Passeig ecofisiologic per l'espai i pel temps : l'estudi de les alteracions produides pels canvis climatics i atmosferics en l'estructura i el funcionament de les plantes i dels ecosistemes terrestres

En l'estudi de l'impacte del canvi global sobre les plantes i els ecosistemes és necessari estudiar com els gens, les plantes senceres, les espècies i les comunitats interaccionen amb l'ambient, tot duent a terme estudis ecofisiològics a diferents escales espacials i temporals, des de la molècula fins a l'ecosistema, i des de segons fins a segles. Presentem aquí alguns exemples de l'aplicació de l'ecofisiologia a les diferents escales espacials i temporals implicades en l'agenda del canvi global. Explorem alguns resultats recents que revelen la possibilitat d'estimar mitjançant teledetecció els processos fotosintètics a escala de fulla, coberta i ecosistema mitjançant l'índex de reflectància fotoquímic (PRI), un índex basat en un principi en canvis moleculars dels pigments del cicle de les xantofil·les, que pot acabar ajudant a estimar el balanç local, regional i global del carboni en el context del canvi climàtic. Pel que fa a l'aplicació de l'ecofisiologia a diferents escales temporals d'aquest canvi global, presentem alguns exemples d'estudis paleoecofisiològics (milers d'anys), històrics (segles), observacionals (últims anys i dècades), i simuladors (per a les properes dècades), en els quals abordem les interaccions entre les plantes i els diferents components del canvi global canvis en la concentració atmosfèrica de CO2, ozó, òxids de nitrogen, compostos orgànics volàtils, i altres gasos; canvis climàtics; eutrofització de la biosfera, disminució de l'ozó estratosfèric, canvis d'usos del sòl i pèrdua de biodiversitat). Els canvis biològics són sovint espectaculars. Exemples en tenim en l'avançada primavera biològica, els desplaçaments de la vegetació a les muntanyes, la progressiva eutrofització dels ecosistemes o l'augment de les emissions de compostos orgànics volàtils de les plantes, entre molts d'altres.In the study of human and global change impacts on plants and ecosystems, it is necessary to understand how genes, whole plants, species and communities interact with the environment. With this aim, current ecophysiological studies are conducted at different spatial and temporal scales, from molecule to ecosystem, and from seconds to centuries. We present here some examples of the application of ecophysiology at the different spatial and temporal scales involved in the Global Change agenda.We describe some recent results revealing the possibility of remote sensing estimation of photosynthetic processes at leaf, canopy and ecosystem levels by means of the Photochemical Reflectance Index (PRI), an index based in the molecular changes of xanthophylls cycle pigments that can help to estimate local, regional, and global carbon budget. Regarding the application of ecophysiology at different temporal scales of the Global Change, we present some examples of paloeoecophysiological (thousands of years), historical (centuries), observational (last years and decades), and experimental and modelling (next decades) studies, where we approach the interactions between plants and the different components of the Global Change (changes in atmospheric concentration of CO2, ozone, nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds, and other gases; climatic changes; biosphere eutrophication; stratospheric ozone decrease; land use changes; and biodiversity loss). Biological changes are often spectacular. Some examples are biological spring advancements, vegetation shifts in the mountains, ecosystems progressive eutrophication, or increases in the emissions of plants volatile organic compounds, among others

A review of the combination among global change factors in forests, shrublands and pastures of the Mediterranean Region : beyond drought effects

Research in CRAG is also supported byCERCA institution (Generalitat de Catalunya).Climate change, alteration of atmospheric composition, land abandonment in some areas and land use intensification in others, wildfires and biological invasions threaten forests, shrublands and pastures all over the world. However, the impacts of the combinations between global change factors are not well understood despite its pressing importance. Here we posit that reviewing global change factors combination in an exemplary region can highlight the necessary aspects in order to better understand the challenges we face, warning about the consequences, and showing the challenges ahead of us. The forests, shrublands and pastures of the Mediterranean Basin are an ideal scenario for the study of these combinations due to its spatial and temporal heterogeneity, increasing and diverse human population and the historical legacy of land use transformations. The combination of multiple global change factors in the Basin shows different ecological effects. Some interactions alter the effects of a single factor, as drought enhances or decreases the effects of atmospheric components on plant ecophysiology. Several interactions generate new impacts: drought and land use changes, among others, alter water resources and lead to land degradation, vegetation regeneration decline, and expansion of forest diseases. Finally, different factors can occur alone or simultaneously leading to further increases in the risk of fires and biological invasions. The transitional nature of the Basin between temperate and arid climates involves a risk of irreversible ecosystem change towards more arid states. However, combinations between factors lead to unpredictable ecosystem alteration that goes beyond the particular consequences of drought. Complex global change scenarios should be studied in the Mediterranean and other regions of the world, including interregional studies. Here we show the inherent uncertainty of this complexity, which should be included in any management strategy

Reassessing global change research priorities in mediterranean terrestrial ecosystems : how far have we come and where do we go from here?

Aim: Mediterranean terrestrial ecosystems serve as reference laboratories for the investigation of global change because of their transitional climate, the high spatiotemporal variability of their environmental conditions, a rich and unique biodiversity and a wide range of socio-economic conditions. As scientific development and environmental pressures increase, it is increasingly necessary to evaluate recent progress and to challenge research priorities in the face of global change. - Location: Mediterranean terrestrial ecosystems. - Methods: This article revisits the research priorities proposed in a 1998 assessment. - Results: A new set of research priorities is proposed: (1) to establish the role of the landscape mosaic on fire-spread; (2) to further research the combined effect of different drivers on pest expansion; (3) to address the interaction between drivers of global change and recent forest management practices; (4) to obtain more realistic information on the impacts of global change and ecosystem services; (5) to assess forest mortality events associated with climatic extremes; (6) to focus global change research on identifying and managing vulnerable areas; (7) to use the functional traits concept to study resilience after disturbance; (8) to study the relationship between genotypic and phenotypic diversity as a source of forest resilience; (9) to understand the balance between C storage and water resources; (10) to analyse the interplay between landscape-scale processes and biodiversity conservation; (11) to refine models by including interactions between drivers and socio-economic contexts; (12) to understand forest-atmosphere feedbacks; (13) to represent key mechanisms linking plant hydraulics with landscape hydrology. - Main conclusions:(1) The interactive nature of different global change drivers remains poorly understood. (2) There is a critical need for the rapid development of regional- and global-scale models that are more tightly connected with large-scale experiments, data networks and management practice. (3) More attention should be directed to drought-related forest decline and the current relevance of historical land use

Assessing the Provisions for Sustainability in Economics Degree Programmes

Accepted: 21 November 2023© 2023. This document is made available under the CC-BY-NC 4.0 license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ This document is the Accepted version of a Published Work that will appear in final form in International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education.Purpose Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) offer courses and programmes focusing on sustainability in economics, as courses on sustainable development (SD), which examine the economic, social and environmental dimensions of SD. This article examines sustainability integration in economics degree programmes. Design/methodology/approach Through an extensive literature review in Web of Science (WoS) and information search in Google, conducting to 28 relevant case studies, the article elucidates the emphasis given to sustainability as part of economics degree programmes in HEIs. FindingsFindings The results suggest that, whereas the inclusion of sustainability components in this field is a growing trend, much still needs to be done in order to ensure that matters related to SD are part of the routine of university students studying economics. Originality The novelty of this study lies in addressing sustainability with the specific economics focus programmes within the HEIs context. Research limitations/implications It is worth noting that the literature review conducted in WoS was primarily aimed at assisting in the selection of university case studies. The 28 university case studies scrutinised in this study may lack sufficient representation from numerous developing countries. Practical implications This study highlights challenges in integrating the SD into economics degree programmes, suggesting the need for curriculum adjustments as underscoring operational issues, acting as barriers. The inclusion of sustainability in economics programmes must navigate operational issues stemming from packed timetables and busy schedules, requiring innovative solutions. Social implications As far as the authors are aware, this study holds substantial importance in its emphasis on implementing sustainability within HEIs' economics programmes, assisting in pursuing SD

Passeig ecofisiologic per l'espai i pel temps : l'estudi de les alteracions produides pels canvis climatics i atmosferics en l'estructura i el funcionament de les plantes i dels ecosistemes terrestres

En l'estudi de l'impacte del canvi global sobre les plantes i els ecosistemes és necessari estudiar com els gens, les plantes senceres, les espècies i les comunitats interaccionen amb l'ambient, tot duent a terme estudis ecofisiològics a diferents escales espacials i temporals, des de la molècula fins a l'ecosistema, i des de segons fins a segles. Presentem aquí alguns exemples de l'aplicació de l'ecofisiologia a les diferents escales espacials i temporals implicades en l'agenda del canvi global. Explorem alguns resultats recents que revelen la possibilitat d'estimar mitjançant teledetecció els processos fotosintètics a escala de fulla, coberta i ecosistema mitjançant l'índex de reflectància fotoquímic (PRI), un índex basat en un principi en canvis moleculars dels pigments del cicle de les xantofil·les, que pot acabar ajudant a estimar el balanç local, regional i global del carboni en el context del canvi climàtic. Pel que fa a l'aplicació de l'ecofisiologia a diferents escales temporals d'aquest canvi global, presentem alguns exemples d'estudis paleoecofisiològics (milers d'anys), històrics (segles), observacionals (últims anys i dècades), i simuladors (per a les properes dècades), en els quals abordem les interaccions entre les plantes i els diferents components del canvi global canvis en la concentració atmosfèrica de CO2, ozó, òxids de nitrogen, compostos orgànics volàtils, i altres gasos; canvis climàtics; eutrofització de la biosfera, disminució de l'ozó estratosfèric, canvis d'usos del sòl i pèrdua de biodiversitat). Els canvis biològics són sovint espectaculars. Exemples en tenim en l'avançada primavera biològica, els desplaçaments de la vegetació a les muntanyes, la progressiva eutrofització dels ecosistemes o l'augment de les emissions de compostos orgànics volàtils de les plantes, entre molts d'altres.In the study of human and global change impacts on plants and ecosystems, it is necessary to understand how genes, whole plants, species and communities interact with the environment. With this aim, current ecophysiological studies are conducted at different spatial and temporal scales, from molecule to ecosystem, and from seconds to centuries. We present here some examples of the application of ecophysiology at the different spatial and temporal scales involved in the Global Change agenda.We describe some recent results revealing the possibility of remote sensing estimation of photosynthetic processes at leaf, canopy and ecosystem levels by means of the Photochemical Reflectance Index (PRI), an index based in the molecular changes of xanthophylls cycle pigments that can help to estimate local, regional, and global carbon budget. Regarding the application of ecophysiology at different temporal scales of the Global Change, we present some examples of paloeoecophysiological (thousands of years), historical (centuries), observational (last years and decades), and experimental and modelling (next decades) studies, where we approach the interactions between plants and the different components of the Global Change (changes in atmospheric concentration of CO2, ozone, nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds, and other gases; climatic changes; biosphere eutrophication; stratospheric ozone decrease; land use changes; and biodiversity loss). Biological changes are often spectacular. Some examples are biological spring advancements, vegetation shifts in the mountains, ecosystems progressive eutrophication, or increases in the emissions of plants volatile organic compounds, among others

A review of the combination among global change factors in forests, shrublands and pastures of the Mediterranean Region : beyond drought effects

Research in CRAG is also supported byCERCA institution (Generalitat de Catalunya).Climate change, alteration of atmospheric composition, land abandonment in some areas and land use intensification in others, wildfires and biological invasions threaten forests, shrublands and pastures all over the world. However, the impacts of the combinations between global change factors are not well understood despite its pressing importance. Here we posit that reviewing global change factors combination in an exemplary region can highlight the necessary aspects in order to better understand the challenges we face, warning about the consequences, and showing the challenges ahead of us. The forests, shrublands and pastures of the Mediterranean Basin are an ideal scenario for the study of these combinations due to its spatial and temporal heterogeneity, increasing and diverse human population and the historical legacy of land use transformations. The combination of multiple global change factors in the Basin shows different ecological effects. Some interactions alter the effects of a single factor, as drought enhances or decreases the effects of atmospheric components on plant ecophysiology. Several interactions generate new impacts: drought and land use changes, among others, alter water resources and lead to land degradation, vegetation regeneration decline, and expansion of forest diseases. Finally, different factors can occur alone or simultaneously leading to further increases in the risk of fires and biological invasions. The transitional nature of the Basin between temperate and arid climates involves a risk of irreversible ecosystem change towards more arid states. However, combinations between factors lead to unpredictable ecosystem alteration that goes beyond the particular consequences of drought. Complex global change scenarios should be studied in the Mediterranean and other regions of the world, including interregional studies. Here we show the inherent uncertainty of this complexity, which should be included in any management strategy

Reassessing global change research priorities in mediterranean terrestrial ecosystems : how far have we come and where do we go from here?

Aim: Mediterranean terrestrial ecosystems serve as reference laboratories for the investigation of global change because of their transitional climate, the high spatiotemporal variability of their environmental conditions, a rich and unique biodiversity and a wide range of socio-economic conditions. As scientific development and environmental pressures increase, it is increasingly necessary to evaluate recent progress and to challenge research priorities in the face of global change. - Location: Mediterranean terrestrial ecosystems. - Methods: This article revisits the research priorities proposed in a 1998 assessment. - Results: A new set of research priorities is proposed: (1) to establish the role of the landscape mosaic on fire-spread; (2) to further research the combined effect of different drivers on pest expansion; (3) to address the interaction between drivers of global change and recent forest management practices; (4) to obtain more realistic information on the impacts of global change and ecosystem services; (5) to assess forest mortality events associated with climatic extremes; (6) to focus global change research on identifying and managing vulnerable areas; (7) to use the functional traits concept to study resilience after disturbance; (8) to study the relationship between genotypic and phenotypic diversity as a source of forest resilience; (9) to understand the balance between C storage and water resources; (10) to analyse the interplay between landscape-scale processes and biodiversity conservation; (11) to refine models by including interactions between drivers and socio-economic contexts; (12) to understand forest-atmosphere feedbacks; (13) to represent key mechanisms linking plant hydraulics with landscape hydrology. - Main conclusions:(1) The interactive nature of different global change drivers remains poorly understood. (2) There is a critical need for the rapid development of regional- and global-scale models that are more tightly connected with large-scale experiments, data networks and management practice. (3) More attention should be directed to drought-related forest decline and the current relevance of historical land use