Monthly microclimate models in a managed boreal forest landscape

The majority of microclimate studies have been done in topographically complex landscapes to quantify and predict how near-ground temperatures vary as a function of terrain properties. However, in forests understory temperatures can be strongly influenced also by vegetation. We quantified the relative influence of vegetation features and physiography (topography and moisture-related variables) on understory temperatures in managed boreal forests in central Sweden. We used a multivariate regression approach to relate near-ground temperature of 203 loggers over the snow-free seasons in an area of ∼16,000 km2 to remotely sensed and on-site measured variables of forest structure and physiography. We produced climate grids of monthly minimum and maximum temperatures at 25m resolution by using only remotely sensed and mapped predictors. The quality and predictions of the models containing only remotely sensed predictors (MAP models) were compared with the models containing also on-site measured predictors (OS models). Our data suggest that during the warm season, where landscape microclimate variability is largest, canopy cover and basal area were the most important microclimatic drivers for both minimum and maximum temperatures, while physiographic drivers (mainly elevation) dominated maximum temperatures during autumn and early winter. The MAP models were able to reproduce findings from the OS models but tended to underestimate high and overestimate low temperatures. Including important microclimatic drivers, particularly soil moisture, that are yet lacking in a mapped form should improve the microclimate maps. Because of the dynamic nature of managed forests, continuous updates of mapped forest structure parameters are needed to accurately predict temperatures. Our results suggest that forest management (e.g. stand size, structure and composition) and conservation may play a key role in amplifying or impeding the effects of climate-forcing factors on near-ground temperature and may locally modify the impact of global warming.Peer reviewe

Ten simple rules to bridge ecology and palaeoecology by publishing outside palaeoecological journals

Owing to its specialised methodology, palaeoecology is often regarded as a separate field from ecology, even though it is essential for understanding long-term ecological processes that have shaped the ecosystems that ecologists study and manage. Despite advances in ecological modelling, sample dating, and proxy-based reconstructions facilitating direct comparison of palaeoecological data with neo-ecological data, most of the scientific knowledge derived from palaeoecological studies remains siloed. We surveyed a group of palaeo-researchers with experience in crossing the divide between palaeoecology and neo-ecology, to develop Ten Simple Rules for publishing your palaeoecological research in non-palaeo journals. Our 10 rules are divided into the preparation phase, writing phase, and finalising phase when the article is submitted to the target journal. These rules provide a suite of strategies, including improved networking early in the process, building effective collaborations, transmitting results more efficiently and cross-disciplinary, and integrating concepts and methodologies that appeal to ecologists and a wider readership. Adhering to these Ten Simple Rules can ensure palaeoecologists' findings are more accessible and impactful among ecologists and the wider scientific community. Although this article primarily shows examples of how palaeoecological studies were published in journals for a broader audience, the rules apply to anyone who aims to publish outside specialised journals

Ten practical guidelines for microclimate research in terrestrial ecosystems

Most biodiversity dynamics and ecosystem processes on land take place in microclimates that are decoupled from the climate as measured by standardised weather stations in open, unshaded locations. As a result, microclimate monitoring is increasingly being integrated in many studies in ecology and evolution. Overviews of the protocols and measurement methods related to microclimate are needed, especially for those starting in the field and to achieve more generality and standardisation in microclimate studies. Here, we present 10 practical guidelines for ground-based research of terrestrial microclimates, covering methods and best practices from initial conceptualisation of the study to data analyses. Our guidelines encompass the significance of microclimates; the specifics of what, where, when and how to measure them; the design of microclimate studies; and the optimal approaches for analysing and sharing data for future use and collaborations. The paper is structured as a chronological guide, leading the reader through each step necessary to conduct a comprehensive microclimate study. At the end, we also discuss further research avenues and development in this field. With these 10 guidelines for microclimate monitoring, we hope to stimulate and advance microclimate research in ecology and evolution, especially under the pressing need to account for buffering or amplifying abilities of contrasting microhabitats in the context of global climate change.La majorit & eacute; des dynamiques de biodiversit & eacute; et des processus & eacute;cosyst & eacute;miques terrestres se d & eacute;roulent sous des conditions microclimatiques d & eacute;coupl & eacute;es des conditions climatiques telles qu'elles sont mesur & eacute;es par les stations m & eacute;t & eacute;orologiques standardis & eacute;es, qui sont situ & eacute;es dans des lieux ouverts et non ombrag & eacute;s. Ainsi, le suivi des conditions microclimatiques est de plus en plus int & eacute;gr & eacute; aux & eacute;tudes en & eacute;cologie et en & eacute;volution. Il est n & eacute;cessaire de synth & eacute;tiser les protocoles et m & eacute;thodes de mesure des conditions microclimatiques, pour celles et ceux qui d & eacute;butent dans ce domaine, mais aussi pour atteindre une forme de g & eacute;n & eacute;ralisation et de standardisation des approches utilis & eacute;es entre & eacute;tudes. Nous pr & eacute;sentons ici dix recommandations pour la recherche sur les microclimats terrestres, couvrant les m & eacute;thodes et les bonnes pratiques depuis la conceptualisation d'une & eacute;tude sur le microclimat jusqu'& agrave; l'analyse des donn & eacute;es microclimatiques. Nos recommandations incluent la pertinence des microclimats, les sp & eacute;cificit & eacute;s associ & eacute;es aux mesures & agrave; effectuer (o & ugrave;, quand et comment), en passant par la conception des & eacute;tudes microclimatiques, ainsi que les approches m & eacute;thodologiques optimales & agrave; utiliser pour analyser et partager les donn & eacute;es en vue d'utilisations et collaborations futures. L'article est structur & eacute; comme un guide chronologique, accompagnant le lecteur & agrave; travers chaque & eacute;tape n & eacute;cessaire pour la bonne r & eacute;alisation d'une & eacute;tude microclimatique compl & egrave;te. Nous terminons en discutant les perspectives de recherche et les d & eacute;veloppements dans ce domaine. Avec ces dix recommandations, nous esp & eacute;rons stimuler et faire progresser la recherche sur les microclimats en & eacute;cologie et en & eacute;volution, en particulier face & agrave; la n & eacute;cessit & eacute; pressante de prendre en compte les capacit & eacute;s des divers microhabitats & agrave; tamponner ou & agrave; amplifier les extr & ecirc;mes climatiques en contexte de changements climatiques.Gran parte de la din & aacute;mica de la biodiversidad y de los procesos ecosist & eacute;micos terrestres tienen lugar en microclimas desvinculados del clima medido por estaciones meteorol & oacute;gicas estandarizadas, situadas en lugares abiertos y sin sombra. Por este motivo, el monitoreo del microclima se est & aacute; integrando cada vez m & aacute;s en muchos estudios de ecolog & iacute;a y evoluci & oacute;n. Para aquellos que se inician en el trabajo de campo, y para lograr una mayor generalidad y estandarizaci & oacute;n en los estudios de microclima, se necesitan protocolos y m & eacute;todos de medici & oacute;n estandarizados relacionados con el microclima. Aqu & iacute; presentamos diez pautas pr & aacute;cticas para la investigaci & oacute;n de microclimas terrestres, que abarcan m & eacute;todos y buenas pr & aacute;cticas desde la conceptualizaci & oacute;n inicial del estudio hasta el an & aacute;lisis de datos. Nuestras pautas abarcan la importancia de los microclimas, las particularidades de qu & eacute;, d & oacute;nde, cu & aacute;ndo y c & oacute;mo medirlos, el dise & ntilde;o de los estudios sobre microclimas y los enfoques & oacute;ptimos para analizar y compartir datos para su uso y colaboraci & oacute;n futura. El art & iacute;culo est & aacute; estructurado como una gu & iacute;a cronol & oacute;gica que conduce al lector a trav & eacute;s de cada uno de los pasos necesarios para llevar a cabo un estudio exhaustivo del microclima. Al final, tambi & eacute;n se discuten futuras l & iacute;neas de investigaci & oacute;n y desarrollo en este campo. Con estas diez pautas para el monitoreo del microclima, esperamos estimular y avanzar en la investigaci & oacute;n del microclima en ecolog & iacute;a y evoluci & oacute;n, especialmente bajo la urgente necesidad de dar cuenta de las capacidades amortiguadoras o amplificadoras de microh & aacute;bitats contrastantes en el contexto del cambio clim & aacute;tico global

Warm range margin of boreal bryophytes and lichens not directly limited by temperatures

Species at their warm range margin are potentially threatened by higher temperatures, but may persist in microrefugia. Whether such microsites occur due to more suitable microclimate or due to lower biotic pressure from, for example competitive species, is still not fully resolved. We examined whether boreal bryophytes and lichens show signs of direct climate limitation, that is whether they perform better in cold and/or humid microclimates at their warm range margin. We transplanted a moss, a liverwort and a lichen to 58 boreal forest sites with different microclimates at the species' southern range margin in central Sweden. Species were grown in garden soil patches to control the effects of competitive exclusion and soil quality. We followed the transplanted species over three growing seasons (2016-2018) and modelled growth and vitality for each species as a function of subcanopy temperature, soil moisture, air humidity and forest type. In 2018, we also recorded the cover of other plants having recolonized the garden soil patches and modelled this potential future competition with the same environmental variables plus litter. Species performance increased with warmer temperatures, which was often conditional on high soil moisture, and at sites with more conifers. Soil moisture had a positive effect, especially on the moss in the last year 2018, when the growing season was exceptionally hot and dry. The lichen was mostly affected by gastropod grazing. Recolonization of other plants was also faster at warmer and moister sites. The results indicate that competition, herbivory, shading leaf litter and water scarcity might be more important than the direct effects of temperature for performance at the species' warm range margin. Synthesis. In a transplant experiment with three boreal understorey species, we did not find signs of direct temperature limitation towards the south. Forest microrefugia, that is habitats where these species could persist regional warming, may instead be sites with fewer competitors and enemies, and with sufficient moisture and more conifers in the overstorey.Peer reviewe

Effects of past and present microclimates on northern and southern plant species in a managed forest landscape

Questions: Near-ground temperatures can vary substantially over relatively short distances, enabling species with different temperature preferences and geographical distributions to co-exist within a small area. In a forest landscape, the near-ground temperatures may change due to management activities that alter forest density. As a result of such management activities, current species distributions and performances might not only be affected by current microclimates, but also by past conditions due to time-lagged responses. Location: Sweden. Methods: We examined the effects of past and current microclimates on the distributions and performances of two northern, cold-favoured, and two southern, warm-favoured, plant species in 53 managed forest sites. Each pair was represented by one vascular plant and one bryophyte species. We used temperature logger data and predictions from microclimate models based on changes in basal area to relate patterns of occurrence, abundance, and reproduction to current and past microclimate. Results: The two northern species were generally favoured by microclimates that were currently cold, characterised by later snowmelt and low accumulated heat over the growing season. In contrast, the two southern species were generally favoured by currently warm microclimates, characterised by high accumulated heat over the growing season. Species generally had higher abundance in sites with a preferred microclimate both in the past and present, and lower abundance than expected from current conditions, if the past microclimate had changed from warm to cold or vice versa, indicating time-lags in abundance patterns of the species. Conclusions: Our results show a potential importance of past and present microclimate heterogeneity for the co-existence of species with different temperature preferences in the same landscape and highlight the possibility to manage microclimates to mitigate climate change impacts on forest biodiversity

Differences in the carcinogenic evaluation of glyphosate between the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) Monographs Programme identifies chemicals, drugs, mixtures, occupational exposures, lifestyles and personal habits, and physical and biological agents that cause cancer in humans and has evaluated about 1000 agents since 1971. Monographs are written by ad hoc Working Groups (WGs) of international scientific experts over a period of about 12 months ending in an eight-day meeting. The WG evaluates all of the publicly available scientific information on each substance and, through a transparent and rigorous process,1 decides on the degree to which the scientific evidence supports that substance's potential to cause or not cause cancer in humans. For Monograph 112,2 17 expert scientists evaluated the carcinogenic hazard for four insecticides and the herbicide glyphosate.3 The WG concluded that the data for glyphosate meet the criteria for classification as a probable human carcinogen. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is the primary agency of the European Union for risk assessments regarding food safety. In October 2015, EFSA reported4 on their evaluation of the Renewal Assessment Report5 (RAR) for glyphosate that was prepared by the Rapporteur Member State, the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR). EFSA concluded that ?glyphosate is unlikely to pose a carcinogenic hazard to humans and the evidence does not support classification with regard to its carcinogenic potential?. Addendum 1 (the BfR Addendum) of the RAR5 discusses the scientific rationale for differing from the IARC WG conclusion. Serious flaws in the scientific evaluation in the RAR incorrectly characterise the potential for a carcinogenic hazard from exposure to glyphosate. Since the RAR is the basis for the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) conclusion,4 it is critical that these shortcomings are corrected

Genome-wide analysis identifies 12 loci influencing human reproductive behavior.

The genetic architecture of human reproductive behavior-age at first birth (AFB) and number of children ever born (NEB)-has a strong relationship with fitness, human development, infertility and risk of neuropsychiatric disorders. However, very few genetic loci have been identified, and the underlying mechanisms of AFB and NEB are poorly understood. We report a large genome-wide association study of both sexes including 251,151 individuals for AFB and 343,072 individuals for NEB. We identified 12 independent loci that are significantly associated with AFB and/or NEB in a SNP-based genome-wide association study and 4 additional loci associated in a gene-based effort. These loci harbor genes that are likely to have a role, either directly or by affecting non-local gene expression, in human reproduction and infertility, thereby increasing understanding of these complex traits

Genetic variants in novel pathways influence blood pressure and cardiovascular disease risk.

Blood pressure is a heritable trait influenced by several biological pathways and responsive to environmental stimuli. Over one billion people worldwide have hypertension (≥140 mm Hg systolic blood pressure or  ≥90 mm Hg diastolic blood pressure). Even small increments in blood pressure are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events. This genome-wide association study of systolic and diastolic blood pressure, which used a multi-stage design in 200,000 individuals of European descent, identified sixteen novel loci: six of these loci contain genes previously known or suspected to regulate blood pressure (GUCY1A3-GUCY1B3, NPR3-C5orf23, ADM, FURIN-FES, GOSR2, GNAS-EDN3); the other ten provide new clues to blood pressure physiology. A genetic risk score based on 29 genome-wide significant variants was associated with hypertension, left ventricular wall thickness, stroke and coronary artery disease, but not kidney disease or kidney function. We also observed associations with blood pressure in East Asian, South Asian and African ancestry individuals. Our findings provide new insights into the genetics and biology of blood pressure, and suggest potential novel therapeutic pathways for cardiovascular disease prevention

Ten simple rules to bridge ecology and palaeoecology by publishing outside palaeoecological journals

Owing to its specialised methodology, palaeoecology is often regarded as a separate field from ecology, even though it is essential for understanding long-term ecological processes that have shaped the ecosystems that ecologists study and manage. Despite advances in ecological modelling, sample dating, and proxy-based reconstructions facilitating direct comparison of palaeoecological data with neo-ecological data, most of the scientific knowledge derived from palaeoecological studies remains siloed. We surveyed a group of palaeo-researchers with experience in crossing the divide between palaeoecology and neo-ecology, to develop Ten Simple Rules for publishing your palaeoecological research in non-palaeo journals. Our 10 rules are divided into the preparation phase, writing phase, and finalising phase when the article is submitted to the target journal. These rules provide a suite of strategies, including improved networking early in the process, building effective collaborations, transmitting results more efficiently to improve cross-disciplinary accessibility, and integrating concepts and methodologies that appeal to ecologists and a wider readership. Adhering to these Ten Simple Rules can ensure palaeoecologists’ findings are more accessible and impactful among ecologists and the wider scientific community. Although this article primarily shows examples of how palaeoecological studies were published in journals for a broader audience, the rules apply to anyone who aims to publish outside specialised journals.The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. The following co-authors were funded: NS received funding from the Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences; XB has received funding from the postdoctoral fellowships programme Beatriu de Pinós (grant number 801370), funded by the Secretary of Universities and Research (Government of Catalonia) and by the Horizon 2020 programme of research and innovation of the European Union under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No 801370; SOB received funding by the Swiss National Science Foundation (grant: PZ00P2_208687); SP-R was supported by the European Research Council grant ERC-CoG-2021-101045309 TIME-LINES; SGAF acknowledges support from Trond Mohn Stiftelse (TMS) and University of Bergen for the startup grant ‘TMS2022STG03; TF received funding from the Ramsay Fellowship and from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No 101017833;.. AH is funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation through the Ramón y Cajal Scheme [RYC2020-029253-I]. EM was funded by the Spanish Council of Science and Innovation (ref. PID2022-138059NB-I00). KM was funded by the National Science Centre, Poland (grant 2020/39/D/ST10/00641). The other authors received no specific funding for this work.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Forest microclimates and climate change: importance, drivers and future research agenda

Forest microclimates contrast strongly with the climate outside forests. To fully understand and better predict how forests' biodiversity and functions relate to climate and climate change, microclimates need to be integrated into ecological research. Despite the potentially broad impact of microclimates on the response of forest ecosystems to global change, our understanding of how microclimates within and below tree canopies modulate biotic responses to global change at the species, community and ecosystem level is still limited. Here, we review how spatial and temporal variation in forest microclimates result from an interplay of forest features, local water balance, topography and landscape composition. We first stress and exemplify the importance of considering forest microclimates to understand variation in biodiversity and ecosystem functions across forest landscapes. Next, we explain how macroclimate warming (of the free atmosphere) can affect microclimates, and vice versa, via interactions with land-use changes across different biomes. Finally, we perform a priority ranking of future research avenues at the interface of microclimate ecology and global change biology, with a specific focus on three key themes: (1) disentangling the abiotic and biotic drivers and feedbacks of forest microclimates; (2) global and regional mapping and predictions of forest microclimates; and (3) the impacts of microclimate on forest biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in the face of climate change. The availability of microclimatic data will significantly increase in the coming decades, characterizing climate variability at unprecedented spatial and temporal scales relevant to biological processes in forests. This will revolutionize our understanding of the dynamics, drivers and implications of forest microclimates on biodiversity and ecological functions, and the impacts of global changes. In order to support the sustainable use of forests and to secure their biodiversity and ecosystem services for future generations, microclimates cannot be ignored.Peer reviewe