heart function has not been investigated comprehensively in AHF patients. Methods and results This prospective observational single‐centre study included consecutive patients hospitalized for treatment of AHF with reduced, mildly‐reduced or preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). Comprehensive transthoracic echocardiography at admission and discharge assessed decongestion‐related change of cardiac function and morphology. The combined endpoint of 1 year all‐cause mortality and cardiovascular rehospitalization explored the prognostic importance of decongestion‐related change. The 176 study participants were 83 years old [74–87] and 54% were men. Fifty one (29%) had rLVEF, 65 (37%) mrLVEF, and 60 (34%) pLVEF. The proportion of de novo or worsening chronic HF was not different between LVEF groups. HF aetiology and cardiovascular risk factors were equally distributed across all groups except for a higher BMI in the pLVEF group. Decongestion equally reduced body weight, heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, tricuspid regurgitation gradient, and inferior vena cava diameter across all groups (P

Abstract Urban expansion is generating unprecedented homogenization of landscapes across the world. This uniformization of urban forms brings along dramatic environmental, social, and health problems. Reverting such processes requires activating people’s sense of place, their feeling of caring for their surroundings, and their community engagement. While emotions are known to have a modulating effect on behavior, their role in urban transformation is unknown. Drawing on large cognitive-psychological experiments in two countries, we demonstrate for the first time that urban homogenization processes lower people’s affective bounds to places and ultimately their intentions to engage with their neighbourhoods. The dulled emotional responses in peri-urban areas compared to urban and rural areas can be explained by lower social cohesion and place attachment. The findings highlight the significance of considering emotions in shaping just, equitable, sustainable, and resilient cities.

Agricultural intensification has profoundly changed agricultural landscapes with important biodiversity impacts. There is increasing knowledge on the general effects of landscape structure and management practices on plant and animal species but understanding the role of surrounding landscape structure for patch-scale biodiversity is more complex. While it can be reasonably assumed, that adjacent habitats are more important than more distant ones, the importance of landscape structure has often been tested at the landscape scale but rarely at smaller scales such as patch-surroundings. We assessed the influence and interdependences of landscape composition and configuration (LCC) and land use/land cover (LULC) on bird species richness and abundance through a multi-scale analysis with specific focus on the surrounding patches. In two agricultural regions in Switzerland, we collected point data of birds on 36 transects (500 m) and combined them with detailed spatial data on LULC. Bird richness and abundance were correlated to sets of landscape metrics as proxies for LCC computed at the transect-scale as well as for the patch surroundings. We analysed patch LULC as well as the most important patch-surrounding metrics using generalized linear mixed models. The results illustrate that patch LULC is the most important predictor of bird richness and abundance. Woody structures increase bird richness, followed by extensive management on patch scale. On the transect-scale semi-natural structure and heterogeneous LCCs are beneficial for bird richness and abundance. The effect of patch-surrounding structure LCCs is only small and interacts with patch LULC. Birds in grassland benefit from fallows in the surroundings, while in cropland they tend to respond positively to surrounding extensive grassland. Our results highlight that considering surroundings can help improve patch-based biodiversity assessments, which will then better predict the consequences of farmland management and make the outcome more applicable for practice.

Abstract Aims Maximal exercise capacity as measured by peak oxygen consumption (pVO2) in cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) of heart transplant recipients (HTR) is limited to a 50–70% level of healthy age‐matched controls. This study investigated the relationship between body composition and pVO2 during the first decade post‐transplant. Methods and results Body composition was determined by dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry (DXA) and pVO2 by CPET in 48 HTR (n = 38 males; mean age 51 ± 12 years). A total of 95 assessments were acquired 1–9 years post‐transplant, and the results of four consecutive periods were compared [Period 1: 1–2 years (n = 25); 2: 3–4 years (n = 23); 3: 5–6 years (n = 23); 4: 7–9 years (n = 24)]. Linear regression analysis analysed the correlation between pVO2 and pairs of appendicular lean mass (ALM) and fat mass (FM). The relation between ALM and daily dose of calcineurin inhibitor (CNI) was explored using partial correlation controlling for age, gender, and height. pVO2 increased from 0.98 (0.34) to 1.35 (0.35) L/min (P 8.8 kg/m2). ALM normalized to body mass index increased from 0.690 (0.188) to 0.848 (0.204) m2 (P = 0.02) between Periods 1 and 4, explaining 45% of the variance of pVO2 (R2 = 0.455; P

Purpose: The aim of this study was to identify the monogenic cause of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), a multifactorial and often fatal disease, in 2 unrelated consanguine families. Methods: We performed exome sequencing and validated variant pathogenicity by whole-blood RNA and protein expression analysis in both families. Further RNA sequencing of preserved lung tissue was performed to investigate the consequences on selected genes that are involved in angiogenesis, proliferation, and apoptosis. Results: We identified 2 rare biallelic variants in CAPNS1, encoding the regulatory subunit of calpain. The variants cosegregated with PAH in the families. Both variants lead to loss of function (LoF), which is demonstrated by aberrant splicing resulting in the complete absence of the CAPNS1 protein in affected patients. No other LoF CAPNS1 variant was identified in the genome data of more than 1000 patients with unresolved PAH. Conclusion: The calpain holoenzyme was previously linked to pulmonary vascular development and progression of PAH in patients. We demonstrated that biallelic LoF variants in CAPNS1 can cause idiopathic PAH by the complete absence of CAPNS1 protein. Screening of this gene in patients who are affected by PAH, especially with suspected autosomal recessive inheritance, should be considered.