88 research outputs found
Soil water content effects on net ecosystem CO2 exchange and actual evapotranspiration in a Mediterranean semiarid savanna of Central Chile
Biosphere-atmosphere water and carbon fluxes depend on ecosystem structure, and their magnitudes
and seasonal behavior are driven by environmental and biological factors. We studied the seasonal
behavior of net ecosystem CO2 exchange (NEE), Gross Primary Productivity (GPP), Ecosystem
Respiration (RE), and actual evapotranspiration (ETa) obtained by eddy covariance measurements
during two years in a Mediterranean Acacia savanna ecosystem (Acacia caven) in Central Chile. The
annual carbon balance was â53 g C mâ2 in 2011 and â111 g C mâ2 in 2012, showing that the ecosystem
acts as a net sink of CO2, notwithstanding water limitations on photosynthesis observed in this
particularly dry period. Total annual ETa was of 128 mm in 2011 and 139 mm in 2012. Both NEE and ETa
exhibited strong seasonality with peak values recorded in the winter season (July to September), as a
result of ecosystem phenology, soil water content and rainfall occurrence. Consequently, the maximum
carbon assimilation rate occurred in wintertime. Results show that soil water content is a major driver
of GPP and RE, defining their seasonal patterns and the annual carbon assimilation capacity of the
ecosystem, and also modulating the effect that solar radiation and air temperature have on NEE
components at shorter time scales.This work was funded by FONDECYT projects 1120713 and 1170429, a grant from the Inter-American Institute
for Global Change Research (IAI) [grant number CRN3056], which is supported by the US National Science
Foundation [grant number GEO-1128040], and the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness project
GEI Spain (CGL2014-52838-C2-1-R), including ERDF founds. F. Bravo-MartĂnez is grateful to CONICYT for the
grants âFormaciĂłn de Capital Humano Avanzado-2009âČâČ, âBeca de Apoyo al tĂ©rmino de la tesis doctoral-2012âČâČ,
and CORFO INNOVA Grant N° 09CN14-5704. We thank to Enrique PĂ©rez Sanchez-Cañete and Borja RuĂz-
Reverter for technical support. We also thank âCODELCOâDivisiĂłn Andinaâ for use of the site. C. Montes
acknowledges the NASA Postdoctoral Program and to Universities Space Research Association
Climate Change, Habitat Loss, Protected Areas and the Climate Adaptation Potential of Species in Mediterranean Ecosystems Worldwide
Mediterranean climate is found on five continents and supports five global biodiversity hotspots. Based on combined downscaled results from 23 atmosphere-ocean general circulation models (AOGCMs) for three emissions scenarios, we determined the projected spatial shifts in the mediterranean climate extent (MCE) over the next century. Although most AOGCMs project a moderate expansion in the global MCE, regional impacts are large and uneven. The median AOGCM simulation output for the three emissions scenarios project the MCE at the end of the 21st century in Chile will range from 129â153% of its current size, while in Australia, it will contract to only 77â49% of its current size losing an area equivalent to over twice the size of Portugal. Only 4% of the land area within the current MCE worldwide is in protected status (compared to a global average of 12% for all biome types), and, depending on the emissions scenario, only 50â60% of these protected areas are likely to be in the future MCE. To exacerbate the climate impact, nearly one third (29â31%) of the land where the MCE is projected to remain stable has already been converted to human use, limiting the size of the potential climate refuges and diminishing the adaptation potential of native biota. High conversion and low protection in projected stable areas make Australia the highest priority region for investment in climate-adaptation strategies to reduce the threat of climate change to the rich biodiversity of the mediterranean biome
Rapid characterisation of vegetation structure to predict refugia and climate change impacts across a global biodiversity hotspot
Identification of refugia is an increasingly important adaptation strategy in conservation planning under rapid anthropogenic climate change. Granite outcrops (GOs) provide extraordinary diversity, including a wide range of taxa, vegetation types and habitats in the Southwest Australian Floristic Region (SWAFR). However, poor characterization of GOs limits the capacity of conservation planning for refugia under climate change. A novel means for the rapid identification of potential refugia is presented, based on the assessment of local-scale environment and vegetation structure in a wider region. This approach was tested on GOs across the SWAFR. Airborne discrete return Light Detection And Ranging (LiDAR) data and Red Green and Blue (RGB) imagery were acquired. Vertical vegetation profiles were used to derive 54 structural classes. Structural vegetation types were described in three areas for supervised classification of a further 13 GOs across the region.Habitat descriptions based on 494 vegetation plots on and around these GOs were used to quantify relationships between environmental variables, ground cover and canopy height. The vegetation surrounding GOs is strongly related to structural vegetation types (Kappa = 0.8) and to its spatial context. Water gaining sites around GOs are characterized by taller and denser vegetation in all areas. The strong relationship between rainfall, soil-depth, and vegetation structure (R2 of 0.8â0.9) allowed comparisons of vegetation structure between current and future climate. Significant shifts in vegetation structural types were predicted and mapped for future climates. Water gaining areas below granite outcrops were identified as important putative refugia. A reduction in rainfall may be offset by the occurrence of deeper soil elsewhere on the outcrop. However, climate change interactions with fire and water table declines may render our conclusions conservative. The LiDAR-based mapping approach presented enables the integration of site-based biotic assessment with structural vegetation types for the rapid delineation and prioritization of key refugia
Contribution of spatially explicit models to climate change adaptation and mitigation plans for a priority forest habitat
Climate change will impact forest ecosystems, their biodiversity and the livelihoods they sustain. Several adaptation and mitigation strategies to counteract climate change impacts have been proposed for these ecosystems. However, effective implementation of such strategies requires a clear understanding of how climate change will influence the future distribution of forest ecosystems. This study uses maximum entropy modelling (MaxEnt) to predict environmentally suitable areas for cork oak (Quercus suber) woodlands, a socio-economically important forest ecosystem protected by the European Union Habitats Directive. Specifically, we use two climate change scenarios to predict changes in environmental suitability across the entire geographical range of the cork oak and in areas where stands were recently established. Up to 40 % of current environmentally suitable areas for cork oak may be lost by 2070, mainly in northern Africa and southern Iberian Peninsula. Almost 90 % of new cork oak stands are predicted to lose suitability by the end of the century, but future plantations can take advantage of increasing suitability in northern Iberian Peninsula and France. The predicted impacts cross-country borders, showing that a multinational strategy, will be required for cork oak woodland adaptation to climate change. Such a strategy must be regionally adjusted, featuring the protection of refugia sites in southern areas and stimulating sustainable forest management in areas that will keep long-term suitability. Afforestation efforts should also be promoted but must consider environmental suitability and land competition issues
Mediterranean-climate streams and rivers: geographically separated but ecologically comparable freshwater systems
Streams and rivers in mediterranean-climate regions (med-rivers in med-regions) are ecologically unique, with flow regimes reflecting precipitation patterns. Although timing of drying and flooding is predictable, seasonal and annual intensity of these events is not. Sequential flooding and drying, coupled with anthropogenic influences make these med-rivers among the most stressed riverine habitat worldwide. Med-rivers are hotspots for biodiversity in all med-regions. Species in med-rivers require different, often opposing adaptive mechanisms to survive drought and flood conditions or recover from them. Thus, metacommunities undergo seasonal differences, reflecting cycles of river fragmentation and connectivity, which also affect ecosystem functioning. River conservation and management is challenging, and trade-offs between environmental and human uses are complex, especially under future climate change scenarios. This overview of a Special Issue on med-rivers synthesizes information presented in 21 articles covering the five med-regions worldwide: Mediterranean Basin, coastal California, central Chile, Cape region of South Africa, and southwest and southern Australia. Research programs to increase basic knowledge in less-developed med-regions should be prioritized to achieve increased abilities to better manage med-rivers
Crystal structure of 2,6-bis-hydrazinopyridine dihydrate, its tosylate salt and 2,6-bis-(3,5-di-tert-butylpyrazolyl)pyridine
The crystal structures of the new compounds 2,6-bis-hydrazinopyridine dihydrate (2), its tosylate salt (3) and 2,6-bis-(3,5-di-tert-butylpyrazolyl) pyridine (4) were obtained by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Crystallization of 2 occurs in the centrosymmetric monoclinic space group P21/c (No. 14) with a = 9.6218(18), b = 6.7331(12), c = 13.489(3); and ÎČ = 109.292(8)° and Z = 4. Crystallization of 3 occurs in the centrosymmetric monoclinic space group P21/c (No. 14) with a = 26.530(3), b = 16.6456(18), c = 9.9458(10) and ÎČ = 96.828(5) and Z = 8, while 4 crystallizes in P21/n (No. 14) with a = 15.0555(10), b = 10.4496(7), c = 16.9599(12) and ÎČ = 101.480(4) and Z = 4. These are the only structures for any bis-hydrazinopyridines reported to date. Details of the synthesis, structures and spectroscopic results are presented and discussed. © 2005 Springer Science+Business Media, Inc
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