Carbon stocks in a highly fragmented landscape with seasonally dry tropical forest in the Neotropics

Background:Global modeling of carbon storage and sequestration often mischaracterizes unique ecosystems such as the seasonally dry tropical forest of the central region of the Gulf of Mexico,because species diversity is usually underestimated,as is their carbon content.In this study,aboveground and soil carbon stocks were estimated to determine the climate mitigation potential of this highly degraded landscape(<25%of forest cover).Results:Tree species in the study area had carbon content values that were 30%–40%higher than the standard value proposed by the IPCC(i.e.,50%).Tropical oak forest in the region,despite its restricted distribution and low species richness,accounted for the highest mean carbon stocks per unit area.The main factors driving spatial variability in carbon stocks were:maximum precipitation,soil organic matter,clay and silt content.No strong relationship was found between aboveground carbon stocks and soil organic carbon in the study area.Quanti-fication of carbon stocks is an important consideration in the assessment of the conservation value of remnants of native vegetation in human-modified landscapes.Conclusions:This study demonstrates the importance of the highly fragmented tropical dry regions of the Neo-tropics in maintaining landscape functionality and providing key ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration.Our results also highlight how crucial field-based studies are for strengthening the accuracy of global models.Furthermore,this approach reveals the real contribution of ecosystems that are not commonly taken into account in the mitigation of climate change effects.

Contemporary climate infuence on variability patterns of Anadenanthera colubrina var.cebil,a key species in seasonally dry tropical forests

The distribution of many plant species has been shaped by climate changes,and their current phenotypic and genetic variability refect microclimatically suitable habitats.This study relates contemporary climate to variability patterns of phenotypic traits and molecular markers in the Argentinean distribution of Anadenanthera colubrina var.cebil,as well as to identify the most relevant phenotypic trait or molecular marker associated with those patterns.Individuals from four populations in both biogeographic provinces,Paranaense and Yungas,were investigated.Multivariate analyses and multiple linear regressions were carried out to determine relationships among phenotypic traits and nuclear microsatellites,respectively,to climatic variables,and to identify the phenotypic traits as well as nuclear microsatellite loci most sensitive to climate.Two and three clusters of individuals were detected based on genetic and phenotypic data,respectively.Only clusters based on genetic data refected the biogeographic origin of individuals.Reproductive traits were the most relevant indicators of climatic effects.One microsatellite locus Ac41.1 appeared to be non-neutral presenting a strong correlation with climate variable temperature seasonality.Our findings show complex patterns of genetic and phenotypic variability in the Argentinean distribution of A.colubrina var.cebil related to the present or contemporary climate,and provides an example for an integrative approach to better understand climate impact on contemporary genetic and phenotypic variability in light of global climate change.

The Influence of Local Rainy and Dry Seasons on the Diurnal Temperature Range in Nigeria

This study analyzed the impact of the local dry and rainy seasons on diurnal temperature range (DTR), for each major climatic zone of Nigeria namely the tropical monsoon, tropical savannah and semi-arid, using meteorological data from thirteen observation stations for the period 1981 to 2021. DTR was computed from the difference of minimum temperature from maximum temperature and yearly and forty one years’ monthly averages of DTR and rainfall were computed and plotted in different graphs. The overall results from each climatic zone showed that DTR fluctuates with the seasons and there is an inverse relationship between DTR and rainfall whereby the value of DTR decreases as the rainy season approaches but increases as the rainy season departs ushering in the dry season or conversely DTR increases as the dry season approaches and decreases as the dry season departs ushering-in the rainy season. Secondly, the average yearly patterns of rainfall and DTR are roughly and oppositely shaped parabolas where the peak value of rainfall is diametrically opposite to the trough value of DTR and the least or nil volume of rainfall corresponds to the highest value of DTR. Thirdly, due to the yearly seasonal cycle of dry and rainy seasons in Nigeria coupled with the inverse relationship between DTR and Rainfall, the seasonal plot of DTR and rainfall is also cyclic in pattern with DTR cycle lagging 180 degrees with the rainfall cycle and the intersection of the two cycles represents the departure of one season and onset of another season while each half-cycle represents either the dry or rainy season. Fourthly, the dependence of DTR on any season at hand in Nigeria makes DTR season-forcing. This fourth result is underpinned by a result that showed that the 1981 and 2021 patterns of DTR and 1981 and 2021 patterns of rainfall when compared were similar, the differences were in the volume of rainfall which was due to climate change that has taken place over the four decades and which also impacted DTR since DTR varies inversely with rainfall. Finally and notwithstanding the common grounds of the results stated above, the result further showed that each climatic zone of Nigeria reacts differently to the local and global climate changes leading to the magnitude of DTR and the volume of rainfall being different across climatic zones, with rainfall volume and duration decreasing towards the arid North from the Coastal South while contrariwise DTR increases towards the arid North from the Coastal South.

The Drought of Amazonia in 2023-2024

The Amazon basin has experienced an extreme drought that started in the austral summer of 2022-23 and extends into 2024. This drought started earlier than other previous droughts. Although some rain fell during the austral summer, totals remained below average. Higher temperatures during austral winter and spring 2023, which affected most of Central South America, then aggravated drought conditions. This coincided with an intense El Niño and abnormally warm tropical North Atlantic Ocean temperatures since mid-2023. Decreased rainfall across the Amazon basin, negative anomalies in evapotranspiration (derived from latent heat) and soil moisture indicators, as well as increased temperatures during the dry-to-wet transition season, September-October-November (SON) 2023, combined to delay the onset of the wet season in the hydrological year 2023-24 by nearly two months and caused it to be uncharacteristically weak. SON 2023 registered a precipitation deficit of the order of 50 to 100 mm/month, and temperatures +3˚C higher than usual in Amazonia, leading to reduced evapotranspiration and soil moisture indicators. These processes, in turn, determined an exceptionally late onset and a lengthening of the dry season, affecting the 2023-2024 hydrological year. These changes were aggravated by a heat wave from June to December 2023. Drought-heat compound events and their consequences are the most critical natural threats to society. River levels reached record lows, or dried up completely, affecting Amazonian ecosystems. Increased risk of wildfires is another concern exacerbated by these conditions.

Dissolved Organic Matter Features of Three Adjacent Eastern Mediterranean Urbanized Watersheds

Landscape urbanization broadly affects ecosystems in coastal watersheds, but, until now, the influence of nonpoint source urban inputs on dissolved organic matter (DOM) amount, composition, and source is poorly understood. To understand how DOM composition varied with urbanization, fluorescence excitation-emission matrices (EEMs) were determined for urban and non-urban waters from upstream to downstream sites along three adjacent coastal watersheds that flow into the Mediterranean Sea. Two humic DOM fluorescent components (humic-like and fulvic-like peaks) and two proteinic components (tyrosine-like and tryptophane-like peaks) were identified by EEM fluorescence. The results indicated that urbanization had an important influence on DOM concentration and composition, with urban waters having a high degree of DOM variation due to different land uses surrounding each body of water. Urban waters show a higher DOM fluorescence index (FI), the highest fluorescence intensity of protein-like manifested also by BIX values, and a lower value of the humification index (HIX) than non-urban waters which were dominated by allochthonous inputs. In addition, the EEM was compared in dry and wet season where higher DOM amounts and FI appeared in summer due to autochthonous production coming from algae growth compared to allochthonous input from rainfall dominated in wet season. The concentration of DOC increased from upstream to downstream for the three rivers, especially Beirut River. The increase in DOC values was observed in both dry and wet seasons by 39 and 19 times respectively compared to upstream (0.93 - 0.91 mgC/L).

Precipitation Changes in Wet and Dry Seasons over the 20th Century Simulated by Two Versions of the FGOALS Model

Seasonal precipitation changes over the globe during the 20th century simulated by two versions of the Flexible Global Ocean-Atmosphere-Land System （FGOALS） model are assessed. The two model versions differ in terms of their AGCM component, but the remaining parts of the system are almost identical. Both models reasonably reproduce the mean-state features of the timings of the wet and dry seasons and related precipitation amounts, with pattern correlation coefficients of 0.65-0.84 with observations. Globally averaged seasonal precipitation changes are analyzed. The results show that wet sea- sons get wetter and the annual range （precipitation difference between wet and dry seasons） increases during the 20th century in the two models, with positive trends covering most parts of the globe, which is consistent with observations. However, both models show a moistening dry season, which is opposite to observations. Analysis of the globally averaged moisture budget in the historical climate simulations of the two models shows little change in the horizontal moisture advection in both the wet and dry seasons. The globally averaged seasonal precipitation changes are mainly dominated by the changes in evaporation and vertical moisture advection. Evaporation and vertical moisture advection combine to make wet seasons wetter and enhance the annual range. In the dry season, the opposite change of evaporation and vertical moisture advection leads to an insignificant change in precipitation. Vertical moisture advection is the most important term that determines the changes in precipitation, wherein the thermodynamic component is dominant and the dynamic component tends to offset the effect of the thermodynamic component.

Water discharge changes of the Changjiang River downstream Datong during dry season

Based on hydrometric data and extensive investigations on water-extracting projects, this paper presents a preliminary study on water discharge changes between Datong and Xuliujing during dry season. The natural hydrological processes and human factors that influence the water discharge are analyzed with the help of GIS method. The investigations indicate that the water-extracting projects downstream from Datong to Xuliujing had amounted to 64 in number by the end of 2000, with a water-extracting capacity up to 4,626 m 3 /s averaged in a tidal cycle. The water extraction from the Changjiang River has become the most important factor influencing the water discharge downstream Datong during dry season. The potential magnitude in water discharge changes are estimated based on historical records of water extraction and a water balance model. The computational results were calibrated with the actual data. The future trend in changes of water discharge into the sea during dry season was discussed by taking into consideration of newly built hydro-engineering projects. The water extraction downstream Datong in dry season before 2000 had a great influence on discharges into the sea in the extremely dry year like 1978-1979. It produced a net decrease of more than 490 m 3 /s in monthly mean discharges from the Changjiang into the sea. It is expected that the water extraction will continually increase in the coming decades, especially in dry years, when the net decrease in monthly mean water discharge will increase to more than 1000 m 3 /s and will give a far-reaching effect on the changes of water discharge from the Changjiang into the sea.

Nitric Oxide Emission Following Wetting of Dry Soils in Subtropical Humid Forests

Information about soil nitric oxide （NO） emissions from subtropical forests is quite limited, and even less is known about the pulse emission of NO when wetting soils after a long period of dryness. In this study, we measured NO fluxes following wetting of dry soft in a broadleaf forest and a pine forest in subtropical China. Large pulses of NO fluxes were observed after soil wetting in both forests. NO fluxes increased significantly within 0.5 h following wetting in both forests and reached peak 1 and 4 h after soil wetting in the pine forest and the broadleaf forest, respectively. In the broadleaf forest, averaged peak flux of NO pulses was 157 ng N m^-2 s^-1, which was 8 times the flux value before wetting, and in the pine forest, the averaged peak flux was 135 ng N m-2 s 1, which was 15.5 times the flux value before wetting. The total pulses-induced NO emissions during the dry season were roughly estimated to be 29.4 mg N m^-2 in the broadleaf forest and 22.2 mg N m^-2 in the pine forest or made up a proportion of 4.6% of the annual NO emission in the broadleaf forest and 5.3% in the pine forest.

Aerosol Optical Properties and Radiative Impacts in the Pearl River Delta Region of China during the Dry Season

Aerosol optical properties and direct radiative effects on surface irradiance were examined using seven years （2006-2012） of Cimel sunphotometer data collected at Panyu--the main atmospheric composition monitoring station in the Pearl River Delta （PRD） region of China. During the dry season （October to February）, mean values of the aerosol optical depth （AOD） at 550 nm, the Angstrom exponent, and the single scattering albedo at 440 nm （SSA） were 0.54, 1.33 and 0.87, respectively. About 90% of aerosols were dominated by fine-mode strongly absorbing particles. The size distribution was bimodal, with fine-mode particles dominating. The fine mode showed a peak at a radius of 0.12 μm in February and October （- 0.10 μm3 μm-2）. The mean diurnal shortwave direct radiative forcing at the surface, inside the atmosphere （FATM）, and at the top of the atmosphere, was -33.4± 7.0, 26.1 ± 5.6 and -7.3 ±2.7 W m-2, respectively. The corresponding mean values of aerosol direct shortwave radiative forcing per AOD were -60.0 ±7.8, 47.3 ± 8.3 and -12.8 ±3.1 W m-2, respectively. Moreover, during the study period, FATM showed a significant decreasing trend （p 〈 0.01） and SSA increased from 0.87 in 2006 to 0.91 in 2012, suggesting a decreasing trend of absorbing particles being released into the atmosphere. Optical properties and radiative impacts of the absorbing particles can be used to improve the accuracy of inversion algorithms for satellite-based aerosol retrievals in the PRD region and to better constrain the climate effect of aerosols in climate models.

Changes of Dry-wet Climate in the Dry Season in Yunnan(1961-2007)

Factor analysis was used to investigate the changes of dry-wet climate in the dry season in Yunnan during 1961-2007 based on observed data from 15 stations.Three common factors were extracted from the 9 climatic factors.The results showed that the dry-wet climate has evidently changed since the early 1960s.The general trends in the changes of drywet climate were described as slight decrease in humidity and gradual enhancement in drought intensity.The climate during 1960s-1980s was under weak-medium drought.But since early 1990s,dry conditions have markedly strengthened and continued due to uneven temporal distribution of rainfall and climate warming.

Latitudinal patterns of climatic variables and influence of local topography on climatic variables in the dry valleys of southwestern China

Climate is a key factor to determine the pattern of ecosystems;however,the latitudinal patterns of climatic variables in the arid and semiarid areas remain largely unclear when compared to humid areas.The topography of the dry valleys of southwestern China plays an important role in the formation of climate.However,its impact on the climate remains qualitative.In this study,eight climatic variables from 12 meteorological stations were analyzed to explore their latitudinal patterns in the wet and dry seasons from 1961 to 2019.We also quantified the effects of local topography(RH10)on the climatic variables.The results were as follows:sunshine duration,total solar radiation,average temperature,and evaporation decreased significantly,and wind speed increased significantly with increasing latitude in the annual,wet,and dry seasons(P<0.001).Relative humidity and precipitation decreased significantly with increasing latitude in the wet season(P<0.001),and no obvious change pattern was observed in the dry season.Aridity index significantly decreased(toward dryness)with increasing latitude in the wet season and increased in the dry season(P<0.001).Wind speed had a significantly positive relationship with topography(RH10)(P<0.01),whereas precipitation and aridity index were negatively associated with topography in the wet season and positively associated with topography in the dry season.Dryness was positively associated with RH10 in the wet season,and negatively in the dry season.The results of our research could provide new perspectives for understanding the relationship between topography and drought in the dry valleys of southwestern China.

Effects of Dry Season Water Application and a Conservation Method on the Performance of Banana （Musa Spp,） in a Southwestern Nigeria Location

Dry season water application and conservation were studied for two years in Ado Ekiti to evaluate their effects on the performance of plantain Musa spp.. The treatments were： morning watering （MW）, evening watering （EW）, morning and evening watering （MEW）, morning watering ＋ mulch （MW ＋ ML）, evening watering ＋ mulch （EW ＋ ML）, morning and evening watering ＋ mulch （MEW ＋ ML）, mulch （ML） and Control. Height and girth increase, number of green leaves, yield and yield parameters were the highest in the MEW ＋ ML which were identical to those of Evening watering ＋ mulch and morning ＋ evening watering. The evening or morning watering with mulch was identical but showed better performance than those without mulch. The mulched plants and the control showed the least performance. It is therefore recommended that proper water conservation in plantain plantation will improve banana survival during dry season and subsequently increase yield in the study area.

Farm Technical Efficiency under the Seasonal Milk Production of the Dual-Purpose Cattle System in El Salvador

The objective of this research was to calculate the technical efficiency and its determinants in seasonal milk production of dual-purpose cattle system farms of El Salvador （DPCS）. Seasons were classified as rainy （May-October） and dry （November-April）. The stochastic production frontier model through the Cobb-Douglas specification was used to provide the technical efficiency score and its determinants for the production data of the 2009 rainy season and the 2010 dry season of the DPCS farms from South East El Salvador. The results showed that the mean technical efficiency was 14% higher for the dry season than for the rainy season. Moreover, more farms obtained higher efficiency scores in the dry season. In the rainy season, milk production was attributed to labor and farmland, whereas in the dry season, it was attributed to the decrease of herd size. Therefore, we suggest adopting strategies such as increased cow productivity and improved feed quality to increase the overall technical efficiency of DPCS farms.

The Effects of Climate Change and Sea Level Rise on Dry Season Flows in Tien River and Hau River

Tien river and Hau river are two main branches of Cuu Long River which have hydrology regime directly effected by climate change and sea level rise. The flow of the dry season in the Tien and Hau rivers plays a key role in the socio-economic development of the Mekong Delta, especially in agricultural production. The study aims to provide useful information in socio-economic development planning and water use strategies for managers, planners and policymarkers of the provinces/cities in the Mekong Delta. This paper presents the study results in changing of dry season flows in Tien river and Hau river under the impacts of climate change in order to propose measures for protection, substainable development and water security.

Wet and Dry Season Effects on Select Soil Nutrient Contents of Upland Farms in North Bank Region of the Gambia

The study was conducted in three villages of North Bank Region of the Gambia in 2013 and 2014. We examined wet and dry season effects on select soil nutrient contents of upland farms in North Bank Region of the Gambia. The objective was to evaluate changes in soil nutrient contents in both wet and dry seasons. Soil samples were collected from three RCBD upland fields with three replications at a depth of 0 - 15 cm and analyzed for pH, Soil Organic Carbon (SOC), and soil moisture content. The gravimetric method of moisture estimation was used. The results showed that soil moisture content, soil TN, and soil pH are significantly different (P < 0.05) during the two seasons. There was no significant difference in SOC between the two seasons in the study area. The study concluded that soil nutrients were more readily available during the wet season than during the dry season probably because there is more soil moisture available in the wet season that facilitates soil nutrient release. The study concludes that soil moisture has to be available in order for some select soil nutrients to be released for plant uptake.

Effects of climate anomaly on rainfall, groundwater depth, and soil moisture on peatlands in South Sumatra, Indonesia

Climate anomalies can cause natural disasters such as severe fires and floods on peatlands in South Sumatra.Factors that affect the natural disasters on peatlands include rainfall,groundwater level,and soil moisture.This paper aims to study the effect of the climate anomalies in 2019 and 2020 and effects of these influencing factors on peatlands in South Sumatra.The data used in this study was derived from insitu measurement at two SESAME’s measurement stations in the study area.The results indicate that in the 2019 dry season,the rainfall was minimal,the lowest groundwater table depth was-1.14 m and the lowest soil moisture was 3.4%.In the 2020 dry season,rainfall was above the monthly average of 100 mm,the lowest groundwater level was-0.44 m,and the lowest soil moisture was 26.64%.There is also a strong correlation between soil moisture and groundwater table depth.The correlation between the two is stronger when there is less rainfall.

Impacts of livestock grazing on a savanna grassland in Kenya

The dynamics of most rangelands in Kenya remain to be poorly understood. This paper provides baseline information on the response of a semiarid rangeland under different livestock grazing regimes on land inhabited by the Massai people in the east side of Amboseli National Park in Kenya. The data were collected from grasslands designated into four types： （1） grassland from previous Massai settlements that had been abandoned for over twenty years; （2） grassland excluded from livestock grazing for eight years; （3） a dry season grazing area; and （4） a continuous grazing area where grazing occurred throughout all seasons. Collected data included grass species composition, grass height, inter-tuft distance, standing grass biomass and soil characteristics. The results indicated that continuous grazing area in semiarid rangelands exhibited loss of vegetation with negative, long-term effects on grass functional qualities and forage production, whereas grassland that used traditional Maasai grazing methods showed efficiency and desirable effects on the rangelands. The results also showed that abandoned homestead sites, though degraded, were important nutrient reservoirs.

Numerical Simulation of Pollutant Transport and Accumulation Areas in the Hangzhou Bay

Based on the COHERENS model (a coupled hydrodynamic ecological model for regional and shelf seas), a numerical hydrodynamic model of the Hangzhou Bay, influenced by tide, regional winds and freshwater from the Yangtze River and the Qiantangjiang River was established. The Lagrangian particle tracking was simulated to provide tracer trajectories. For convenience, the modeling area was divided into 8 subdomains and the modeling focused on March (dry season) and July (wet season). Numerical simulation and analysis indicate that the tracer trajectories originated in different subdomains are quite different. Most particles released in the mouth of the bay move outside the bay quickly and reach the farthest place at 122.5°E; while particles released in the inner part of the bay mostly remain in the same subdomain, with only minor migrations in two opposite directions along the shore. The tracer experiments also indicate that the northwest region of the bay is an area where pollutant can easily accumulate in both wet and dry seasons, and that the southeast region of the bay is another area for pollutant to accumulate in dry season because it is the main path for the contaminant.

Dynamical Donwscaling for Railroad Areas in Eastern Amazon and Southeastern Brazil:Current Climate and Near-Future Projections

We performed a dynamic downscaling using REGCM4 regional model driven by MPI global model for current (1990/2012) and near-future (2015/2039) climate in order to characterize the seasonal rainfall regimes throughout the railroad areas in eastern Amazon and southeastern Brazil. The analysis of observational data for the current climate indicated the existence of pronounced spatial variations in rainfall regime across railroad regions during both the rainy and dry seasons. Although models have presented generalized underestimation, the regional model showed improvements on spatial representation and intensity of the rainfall in comparison with global model results. We reported the future projections taking into account the correction of simulated rainfall by the values of the biases found in each respective seasonal regime, so that the results are expressed by percentage changes of the future (2015/2037) relative to the current climate patterns. For the railroad in eastern Amazon, projections indicate a weak decrease of rainfall of about -15% in the rainy season (January to May), however during the dry season (June to October) are expected drastic reductions between -70% and -90% in south (Carajás in Pará state) and north (Sao Luis in Maranhao state) portions. Conversely, for the railroad in southeast Brazil, model projections point out for an increased rainfall regime during the rainy season (October to February) around +30% to +40% in the east part of the region over the Espírito Santo state.

Survival and growth of dominant tree seedlings in seasonally tropical dry forests of Yucatan: site and fertilization effects

Aims Seasonally tropical dry forests of the Yucatan Peninsula are typically found in sites with nutrient-poor soils because of the recent geologi-cal origin of the region.The landscape is dominated by extensive karstic plates that shape environments where vegetation regenera-tion through seed germination may be limited by the availability of suitable microsites.In this study,we documented the survival and growth of seedlings from three dominant tree species(Bursera simaruba,Piscidia piscipula and Lysiloma latisiliquum)in seasonally tropical dry forests in Yucatan.Specifically,we evaluated the effect of nutrient addition(N and P,separately and in combination)on seedling survival and growth across three sites with differing levels of precipitation.Methods We conducted a nutrient addition experiment,whereby we estab-lished 12 plots of dimensions 10×10 m(100 m^(2))at each site,from which three plots were randomly selected to receive one of four treatments:N addition,P addition,N and P addition and no nutri-ent addition(controls).Prior to treatment application,in each plot,we planted 10 seedlings of each species in October 2010 and sub-sequently conducted surveys of plant growth and survival every 20 days from November 2010 to April 2011.Important Findings Overall,nutrient addition increased seedling survival and the mag-nitude of this effect was similar among sites.We did not observe an additive effect of the N+P treatment on survival.Similarly,we observed a positive effect of nutrient addition on seedling growth,but this effect was contingent upon site;regarding survival,the effects of N and P on seedling growth were not additive.These results suggest that seedling recruitment and growth in the three dominant species of trees in Yucatan are limited by nutrient avail-ability but that the magnitude of this effect,particularly on seedling growth,is specific for species and site.