Search Results (1,697)

Seasonal snowpack and snowmelt are critical regulators of forest ecosystem functioning in temperate, boreal, montane, and alpine regions. Snowpack acts as a temporary water and energy reservoir, while snowmelt determines the seasonal availability of water and influences ecosystem processes during the growing season. Climate change is altering snowfall patterns, snow accumulation, and melt timing, with consequences for forest productivity, resilience, and disturbance dynamics. This review synthesizes current knowledge on snow–forest interactions and identifies major research trends, methodological approaches, and remaining knowledge gaps. The study combines a bibliometric analysis and a qualitative literature review based on publications indexed in the Scopus and Web of Science databases. A total of 695 publications were included in the bibliometric dataset and analyzed to assess temporal trends, geographical patterns, research themes, and the ecological consequences of changing snow dynamics in forests. Representative studies from this dataset were subsequently synthesized to evaluate the influence of snowpack and snowmelt on forest ecosystem functioning, resilience, and sustainability. The reviewed literature shows that snowpack and snowmelt strongly regulate forest water availability, soil thermal conditions, nutrient cycling, vegetation responses, and carbon dynamics. Changes in snow regimes, particularly reduced snow accumulation and earlier melt, can increase the risk of soil freezing, modify moisture conditions, intensify water stress, and affect ecosystem carbon balance. However, the magnitude and direction of these effects depend on forest type, species composition, climate, and landscape characteristics. Forest structure also plays an important role in controlling snow interception, accumulation, persistence, and melt processes. The bibliometric analysis indicates a rapid increase in research interest in snow–forest interactions over the last two decades, with major contributions from the United States, Canada, China, and Northern Europe. Environmental sciences, hydrology, and ecology were the dominant research areas. Despite substantial progress, uncertainties remain regarding long-term ecosystem responses, species-specific vulnerabilities, and the interactions between declining snow cover and other climate-driven disturbances. This review emphasizes that understanding snowpack and snowmelt dynamics is essential for predicting forest ecosystem responses to climate change and for improving sustainable forest management and watershed conservation strategies in snow-dependent regions. Full article

Under global climate change, shifts in the suitable distribution of forest vegetation have become an important issue in ecology and biogeography, closely linked to forest biodiversity conservation and terrestrial ecosystem sustainable development. Birch forests are widely distributed across cold-temperate, temperate, and montane regions in China, but different birch forest types may vary in their environmental adaptations and spatial responses to climate change. In this study, three representative birch forest vegetation types in China, namely Betula utilis forest, Betula albosinensis forest, and Betula ermanii krummholz, were selected for comparative analysis. Based on vegetation distribution records and environmental variables, an optimized MaxEnt model was constructed using ENMeval to identify current suitable distribution patterns, key environmental drivers, and future habitat changes under climate change scenarios. The results showed that the three birch forest types differed markedly in current suitable distribution patterns. Betula utilis forest was mainly concentrated in the Qinling Mountains, Betula albosinensis forest showed a broader montane distribution pattern, and Betula ermanii krummholz was restricted to high-altitude or high-latitude cold habitats. Climatic factors were the dominant drivers of suitability, but the key environmental variables differed among the three vegetation types, indicating niche differentiation along temperature, precipitation, and elevation gradients. Under future climate scenarios, the suitable habitats of the three types showed type-specific changes in area, spatial stability, and centroid migration. Betula utilis forest and Betula albosinensis forest mainly exhibited regional spatial adjustment and partial expansion, whereas Betula ermanii krummholz showed stronger dependence on high-elevation cold habitats and more limited spatial adjustment capacity. These findings indicate that different birch forest vegetation types in China do not respond uniformly to climate change. The study provides a vegetation-type-specific basis for identifying stable suitable areas, potential expansion areas, and climate-sensitive habitats, and can support adaptive management and conservation planning for montane forest vegetation helping advance the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 15 (SDG15) and long-term sustainability of mountain forest ecosystems under future climate change. Full article

Insufficient information is available regarding how land management categories influence soil properties in the Hetao Plain (HPYR) and the floodplain of the Yellow River (FPYR), two major agricultural regions of the Yellow River Basin located in arid to semi-arid and warm-temperate monsoon climatic zones, respectively. This study aimed to elucidate the chemical properties of cultivated land soils across the Yellow River agricultural zones. Soil organic matter (SOM), total nitrogen (TN), pH, and selected physical properties were quantified together with their associations with soil type, crop rotation, irrigation, and tillage. Marked differences in chemical properties were observed between the two regions. FPYR soils showed higher SOM and TN levels and lower pH than HPYR soils. The coefficient of variation in SOM was substantially greater in the HPYR than that in the FPYR, indicating stronger heterogeneity in the arid region. Semivariogram analysis revealed that TN exhibited significant positive spatial autocorrelation (Moran’s I = 0.511, p < 0.05) in the HPYR. Thus, soil properties in the Yellow River Basin reflect the combined influence of regional environmental context and local management practices. This observational study may inform region-specific management strategies that can improve soil quality and nutrient balance. Full article

Carex is among the most species-rich genera of angiosperms and plays important ecological roles in wetlands, alpine regions, and temperate ecosystems worldwide. However, research on this genus has long been challenged by pronounced phenotypic plasticity, reduced floral morphology, frequent hybridization, and complex chromosomal evolution. Although recent advances in molecular phylogenetics, comparative genomics, reproductive biology, and ecophysiology have substantially expanded the knowledge of Carex, these findings remain fragmented across disciplines. Here, we synthesize current evidence on Carex taxonomy and phylogeny, genomic and karyotypic evolution, reproductive and life history strategies, abiotic stress responses, ecosystem functions, and bioresource potential within a cross-scale framework. This review emphasizes how genomic architecture, life history variation, and ecophysiological adaptation jointly shape species diversification and ecosystem functioning, while clarifying their implications for habitat restoration and the sustainable use of Carex resources. Finally, we identify key priorities for future research, including improved phylogenomic resolution, comparative functional studies, climate-resilience assessment, and germplasm conservation and sustainable use. Full article

The Neolithic site of Mulino Fiaccati/Le Rocche, near Roccapalumba in the Sicilian interior, has yielded an unusually rich ceramic assemblage recovered from a fissure exposed by modern quarrying. Typological analysis and a radiocarbon date of 4783–4553 BC (2σ) confirm its Middle Neolithic attribution. The ceramics include undecorated wares, Stentinello II/Western Stentinello-type pottery, and trichrome painted vessels, with a fragment tentatively linked to the bichrome facies. The materials studied are under the guardianship of the Soprintendenza per i Beni Culturali e Ambientali di Palermo. An integrated archaeometric approach, combining petrographic thin-section analysis with a geological survey of local raw materials, identifies multiple locally produced ceramic fabrics and demonstrates deliberate selection and modification of clay resources. The results indicate on-site production for all major classes, with only a few impressed–incised vessels originating elsewhere in the Sicani Mountains, pointing to regional exchange. Technological choices such as tempering and the use of ochres reveal a sophisticated operational knowledge and challenge long-standing assumptions that fine painted ceramics were imported into Sicily. These findings provide the first scientific evidence for local production of trichrome wares and offer new insights into functional differentiation within the ceramic repertoire. Ongoing analyses aim to build a broader archaeometric database for Sicilian Neolithic ceramics and to clarify production systems, resource use, and inter-community interactions. Full article

Highway service-area buildings are characterized by long operating hours, diverse functional spaces, and considerable energy consumption, resulting in significant life-cycle carbon emissions. This study quantifies life-cycle carbon emissions of the buildings in highway service areas. A life-cycle accounting framework was established, and net emissions were further evaluated by considering the contributions of photovoltaic (PV) electricity and vegetation carbon sinks. Five representative service areas covering hot-summer/cold-winter, severe-cold, cold, temperate, and hot-summer/warm-winter zones were investigated through field surveys and indoor thermal environment measurements to obtain envelope properties, equipment configurations, and operating profiles. Results revealed that life-cycle carbon emissions vary substantially across climatic regions, ranging from 4.31 × 10³ to 3.06 × 10⁴ tCO₂e. The operational stage accounts for the largest share of total emissions, approximately 61–84%. Heating demand dominates operational emissions in severe-cold and cold regions, whereas cooling and lighting loads become increasingly important in warm and temperate climates. The orthogonal analysis reveals significant differences in the sensitivity of design parameters across climatic regions. After implementing climate-adaptive optimization measures, life-cycle carbon emissions are reduced by 40.35–87.94% in four service areas. In the hot-summer/warm-winter region, the combined effects of PV electricity generation and vegetation carbon sinks maintain a net-negative carbon balance. The findings provide evidence for sustainable highway service-area design by linking life-cycle accounting, climate-specific design priorities, and renewable-energy substitution. Full article

Physical tempering is widely used to enhance the mechanical strength and thermal stability of glassware. Traditional numerical studies commonly adopt the uniform heat transfer coefficient assumption, which significantly deviates from the actual non-uniform jet cooling conditions, especially for glassware with complex three-dimensional curved surfaces. In this work, a fluid–thermal–structure sequential coupling numerical model for low-borosilicate glassware was developed using STAR-CCM+. The Realizable k-ε turbulence model, temperature-dependent thermophysical properties of glass and air, and transient non-uniform convective heat transfer boundaries were employed. Flow characteristics, heat transfer behavior, and residual stress distribution during air cooling were systematically investigated. The simulation results were verified using a polarizing stress instrument. Results indicate that obvious flow separation and vortices occur at the curved regions, resulting in highly non-uniform heat transfer. Temperature uniformity first decreases and then rebounds, while stress uniformity finally stabilizes above 90%. The through-thickness stress exhibits a parabolic profile with surface compression and internal tension. The maximum relative error between simulation and experiment is below 6%, demonstrating the reasonable engineering accuracy of the sequential coupling framework. Ultimately, these numerical observations quantify the fluid–thermal–structural interactions and underscore the critical importance of integrating realistic non-uniform aerodynamic boundaries. Full article

China harbors a diverse array of macrofungi, yet its fungal diversity remains inadequately documented, particularly in under-explored regions such as the temperate forests of the northeast and the subtropical highlands of the southwest. In this study, four agaric species are reported as new records for China based on morphological observations and multilocus phylogenetic analyses. Phylogenetic analyses of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and nuclear large subunit (nrLSU) ribosomal RNA gene regions confirmed their generic and species-level placements. Cortinarius infidus was collected from mixed coniferous and broadleaf forests in Liaoning Province, Pseudolaccaria fellea from Pine-dominated forests in Liaoning Province, Volvariella clavocystidiata from pine-dominated coniferous forests in Liaoning Province, and Gerhardtia borealis from mixed coniferous–broadleaf forests in Guizhou Province. Comprehensive macro and micromorphological descriptions, color photographs, line drawings, scanning electron micrographs, and comparisons with closely related taxa and original literature are provided to confirm these identifications. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the distribution patterns of these genera and expand the known fungal diversity of China. Full article

Oak species (Quercus spp.) represent one of the most widespread and ecologically important groups of woody plants in the Northern Hemisphere, forming dominant forest ecosystems across temperate, Mediterranean, subtropical, and montane regions. Due to their longevity, high wood density, extensive root systems, and large biomass, oaks play a significant role in terrestrial carbon cycling and long-term carbon storage. However, a comprehensive synthesis of the contribution of oak forests to carbon sequestration remains limited. This review integrates a systematic bibliometric assessment with a qualitative synthesis of the peer-reviewed literature to evaluate the role of oak species and oak-dominated forests in carbon sequestration and climate change mitigation. A total of 656 publications indexed in Scopus and Web of Science were analyzed, revealing increasing research activity after 2008 and a broad geographic distribution of studies, with the highest contributions from the United States, Spain, China, and Germany. The reviewed studies demonstrate that oak ecosystems function as substantial and durable carbon sinks, storing carbon in aboveground biomass, belowground biomass, deadwood, litter, and soil organic carbon pools. Carbon sequestration is influenced by stand age, site conditions, species composition, and management practices. This review highlights oak forests as resilient, multifunctional ecosystems, with a critical role in nature-based climate solutions and sustainable forest management. Full article

This study investigates whether FinTech thematic assets achieve dynamic variance reduction for regional ESG market risk under clean-energy equity stress regimes, using daily data from March 2019 to August 2024 across five S&P ESG LargeMidCap markets spanning developed and emerging economies (North America, Europe, Asia Pacific Developed, Latin America Emerging, and Asia Pacific Emerging). Employing a DCC-GARCH framework with GJR-GARCH univariate specifications across four S&P Kensho FinTech channels—Democratized Banking, Alternative Finance, Future Payments, and Distributed Ledger—we estimate time-varying correlations and hedging effectiveness, and assess safe-haven properties via the Baur–Lucey framework. The most robust finding is that North America ESG shows the strongest dynamic variance reduction (59–76%), improving further during high clean-energy equity stress regimes (p < 0.01, bootstrap permutation test); Asia Pacific Developed ESG shows the weakest (7–9%) despite its developed-market status, while Latin America Emerging ESG’s comparatively high variance reduction (28–40%) is tempered by residual ARCH effects that point to incompletely modeled volatility rather than structural hedging capacity. All FinTech channels remain positive diversifiers rather than safe havens across every market and regime. Hedging capacity thus tracks market-specific volatility and correlation dynamics rather than a simple developed–emerging divide. The analysis is bounded by a single five-year sample window and two transition-risk proxies, warranting continued monitoring as FinTech and ESG regulatory frameworks evolve. Full article

Myrmecochory is a form of seed dispersal mediated by ants. Although this mechanism of dispersal has received less research attention than other dispersal processes, the wide distribution and high biomass of ants mean that it can strongly influence plant dispersal patterns. In particular, the underlying mechanisms and key agents of myrmecochory remain poorly understood in the context of anthropogenic perturbations; furthermore, such research is especially scarce in East Asia. This review aims to elucidate the ecological mechanisms underlying myrmecochory, to explore how this interaction may be affected by urbanization and climate change, and to determine its potential ecological role in disturbed ecosystems. We first review past research on the three major hypotheses proposed for the emergence of ant-mediated seed dispersal—directed dispersal, distance dispersal, and predator avoidance. We then compile taxonomic information on myrmecochorous plants and ants from global databases and regional literature, expanding the checklist of Korean myrmecochorous plants to 130 species and reclassifying them as endangered, rare, or endemic. Our synthesis suggests that invasive ants could threaten myrmecochory by displacing native myrmecochorous ants, increasing seed predation, and facilitating the dispersal of invasive plants. Moreover, the urban heat island effect and habitat fragmentation could disturb the dispersal, germination, and growth of myrmecochorous plants, threats that may be further intensified by climate-driven phenological mismatches. Consequently, in temperate East Asian countries experiencing anthropogenically generated environmental changes, myrmecochory emerges as a pivotal ecological process that underscores ecosystem vulnerability and resilience. Ultimately, incorporating these plant–ant interactions into biodiversity monitoring is essential for predicting ecosystem shifts and designing robust, proactive conservation strategies in changing environments. Full article

Trillium camschatcense, a plant renowned for its ecological and medicinal value, is predominantly found in the temperate forests of East Asia. However, its habitat is increasingly threatened from climate change, habitat fragmentation, and intensified human activities. In this study, the Maxent (Maximum Entropy) model was used to assess the current ecological suitability of T. camschatcense based on historical climate data (1970–2000), and further simulate its potential distribution shifts under multiple future climate change scenarios to predict long-term habitat variation trends across northeast China.All modeling and spatial mapping analyses were performed using MaxEnt and ArcGIS 10.8.1 software. Drawing upon 93 known distribution points and 26 pertinent environmental variables covering climate, soil, and elevation, we built species distribution models for both present and future periods to pinpoint the crucial environmental factors influencing its distribution. Our findings revealed that elevation, soil nitrogen content, seasonal temperatures, annual precipitation, mean temperature during the coldest quarter, and mean diurnal temperature range were the primary factors influencing the distribution of T. camschatcense. Notably, highly suitable habitats were predominantly concentrated in Baishan City and the southwestern region of Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in Jilin Province. This insight offers valuable scientific guidance for the conservation planning, sustainable utilization, and potential introduction and cultivation of T. camschatcense. Furthermore, targeted conservation strategies can help identify climate refugia and protect climatically stable habitats for the long-term persistence and resilience of the species under continuous global warming. Full article

Negative air ions (NAIs) are key ecological indicators of atmospheric cleanliness and forest ecosystem service functions, particularly in the context of forest wellness and ecotourism. However, long-term, high-frequency observations of NAIs across broad spatial scales remain scarce, limiting our understanding of its regional spatiotemporal dynamics and environmental controls. Here, we present a six-year (2018–2023) continuous, hourly monitoring dataset of NAI concentrations from 60 fixed forest sites across Zhejiang Province, a typical subtropical humid region in southeastern China. The provincial mean NAI concentration over the study period was 1672 ions·cm⁻³, with a pronounced “high around the periphery, low in the center” spatial pattern, with the mountainous southwestern areas consistently showing the highest concentrations and the central Jinqu Basin the lowest. On diurnal scales, NAIs exhibited a bimodal pattern with primary peaks at 7:00 and secondary peaks at 16:00, rather than a simple daytime–nighttime dichotomy. Seasonal dynamics showed significantly higher NAI in summer than in autumn and winter; however, the summer–winter difference was only ~25%, much smaller than the ratios reported for temperate regions. Interannually, NAI concentrations increased from 2018 to 2023 (average annual increase of 158 ions·cm⁻³), peaking during the 2020–2022 period, when anthropogenic emissions were substantially reduced. Using linear mixed-effects models, we identified relative humidity as the dominant positive driver of NAI variability, followed by wind speed as a negative modulator, and precipitation playing a minor role. These findings reveal the multi-scale spatiotemporal dynamics of NAIs in subtropical forests and underscore the overriding control of humidity over ion persistence. Our study provides a robust regional benchmark for background NAI levels in humid subtropical climates and offers direct scientific support for forest-based health resource planning and air quality assessment. Full article

While the influence of the urban built environment on public emotions has garnered extensive attention, existing studies predominantly focus on temperate climates or warmer seasons. As a result, they rarely extend their scope to winter-specific emotions in cold-region cities, thereby overlooking the complex human–environment emotional interactions under extreme climates. To bridge this seasonal research gap, this study develops an innovative analytical framework integrating Large Language Models (LLMs) with Multiscale Geographically Weighted Regression (MGWR). Drawing on social media data, this framework leverages the powerful zero-shot reasoning capabilities of LLMs to precisely quantify the two-dimensional emotional characteristics of Valence and Arousal. Concurrently, by incorporating the multi-scale spatial modeling strengths of MGWR, it thoroughly investigates the spatial patterns and driving mechanisms of public emotions within the winter context of typical cold-region cities. The results indicate that, first, extreme climates do not lead to urban emotional suppression; instead, frozen rivers transform into vibrant emotional corridors, with the public demonstrating a high degree of thermal-psychological adaptability. Second, by incorporating winter-specific environmental variables, the research reveals a cold-region paradox of emotional valence. Specifically, under snow cover, lower winter Land Surface Temperature (LST) and winter Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) paradoxically evoke positive emotions by reconstructing the aesthetic experience of ice-snow landscapes. Furthermore, the impact of urban service facilities on emotional arousal exhibits a significant pattern of diminishing marginal utility. Overall, the LLMs-MGWR framework achieves a closed loop of high-throughput, multi-dimensional semantic decoding and multi-scale spatial interpretation, demonstrating exceptional cross-regional generalizability. Ultimately, this study not only provides a novel paradigm for understanding human–environment interactions in complex environments but also offers transferable planning guidelines for microclimate design, facility decentralization, and the reshaping of winter blue-green infrastructure in global cold-region cities. Full article

The urban heat island (UHI) effect has become a prominent ecological and energy challenge amid rapid urbanization. This study comprehensively examined the spatiotemporal dynamics of UHI intensity in built-up areas across 216 Chinese cities spanning five climatic zones from 2000 to 2020 and quantified UHI-triggered energy consumption, as well as revealing its driving mechanisms. The results showed a significant increasing trend in UHI intensity across China’s urban built-up areas during summer days, summer nights, and winter nights from 2000 to 2020, with corresponding annual growth rates of 10.23, 5.61, and 5.08 km²·°C·a⁻¹, respectively. However, winter daytime UHI intensity declined dramatically from 4.72 °C in 2000 to −10.21 °C in 2020, which can be attributed to the reduction in socioeconomic activities during the COVID-19 period. UHI intensity intensified significantly across all climate zones, with the largest increases observed in the middle temperate zone and warm temperate zone, reaching 127.23 km²·°C and 116.04 km²·°C, respectively. Spatially, 39.8% of the 216 cities exhibited a significant increasing trend in UHI intensity, while only 2.8% showed a decreasing trend. After 2005, the contribution of large cities to UHI intensity continued to rise, reaching 54% in 2020. This study estimated UHI-induced energy consumption in terms of standard coal equivalent, with the northern and middle subtropical zones jointly accounting for over 61.9% of the annual average consumption. Regression results confirmed that impervious surface expansion served as the dominant positive driver of UHI, while vegetation coverage exerted a strong cooling effect. These findings can facilitate the formulation of region-specific UHI mitigation and energy conservation policies for cities under different climatic conditions and at diverse development scales. Mechanistic analysis further revealed that variations in impervious surface area dominated the rise in UHI intensity, whereas changes in the normalized difference vegetation index exerted a significant mitigating effect. These findings provide a solid scientific basis for targeted UHI mitigation and energy-saving management strategies for cities across different climate zones and urban scales. Full article