scholarly journals Poleward and vertical migration of animals under climate change highlights possible environmental effects on social behaviour

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wenfa Ng
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Nutrient Availability ◽  
Neural Development ◽  
Environmental Conditions ◽  
Social Behaviour ◽  
Animal Species ◽  
Specific Area ◽  
Food Sources ◽  
Polar Regions ◽  
Foraging Patterns

Temperature rise from climate change may completely change geological landscapes and environmental conditions at habitats previously conducive for specific animal species. Together with increasing difficulty in coping with greater fluctuations in temperature between seasons as well as reduced or enhanced precipitations in areas normally accustomed to consistent patterns of rainfall, variation in nutrient availability is another significant factor impacting on the survivability of animals in a specific area, particularly those in the mid-latitudes and on mountain slopes. Thus, prompted by the lack of nutrients or availability of water arising from climatic changes, many warm and cold-blooded species may migrate towards polar regions as well as higher altitudes of mountains in search of more habitable conditions. Such migrations open up myriad research opportunities into understanding how predators and prey adapt to changes in environmental factors and nutrient availability under climate change, which is accelerating in the polar regions. Specifically, predators and prey may differentially move to different locales with predators having to adapt to new food sources or change their foraging patterns, which, in turn, may impact on their social behaviours on parenting and hunting habits. An example would be lack of food sources prompting predators high in the food chain to adapt by having fewer offsprings, switching to available but less nutritious food, as well as changing foraging patterns. On the other hand, prey may use changes in geological formations between habitats to adapt their breeding patterns as well as foraging activities; for example, using camouflage available in the new environment to better protect their young from new and old predators. Similarly, species on the vertical transect of mountains would also move to higher altitudes to adapt to heat from global warming, or execute a poleward movement in search of more conducive habitats. Altogether, many interesting research directions are awaiting exploration as animal species move towards the poles or higher altitudes on mountains, prompted by rising temperatures that changed environmental conditions and nutrient availability. Mass migrations such as these may potentially unsettle entire ecosystems as species able to adapt to higher temperatures benefit from reduced competition, while those choosing the migratory path face an uncertain future in finding a habitable niche similar to the abandoned one, as well as ability to adapt to the new locale in foraging behaviour, breeding patterns and social behaviour. Possible changes in social behaviour is one significant area for understanding how climate change induced migration exert a selection pressure on animal behaviour and neural development. Interested researchers can expand on the ideas presented in this abstract preprint.

scholarly journals Poleward and vertical migration of animals under climate change highlights possible environmental effects on social behaviour

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wenfa Ng
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Nutrient Availability ◽  
Neural Development ◽  
Environmental Conditions ◽  
Social Behaviour ◽  
Animal Species ◽  
Specific Area ◽  
Food Sources ◽  
Polar Regions ◽  
Foraging Patterns

Temperature rise from climate change may completely change geological landscapes and environmental conditions at habitats previously conducive for specific animal species. Together with increasing difficulty in coping with greater fluctuations in temperature between seasons as well as reduced or enhanced precipitations in areas normally accustomed to consistent patterns of rainfall, variation in nutrient availability is another significant factor impacting on the survivability of animals in a specific area, particularly those in the mid-latitudes and on mountain slopes. Thus, prompted by the lack of nutrients or availability of water arising from climatic changes, many warm and cold-blooded species may migrate towards polar regions as well as higher altitudes of mountains in search of more habitable conditions. Such migrations open up myriad research opportunities into understanding how predators and prey adapt to changes in environmental factors and nutrient availability under climate change, which is accelerating in the polar regions. Specifically, predators and prey may differentially move to different locales with predators having to adapt to new food sources or change their foraging patterns, which, in turn, may impact on their social behaviours on parenting and hunting habits. An example would be lack of food sources prompting predators high in the food chain to adapt by having fewer offsprings, switching to available but less nutritious food, as well as changing foraging patterns. On the other hand, prey may use changes in geological formations between habitats to adapt their breeding patterns as well as foraging activities; for example, using camouflage available in the new environment to better protect their young from new and old predators. Similarly, species on the vertical transect of mountains would also move to higher altitudes to adapt to heat from global warming, or execute a poleward movement in search of more conducive habitats. Altogether, many interesting research directions are awaiting exploration as animal species move towards the poles or higher altitudes on mountains, prompted by rising temperatures that changed environmental conditions and nutrient availability. Mass migrations such as these may potentially unsettle entire ecosystems as species able to adapt to higher temperatures benefit from reduced competition, while those choosing the migratory path face an uncertain future in finding a habitable niche similar to the abandoned one, as well as ability to adapt to the new locale in foraging behaviour, breeding patterns and social behaviour. Possible changes in social behaviour is one significant area for understanding how climate change induced migration exert a selection pressure on animal behaviour and neural development. Interested researchers can expand on the ideas presented in this abstract preprint.

scholarly journals A Worm's World: Ecological Flexibility Pays Off for Free-Living Nematodes in Sediments and Soils

BioScience ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 69 (11) ◽  
pp. 867-876 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michaela Schratzberger ◽  
Martijn Holterman ◽  
Dick van Oevelen ◽  
Johannes Helder
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Conditions ◽  
Food Sources ◽  
Polar Regions ◽  
Soil Processes ◽  
Free Living ◽  
Ecological Flexibility ◽  
Ecological Success ◽  
The Tropics ◽  
Animal Communities ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Free-living nematodes, an ancient animal phylum of unsegmented microscopic roundworms, have successfully adapted to nearly every ecosystem on Earth: from marine and freshwater to land, from the polar regions to the tropics, and from the mountains to the ocean depths. They are globally the most abundant animals in sediments and soils. In the present article, we identify the factors that collectively explain the successful ecological proliferation of free-living nematodes and demonstrate the impact they have on vital sediment and soil processes. The ecological success of nematodes is strongly linked to their ability to feed on various food sources that are present in both sediments and soils, and to proliferate rapidly and survive in contrasting environmental conditions. The adaptations, roles, and behaviors of free-living nematodes have important implications for the resilience of sediments and soils, and for emergent animal communities responding to human alterations to ecosystems worldwide.

Dissolved oxygen and temperature best predict deep-sea fish community structure in the Gulf of California with climate change implications

2020 ◽  
Vol 637 ◽  
pp. 159-180
Author(s):  
ND Gallo ◽  
M Beckwith ◽  
CL Wei ◽  
LA Levin ◽  
L Kuhnz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Community Structure ◽  
Community Composition ◽  
Environmental Conditions ◽  
Deep Sea ◽  
Gulf Of California ◽  
Fish Community ◽  
Demersal Fish ◽  
Fish Community Structure ◽  
Explained Variance

Natural gradient systems can be used to examine the vulnerability of deep-sea communities to climate change. The Gulf of California presents an ideal system for examining relationships between faunal patterns and environmental conditions of deep-sea communities because deep-sea conditions change from warm and oxygen-rich in the north to cold and severely hypoxic in the south. The Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) remotely operated vehicle (ROV) ‘Doc Ricketts’ was used to conduct seafloor video transects at depths of ~200-1400 m in the northern, central, and southern Gulf. The community composition, density, and diversity of demersal fish assemblages were compared to environmental conditions. We tested the hypothesis that climate-relevant variables (temperature, oxygen, and primary production) have more explanatory power than static variables (latitude, depth, and benthic substrate) in explaining variation in fish community structure. Temperature best explained variance in density, while oxygen best explained variance in diversity and community composition. Both density and diversity declined with decreasing oxygen, but diversity declined at a higher oxygen threshold (~7 µmol kg-1). Remarkably, high-density fish communities were observed living under suboxic conditions (<5 µmol kg-1). Using an Earth systems global climate model forced under an RCP8.5 scenario, we found that by 2081-2100, the entire Gulf of California seafloor is expected to experience a mean temperature increase of 1.08 ± 1.07°C and modest deoxygenation. The projected changes in temperature and oxygen are expected to be accompanied by reduced diversity and related changes in deep-sea demersal fish communities.

scholarly journals In Silico Characterization of Toxin-Antitoxin Systems in Campylobacter Isolates Recovered from Food Sources and Sporadic Human Illness

Genes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 72
Author(s):  
Bishoy Wadie ◽  
Mohamed A. Abdel-Fattah ◽  
Alshymaa Yousef ◽  
Shaimaa F. Mouftah ◽  
Mohamed Elhadidy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Conditions ◽  
In Silico ◽  
Antimicrobial Agents ◽  
Food Sources ◽  
Model Organisms ◽  
Food Borne ◽  
Food Borne Illness ◽  
Human Illness ◽  
Clonal Population Structure ◽  
In Silico Characterization

Campylobacter spp. represents the most common cause of gastroenteritis worldwide with the potential to cause serious sequelae. The ability of Campylobacter to survive stressful environmental conditions has been directly linked with food-borne illness. Toxin-antitoxin (TA) modules play an important role as defense systems against antimicrobial agents and are considered an invaluable strategy harnessed by bacterial pathogens to survive in stressful environments. Although TA modules have been extensively studied in model organisms such as Escherichia coli K12, the TA landscape in Campylobacter remains largely unexplored. Therefore, in this study, a comprehensive in silico screen of 111 Campylobacter (90 C.jejuni and 21 C.coli) isolates recovered from different food and clinical sources was performed. We identified 10 type II TA systems belonging to four TA families predicted in Campylobacter genomes. Furthermore, there was a significant association between the clonal population structure and distribution of TA modules; more specifically, most (12/13) of the Campylobacter isolates belonging to ST-21 isolates possess HicB-HicA TA modules. Finally, we observed a high degree of shared synteny among isolates bearing certain TA systems or even coexisting pairs of TA systems. Collectively, these findings provide useful insights about the distribution of TA modules in a heterogeneous pool of Campylobacter isolates from different sources, thus developing a better understanding regarding the mechanisms by which these pathogens survive stressful environmental conditions, which will further aid in the future designing of more targeted antimicrobials.

scholarly journals Regulation of Seed Dormancy and Germination Mechanisms in a Changing Environment

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 1357
Author(s):  
Ewelina A. Klupczyńska ◽  
Tomasz A. Pawłowski
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Seed Germination ◽  
Seed Dormancy ◽  
Environmental Conditions ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Plant Evolution ◽  
Suitable Habitat ◽  
Climate Change Scenarios ◽  
Adaptation Mechanism ◽  
Seed Dormancy And Germination

Environmental conditions are the basis of plant reproduction and are the critical factors controlling seed dormancy and germination. Global climate change is currently affecting environmental conditions and changing the reproduction of plants from seeds. Disturbances in germination will cause disturbances in the diversity of plant communities. Models developed for climate change scenarios show that some species will face a significant decrease in suitable habitat area. Dormancy is an adaptive mechanism that affects the probability of survival of a species. The ability of seeds of many plant species to survive until dormancy recedes and meet the requirements for germination is an adaptive strategy that can act as a buffer against the negative effects of environmental heterogeneity. The influence of temperature and humidity on seed dormancy status underlines the need to understand how changing environmental conditions will affect seed germination patterns. Knowledge of these processes is important for understanding plant evolution and adaptation to changes in the habitat. The network of genes controlling seed dormancy under the influence of environmental conditions is not fully characterized. Integrating research techniques from different disciplines of biology could aid understanding of the mechanisms of the processes controlling seed germination. Transcriptomics, proteomics, epigenetics, and other fields provide researchers with new opportunities to understand the many processes of plant life. This paper focuses on presenting the adaptation mechanism of seed dormancy and germination to the various environments, with emphasis on their prospective roles in adaptation to the changing climate.

scholarly journals The Impact of Different Environmental Conditions during Vegetative Propagation on Growth, Survival, and Biochemical Characteristics in Populus Hybrids in Clonal Field Trial

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 892
Author(s):  
Valda Gudynaitė-Franckevičienė ◽  
Alfas Pliūra
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Phenotypic Plasticity ◽  
Environmental Conditions ◽  
Vegetative Propagation ◽  
Genotypic Variation ◽  
Hybrid Poplar ◽  
Field Trials ◽  
Biochemical Traits ◽  
Suburban Areas ◽  
Growing Conditions

To have a cleaner environment, good well-being, and improve the health of citizens it is necessary to expand green urban and suburban areas using productive and adapted material of tree species. The quality of urban greenery, resistance to negative climate change factors and pollution, as well as efficiency of short-rotation forestry in suburban areas, depends primarily on the selection of hybrids and clones, suitable for the local environmental conditions. We postulate that ecogenetic response, phenotypic plasticity, and genotypic variation of hybrid poplars (Populus L.) grown in plantations are affected not only by the peculiarities of hybrids and clones, but also by environmental conditions of their vegetative propagation. The aim of the present study was to estimate growth and biochemical responses, the phenotypic plasticity, genotypic variation of adaptive traits, and genetically regulated adaptability of Populus hybrids in field trials which may be predisposed by the simulated contrasting temperature conditions at their vegetative propagation phase. The research was performed with the 20 cultivars and experimental clones of one intraspecific cross and four different interspecific hybrids of poplars propagated under six contrasting temperature regimes in phytotron. The results suggest that certain environmental conditions during vegetative propagation not only have a short-term effect on tree viability and growth, but also can help to adapt to climate change conditions and grow successfully in the long-term. It was found that tree growth and biochemical traits (the chlorophyll A and B, pigments content and the chlorophyll A/B ratio) of hybrid poplar clones grown in field trials, as well as their traits’ genetic parameters, were affected by the rooting-growing conditions during vegetative propagation phase. Hybrids P. balsamifera × P. trichocarpa, and P. trichocarpa × P. trichocarpa have shown the most substantial changes of biochemical traits across vegetative propagation treatments in field trial. Rooting-growing conditions during vegetative propagation had also an impact on coefficients of genotypic variation and heritability in hybrid poplar clones when grown in field trials.

scholarly journals Ecosystem-Based Adaptation to Protect Avian Species in Coastal Communities in the Greater Niagara Region, Canada

Climate ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 91
Author(s):  
Samantha Gauthier ◽  
Bradley May ◽  
Liette Vasseur
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Coral Reefs ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Scientific Literature ◽  
Specific Area ◽  
Coastal Ecosystems ◽  
Coastal Communities ◽  
Living Shorelines ◽  
Human Wellbeing ◽  
Living Shoreline

Coastal communities are increasingly vulnerable to climate change and its effects may push coastal ecosystems to undergo irreversible changes. This is especially true for shorebirds with the loss of biodiversity and resource-rich habitats to rest, refuel, and breed. To protect these species, it is critical to conduct research related to nature-based Solutions (NbS). Through a scoping review of scientific literature, this paper initially identified 85 articles with various ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) strategies that could help conserve shorebird populations and promote ecotourism. Of these 85 articles, 28 articles had EbA strategies that were examined, with some like coral reefs and mangroves eliminated as they were inappropriate for this region. The scoping review identified four major EbA strategies for the Greater Niagara Region with living shorelines and beach nourishment being the most suitable, especially when combined. These strategies were then evaluated against the eight core principles of nature-based solutions protecting shorebird as well as human wellbeing. Living shoreline strategy was the only one that met all eight NbS principles. As the coastline of the region greatly varies in substrate and development, further research will be needed to decide which EbA strategies would be appropriate for each specific area to ensure their efficacy.

Current Threats to the Environmental Conditions in Cities of the Eastern Mediterranean

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manfred A. Lange
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Environmental Conditions ◽  
Heat Waves ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean ◽  
Middle Eastern ◽  
Liquid Waste ◽  
Dust Storms ◽  
Urban Structures ◽  
Space Cooling

&lt;p&gt;The environmental conditions in urban settings are subject to processes and conditions within cities, on the one hand, and have a strong bearing on the overall conditions and the quality of life of the cities&amp;#8217; inhabitants, on the other. The built environment, in general, and buildings and infrastructure, in particular, play a major role in shaping the urban environment. At the same time, environmental conditions affect strongly the conditions within and outside of buildings.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The continued growth of cities in the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle Eastern (EMME) region, the demise of environmental quality adds to the challenges faced by their inhabitants. Of the many factors contributing to these threats, climate change and its amplification in urban structures, the increasing load of pollutants in air and water and the rising numbers of dust storms as well as the growing amount of solid and liquid waste stand out.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The significant increase in the number of cars and the rising quantity of energy production has contributed to ever-worsening air quality in EMME cities. More specifically, urban road transport represents one of the major sources of air-borne pollutants in many of these cities and causes substantial threats to the health of their inhabitants.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and the EMME region are major sources of desert dust storms that travel north and east to Europe and Asia, thereby strongly affecting cities and their air quality in the EMME. Dust storms and suspended bacteria and viruses pose serious consequences to communities in the EMME region and are likely to worsen due to ongoing climate change.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Present and future changes in climate conditions will have numerous adverse effects on the EMME region, in general, and on EMME cities, in particular. This includes extended heat waves as well as enhanced water scarcity for inhabitants and green spaces. In combination with poor air quality, this will cause severe health risks for urban populations as well as the need for increased and extended periods of space cooling in private, commercial and municipal buildings. The greater needs for water and energy in urban structures are interrelated and have been described by the Water-Energy Nexus. The higher demand for water is increasingly satisfied through desalination, which is particularly energy-intensive. The need for additional space cooling during hot spells in cities will require more electricity.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The high rate of population growth, ever-increasing urbanization, changes in lifestyles and economic expansion in the EMME countries result in steadily increasing volumes of solid and liquid waste. The waste problems are exacerbated by the rising number of displaced persons and refugees in growing camps in some of the EMME countries, particularly, in Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon. The huge quantity of daily produced sewage sludge in Middle Eastern countries presents a serious challenge due to its high treatment costs and risks to the environment and human health.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;This paper will address some of these challenges, which call for holistic and interdisciplinary efforts to design effective and sustainable adaptation strategies in EMME cities.&lt;/p&gt;

Early Holocene ocean conditions off the Zachariæ Isstrøm, Northeast Greenland

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joanna Davies ◽  
Anders Møller Mathiasen ◽  
Kristiane Kristensen ◽  
Christof Pearce ◽  
Marit-Solveig Seidenkrantz
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Greenland Ice Sheet ◽  
Atlantic Water ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Future Climate Change ◽  
Polar Regions ◽  
Ice Shelf ◽  
Outlet Glacier ◽  
The Impact

&lt;p&gt;The polar regions exhibit some of the most visible signs of climate change globally; annual mass loss from the Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) has quadrupled in recent decades, from 51 &amp;#177; 65 Gt yr&lt;sup&gt;&amp;#8722;1&lt;/sup&gt; (1992-2001) to 211 &amp;#177; 37 Gt yr&lt;sup&gt;&amp;#8722;1&lt;/sup&gt; (2002-2011). This can partly be attributed to the widespread retreat and speed-up of marine-terminating glaciers. The Zachariae Isstr&amp;#248;m (ZI) is an outlet glacier of the Northeast Greenland Ice Steam (NEGIS), one of the largest ice streams of the GrIS (700km), draining approximately 12% of the ice sheet interior. Observations show that the ZI began accelerating in 2000, resulting in the collapse of the floating ice shelf between 2002 and 2003. By 2014, the ice shelf extended over an area of 52km&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;, a 95% decrease in area since 2002, where it extended over 1040km&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;. Paleo-reconstructions provide an opportunity to extend observational records in order to understand the oceanic and climatic processes governing the position of the grounding zone of marine terminating glaciers and the extent of floating ice shelves. Such datasets are thus necessary if we are to constrain the impact of future climate change projections on the Arctic cryosphere.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;A multi-proxy approach, involving grain size, geochemical, foraminiferal and sedimentary analysis was applied to marine sediment core DA17-NG-ST8-92G, collected offshore of the ZI, on &amp;#160;the Northeast Greenland Shelf. The aim was to reconstruct changes in the extent of the ZI and the palaeoceanographic conditions throughout the Early to Mid Holocene (c.a. 12,500-5,000 cal. yrs. BP). Evidence from the analysis of these datasets indicates that whilst there has been no grounded ice at the site over the last 12,500 years, the ice shelf of the ZI extended as a floating ice shelf over the site between 12,500 and 9,200 cal. yrs. BP, with the grounding line further inland from our study site. This was followed by a retreat in the ice shelf extent during the Holocene Thermal Maximum; this was likely to have been governed, in part, by basal melting driven by Atlantic Water (AW) recirculated from Svalbard or from the Arctic Ocean. Evidence from benthic foraminifera suggest that there was a shift from the dominance of AW to Polar Water at around 7,500 cal. yrs. BP, although the ice shelf did not expand again despite of this cooling of subsurface waters.&lt;/p&gt;

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