Growing season precipitation in Finland under recent and projected climate

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First verification results from an analysis-forecast smoother applied at FMI

Póster presentado en: 3rd European Nowcasting Conference, celebrada en la sede central de AEMET en Madrid del 24 al 26 de abril de 2019

Seamless nowcasting system development at the Finnish Meteorological Institute

Presentación realizada en la 3rd European Nowcasting Conference, celebrada en la sede central de AEMET en Madrid del 24 al 26 de abril de 2019

The supernatural characters and powers of sacred trees in the Holy Land

This article surveys the beliefs concerning the supernatural characteristics and powers of sacred trees in Israel; it is based on a field study as well as a survey of the literature and includes 118 interviews with Muslims and Druze. Both the Muslims and Druze in this study attribute supernatural dimensions to sacred trees which are directly related to ancient, deep-rooted pagan traditions. The Muslims attribute similar divine powers to sacred trees as they do to the graves of their saints; the graves and the trees are both considered to be the abode of the soul of a saint which is the source of their miraculous powers. Any violation of a sacred tree would be strictly punished while leaving the opportunity for atonement and forgiveness. The Druze, who believe in the transmigration of souls, have similar traditions concerning sacred trees but with a different religious background. In polytheistic religions the sacred grove/forest is a centre of the community's official worship; any violation of the trees is regarded as a threat to the well being of the community. Punishments may thus be collective. In the monotheistic world (including Christianity, Islam and Druze) the pagan worship of trees was converted into the worship/adoration of saints/prophets; it is not a part of the official religion but rather a personal act and the punishments are exerted only on the violating individual

Traditionally protected forests and nature conservation in the North Pare Mountains and Handeni District, Tanzania

A total of 920 traditionally protected forests have been found in sample areas in Handeni District (23 villages) and Mwanga District (Usangi and Ugweno Divisions). The size of the forests is between 0.125 and 200 ha. In earlier times sacred forests (one of the seven different types of traditionally protected forests in Handeni) were never abused, and as a result the biodiversity of whole forest ecosystems has been protected. In many parts they are the last remaining natural forests. About 40 % of the forests are severely degraded, partly because a rapid process of change in the villages. The abuse of the traditionally protected forests should be discussed publicly. The total area of forested land requiring protection could be over 4,000 ha in Handeni District and 400 ha in the North Pare Mountains. These forests are effective way to save locally the best areas for biodiversity. Journal of East African Natural History Vol. 87 (1&2) 1998: pp. 279-29

Arctic amplification decreases temperature variance in northern mid- to high-latitudes

Copyright © 2014 Nature Publishing GroupChanges in climate variability are arguably more important for society and ecosystems than changes in mean climate, especially if they translate into altered extremes [1, 2, 3]. There is a common perception and growing concern that human-induced climate change will lead to more volatile and extreme weather [4]. Certain types of extreme weather have increased in frequency and/or severity [5, 6, 7], in part because of a shift in mean climate but also because of changing variability [1, 2, 3, 8, 9, 10]. In spite of mean climate warming, an ostensibly large number of high-impact cold extremes have occurred in the Northern Hemisphere mid-latitudes over the past decade [11]. One explanation is that Arctic amplification—the greater warming of the Arctic compared with lower latitudes [12] associated with diminishing sea ice and snow cover—is altering the polar jet stream and increasing temperature variability [13, 14, 15, 16]. This study shows, however, that subseasonal cold-season temperature variability has significantly decreased over the mid- to high-latitude Northern Hemisphere in recent decades. This is partly because northerly winds and associated cold days are warming more rapidly than southerly winds and warm days, and so Arctic amplification acts to reduce subseasonal temperature variance. Previous hypotheses linking Arctic amplification to increased weather extremes invoke dynamical changes in atmospheric circulation [11, 13, 14, 15, 16], which are hard to detect in present observations [17, 18] and highly uncertain in the future [19, 20]. In contrast, decreases in subseasonal cold-season temperature variability, in accordance with the mechanism proposed here, are detectable in the observational record and are highly robust in twenty-first-century climate model simulations.Natural Environment Research Council (NERC

Assemblages of forest conservation in Tanzania: gradients between chiefs, snakes, spirits and witches

Sacred natural sites are the oldest form of protection for non-human species and landscapes, and remain significant for conservation and development. This paper critically interrogates the role of spiritual worldviews and witchcraft in protected areas. Drawing on research in Mbozi District, Tanzania, we discuss the entanglements between spiritual worldviews, witchcraft, political leadership, religion and non-humans. Adopting assemblage as a conceptual framework offers possibilities to examine the agencies that tangible and intangible forms non-humans and human organisations have in conservation. Employing assemblage concepts including gradients, territorialisation and deterritorialisation, this paper argues for recognition of the complex assemblages between development, conservation and rationality