Search Results (30)

The Caucasus region, characterized by its complex topography and diverse climatic regimes, exhibits pronounced spatial variability in temperature and precipitation patterns. This study investigates the seasonal behavior of air temperature, precipitation, vertical temperature gradients, and inversion phenomena across distinct landscape types using observational data from 63 meteorological stations for 1950–2022. Temperature trends were analyzed using linear regression, while vertical lapse rates and inversion layers were assessed based on seasonal temperature–elevation relationships. Precipitation regimes were evaluated through Mann-Kendall trend tests and Sen’s slope estimators. Results reveal that temperature regimes are strongly modulated by landscape type and elevation, with higher thermal variability in montane and subalpine zones. Seasonal temperature inversions are most frequent in spring and winter, especially in western lowlands and enclosed valleys. Precipitation patterns vary markedly across landscapes: humid lowlands show autumn–winter maxima, while arid and semi-arid zones peak in spring or late autumn. Some landscapes exhibit secondary maxima and minima, influenced by Mediterranean cyclones and regional atmospheric stability. Statistically significant trends include increasing cool-season precipitation in humid regions and decreasing spring rainfall in arid areas. These findings highlight the critical role of topography and landscape structure in shaping regional climate patterns and provide a foundation for improved climate modeling, ecological planning, and adaptation strategies in the Caucasus. Full article

Despite significant progress in recent decades, air pollution remains the leading environmental cause of premature death in Europe. Urban populations are particularly exposed to high concentrations of air pollutants, such as particulate matter smaller than 10 µm (PM₁₀). Understanding the spatiotemporal variations of PM₁₀ is essential for developing effective control strategies. This study aimed to enhance PM₁₀ prediction models by integrating landscape metrics as ecological indicators into our previous models, assessing their significance in monthly average PM₁₀ concentrations, and analyzing their correlations with PM₁₀ air pollution across European urban landscapes during heating (cold) and non-heating (warm) seasons. In our previous research, we only calculated the proportion of land uses (PLANDs), but according to our current research hypothesis, landscape metrics have a significant impact on PM₁₀ air quality. Therefore, we expanded our independent variables by incorporating landscape metrics that capture compositional heterogeneity, including the Shannon diversity index (SHDI), as well as metrics that reflect configurational heterogeneity in urban landscapes, such as the Mean Patch Area (MPA) and Shape Index (SHI). Considering data from 1216 European air quality (AQ) stations, we applied the Random Forest model using cross-validation to discover patterns and complex relationships. Climatological factors, such as monthly average temperature, wind speed, precipitation, and mean sea level air pressure, emerged as key predictors, particularly during the heating season when the impact of temperature on PM₁₀ prediction increased from 5.80% to 22.46% at 3 km. Landscape metrics, including the SHDI, MPA, and SHI, were significantly related to the monthly average PM₁₀ concentration. The SHDI was negatively correlated with PM₁₀ levels, suggesting that heterogeneous landscapes could help mitigate pollution. Our enhanced model achieved an R² of 0.58 in the 1000 m buffer zone and 0.66 in the 3000 m buffer zone, underscoring the utility of these variables in improving PM₁₀ predictions. Our findings suggest that increased urban landscape complexity, smaller patch sizes, and more fragmented land uses associated with PM₁₀ sources such as built-up areas, along with larger and more evenly distributed green spaces, can contribute to the control and reduction of PM₁₀ pollution. Full article

Iran is a country characterized by high biodiversity and complex biogeographic patterns. Its diverse landscape and steep climatic gradients have resulted in significant faunal diversity and high level of endemism. To better understand these patterns, we investigated the historical environmental drivers that have shaped Iran’s current geological and climatological conditions, and, consequently, have shaped the current zoological distribution patterns. Furthermore, we provide an overview of the country’s zoological diversity and zoogeography by reviewing published studies on its fauna. We analyzed nearly all available catalogs, updated checklists, and relevant publications, and synthesized them to present a comprehensive overview of Iran’s biodiversity. Our review reports approximately 37,500 animal species for Iran. We also demonstrated that the country serves as a biogeographic transition zone among three zoogeographical realms: the Palearctic, Oriental, and Saharo-Arabian, where distinct faunal elements intersect. This biogeographic complexity has made it challenging to delineate clear zoogeographical zones, leading to varying classifications depending on the taxon. The uplift of mountain ranges, in particular, has played a crucial role in shaping faunal diversity by serving as barriers, corridors, and glacial refugia. These mountains are largely the result of orogeny and plate collisions during the Mesozoic and Cenozoic eras, coupled with the development of the Tethyan Sea and the uplift of several ranges during the Miocene. Despite these insights, our understanding of biodiversity distribution in Iran remains incomplete, even for some well-studied taxa, such as certain vertebrate families and arthropods. We highlight the existing gaps in knowledge regarding zoogeographical patterns and propose approaches to address these gaps, particularly concerning less-studied species and the highly diverse group of insects. Full article

Insectivorous bats play a crucial role in agroecosystems by providing invaluable pest control services. With the escalating impacts of climate change, a comprehensive understanding of the environmental factors influencing bat activity becomes imperative for their conservation in agricultural landscapes. This study investigates the influence of weather conditions, specifically air temperature and relative humidity, on the timing activity and the relative abundance of five insectivorous bat species in central Chile. Data from automatic bat detectors and climatological stations are utilized for analysis. Our results unveil species-specific behaviors, with Tadarida brasiliensis exhibiting early emergence and extended activity periods compared to other bat species. Histiotus montanus and Lasiurus villosissimus display delayed onsets on more humid evenings, whereas Lasiurus varius and T. brasiliensis initiate activity earlier on colder nights compared to warmer ones. Relative humidity emerges as a key factor influencing relative abundance for all species, with more minutes with bat passes detected on drier nights. These findings suggest that global warming may influence observed bat behaviors, potentially altering foraging patterns and activity levels of these bat species. Moreover, as climate change continues, understanding the long-term impact on bat populations and their adaptive strategies is crucial for effective conservation measures. Further studies exploring these dynamics can provide valuable insights for shaping conservation efforts in the face of evolving environmental challenges. Full article

This work contributes to the studies on landscape mapping induced by human pressure directly related to the urbanization process, whose approach is based on the concept of hemeroby adapted to the metropolitan area of Belém in the eastern Amazon. The mapping results using 1985 and 2021 Landsat satellite data indicated that the artificial coverage characterized as medium to the high urban system (polyhemerobic and metahemerobic degrees) has increased by almost 17% toward northern districts and Outeiro/Mosqueiro islands, while the natural vegetation cover suppression (ahemerobic degree) was around 11%. In addition, we investigated the impacts of urban expansion on seasonal (WET from January to April and DRY from July to November) surface air temperature (minimum TN and maximum TX) patterns. From statistical comparisons between 18-year samples (2004/2021 to 1985/2002), we find evidence of a current significantly warmer climate, with a notable indication of higher surface temperature over densely urbanized areas compared to lower values over natural areas. In the TX climatology, particularly for the DRY regime, we identified a pattern similar to the classic heat island model with concentric isotherms reaching a maximum center over the more urbanized continental region of Belém and a thermal decrease at the edges. Therefore, the findings of this work are convincing that Belém already faces the direct impacts of urbanization on the local climate, so it is crucial to develop government strategies aimed at taking action to mitigate socioenvironmental risks and threats to the well-being of urban populations. Full article

Changes in land cover (LC) are the major factors influencing the hydrological processes within a watershed. Understanding the impacts of LC on watershed hydrology is crucial for planning and predicting land resource utilization, water resources, and sustaining hydrological balance. This study assesses the hydrological responses of LC changes in the Muger watershed located in the Upper Blue Nile River Basin (UBNRB) from 1986 to 2020. We used the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) hydrological model to investigate the effects of LC on the hydrological process. The simulations were driven by several datasets, such as watershed elevations, mean climatology, hydrology and soil datasets, and LC satellite maps for three time periods (i.e., satellite imagery taken in 1986, 2003, and 2020). We found that the key LC changes that affected hydrological parameters in the Muger watershed are changes in cultivation land, forest land, and settlement. The expansion of cultivation land and shrinkage of forest and shrub lands triggered surface runoff and a reduction in groundwater between 1986 and 2003. Additionally, settlement was identified as the primary factor contributing to increases in evapotranspiration (ET) and surface runoff. The LC changes that occurred between 1986 and 2020 reduced the average annual, wet season, and dry season streamflow. Between 2003 and 2020, surface runoff decreased by 3.71% due to the effect of land landscape restoration interventions. The outcome of the study can assist decision-makers and planners in preparing adaptable strategies under changing LC conditions within a watershed. Full article

Pseudo-alpine grassland ecosystems have started to decline during the past few decades. According to many studies, climate change and abandonment of traditional anthropogenic activities are directly linked to this phenomenon. However, the interaction of these two factors with pseudo-alpine grasslands has not been studied in Greece. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of climatic change and abandonment of transhumant livestock grazing on pseudo-alpine grassland ecosystems structure and stability in Mt Vermio and Mt Zireia. Geographic Information System data on land use/land cover from 1945 and 2020, as well as climatological and livestock data, have been examined and presented. Landscape metrics were also used to quantify landscape structure changes. Although both mountains’ pseudo-alpine grasslands have reduced in size, Mt Zireia has experienced an upward treeline shift, which seems to be the result of climate change, while in Mt Vermio, the more severe transhumance abandonment caused horizontal tree expansion. There are strong indications that a rise in temperature is the main driver for the upward increase in treeline. Full article

The supply of various non-potable water usages based on the harvesting and management of rainwater in urban areas allows to save high-quality water resources for strictly potable use and to limit the squandering of precious freshwater resources. A rainwater harvesting system included in a reconversion project of a former military area located in the town of Genova (Italy) is examined. Rainwater is collected and used for the landscape irrigation of public areas. Three rainwater collection scenarios are considered while varying the size of the storage tank, using daily rainfall data from a local long-term record as the reference rainfall climatology. A behavioural model is adopted to simulate the operation of the rainwater harvesting system and improved with a dedicated algorithm to account for the actual soil water availability for the vegetation and its temporal decay, based on the specific soil type and vegetation. For each scenario/tank size combination, reliability indices are calculated and compared, while the detention time and the annual usage volume per unit tank capacity are used as indicators of water quality deterioration in the tank and the economic benefit associated with the exploitation of the resource. The best solution in terms of rainwater collection scenario and tank size is identified. Full article

River networks are spatially complex systems difficult to describe by using simple morphological indices. To this concern, fractal theory arises as an interesting tool for quantifying such complexity. In this case of study, we have estimated for the first time the fractal dimension of Chilean networks distributed across the country, analysed at two different scales. These networks insert into variable environments, not only from a climatic and hydrological point of view, but also from a morphological point of view. We investigate to which extent the fractal dimension is able to describe the apparent disorganized character of landscape, by applying two methods. Striking patterns of organization related to Horton ratios and the fractal dimension are reported and discussed. This last parameter depends on the scale of the network, showing interesting groupings by tectonic and climatological factors. Our results suggest that under restricted conditions, the fractal dimension could help to capture the intricate morphology of Chilean networks and its links with the hydrological, climatic, and tectonic conditions present across the country. Full article

There is still a lack of knowledge on the effect of urban environmental factors on bryophyte species distribution and richness. The goal of this study was to fill that gap. We assumed the hypothesis that the urban heat island is the most important factor affecting epiphytic bryophyte species in urban space. The survey was based on a network of 500 one hectare study plots, scattered throughout the city of Wrocław (SW Poland). A set of 27 environmental factors was assessed in the field, as well as by the collection, processing, and interpretation of satellite imagery, LiDAR scans, and climatological data. Canonical correspondence analysis was used to evaluate the significance of the effect of the studied variables on the distribution of bryophyte epiphytes. The effect of the normalized difference vegetation index on epiphytic bryophyte distribution and richness was the strongest. The effects of the urban heat island as well as the tree species diversity appeared weaker, though significant. Among the tree stands features, the supply of European ash Fraxinus excelsior and tree height appeared to be the strongest. Maintaining afforested areas rich in old tree individuals with cooler and more humid microclimates seems to be crucial to the keeping of epiphytic bryophyte species diversity in the urban landscape. Full article

Caves can be considered as features of the landscape that have been formatted through a long period and are signs of the past climatological conditions, of prehistoric animal and human inhabitation, and provide habitat for species. In the near past, caves have also gained tourism interest since they offer unique sightseeing experiences. The sustainability and protection of cave heritage have been recently discussed mainly because over-tourism has been proven to have negative side effects on the preservation of the heritage site. Technology today has provided widely adopted inexpensive technical means to support immersive visiting experiences to sites of heritage interest that could support their valorization and sustainability in forms more friendly to the site. In this work, such an alternative visiting approach is explored through a use case applied to the Alistrati cave near Serres, Greece, where a VR tour guide can support immersive visiting experiences to the heritage site. By employing means of digital preservation of heritage sites the VR solution aspires to offer immersive close to reality engaging visiting experiences. Full article

The interaction of geological processes and climate changes has resulted in growing landslide activity that has impacted communities and ecosystems in northern Chilean Patagonia. On 17 December 2017, a catastrophic flood of 7 × 10⁶ m³ almost destroyed Villa Santa Lucía and approximately 3 km of the southern highway (Route 7), the only land route in Chilean Patagonia that connects this vast region from north to south, exposing the vulnerability of the population and critical infrastructure to these natural hazards. The 2017 flood produced a paradigm shift on the analysis scale to understand the danger to which communities and their infrastructure are exposed. Thus, in this study, we sought to evaluate the susceptibility of landslides in the Yelcho and Rio Frio basins, whose intersection represents the origin of this great flood. For this, we used two approaches, (1) geospatial data in combination with machine learning methods using different training configurations and (2) a qualitative analysis of the landscape considering the geological and geomorphological conditions through fieldwork. For statistical modeling, we used an inventory of landslides that occurred between 2008 and 2017 and a total of 17 predictive variables, which are geoenvironmental, climatological and environmental triggers derived from volcanic and seismic activity. Our results indicate that soil moisture significantly impacted spatial susceptibility, followed by lithology, drainage density and seismic activity. Additionally, we observed that the inclusion of climatic predictors and environmental triggers increased the average performance score of the models by up to 3–5%. Based on our results, we believe that the wide distribution of volcanic–sedimentary rocks hydrothermally altered with zeolites in the western mountains of the Yelcho and Rio Frio basin are highly susceptible to generating large-scale landslides. Therefore, the town of Villa Santa Lucia and the “Carretera Austral” (Route 7) are susceptible to new landslides coming mainly from the western slope. This requires the timely implementation of measures to mitigate the impact on the population and critical infrastructure. Full article

The origin of the man on Earth is directly associated with the determination of directions of the flow distribution of the ancient man dispersal to adjacent territories. In such studies, mainly landscape and climatological changes are traditionally considered. We suggest that along with the above factors, regional tectonic-geodynamic factors played a dominant role in the character of dispersal. The considered African-Levantine-Caucasian region is one of the most geologically complex regions of the world, where collisional and spreading processes of geodynamics converge. For the first time, we determined an essential influence of the Akchagylian hydrospheric maximum (about 200 m above the mean sea level) limiting the early dispersal of hominins from Africa to Eurasia. We propose that the Levantine Corridor emerged after the end of the Akchagylian transgression and landscape forming in the Eastern Mediterranean. This corridor location was formed by the movements between the Dead Sea Transform and the boundary of the carbonate platform of the Mesozoic Terrane Belt. Further landscape evolution was largely determined by the geodynamic behavior of the deep mantle rotating structure occurring below the central part of the region under study. All the mentioned events around and in the Levantine Corridor have been studied in detail on the basis of the combined geodynamic, paleogeographic, and paleomagnetic analyses performed in northern Israel (Carmel Uplift and Galilee Plateau). Careful studies of the Evron Quarry geological section indicate that it is unique for the dating of marine and continental archaeological sequences and sheds light on the early dispersal of hominins along the Levantine Corridor. Full article

In response to the global challenges brought on by climate change, cities around the world are adapting, innovating through nature-based strategies for sustainable development. Climate adaptation requires new interdisciplinary approaches in which different disciplines as well as research and practice proactively co-create and collaborate on adaptation to reduce the ongoing effects of anthropogenic climate change. Although awareness on climate adaptation is on the rise, new approaches for urban development are still in development. Moreover, existing approaches mainly focus on local-scale levels or lack a crossover with urban and landscape planning. The present contribution offers an example of an integrated approach bridging urban climatology, landscape planning, and governance to assess and develop climate adaptation solutions linking city and district levels. The city of Verona was taken as a case study to test this approach and its implications for the development of a green and blue infrastructure with a climate-responsive master plan for the district of Verona South. Through critical reflection on the application of the approach to the case study, we aimed to identify its potentials and barriers. Based on this reflection, we provide herein recommendations on how climate modelling can be integrated into planning, as well as on how urban planners and urban climatologists can support each other in making credible and salient climate adaptation solutions. Full article

Standardized delimiting of local climate zones (LCZ) will be better applicable to the urban adaptation to climate change when the ecohydrological properties of LCZ units are known. Therefore, the properties of LCZ units based on the methodology of ecohydrological zoning of the urban landscape, which was created in GIS as a basis for planning blue-green infrastructure of cities in the Czech Republic, are presented in the paper. The goal of this study is to compare approaches and results of our own ecohydrological zonation and standardized LCZ delimiting in the city of Pilsen. Both methodological approaches differ in input data, resolution details and parameters used. The results showed that the areas of the individual LCZ classes show different levels of ecohydrological qualities. Internal heterogeneity of LCZ classes demonstrated by variance of ecohydrological parameters’ values can be partly explained by different techniques and data sources for delimitation of both zonations, but by different sets of delimitation criteria. The discussion is held on the importance of terrain slope for supplementing the LCZ classification. A case study can be a stimulus for further development of holistic urban zoning methodologies that would take into account both climatological and ecohydrological conditions. Full article