Earth Interactions最新文献

{"title":"Estimating the Statistical Significance of Cross–Correlations between Hydroclimatic Processes in the Presence of Long–Range Dependence","authors":"Aristotelis Koskinas, Eleni Zaharopoulou, George Pouliasis, Ilias Deligiannis, P. Dimitriadis, T. Iliopoulou, N. Mamassis, Demetris Koutsoyiannis","doi":"10.3390/earth3030059","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/earth3030059","url":null,"abstract":"Hydroclimatic processes such as precipitation, temperature, wind speed and dew point are usually considered to be independent of each other. In this study, the cross−correlations between key hydrological−cycle processes are examined, initially by conducting statistical tests, then adding the impact of long−range dependence, which is shown to govern all these processes. Subsequently, an innovative stochastic test that can validate the significance of the cross−correlation among these processes is introduced based on Monte−Carlo simulations. The test works as follows: observations obtained from numerous global−scale timeseries were used for application to, and a comparison of, the traditional methods of validation of statistical significance, such as the t−test, after filtering the data based on length and quality, and then by estimating the cross−correlations on an annual−scale. The proposed method has two main benefits: it negates the need of the pre−whitening data series which could disrupt the stochastic properties of hydroclimatic processes, and indicates tighter limits for upper and lower boundaries of statistical significance when analyzing cross−correlations of processes that exhibit long−range dependence, compared to classical statistical tests. The results of this analysis highlight the need to acquire cross−correlations between processes, which may be significant in the case of long−range dependence behavior.","PeriodicalId":51020,"journal":{"name":"Earth Interactions","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2022-09-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"80361697","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Bush Encroachment and Large Carnivore Predation Success in African Landscapes: A Review","authors":"Holly Atkinson, B. Cristescu, L. Marker, Nicola Rooney","doi":"10.3390/earth3030058","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/earth3030058","url":null,"abstract":"Bush encroachment is a habitat change phenomenon that threatens savanna and grassland ecosystems worldwide. In Africa, large carnivores in bush encroached landscapes must adjust to increasing woody plant cover and biomass, which could affect predation success at multiple stages through complex and context-dependent pathways. We highlight, interpret, and compare studies that assessed how bush encroachment or related habitat parameters affect the predation stages of large African carnivores. Bush encroachment may directly or indirectly affect predation success in various ways, including by: (1) altering habitat structure, which may affect hunting efficiency and prey accessibility; (2) changing prey abundance/distribution, with smaller species and browsers being potentially favoured; (3) influencing interference competition within the carnivore guild. For habitat or dietary specialists, and subordinate predators that are vulnerable to both top-down and bottom-up ecosystem effects, these alterations may be detrimental and eventually incur population fitness costs. As the threat of bush encroachment continues, future studies are required to assess indirect effects on competitive interactions within the large African carnivore guild to ensure that conservation efforts are focused. Additionally, to better understand the effects of bush encroachment across Africa, further research is necessary in affected areas as overall little attention has been devoted to the topic.","PeriodicalId":51020,"journal":{"name":"Earth Interactions","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2022-09-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"78982337","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Characteristics of Dry-Mesic Old-Growth Oak Forests in the Eastern United States","authors":"M. Spetich, M. A. Jenkins, S. Shifley, R. Wittwer, D. L. Graney","doi":"10.3390/earth3030057","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/earth3030057","url":null,"abstract":"Dry-mesic old-growth oak forests are widely distributed remnants across the eastern U.S. and are expected to increase in number and extent as second-growth forests mature. In this study, we synthesize published and unpublished information to better define the species, structure and extent of these forests. Mean site tree density for trees ≥10 cm dbh ranged from 341–620 trees ha−1. In the eastern part of the region, most stand basal areas were >23 m2 ha−1, compared to ≤23 m2 ha−1 in the westernmost stands. Overall, woody species diversity was relatively low compared to old-growth oak forests on moister sites, with tree species per forest ranging from 5–18. The most common species among the stands were white oak (Quercus alba), northern red oak (Quercus rubra), and black oak (Quercus velutina). Shrub and vine species per forest ranged from 1–10, with common species or genera including Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia), poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans), Vaccinium spp., and grapevines (Vitis spp.). Within the southern Appalachian Mountains, rosebay rhododendron (Rhododendron maximum) and mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia L.) were common. Herbaceous species per stand ranged from 4–51, with the highest richness occurring in a southern Appalachian oak-hickory forest. The maximum within-stand age of the large trees ranged from 170 to over 365 years. The mean density of standing dead trees ≥10 cm dbh ranged from 31–78 ha−1 and the volume of coarse woody debris ≥10 cm in diameter averaged 52 m3 ha−1. We more fully describe the characteristics of these forests and fill gaps in the collective knowledge of this increasingly important forest type. However, over the past 20 years, there has been scant research on these forests, and older research studies have used a variety of research plots and methods. A uniform approach to surveying these sites is needed to gain a better understanding of these forests before we are faced with caring for an increase in old-growth forest areas.","PeriodicalId":51020,"journal":{"name":"Earth Interactions","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2022-09-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"89277995","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Identifying Meteorologic and Oceanic Conditions Contributing to a Unique Phytoplankton Bloom Occurrence in Micronesia during October 2013","authors":"J. Acker, Alexis Hunzinger, N. Kuring","doi":"10.3390/earth3030056","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/earth3030056","url":null,"abstract":"On the first several days of October 2013, daily chlorophyll a (chl a) data acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) onboard the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Aqua satellite detected a marked increase in chlorophyll a concentrations (chl a) in the vicinity of Chuuk Lagoon and the Federated States of Micronesia. Such an increase, likely indicative of a phytoplankton bloom, has not been observed in this location at any other time during the MODIS-Aqua mission, which commenced in 2002 and continues to present. Examination of sea surface wind data from the Modern Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications Version 2 (MERRA-2) reanalysis dataset indicated that the region experienced a sequence of alternating elevated and very low wind speed events prior to the observation of the bloom. The influence of the winds can be seen in MERRA-2 sea surface skin temperature data. Elevated windspeeds for several days likely induced a mixing of deeper waters with higher nutrient levels to the surface, which was followed by stratification and phytoplankton growth during low wind intervals and finally transport induced by a brief high windspeed event. Analysis of hourly MERRA-2 maximum windspeed data over a 40-year period indicated that this sequence was climatologically rare.","PeriodicalId":51020,"journal":{"name":"Earth Interactions","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2022-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"83877600","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Soil carbon losses reduce soil moisture in global climate model simulations","authors":"S. McDermid, Ensheng Weng, M. Puma, B. Cook, T. Hengl, J. Sanderman, Gabrielle J. M. De Lannoy, I. Aleinov","doi":"10.1175/ei-d-22-0003.1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1175/ei-d-22-0003.1","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000Most agricultural soils have experienced substantial soil organic carbon losses in time. These losses motivate recent calls to restore organic carbon in agricultural lands to improve biogeochemical cycling and for climate change mitigation. Declines in organic carbon also reduce soil infiltration and water holding capacity, which may have important effects on regional hydrology and climate. To explore the regional hydroclimate impacts of soil organic carbon changes, we conduct new global climate model experiments with NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies ModelE that include spatially-explicit soil organic carbon concentrations associated with different human land management scenarios. Compared to a “no land use” case, a year 2010 soil degradation scenario, in which organic carbon content (OCC, weight %) is reduced by a factor of ∼0.12 on average across agricultural soils, resulted in soil moisture losses between 0.5 and 1 temporal standard deviations over eastern Asia, northern Europe and the eastern USA. In a more extreme idealized scenario where OCC is reduced uniformly by 0.66 across agricultural soils, soil moisture losses exceed one standard deviation in both hemispheres. Within the model, these soil moisture declines occur primarily due to reductions in porosity (and to a lesser extent infiltration) that overall soil water holding capacity. These results demonstrate that changes in soil organic carbon can have meaningful, large-scale effects on regional hydroclimate and should be considered in climate model evaluations and developments. Further, this also suggests that soil restoration efforts targeting the carbon cycle are likely to have additional benefits for improving drought resilience.","PeriodicalId":51020,"journal":{"name":"Earth Interactions","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2022-08-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43104268","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Sound of Drystones: A Novel Hot-Spot of Ecoacoustics Research","authors":"Maria Minioti, Aggelos Tsaligopoulos, Y. Matsinos, G. Pavlogeorgatos","doi":"10.3390/earth3030055","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/earth3030055","url":null,"abstract":"Drystone terraces offer a series of ecosystem services including both biological and cultural benefits. The aesthetic contribution towards the landscape and the increase in biodiversity levels, constitute drystone terraces and other similar constructions, as important biocultural assets. The low maintenance and the eventual abandonment of drystone terraces cause a series of drawbacks regarding the sustainability of agricultural environments. The main goal of this research was to assess the effect of drystone terrace maintenance level on biodiversity. For that reason, two closely distant agricultural areas of Lesbos Island (North Aegean, Greece) in which olive grove drystone terraces dominate were compared. The non-intrusive method of ecoacoustics was selected, and the levels of the acoustic complexity and acoustic diversity were statistically analyzed for areas that included highly maintained and poorly maintained olive grove drystone terraces. The results indicated an increase in acoustic biodiversity levels in the poorly maintained drystone terraces area. At this early stage, the results highlighted the fact that the increased resources in the poorly maintained drystone terraces, in terms of nesting and feeding opportunities, increased the biodiversity levels. Nevertheless, the spatiotemporal expansion of this research is undeniably important.","PeriodicalId":51020,"journal":{"name":"Earth Interactions","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2022-08-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"75097793","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Application of Life Cycle Assessment to Evaluate the Environmental Impacts of Edible Insects as a Protein Source","authors":"G. Vinci, S. A. Prencipe, Luca Masiello, Mary Giò Zaki","doi":"10.3390/earth3030054","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/earth3030054","url":null,"abstract":"Animal based-food products represent an essential source of protein supply in overall diets, and livestock provide 25% of the total protein content consumed by humans as food. Concurrently, livestock significantly impacts the environment, being responsible for 10–12% of total anthropogenic CO2 emissions. Among livestock, pork is considered one that accounts for the greatest impact in terms of emissions, about 4.62 kg CO2 eq/kg. Furthermore, the growing global demand for protein sources has led to a widespread need to find agri-food solutions that meet the demand for food through sustainable production systems. The high nutritional quality of edible insects, in terms of amino acids, fats, minerals, and vitamins, is comparable with meat products. This study aims to compare protein production from pork and mealworm, assessing the degree of substitution and environmental impacts of the two production systems. To assess the impacts of protein production from mealworms and pork on the ecosystem, resources, and human health, an LCA was conducted using the ReCiPe 2016 Endpoint method, with a 100-year hierarchical perspective (H) V1.05. It emerged that pork production is characterized by high impacts on the ecosystem, land use, climate-altering emissions, and fossil resources, in contrast with mealworm protein production. The low impact of insect protein production and the high nutritional values make edible insects a sustainable solution to growing food demand and economic benefits render edible insects globally a major potential future food.","PeriodicalId":51020,"journal":{"name":"Earth Interactions","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2022-08-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"85310056","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Heavy Metal Contamination and Ecological Risk Assessment in Soils of the Pawara Gold Mining Area, Eastern Cameroon","authors":"Yaya Fodoué, A. Ismaila, Mero Yannah, M. J. Wirmvem, Christian Bouba Mana","doi":"10.3390/earth3030053","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/earth3030053","url":null,"abstract":"Pawara area is a mining district in the eastern region of Cameroon. Mining in the area is generally artisanal and semi-mechanized, practiced by the local miners and immigrants from neighboring African countries and China. The lack of strict regulations and control of mining activities permits the miners to use illegal substances, especially Hg in gold separation. These expose the area to toxic and heavy metals pollution. This study highlights the source of heavy metals concentration in the Pawara soils and the potential adverse effects of Hg on gold separation to the environment and health. Three mining sites and one control site were investigated, namely Site A, Site B and Site C. The control Site 0 (background) is an area where no mining and agricultural activities have taken place. Soil samples were collected at depth of 20 cm, with six from each site (24 samples). Samples were analyzed for Al, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Pb, Cd and Zn content using atomic absorption spectrophotometry in a graphite furnace. The metals, except for Fe, show high values for all three sites exceeding the background levels in the soils. Hg shows the highest concentration on Site A with a value of 1590 mg kg−1. Pb is highest on Site B with a concentration of 12,274 mg kg−1. The contamination degree was assessed with the help of contamination indices (Igeo—index of geo-accumulation; PLI—pollution load index; RI—potential ecological risk; Eri—ecological risk; Pi—single pollution index; CF—contamination factor) and all parameters show a high degree of contamination on all three sites compared to the control site. Hg, Pb, Cd, Cr and Cu as single pollutants show the highest ecological risk on Site A and Site B where intense mining is taking place. The absence of industrial and large-scale agricultural activities in the Pawara area, the nonexistence of contaminants on the control site and the presence of contaminants on Site C where farming is high and mining is low jointly show that the discharge of mine wastes onto the soils and stream channels are the main source of contaminants and potential pollutants of the Pawara ecological environment.","PeriodicalId":51020,"journal":{"name":"Earth Interactions","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2022-08-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"91267406","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Earthworm Abundance Increased by Mob-Grazing Zero-Tilled Arable Land in South-East England","authors":"Toni Trickett, D. Warner","doi":"10.3390/earth3030052","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/earth3030052","url":null,"abstract":"Regenerative agriculture is a potential alternative to conventional agricultural systems. It integrates the components of zero-tillage, permanent soil cover, diverse crop rotations and rotational or mob-grazing by ruminant livestock. Earthworms are beneficial soil macrofauna and function as indicators of soil health. A need exists to identify how earthworm populations are affected when all four regenerative agriculture components are implemented simultaneously. This study investigates earthworm abundance in three split-plot treatments located on adjacent land within the same farm: (1) ungrazed permanent grassland, (2) a three-year grass-clover ley within an arable zero tillage system without grazing and (3) identical to treatment 2 but with mob-grazing. Earthworms were sampled using soil pits and classified into four functional groups: epigeic (surface dwellers), endogeic (sub-surface), anecic (deep soil) and juveniles. The total earthworm count, epigeic and juvenile functional groups were significantly (p ≤ 0.05) higher in treatment (3), the arable zero tillage system with mob-grazing. Mob-grazing increases the diversity of carbon sources available to earthworms and has a positive impact on earthworm abundance and functional group diversity within the arable rotation under evaluation.","PeriodicalId":51020,"journal":{"name":"Earth Interactions","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2022-08-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"77399330","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evaluating the Transformation of Urban River Water Quality from Receiving Urban Sewage to a Leisure Venue through an Economic Lens: A Case Study from Tokyo","authors":"Yukako Inamura, Pankaj Kumar","doi":"10.3390/earth3030051","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/earth3030051","url":null,"abstract":"Although environmental sustainability provides a foundation for maintaining economic and social sustainability, it is often neglected in favor of economic sustainability. Ameliorating water impairment is costly, and policymakers do not always prioritize this problem because its economic benefits are often intangible. This study explored the potential economic value for Tokyo’s regional economy of past improvements in the water quality of its rivers. Transitioning the rivers from their previous role as sewage drainage pipes to venues for spending leisure time created economic incentives in the local economy. An input-output analysis showed that in 1985, the inland navigation sector in the Sumida River generated 1.5 times the economic output by increasing demand. While this impact decreased to 1.3 times in 2005, the results clearly indicate that the regional economy can generate amenity values by improving the environmental quality. This study provides useful information to guide policymakers in allocating the budget for environmental management. In particular, it allows them to envision possible development plans to promote the livelihood of urban residents as well as understand the linkage between the environment and the economy.","PeriodicalId":51020,"journal":{"name":"Earth Interactions","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2022-08-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"88349557","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}