Effects of Urbanization on the Quantity Changes of Microbes in Urban-to-rural Gradient Forest Soil

Three typical rural-suburban-urban artificial wetlands Pinus elliottii forest in Nanchang City were selected as research objects to mensurate the soil nutrient content.And the annual average values and seasonal changes of microbes in forest soil were analyzed.The results showed that soil bulk density,total phosphorus （TP） and pH increased,while soil organic carbon （SOC）,total nitrogen （TN） declined with rural-to-urban gradient.At different eco-boundary,annual average values showed that actinomycetes quantity bacteria quantity fungi quantity.Total microbe number was urban suburb rural areas.The number of bacteria and fungi was urban suburbs rural areas,but the number of actinomycetes was suburb urban rural areas.Eco-boundary,season and microbes actinomycetes and fungi reached an extreme significant level （P 0.001）.Bacteria in soil at different eco-boundary had significant effects,but season had no significant effect on bacteria.Eco-boundary and season had a very significant interaction on actinomycetes and fungi （P 0.001）,but they had no significant interaction on bacteria （P 0.05）.Eco-boundary showed significantly positive correlation with actinomycetes and fungi （P 0.001）,but season had no significant corelation with microbes.In conclusion,urbanization process caused the physical-chemical properties changes of forest soil and affected the amount of soil microbes obviously.

Stress-assisted corrosion mechanism of 3Ni steel by using gradient boosting decision tree machining learning method

Traditional 3Ni weathering steel cannot completely meet the requirements for offshore engineering development,resulting in the design of novel 3Ni steel with the addition of microalloy elements such as Mn or Nb for strength enhancement becoming a trend.The stress-assisted corrosion behavior of a novel designed high-strength 3Ni steel was investigated in the current study using the corrosion big data method.The information on the corrosion process was recorded using the galvanic corrosion current monitoring method.The gradi-ent boosting decision tree(GBDT)machine learning method was used to mine the corrosion mechanism,and the importance of the struc-ture factor was investigated.Field exposure tests were conducted to verify the calculated results using the GBDT method.Results indic-ated that the GBDT method can be effectively used to study the influence of structural factors on the corrosion process of 3Ni steel.Dif-ferent mechanisms for the addition of Mn and Cu to the stress-assisted corrosion of 3Ni steel suggested that Mn and Cu have no obvious effect on the corrosion rate of non-stressed 3Ni steel during the early stage of corrosion.When the corrosion reached a stable state,the in-crease in Mn element content increased the corrosion rate of 3Ni steel,while Cu reduced this rate.In the presence of stress,the increase in Mn element content and Cu addition can inhibit the corrosion process.The corrosion law of outdoor-exposed 3Ni steel is consistent with the law based on corrosion big data technology,verifying the reliability of the big data evaluation method and data prediction model selection.

Wettability Gradient-Induced Diode:MXene-Engineered Membrane for Passive-Evaporative Cooling

Thermoregulatory textiles,leveraging high-emissivity structural materials,have arisen as a promising candidate for personal cooling management;however,their advancement has been hindered by the underperformed water moisture transportation capacity,which impacts on their thermophysiological comfort.Herein,we designed a wettability-gradient-induced-diode(WGID)membrane achieving by MXene-engineered electrospun technology,which could facilitate heat dissipation and moisture-wicking transportation.As a result,the obtained WGID membrane could obtain a cooling temperature of 1.5℃ in the“dry”state,and 7.1℃ in the“wet”state,which was ascribed to its high emissivity of 96.40%in the MIR range,superior thermal conductivity of 0.3349 W m^(-1) K^(-1)(based on radiation-and conduction-controlled mechanisms),and unidirectional moisture transportation property.The proposed design offers an approach for meticulously engineering electrospun membranes with enhanced heat dissipation and moisture transportation,thereby paving the way for developing more efficient and comfortable thermoregulatory textiles in a high-humidity microenvironment.

Gradient coil design with enhanced shielding constraint for a cryogen-free superconducting MRI system

The relatively fragile low-temperature stability of cryogen-free superconducting magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)magnets requires the careful management of exogenous heat sources.A strongly shielded gradient magnetic field is important for the optimal operation of cryogen-free MRI systems.In this study,we present an enhanced shielding method incorporating a regionalized stray field constraining strategy.By optimizing the constraint parameters,we could develop engineering-feasible gradient coil schemes without increasing system complexity but with the stray field intensity reduced by half.In real measurement in an integrated MRI system,the developed gradient assembly demonstrated good performance and supported to output images of excellent quality.Our findings suggested that the proposed method could potentially form a useful design paradigm for cryogen-free MRI magnets.

Climate-growth relationships of Pinus tabuliformis along an altitudinal gradient on Baiyunshan Mountain,Central China

A set of standard chronologies for tree-ring width(TRW),earlywood width(EWW)and latewood width(LWW)in Pinus tabuliformis Carr.along an altitudi-nal gradient(1450,1400,and 1350 m a.s.l.)on Baiyunshan Mountain,Central China to analyze the effect of varying temperature and precipitation on growth along the gradi-ent.Correlation analyses showed that at all three altitudes and the TRW and EWW chronologies generally had signifi-cant negative correlations with mean and maximum tem-peratures in the current April and May and with minimum temperatures in the prior July and August,but significant positive correlations with precipitation in the current May.Correlations were generally significantly negative between LWW chronologies and all temperatures in the prior July and August,indicating that the prior summer temperature had a strong lag effect on the growth of P.tabuliformis that increased with altitude.The correlation with the standard-ized precipitation evapotranspiration index(SPEI)confirmed that wet conditions in the current May promoted growth of TR and EW at all altitudes.Significant altitudinal differences were also found;at 1400 m,there were significant positive correlations between EWW chronologies and SPEI in the current April and significant negative correlations between LWW chronologies and SPEI in the current September,but these correlations were not significant at 1450 m.At 1350 m,there were also significant negative correlations between the TRW and the EWW chronologies and SPEI in the prior October and the current July and between LWW chronology and SPEI in the current August,but these cor-relations were not significant at 1400 m.Moving correlation results showed a stable response of EWW in relation to the SPEI in the current May at all three altitudes and of LWW to maximum temperature in the prior July-August at 1400 m from 2002 to 2018.The EWW chronology at 1400 m and the LWW chronology at 1450 m were identified as more suitable for climate reconstruction.These results provide a strong scientific basis for forest management decisions and climate reconstructions in Central China.

A Facile Li_(2)TiO_(3) Surface Modification to Improve the Structure Stability and Electrochemical Performance of Full Concentration Gradient Li-Rich Oxides

Full concentration gradient lithium-rich layered oxides are catching lots of interest as the next generation cathode for lithium-ion batteries due to their high discharge voltage,reduced voltage decay and enhanced rate performance,whereas the high lithium residues on its surface impairs the structure stability and long-term cycle performance.Herein,a facile multifunctional surface modification method is implemented to eliminate surface lithium residues of full concentration gradient lithium-rich layered oxides by a wet chemistry reaction with tetrabutyl titanate and the post-annealing process.It realizes not only a stable Li_(2)TiO_(3)coating layer with 3D diffusion channels for fast Li^(+)ions transfer,but also dopes partial Ti^(4+)ions into the sub-surface region of full concentration gradient lithium-rich layered oxides to further strengthen its crystal structure.Consequently,the modified full concentration gradient lithium-rich layered oxides exhibit improved structure stability,elevated thermal stability with decomposition temperature from 289.57℃to 321.72℃,and enhanced cycle performance(205.1 mAh g^(-1)after 150 cycles)with slowed voltage drop(1.67 mV per cycle).This work proposes a facile and integrated modification method to enhance the comprehensive performance of full concentration gradient lithium-rich layered oxides,which can facilitate its practical application for developing higher energy density lithium-ion batteries.

Synergy of ZnO Nanowire Arrays and Electrospun Membrane Gradient Wrinkles in Piezoresistive Materials for Wide‑Sensing Range and High‑Sensitivity Flexible Pressure Sensor

Flexible pressure sensors have come under the spotlight because of their widespread adoption in human motion detection and human‒machine interactions.However,manufacturing pressure sensors with broad sensing ranges and large sensitivities continues to be a daunting task.Herein,a pressure sensor based on a gradient wrinkled electrospun polyurethane membrane with MXene-embedded ZnO nanowire arrays(ZAGW)was proposed.Under tiny pressure,dramatic increases in the contact area caused by interlocks of MXene-embedded ZnO nanowire arrays contributed to realizing a high sensitivity(236.5 kPa^(−1)).Additionally,the wide-sensing range(0–260 kPa)came from the fact that a wrinkled membrane with a gradient contact height ensured a continuous contact area change by gradually activating contact wrinkles.Meanwhile,the contact states of the gradient wrinkled membrane at varying pressures were investigated to expound the sensing mechanism of the ZAGW sensor.These exceptional performances enabled the ZAGW sensor to have vast application potential in human motion monitoring and tactile sensing.Furthermore,the ZAGW sensor can be integrated into the sensor array to monitor the pressure distribution.Considering the outstanding performance,the combination of ZnO nanowire arrays and electrospun membrane gradient wrinkles provides an innovative avenue for future sensing research.

Analysis of piezoelectric semiconductor fibers under gradient temperature changes

Piezoelectric semiconductors(PSs)possess both semiconducting properties and piezoelectric coupling effects,making them optimal building blocks for semiconductor devices.PS fiber-like structures have wide applications in multi-functional semiconductor devices.In this paper,a one-dimensional(1D)theoretical model is established to describe the piezotronic responses of a PS fiber under gradient temperature changes.The theoretical model aims to explain the mechanism behind the resistance change caused by such gradient temperature changes.Numerical results demonstrate that a gradient temperature change significantly affects the physical fields within the PS fiber,and can induce changes in its surface resistance.It provides important theoretical guidance on the development of piezotronic devices that are sensitive to temperature effects.

Distribution law and susceptibility of geohazards across a gradient belt of the Western Sichuan Plateau

Across a gradient belt of the Western Sichuan Plateau,geohazards have seriously limited economic and social development.According to incomplete statistics,15,673 geohazards have been recorded in the study area.In order to mitigate the threat of geohazards to human engineering activities in the region,an overall understanding of the distribution pattern of geohazards and susceptibility assessment are necessary.In this paper,a gradient belt of the Western Sichuan Plateau and its zoning criteria were defined.Subsequently,on the basis of relief amplitude,distance to faults,rainfall,and human activities,three indicators of endogenic process were introduced:Bouguer gravity anomaly gradient,vertical deformation gradient,and horizontal deformation gradient.Thereafter,the distribution patterns of geohazards were investigated through mathematical statistics and ArcGIS software.By randomly selecting 10,449 hazards,a geohazard susceptibility map was generated using the Information Value(IV)model.Finally,the IV model was validated against 5224 hazards using the Area Under Curve(AUC)method.The results show that 47.6%of the geohazards were distributed in the zone of steep slope.Geohazards showed strong responses to distance to faults,human activities,and annual rainfall.The distribution of geohazards in the gradient belt of the Western Sichuan Plateau is more sensitive to vertical internal dynamics factors(such as vertical deformation gradient and Bouguer gravity anomaly gradient)without any apparent sensitivity to horizontal internal dynamics factors.The areas of high and very-high risk account for up to 32.22%,mainly distributed in the Longmenshan and Anning River faults.According to the AUC plot,the success rate of the IV model for generating the susceptibility map is 76%.This susceptibility map and geohazard distribution pattern can provide a reference for geological disaster monitoring,preparation of post-disaster emergency measures,and town planning.

Inverse gradient nanostructure through gradient cold rolling demonstrated with superelasticity improvement in Ti-50.3Ni shape memory alloy

Gradient nanostructured(GNS)metallic materials are commonly achieved by gradient severe plastic de-formation with a gradient of nano-to micro-sized structural units from the surface/boundaries to the center.Certainly,such GNS can be inversely positioned,which however has not yet been reported.The present work reports a facile method in deformation gradient control to attain inverse gradient nanostructured(iGNS),i.e.,tailoring the cross-section shape,successfully demonstrated in Ti-50.3Ni shape memory alloy(SMA)wire through cold rolling.The microstructure of the rolled wire is characterized by a macroscopic inverse gradient from boundaries to the center—the average sizes of grain and martensite domain evolve from micrometer to nanometer scale.The iGNS leads to a gradient martensitic transforma-tion upon stress,which has been proved to be effectively reversible via in-situ bending scanning electron microscopy(SEM)observations.The iGNS Ti-50.3Ni SMA exhibits quasi-linear superelasticity(SE)in a wide temperature range from 173 to 423 K.Compared to uniform cold rolling,the gradient cold rolling with less overall plasticity further improves SE strain(up to 4.8%)and SE efficiency.In-situ tensiling synchrotron X-ray diffraction(SXRD)analysis reveals the underlying mechanisms of the unique SE in the iGNS SMAs.It provides a new design strategy to realize excellent SE in SMAs and sheds light on the advanced GNS metallic materials.

Ionic Power Generation on a Scalable Cellulose@polypyrrole Membrane:The Role of Water and Thermal Gradients

The integration of ionic power generation with solar-driven water evaporation presents a promising solution to the critical global problems of freshwater scarcity and clean energy deficiency.In this work,a scalable normal temperature chemical vapor deposition(CVD)method is applied for the first time to the fabrication of a cellulose@polypyrrole(CC@PPy)membrane with efficient ionic power generation performance.The excellent ionic power generation is intimately related to the water and thermal gradients across the membrane,which not only induces fast water evaporation but also synergistically promotes the transport of counterions in charged nanochannels,and the corresponding mechanism is attributed to the streaming potential resulting from the ionic electrokinetic effect and the ionic thermoelectric potential originating from the Soret effect.Under one sun illumination,the CC@PPy film can produce a sustained voltage output of~0.7 V and a water evaporation rate up to 1.67 kg m^(−2)h^(−1)when an adequate water supply is available.This study provides new methods for the scalable fabrication of ionic power generation membranes and a design strategy for high-performance solar power generators.

Policy Gradient Adaptive Dynamic Programming for Model-Free Multi-Objective Optimal Control

Dear Editor,In this letter,the multi-objective optimal control problem of nonlinear discrete-time systems is investigated.A data-driven policy gradient algorithm is proposed in which the action-state value function is used to evaluate the policy.In the policy improvement process,the policy gradient based method is employed.

Stochastic Gradient Compression for Federated Learning over Wireless Network

As a mature distributed machine learning paradigm,federated learning enables wireless edge devices to collaboratively train a shared AI-model by stochastic gradient descent(SGD).However,devices need to upload high-dimensional stochastic gradients to edge server in training,which cause severe communication bottleneck.To address this problem,we compress the communication by sparsifying and quantizing the stochastic gradients of edge devices.We first derive a closed form of the communication compression in terms of sparsification and quantization factors.Then,the convergence rate of this communicationcompressed system is analyzed and several insights are obtained.Finally,we formulate and deal with the quantization resource allocation problem for the goal of minimizing the convergence upper bound,under the constraint of multiple-access channel capacity.Simulations show that the proposed scheme outperforms the benchmarks.

Designing Symmetric Gradient Honeycomb Structures with Carbon‑Coated Iron‑Based Composites for High‑Efficiency Microwave Absorption

The impedance matching of absorbers is a vital factor affecting their microwave absorption(MA)properties.In this work,we controllably synthesized Material of Institute Lavoisier 88C(MIL-88C)with varying aspect ratios(AR)as a precursor by regulating oil bath conditions,followed by one-step thermal decomposition to obtain carbon-coated iron-based composites.Modifying the precursor MIL-88C(Fe)preparation conditions,such as the molar ratio between metal ions and organic ligands(M/O),oil bath temperature,and oil bath time,influenced the phases,graphitization degree,and AR of the derivatives,enabling low filler loading,achieving well-matched impedance,and ensuring outstanding MA properties.The MOF-derivatives 2(MD_(2))/polyvinylidene Difluoride(PVDF),MD_(3)/PVDF,and MD4/PVDF absorbers all exhibited excellent MA properties with optimal filler loadings below 20 wt%and as low as 5 wt%.The MD_(2)/PVDF(5 wt%)achieved a maximum effective absorption bandwidth(EAB)of 5.52 GHz(1.90 mm).The MD_(3)/PVDF(10 wt%)possessed a minimum reflection loss(RL_(min))value of−67.4 at 12.56 GHz(2.13 mm).A symmetric gradient honeycomb structure(SGHS)was constructed utilizing the high-frequency structure simulator(HFSS)to further extend the EAB,achieving an EAB of 14.6 GHz and a RL_(min) of−59.0 dB.This research offers a viable inspiration to creating structures or materials with high-efficiency MA properties.

Distribution of plant species along the elevation gradient in Pangi, a high altitude and remote eco-region in Western Himalaya, India

The Himalayan high-altitude eco-regions exhibit higher plant species diversity, and several environmental factors play a crucial role in shaping species distribution and diversity. The aim of the present study is to investigate the floristic composition, distribution of endemic, threatened and native taxa across the elevation zones and the effect of various environmental factors on species richness pattern along the elevation gradient in Pangi, a remote highaltitude region of Himalaya. We conducted extensive field surveys covering 31 localities and established elevational transects for assessing species distribution and the factors affecting thereof. Additionally, information on nativity, endemism, and IUCN red-list categories of threatened species were compiled from published and online resources. Data were analysed using regression model and Non-Metric MultiDimensional Scaling(NMDS). In the present study, we recorded a total of 771 plant species across the region. In regression model, the elevation and anthropogenic variables and their interaction showed significant negative effects on the species richness. Species richness was found to decrease with the increasing elevation, showing a humped shaped pattern, with maximum richness observed in the mid-elevations(2,400m to 3,300m above sea level). The pattern of distribution of native and non-native species along the elevation gradient showed opposite trends, and proportion of native species increased towards the higher elevations. Further, NMDS ordination suggests that zone-Ⅰ(2,100-2,500m asl) and zone-Ⅴ(4,001-4,500m asl) had highest differences in species composition, while zone-Ⅰ, zone-Ⅱ(2,501-3,000m asl), and zone-Ⅲ(3,001-3,500m asl) showed higher affinity with respect to their species composition. Thus, the present study revealed that remote and hitherto un-explored Pangi eco-region is rich in floristic diversity and provides pertinent information on the species distribution and composition, and various underlying factors influencing the richness patterns, which is necessary for framing suitable conservation strategies, management plans and futuristic population studies.

Balanced strength and ductility by asymmetric gradient nanostructure in AZ91 Mg alloy

High-strength Mg alloys have historically suffered from a challenge in achieving good ductility.Here,we report an asymmetric gradient nanostructure design prepared by ultrasonic severe surface rolling(USSR)at room temperature.Unlike conventional gradient-nanostructured materials that employ a hard-soft-hard sandwich structure,this new design incorporates a combined gradient distribution of grain microstructure and nanoprecipitates throughout the entire sample along the thickness direction.The nanoprecipitates are identified as theβ-Mg_(17)Al_(12)phase and are primarily generated through In-situ pre-cipitation promoted by the USSR-induced high-density dislocations and temperature increment.Benefit-ing from this unique microstructure,an outstanding strength-ductility synergy is achieved,with a yield strength of 372.8 MPa,an ultimate tensile strength of 453.3 MPa,and an elongation of 11.5%.The en-hanced strength can be attributed to several mechanisms,including grain boundary strengthening,dislocation strengthening,precipitation strengthening,twin strengthening,and hetero-deformation induced(HDI)strengthening.The HDI hardening and activation of multiple deformation modes also contribute to good ductility.This work provides a promising and effective method for overcoming the longstanding strength-ductility trade-offdilemma in Mg alloys.

Droplet Self-Driven Characteristics on Wedge-Shaped Surface with Composite Gradients:A Molecular Dynamics Study

The self-driven behavior of droplets on a functionalized surface,coupled with wetting gradient and wedge patterns,is systematically investigated using molecular dynamics(MD)simulations.The effects of key factors,including wedge angle,wettability,and wetting gradient,on the droplet self-driving effect is revealed from the nanoscale.Results indicate that the maximum velocity of droplets on hydrophobic wedge-shaped surfaces increases with the wedge angle,accompanied by a rapid attenuation of driving force;however,the average velocity decreases with the increased wedge angle.Conversely,droplet movement on hydrophilic wedge-shaped surfaces follows the opposite trend,particularly in terms of average velocity compared to the hydrophobic case.Both wedge-shaped and composite gradient wedge-shaped surfaces are found to induce droplet motion,with droplets exhibiting higher speeds and distances on hydrophobic surfaces compared to hydrophilic surfaces,regardless of surface type.Importantly,the inclusion of wettability gradients significantly influences droplet motion,with hydrophobic composite gradient wedge-shaped surfaces showing considerable improvements in droplet speed and distance compared to their hydrophilic counterparts.By combining suitable wettability gradients with wedge-shaped surfaces,the limitations inherent in the wettability gradient range and wedge-shaped configuration can be mitigated,thereby enhancing droplet speed and distance.The findings presented in this paper offer valuable insights for the design of advanced functional surfaces tailored for manipulating droplets in real-world applications.

Bioinspired Multifunctional Self-Sensing Actuated Gradient Hydrogel for Soft-Hard Robot Remote Interaction

The development of bioinspired gradient hydrogels with self-sensing actuated capabilities for remote interaction with soft-hard robots remains a challenging endeavor. Here, we propose a novel multifunctional self-sensing actuated gradient hydrogel that combines ultrafast actuation and high sensitivity for remote interaction with robotic hand. The gradient network structure, achieved through a wettability difference method involving the rapid precipitation of MoO_(2) nanosheets, introduces hydrophilic disparities between two sides within hydrogel. This distinctive approach bestows the hydrogel with ultrafast thermo-responsive actuation(21° s^(-1)) and enhanced photothermal efficiency(increase by 3.7 ℃ s^(-1) under 808 nm near-infrared). Moreover, the local cross-linking of sodium alginate with Ca^(2+) endows the hydrogel with programmable deformability and information display capabilities. Additionally, the hydrogel exhibits high sensitivity(gauge factor 3.94 within a wide strain range of 600%), fast response times(140 ms) and good cycling stability. Leveraging these exceptional properties, we incorporate the hydrogel into various soft actuators, including soft gripper, artificial iris, and bioinspired jellyfish, as well as wearable electronics capable of precise human motion and physiological signal detection. Furthermore, through the synergistic combination of remarkable actuation and sensitivity, we realize a self-sensing touch bioinspired tongue. Notably, by employing quantitative analysis of actuation-sensing, we realize remote interaction between soft-hard robot via the Internet of Things. The multifunctional self-sensing actuated gradient hydrogel presented in this study provides a new insight for advanced somatosensory materials, self-feedback intelligent soft robots and human–machine interactions.

Local Adaptive Gradient Variance Attack for Deep Fake Fingerprint Detection

In recent years,deep learning has been the mainstream technology for fingerprint liveness detection(FLD)tasks because of its remarkable performance.However,recent studies have shown that these deep fake fingerprint detection(DFFD)models are not resistant to attacks by adversarial examples,which are generated by the introduction of subtle perturbations in the fingerprint image,allowing the model to make fake judgments.Most of the existing adversarial example generation methods are based on gradient optimization,which is easy to fall into local optimal,resulting in poor transferability of adversarial attacks.In addition,the perturbation added to the blank area of the fingerprint image is easily perceived by the human eye,leading to poor visual quality.In response to the above challenges,this paper proposes a novel adversarial attack method based on local adaptive gradient variance for DFFD.The ridge texture area within the fingerprint image has been identified and designated as the region for perturbation generation.Subsequently,the images are fed into the targeted white-box model,and the gradient direction is optimized to compute gradient variance.Additionally,an adaptive parameter search method is proposed using stochastic gradient ascent to explore the parameter values during adversarial example generation,aiming to maximize adversarial attack performance.Experimental results on two publicly available fingerprint datasets show that ourmethod achieves higher attack transferability and robustness than existing methods,and the perturbation is harder to perceive.

Changes of growth-climate relationships of Smith fir forests along an altitudinal gradient

Temporal changes in the relationship between tree growth and climate have been observed in numerous forests across the world.The patterns and the possible regu-lators(e.g.,forest community structure)of such changes are,however,not well understood.A vegetation survey and analyses of growth-climate relationships for Abies georgei var.Smithii(Smith fir)forests were carried along an altitudi-nal gradient from 3600 to 4200 m on Meili Snow Mountain,southeastern Tibetan Plateau.The results showed that the associations between growth and temperature have declined since the 1970s over the whole transect,while response to standardized precipitation-evapotranspiration indices(SPEI)strengthened in the mid-and lower-transect.Comparison between growth and vegetation data showed that tree growth was more sensitive to drought in stands with higher species richness and greater shrub cover.Drought stress on growth may be increased by heavy competition from shrub and herb layers.These results show the non-stationary nature of tree growth-climate associations and the linkage to for-est community structures.Vegetation components should be considered in future modeling and forecasting of forest dynamics in relation to climate changes.