Article
Environmental Sciences
Arshad Ashraf, Muhammad Bilal Iqbal, Naveed Mustafa, Rozina Naz, Bashir Ahmad
Summary: The retreating behavior of glaciers in the Hindu Kush-Karakoram-Himalaya region has led to the formation and expansion of numerous glacial lakes, posing a high risk of glacial lake outburst floods for downstream communities. Using satellite data, the study identified 3044 lakes in the region in 2013, with 36 potentially dangerous glacial lakes. Regular monitoring of cryosphere changes and critical glacial lakes is essential for developing sustainable risk management strategies in the future.
ENVIRONMENTAL EARTH SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Changjun Gu, Suju Li, Ming Liu, Kailong Hu, Ping Wang
Summary: This study monitored the daily changes in Lake Mercbacher, calculated the maximum lake area and the proportion of floating ice and water, and found patterns in the lake area changes and the advance of the outburst date. The study also discovered an increasing trend in the outburst date, influenced by climate warming. This research provides crucial references for monitoring and early warning systems for Lake Mercbacher GLOFs.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Li Zhang, Lingyan Yan, Xiaojun Kou, Zhiyun Ouyang
Summary: This study explores the relationship between lakes and Tibetan antelopes in the vulnerable Tibetan Plateau. It found that areas with larger lakes and flatter terrain tend to have a higher population of Tibetan antelopes. Additionally, vegetation cover and plant diversity are higher near the lake compared to farther away. These findings suggest that lakes offer Tibetan antelopes a richer food supply and reduced predation risk. The study provides new perspectives for understanding the cross-ecosystem impacts of climate change.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Liye Yang, Zhong Lu, Chaojun Ouyang, Chaoying Zhao, Xie Hu, Qin Zhang
Summary: This study presents a comprehensive analysis of glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) in the Shishapangma region using remote sensing datasets and flood modeling, providing a basis for GLOF mitigation.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Guoxiong Zheng, Simon Keith Allen, Anming Bao, Juan Antonio Ballesteros-Canovas, Matthias Huss, Guoqing Zhang, Junli Li, Ye Yuan, Liangliang Jiang, Tao Yu, Wenfeng Chen, Markus Stoffel
Summary: Global warming in high-mountain Asia is leading to deglaciation, increasing the risk of natural dam failure and glacial lake outburst floods. The eastern Himalaya currently faces the highest risk, which is expected to almost triple in the future due to further lake development. Collaborative, long-term approaches are urgently needed to mitigate future impacts and promote sustainable development across the Third Pole.
NATURE CLIMATE CHANGE
(2021)
Article
Geography, Physical
Nazir Ahmed Bazai, Peng Cui, Dingzhu Liu, Paul A. Carling, Hao Wang, Guotao Zhang, Yao Li, Javed Hassan
Summary: This study investigates ice dammed glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) associated with surge glaciers, focusing on the Khurdopin Glacier in the Karakoram region. The research analyzes seven surge periodical cycles and three surge events using satellite imagery, identifying the importance of surge velocities in controlling conduit development and subsequent GLOFs. A subglacial drainage model was developed to estimate peak discharge timing in GLOF hydrographs, highlighting the dominance of conduit melt enlargement as a drainage process. The study's results suggest that the proposed model could be widely applied for surge-type glaciers worldwide to anticipate ice-dammed lake formation and GLOFs, allowing for timely precautionary measures and reducing downstream damage.
GLOBAL AND PLANETARY CHANGE
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Civil
Menger Peng, Xue Wang, Guoqing Zhang, Georg Veh, Ashim Sattar, Wenfeng Chen, Simon Allen
Summary: This study investigates the causes, mechanisms, and flow dynamics of two glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) in the Nyainqentanglha range of the Tibetan Plateau. The results show that both GLOFs caused significant damage to local infrastructure and vegetation, and involved processes such as glacier collapse, displacement waves, and dam breaches. The findings provide important insights for assessing and managing the hazards associated with critical glacial lakes in the region.
JOURNAL OF HYDROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jian Cheng, Chunqiao Song, Kai Liu, Chenyu Fan, Linghong Ke, Tan Chen, Pengfei Zhan, Jiepeng Yao
Summary: Research on the rapid expansion of Angzi Co lake in the central Tibetan Plateau from 2000 to 2020 showed a significant increase in area and water level. Utilizing satellite and UAV remote sensing, the study assessed flooding risks on adjacent villages and proposed an optimized relocation site. This study provides a remote sensing-based approach to assess the flooding risk of lake expansions in the Tibetan Plateau and to optimize village relocation sites, serving as a scientific reference for future risk mitigation under climate change scenarios.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Kai Liu, Linghong Ke, Jida Wang, Ling Jiang, Keith S. Richards, Yongwei Sheng, Yunqiang Zhu, Chenyu Fan, Pengfei Zhan, Shuangxiao Luo, Jian Cheng, Tan Chen, Ronghua Ma, Qiuhua Liang, Austin Madson, Chunqiao Song
Summary: The study found ongoing drainage system reorganization in the endorheic Tibetan Plateau, primarily due to drastic lake expansion. Between 2000 and 2018, 11 drainage system reorganization events occurred, with another 20 basins projected to be reorganized before 2030. These reorganizations not only alter hydrological processes but can also lead to endorheic-exorheic transition, affecting China's key infrastructure.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Linghong Ke, Chunqiao Song, Jida Wang, Yongwei Sheng, Xiaoli Ding, Bin Yong, Ronghua Ma, Kai Liu, Pengfei Zhan, Shuangxiao Luo
Summary: The study of the Tibetan Plateau's endorheic basins reveals that lake expansions are not primarily caused by glacier mass loss, but by other factors, showing significant regional differences.
REMOTE SENSING OF ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Ziqian Wei, Zengrang Xu, Tian Qiao, Shouxing Wang, Natarajan Ishwaran, Mingxin Yang
Summary: Wintering and calving habitats of Tibetan antelopes were simulated using the Maxent model in 2020 and 2050 on the North Tibetan Plateau (NTP), China. The study found that the habitats face various challenges due to global climate change and human activities. It is recommended to enhance monitoring and management of the habitats to promote the balance between wildlife conservation and community development.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Georg Veh, Natalie Luetzow, Varvara Kharlamova, Dmitry Petrakov, Romain Hugonnet, Oliver Korup
Summary: Thousands of glacier lakes have formed in high mountains since the early 20th century following glacier retreat. Some of these lakes have released large amounts of water and sediment with disastrous consequences downstream. However, it is unclear whether the reported rise in glacier lake outburst floods (GLOFs) is due to a warming atmosphere or simply increased research efforts. This study finds that the number of reported GLOFs has decreased since the 1970s, coinciding with changes in annual air temperatures and number of field-based glacier surveys. The findings suggest a weak coupling between temperature-driven glacier processes and GLOF occurrences, or the possibility of overlooked outbursts.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yu Cai, Chang -Qing Ke, Yao Xiao, Juan Wu
Summary: These lakes have undergone significant changes in recent years, with later freeze-up and break-up dates. The changes in ice cover duration showed spatial heterogeneity. Air temperature changes had the greatest influence on ice phenology, followed by solar radiation. Weakened wind power in the northeastern part of the plateau contributed to delayed break-up and extended ice cover. Water balance changes, affected by lake size and salinity, intensified ice phenology changes in some lakes while moderating or reversing changes in others. The spatial inconsistency of changes in multiple climatic factors was the main reason for the heterogeneity of lake ice phenology changes. This study provides important insights into the effects of climate change and lake properties on lake ice phenology.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Wei Zhu, Zhe Cao, Pingping Luo, Zeming Tang, Yuzhu Zhang, Maochuan Hu, Bin He
Summary: Urban areas are increasingly vulnerable to flooding due to urbanization and climate change, remote sensing technology can provide practical help. Research shows most studies are in high-income countries and focus on observing the environment rather than buildings. Recommendations for future research include coastal urban areas, observing buildings in urban areas, and data standardization.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Linan Guo, Hongxing Zheng, Yanhong Wu, Lanxin Fan, Mengxuan Wen, Junsheng Li, Fangfang Zhang, Liping Zhu, Bing Zhang
Summary: Lake surface water temperature (LSWT) is a critical physical property and indicator of climate change in the aquatic ecosystem. This study presents a comprehensive dataset of daily LSWT for 160 lakes across the Tibetan Plateau, combining satellite-based observation and modeling. The dataset reveals a significant increase in annual LSWT from 1978 to 2017, with a higher warming rate in winter than in summer.
EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCE DATA
(2022)
Article
Zoology
Krizler C. TANALGO, Kim MCCONKEY, Paul RACEY, Sheema Abdul AZIZ, Tuanjit SRITONGCHUAY, Alice C. HUGHES, Tammy MILDENSTEIN
INTEGRATIVE ZOOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Zoology
Sreehari Raman, Thekke Thumbath Shameer, Ushakumari Pooja, Alice C. Hughes
Summary: Understanding patterns of species distribution and diversity is important for biodiversity conservation. This study conducted a comprehensive bat survey in the Western Ghats region of peninsular India and used maximum entropy modeling to predict the potential distribution of bat species. The study also assessed the level of protection for these bat species across protected area networks in the region.
JOURNAL OF MAMMALOGY
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Nasir Uddin, Sam Enoch, Abishek Harihar, Rob S. A. Pickles, Tasnim Ara, Alice C. Hughes
Summary: Illegal wildlife trade is a major cause of decline in high-value species. This study examines a case of perpetrator replacement following an intervention, providing lessons for conservation strategies. The successful counter-pirate campaign inadvertently removed the dominant tiger poaching type, resulting in the emergence of specialist tiger-poaching teams.
CONSERVATION BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Ada Chornelia, Alice C. Hughes
Summary: Bats serve as a prime case study for examining evolution, particularly their flight and echolocation abilities. In this study, the authors investigated the phenotypic evolution of key traits in horseshoe bats using phylogenetic comparative methods. They found that most traits showed a strong phylogenetic signal, but each trait evolved under different models. Sella traits were shown to undergo stabilizing selection, indicating their importance in echolocation. Additionally, the minimum detectable prey size was associated with multiple traits. Understanding trait evolution requires consideration of the selective pressures acting on different characteristics.
JOURNAL OF SYSTEMATICS AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Alice C. Hughes, Kevin Tougeron, Dominic A. Martin, Filippo Menga, Bruno H. P. Rosado, Sebastian Villasante, Shweta Madgulkar, Fernando Goncalves, Davide Geneletti, Luisa Maria Diele-Viegas, Sebastian Berger, Sheila R. Colla, Vitor de Andrade Kamimura, Holly Caggiano, Felipe Melo, Marcelo Guilherme de Oliveira Dias, Elke Kellner, Edivando Vitor do Couto
Summary: The blame on human population as the main cause of biodiversity loss is not true. The growth of commodities for export, particularly soybean and oil-palm, primarily for livestock feed or biofuel consumption in higher income economies, is the actual driver of habitat loss. Instead of population, reducing unsustainable consumption, tracking supply chains, technological innovation, and ensuring sustainable production are the key measures for biodiversity conservation.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Zhengfei Guo, Christopher J. Still, Calvin K. F. Lee, Youngryel Ryu, Benjamin Blonder, Jing Wang, Timothy C. Bonebrake, Alice Hughes, Yan Li, Henry C. H. Yeung, Kun Zhang, Ying Ki Law, Ziyu Lin, Jin Wu
Summary: This study investigates the thermoregulation ability of plant ecosystems in the global extratropics and finds that most ecosystems do have some degree of thermoregulation, contrary to the limited homeothermy hypothesis. The results also show that the difference between canopy temperature and air temperature is more sensitive in detecting thermoregulatory differences across biomes than the regression slope.
Review
Environmental Sciences
Yuanming Zhang, Akash Tariq, Alice C. Hughes, Deyuan Hong, Fuwen Wei, Hang Sun, Jordi Sardans, Josep Penuelas, Gad Perry, Jianfang Qiao, Alishir Kurban, Xiaoxia Jia, Domitilla Raimondo, Borong Pan, Weikang Yang, Daoyuan Zhang, Wenjun Li, Zeeshan Ahmed, Carl Beierkuhnlein, Georgy Lazkov, Kristina Toderich, Shirin Karryeva, Davron Dehkonov, Hikmat Hisoriev, Liliya Dimeyeva, Dmitry Milko, Ahmedou Soule, Malgozhata Suska-Malawska, Jumamurat Saparmuradov, Alilov Bekzod, Paul Allin, Sidy Dieye, Birane Cissse, Wondmagegne Whibesilassie, Keping Ma
Summary: The strategic goals of the United Nations and the Aichi Targets for biodiversity conservation have not been met. Instead, biodiversity has continued to rapidly decrease, especially in developing countries.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Review
Biodiversity Conservation
Mark Auliya, Sandra Altherr, Charlotte Nithart, Alice Hughes, David Bickford
Summary: The commercial trade in frogs and their body parts is a global issue, and the European Union is the largest importer of frogs' legs. Overexploitation has contributed to the decline of wild frog populations in various countries, and there is a need for sustainable practices and data validation to protect these species.
NATURE CONSERVATION-BULGARIA
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Christoph Nedopil, Mengdi Yue, Alice C. Hughes
Summary: This study analyzes how debt-for-nature swaps can protect biodiversity priority areas and reduce debt burden. The dataset of biodiversity conservation and debt restructuring in 67 countries at risk of sovereign debt distress shows that they hold over 22% of global biodiversity priority areas, 82.96% of which are unprotected. Using conservative cost estimates, 100% of unprotected biodiversity priority areas could be protected for a fraction of debt in 35 countries, and 11-13% could be protected in the remaining countries by applying debt-for-nature swaps.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Lu Feng, Xiaoming Ma, Alice C. Hughes, Gang Feng
Summary: This study explored the relationships between forest mammal diversity and various factors, such as elevation range, contemporary climate, paleoclimate change, and human activities in China. The results showed that higher elevation range and increased contemporary precipitation and cropland area were associated with higher mammal species richness and improved phylogenetic diversity and structure.
BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION
(2023)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Alice Hughes, Mark Auliya, Sandra Altherr, Brett Scheffers, Jordi Janssen, Vincent Nijman, Chris R. Shepherd, Neil D'Cruze, Emerson Sy, David P. Edwards
Summary: According to the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, exploitation of wildlife poses a significant threat to species survival. While illegal trade's detrimental effects are well-known, legal trade is often considered sustainable despite lacking evidence. This article reviews the sustainability of wildlife trade, the tools and frameworks to regulate it, and highlights the lack of data that hinders understanding of sustainability. The authors propose a more precautionary approach, strengthening data collection, linking trade quotas to international standards, improving databases, and enhancing understanding of trade bans and market forces.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Guo-Qing Wang, Rosa A. Scherson, Diego Vera, Yun-Hao Bai, Jun Wen, Lin-Yuan Guo, Alice C. Hughes, Hua-Feng Wang
Summary: This study investigates the spatial patterns and drivers of plant diversity in Hainan Island using molecular phylogeny and species records. The results demonstrate that central Hainan is the most significant hotspot for plant diversity, with environmental energy playing a crucial role in determining the diversity patterns.
JOURNAL OF SYSTEMATICS AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Jianpeng Cui, Meihui Zhu, Linyuan Guo, Haili Zhang, Alice C. Hughes, Huafeng Wang
Summary: Green space in urban areas is crucial for maintaining and improving human well-being. This study examines the patterns of plant diversity in urban green spaces in the tropical coastal region of China, based on samples from 826 functional units in five cities. The results show that plant diversity varies significantly among different land-use types, with high-rise housing, parks, and universities exhibiting higher diversity.
Correction
Ecology
Andrew Gonzalez, Petteri Vihervaara, Patricia Balvanera, Amanda E. Bates, Elisa Bayraktarov, Peter J. Bellingham, Andreas Bruder, Jillian Campbell, Michael D. Catchen, Jeannine Cavender-Bares, Jonathan Chase, Nicholas Coops, Mark J. Costello, Balint Czucz, Aurelie Delavaud, Maria Dornelas, Gregoire Dubois, Emmett J. Duffy, Hilde Eggermont, Miguel Fernandez, Nestor Fernandez, Simon Ferrier, Gary N. Geller, Michael Gill, Dominique Gravel, Carlos A. Guerra, Robert Guralnick, Michael Harfoot, Tim Hirsch, Sean Hoban, Alice C. Hughes, Wim Hugo, Margaret E. Hunter, Forest Isbell, Walter Jetz, Norbert Juergens, W. Daniel Kissling, Cornelia B. Krug, Peter Kullberg, Yvan Le Bras, Brian Leung, Maria Cecilia Londono-Murcia, Jean-Michel Lord, Michel Loreau, Amy Luers, Keping Ma, Anna J. MacDonald, Joachim Maes, Melodie McGeoch, Jean Baptiste Mihoub, Katie L. Millette, Zsolt Molnar, Enrique Montes, Akira S. Mori, Frank E. Muller-Karger, Hiroyuki Muraoka, Masahiro Nakaoka, Laetitia Navarro, Tim Newbold, Aidin Niamir, David Obura, Mary O'Connor, Marc Paganini, Dominique Pelletier, Henrique Pereira, Timothee Poisot, Laura J. Pollock, Andy Purvis, Adriana Radulovici, Duccio Rocchini, Claudia Roeoesli, Michael Schaepman, Gabriela Schaepman-Strub, Dirk S. Schmeller, Ute Schmiedel, Fabian D. Schneider, Mangal Man Shakya, Andrew Skidmore, Andrew L. Skowno, Yayioi Takeuchi, Mao-Ning Tuanmu, Eren Turak, Woody Turner, Mark C. Urban, Nicolas Urbina-Cardona, Ruben Valbuena, Anton Van de Putte, Basile van Havre, Vladimir Ruslan Wingate, Elaine Wright, Carlos Zambrana Torrelio
NATURE ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jie Zhang, Jin Wu, Alice Catherine Hughes, Jed O. Kaplan, Eduardo Eiji Maeda
Summary: The conversion of forests into soybean plantations in the Brazilian Amazon has significant climate feedback effects, including increased average temperature in the atmospheric boundary layer and reduced rainfall. These effects are more pronounced compared to the conversion to pastures.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)