The Algarve climatophilous vegetation series – Portugal: a base document to the planning, management and nature conservation Les séries de végètation climatophiles de l’Algarve - Portugal: un document de base pour la planification, gestion et conservation de la nature

This work was developed as part of PhD research devoted to the flora and vegetation of the Caldeirão and Monchique mountains that aims to identify the vegetation climatophilous series and use them as an environmental diagnosis of Algarve administrative province phyto-ecological subregions. Biogeographic and bioclimatic considerations are presented, as well as the study area pedological and lithological characterization. For each of the seven climatophilous series the dynamic and catenal behaviours, as well as the main characteristic plants that constitute the successional stages, are given. The corresponding patrimonial value is studied

Assessing the role of the spatial scale in the analysis of lagoon biodiversity. A case-study on the macrobenthic fauna of the Po River Delta

The analysis of benthic assemblages is a valuable tool to describe the ecological status of transitional water ecosystems, but species are extremely sensitive and respond to both microhabitat and seasonal differences. The identification of changes in the composition of the macrobenthic community in specific microhabitats can then be used as an “early warning” for environmental changes which may affect the economic and ecological importance of lagoons, through their provision of Ecosystem Services. From a conservational point of view, the appropriate definition of the spatial aggregation level of microhabitats or local communities is of crucial importance. The main objective of this work is to assess the role of the spatial scale in the analysis of lagoon biodiversity. First, we analyze the variation in the sample coverage for alternative aggregations of the monitoring stations in three lagoons of the Po River Delta. Then, we analyze the variation of a class of entropy indices by mixed effects models, properly accounting for the fixed effects of biotic and abiotic factors and random effects ruled by nested sources of variability corresponding to alternative definitions of local communities. Finally, we address biodiversity partitioning by a generalized diversity measure, namely the Tsallis entropy, and for alternative definitions of the local communities. The main results obtained by the proposed statistical protocol are presented, discussed and framed in the ecological context

Biogeochemical potential of biomass pyrolysis systems for limiting global warming to 1.5 °C

Negative emission (NE) technologies are recognized to play an increasingly relevant role in strategies limiting mean global warming to 1.5 °C as specified in the Paris Agreement. The potentially significant contribution of pyrogenic carbon capture and storage (PyCCS) is, however, highly underrepresented in the discussion. In this study, we conduct the first quantitative assessment of the global potential of PyCCS as a NE technology based on biomass plantations. Using a process-based biosphere model, we calculate the land use change required to reach specific climate mitigation goals while observing biodiversity protection guardrails. We consider NE targets of 100–300 GtC following socioeconomic pathways consistent with a mean global warming of 1.5 °C as well as the option of additional carbon balancing required in case of failure or delay of decarbonization measures. The technological opportunities of PyCCS are represented by three tracks accounting for the sequestration of different pyrolysis products: biochar (as soil amendment), bio-oil (pumped into geological storages) and permanent-pyrogas (capture and storage of CO2 from gas combustion). In addition, we analyse how the gain in land induced by biochar-mediated yield increases on tropical cropland may reduce the pressure on land. Our results show that meeting the 1.5 °C goal through mitigation strategies including large-scale NE with plantation-based PyCCS may require conversion of natural vegetation to biomass plantations in the order of 133–3280 Mha globally, depending on the applied technology and the NE demand. Advancing towards additional bio-oil sequestration reduces land demand considerably by potentially up to 60%, while the benefits from yield increases account for another 3%–38% reduction (equalling 82–362 Mha). However, when mitigation commitments are increased by high balancing claims, even the most advanced PyCCS technologies and biochar-mediated co-benefits cannot compensate for delayed action towards phasing-out fossil fuels

Biogeochemical potential of biomass pyrolysis systems for limiting global warming to 1.5 °C

Negative emission (NE) technologies are recognized to play an increasingly relevant role in strategies limiting mean global warming to 1.5 °C as specified in the Paris Agreement. The potentially significant contribution of pyrogenic carbon capture and storage (PyCCS) is, however, highly underrepresented in the discussion. In this study, we conduct the first quantitative assessment of the global potential of PyCCS as a NE technology based on biomass plantations. Using a process-based biosphere model, we calculate the land use change required to reach specific climate mitigation goals while observing biodiversity protection guardrails. We consider NE targets of 100–300 GtC following socioeconomic pathways consistent with a mean global warming of 1.5 °C as well as the option of additional carbon balancing required in case of failure or delay of decarbonization measures. The technological opportunities of PyCCS are represented by three tracks accounting for the sequestration of different pyrolysis products: biochar (as soil amendment), bio-oil (pumped into geological storages) and permanent-pyrogas (capture and storage of CO2 from gas combustion). In addition, we analyse how the gain in land induced by biochar-mediated yield increases on tropical cropland may reduce the pressure on land. Our results show that meeting the 1.5 °C goal through mitigation strategies including large-scale NE with plantation-based PyCCS may require conversion of natural vegetation to biomass plantations in the order of 133–3280 Mha globally, depending on the applied technology and the NE demand. Advancing towards additional bio-oil sequestration reduces land demand considerably by potentially up to 60%, while the benefits from yield increases account for another 3%–38% reduction (equalling 82–362 Mha). However, when mitigation commitments are increased by high balancing claims, even the most advanced PyCCS technologies and biochar-mediated co-benefits cannot compensate for delayed action towards phasing-out fossil fuels.Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung 10.13039/501100002347Peer Reviewe

G-CPT Symmetry of Quantum Emergence and Submergence -- An Information Conservational Multiagent Cellular Automata Unification of CPT Symmetry and CP Violation for Equilibrium-Based Many-World Causal Analysis of Quantum Coherence and Decoherence

An equilibrium-based YinYang bipolar dynamic Generalization of CPT (G -CPT) symmetry is introduced based on energy/information conservational quantum emergence-submergence. As a bottleneck of quantum computing, quantum decoherence or collapse has been plaguing quantum mechanics for decades. It is suggested that the crux of the problem can trace its origin back to the incompleteness of CPT symmetry due to the lack of holistic representation for equilibrium-based bipolar coexistence. In this work, the notion of quantum emergence-submergence is coined as two opposite processes with bipolar energy/information conservation. The new notion leads to G-CPT symmetry supported by a Bipolar Quantum Cellular Automata (BQCA) interpretation of quantum mechanics. It is shown that the new interpretation further leads to the unification of electromagnetic particle- antiparticle bipolarity and gravitational action-reaction bipolarity as well as CPT symmetry and CP violation into a philosophically, geometrically and logically different quantum gravity theory. On one hand, G -CPT symmetry enables a Bipolar Quantum Agent (BQA) to emerge as a bipolar quantum superposition or entanglement coupled to a globally coherent BQCA; on the other hand, G -CP violation supports a causal theory of BQA submergence or decoupling from the global coherence. In turn, BQAs can submerge from one world but emerge in another within YinYang bipolar quantum geometry. It is suggested t hat all logical, physical, social, biological and mental worlds are bipolar quantum entangled under G -CPT symmetry. It is contended that G -CPT symmetry constitutes an analytical paradigm of quantum mechanics and quantum gravity— a fundamental departure from “what goes around comes around ”. The new paradigm leads to a number of predictions and challenges

How transition towards market-­orientated commercialization strategy enabled Oceanário de Lisboa to float through the disastrous impact of COVID­-19 pandemic

Dramatic decline in demand across visitation business due to self­isolation, reduction of pur chasing power, general anxiety and uncertainty, imposed regulatory measures accompanying the sanitary crisis of COVID­19 pandemic resulted in an unprecedented shock for Oceanário de Lisboa. In this paper the case of the dynamic response of Oceanário de Lisboa from the macro perspective of market­orientation to sharp environmental misfit caused by the pandemic is presented. The insight to the internal perception of the crisis, as well as decision making environment, organizational culture, managerial perspectives, and reasoning are gathered through interviews with people who have been directly involved in strategic decision making and guiding the com pany through crisis. Among the interviewees are Elsa Courela (Head of Marketing, Sales, and Education), João Falcato (CEO), and Miguel Tiago de Oliveira (Head of Engineering, Opera tions, and Quality Assurance). The analytical approach to their contributions in combination with secondary data assessment are provided as guidance, suggesting some of the relevant theoretical concepts and frameworks to facilitate analytical and structured comprehension of the experience of Oceanário de Lisboa and consequent knowledge creation. The case provides a comparison of commercialization strategy of the company, and the subse quent response to the external crisis. The nature of the resource base and operational model of the company was explored. From the internal perspective of core capabilities and rigidities, towards dynamic change in the market­perspective from more static and customer­led approach to the market towards more innovativeness and experimentation driven cultural elements was explored.A queda dramática da procura nos negócios de visitas a museus e similares devido ao auto isolamento, redução do poder de compra, ansiedade e incerteza geral, medidas regulatórias im postas acompanhando a crise sanitária da pandemia de COVID­19 resultaram num choque sem precedentes para o Oceanário de Lisboa. Neste artigo é apresentado o caso da resposta dinâmica do Oceanário de Lisboa ao acentuado desajustamento ambiental causado pela pandemia na pers­petiva macro de orientação para o mercado. O insight para a perceção interna da crise, bem como o ambiente de tomada de decisão, a cultura organizacional, as perspetivas de gestão e o raciocínio são obtidos por meio de entrevistas com pessoas que estiveram diretamente envolvidas na tomada de decisões estratégicas e na condução da empresa durante a crise. As abordagens analíticas dos seus contributos em combinação com a avaliação de dados secundários são fornecidas como orientação, sugerindo alguns dos con ceitos e quadros teóricos relevantes para facilitar a compreensão analítica e estruturada da ex periência do Oceanário de Lisboa e consequente criação de conhecimento. O caso fornece uma comparação da estratégia de comercialização da empresa e a subsequente resposta à crise externa. Os modelos da base de recursos (resource base) e operacional da em presa foram explorados. Da perspetiva interna das capacidades fundamentais (core capacities) e fatores de rigidez, em direção à mudança dinâmica no mercado, foi explorada a perspetiva de uma abordagem mais estática e voltada para o cliente para o mercado em direção a mais ino vação e elementos culturais orientados para a experimentação

Proces pomlađivanja hrasta lužnjaka (Quercus robur L.) u strogo zaštićenom šumskom rezervatu u južnoj Mađarskoj

Insufficient natural regeneration of pedunculate oak (Quercus robur L.) in alluvial hardwood forests is a serious problem both for close-to-nature silviculture and nature conservation, as it may lead to in-depth changes of forest structure. Natural regeneration processes in pedunculated oak forests are especially difficult to study due to the lack of strict forest reserves, where natural processes would be able to manifest. No-intervention (passive) conservation of closed floodplain pedunculate oak forests is often regarded as a failure not only of economic, but also of conservational point of view.Our observations on spontaneous stand development of a floodplain pedunculate oak forest, including all woody species, were carried out in a strict forest reserve in Southern Hungary. Data on the current structure of a 120-years old stand, unmanaged for 17 years were sampled with the three-layer protocol of the Hungarian Forest Reserve Program, and analysed with PCA. Stand structure change was described by comparing current results with those of Braun-Blanquet releves from 1995-96. We presented a detailed case study of an unmanaged floodplain oak forest, and demonstrated that instead of regeneration of the closed Quercus robur-dominated high forest, forest-like stands of Crataegus monogyna developed. No-intervention conservation allowed natural processes to manifest, but not preserved local conservational values, and apparently did not sustain present, economically very valuable oak stands. Our results on the consequences of 17 years of passive conservation provide information useful for conservational decision-making.Nedovoljno uspješno prirodno pomlađivanje hrasta lužnjaka Quercus robur L. u poplavnim šumama velik je problem i za šumarsku proizvodnju, kao i za zaštitu prirode, jer dovodi do značajnih promjena u sastavu šuma. Pasivna zaštita poplavnih lužnjakovih šuma zatvorenog sklopa pokazala se neuspješnom ne samo s ekonomskog stajališta, nego i sa stajališta zaštite šuma. Najveća prepreka istraživanju prirodnog pomlađivanja lužnjakovih šuma je nedostatak strogih šumskih rezervata u kojima se očituju prirodni procesi. Naša istraživanja provedenasu u strogom rezervatu u južnoj Mađarskoj, a zapažanja o razvoju hrastovih šuma uključila su sve vrste drveća. Sadašnja struktura sastojine stare 120 godina, koja se spontano razvijala prethodnih 17 godina uzorkovana je prema Državnom Protokolu za Šumske Rezervate, a podaci su statistički analizirani pomoću metode osnovnih komponenti (PCA). Promjene strukture sastojina opisane su na temelju usporedbe sadašnjeg stanja i stanja koje je zabilježeno u fitocenološkim snimkama po Braun-Blanquet-u iz 1995-96. godine. Uz detaljne studije sastojine poplavne lužnjakove šume, predstavili smo i proces pomlađivanja šume zatvorenog sklopa s dominacijom lužnjaka te sastojine gloga Crataegus monogyna koja ima izgled šume u početnoj razvojnoj fazi. Naši rezultati dobijeni su na temelju analize pasivne zaštite šuma tijekom 17 godina, potvrdili su da zaštita šuma bez ikakvih intervencija pomaže ostvarivanju prirodnih procesa, ali ne i očuvanju lokalnih prirodnih vrijednosti, niti obnavljanju ekonomski vrijednih sastojina hrasta lužnjaka, a zaključci mogu biti korisni pri donošenju odluka vezanih za zaštitu prirode