Article
Environmental Sciences
David G. Angeler, Ran Hur
Summary: This study assessed the effects of liming on ecological processes and resilience in lakes by analyzing the temporal fluctuation frequencies of benthic invertebrates and phytoplankton. The results showed that liming had a significant impact on littoral invertebrates, but had inconsistent effects on sublittoral invertebrates and phytoplankton. This suggests that liming may not create effective management effects at different temporal scales.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Yuanhong Deng, Xiaoyan Li, Fangzhong Shi, Xia Hu
Summary: The encroachment of woody plants into grasslands and savannas has been observed globally, with ongoing expansion contributing to vegetation greening and increased productivity by enhancing leaf area index, gross primary production, evapotranspiration components, and ecosystem water-use efficiency. The rate of increase in woody plant encroachment has slowed down after 2010, with high values in arid and semi-arid regions. The effects of woody plant encroachment vary among biomes and climate zones, showing a positive correlation with vegetation greening and improved ecosystem water-use efficiency, particularly in semi-arid areas.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Civil
Ziwei Xu, Zhongli Zhu, Shaomin Liu, Lisheng Song, Xiaochen Wang, Sha Zhou, Xiaofan Yang, Tongren Xu
Summary: Partitioning of evapotranspiration (ET) into evaporation (E) and transpiration (T) is challenging but important, especially in semiarid and arid regions. The study compared the uWUE method with hydrometric and remote sensing-based ET partitioning methods, finding uWUE to be promising with continuous data representation. The study in the Heihe River basin showed seasonal variations in the contribution of transpiration to evapotranspiration in different ecosystems.
JOURNAL OF HYDROLOGY
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Civil
Naga Venkata Satish Laveti, Ashes Banerjee, Suresh A. Kartha, Subashisa Dutta
Summary: Over the past three decades, the agricultural production in the low-income and highly-populated Kosi River's alluvial plain has been improved by adapting millions of groundwater pumping systems and implementing site-specific water and nutrient management. The study shows that intensified agricultural activities, aided by additional groundwater pumping systems, have reduced the area's dependency on monsoonal rainfall and allowed for agricultural activities throughout the year. Furthermore, the research highlights the increased reliance on groundwater-aided irrigation in dry years, leading to a significant rise in annual groundwater extraction rate and reduction in net recharge.
JOURNAL OF HYDROLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Zhaoyong Hu, Shouqin Sun, Xiangyang Sun, Shan Lin, Chunlin Song, Genxu Wang
Summary: Based on eddy-covariance data, this study analyzed the spatial-temporal patterns of evapotranspiration (ET) and identified the physical and biological factors influencing ET fluctuations in montane ecosystems. The results showed that in forest zones, precipitation played a dominant role in interannual ET fluctuations, while in shrubland, biological factors had a greater impact. Additionally, elevation had a significant influence on ET, with higher elevations experiencing larger fluctuations.
WATER RESOURCES RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Yafeng Zhang, Xinping Wang, Yanxia Pan, Rui Hu, Ning Chen, Brody Sandel
Summary: Globally, stemflow production accounts for approximately 2.7% of incident precipitation, with significantly higher values in arid zones and differences between trees and shrubs. Important predictor variables for stem flow production include vegetation height, mean annual precipitation, mean annual temperature, stand density, stand age, and bark type.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2021)
Article
Soil Science
Qian Zhang, Thomas W. Boutton, Che-Jen Hsiao, Ryan M. Mushinski, Liming Wang, Roland Bol, Erwin Klumpp
Summary: Soil colloids consisting of clay minerals and organic matter are important in ion exchange capacity and biogeochemical processes. This study assessed the impacts of woody encroachment, livestock grazing, and fire on soil colloidal properties in a juniper-oak savanna. The results showed that woody encroachment increased the retention of organic carbon and phosphorus by soil colloids, resulting in an increase in overall C and P pools in savanna soils.
Review
Environmental Sciences
Weixiang Li, Xin Li, Jing Tong, Weiping Xiong, Ziqian Zhu, Xiang Gao, Shuai Li, Meiying Jia, Zhaohui Yang, Jie Liang
Summary: This study reviewed a large number of articles to identify the sources and distribution of microplastics. The results showed that human activities significantly affected the global distribution of microplastics, with agriculture and urban activities being the main sources in different regions. These findings highlight the importance of region-specific policies to control microplastic pollution and recognize the role of soil composition in microplastic distribution.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Review
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Masibonge Gxasheka, Christian Sabelo Gajana, Phesheya Dlamini
Summary: The spread of woody plants in mountainous rangelands is influenced by complex interactions between topographic and soil factors, highlighting the need for further research and effective management strategies.
Article
Ecology
Hadgu Hishe, Kidane Giday, Tobias Fremout, Aklilu Negussie, Raf Aerts, Bart Muys
Summary: Natural regeneration in the Afromontane forest in Northern Ethiopia is influenced by factors such as canopy cover, distance to roads, precipitation, soil quality, and tree species diversity. The abundance of dominant species in the canopy and regeneration layers also plays a role in affecting regeneration success. Forest degradation negatively impacts late-successional species regeneration, highlighting the need for active restoration interventions.
RESTORATION ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Qiwen Liao, Xiaoyan Li, Fangzhong Shi, Yuanhong Deng, Pei Wang, Tingyun Wu, Junqi Wei, Fenglin Zuo
Summary: This study quantified the nocturnal evapotranspiration in alpine regions and clarified the different response of evapotranspiration to climate variables during daytime and nighttime. The results showed that nocturnal evapotranspiration accounts for a relatively high proportion of total evapotranspiration and there are differences in the response to climate variables at different elevations.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Wenping Xu, Qimeng Yu, David Proverbs
Summary: Flooding is a frequently occurring natural hazard that poses a serious threat to global security and the sustainable development of communities. This study developed a new comprehensive evaluation model of flood resilience, considering social, economic, ecological environment, and infrastructure dimensions. Analytical methods were used to analyze the structural issues, calculate indicator importance, and evaluate the current levels of flood resilience in three cities in China's Yellow River Basin. The results highlight the significance of factors such as rainfall, vulnerability, fixed-asset investments, and emergency rescue capabilities in determining flood resilience, and identify the city of Xi'an as having a higher level of resilience due to its strong ecological environment resilience.
Review
Neurosciences
Angie M. Michaiel, Amy Bernard
Summary: Rapid anthropogenic environmental changes have profound effects on biological systems, and the study of neurobiological systems' adaptation to these changes is still lacking.
FRONTIERS IN NEURAL CIRCUITS
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Siyu Yu, Matthew Malecha, Philip Berke
Summary: This study found significant variation across cities in the US, with some communities less likely to incorporate hazard mitigation policies in their planning, while communities with hazard experience were more likely to have resilience-focused plans.
LANDSCAPE AND URBAN PLANNING
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Oleg Gordienko, Roman Balkushkin, Anna Kholodenko, Elena Ivantsova
Summary: The study analyzed the soils of recreational areas in Volgograd within three research areas, revealing different soil groups and distributions. Natural soils and anthropogenic-transformed soils were identified with varying salt content and carbon content, but most soils lacked hortic horizons in the surface layers.
Article
Agronomy
Lucas N. Vitantonio-Mazzini, Damian Gomez, Brenda L. Gambin, Guido Di Mauro, Rodrigo Iglesias, Jeronimo Costanzi, Esteban G. Jobbagy, Lucas Borras
Summary: This study identified the key factors affecting soybean yield in Argentina, including genotype selection, sowing date, rainfall, soil type, and water table depth. Water table presence was found to significantly increase and stabilize yields, especially in coarse-textured soils and under low-rainfall conditions in the central temperate region.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Lucas A. Garibaldi, Facundo J. Oddi, Fernando E. Miguez, Ignasi Bartomeus, Michael C. Orr, Esteban G. Jobbagy, Claire Kremen, Lisa A. Schulte, Alice C. Hughes, Camilo Bagnato, Guillermo Abramson, Peter Bridgewater, Dulce Gomez Carella, Sandra Diaz, Lynn V. Dicks, Erle C. Ellis, Matias Goldenberg, Claudia A. Huaylla, Marcelo Kuperman, Harvey Locke, Zia Mehrabi, Fernanda Santibanez, Chao-Dong Zhu
Summary: International agreements aim to conserve 17% of Earth's land area by 2020 but do not include area-based conservation targets within working landscapes. Only 38% of countries have minimum area requirements for conserving native habitats within working landscapes. The authors argue for increasing native habitats to at least 20% of working landscape area and including a minimum habitat restoration target in the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework.
CONSERVATION LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Water Resources
Esteban G. Jobbagy, Santiago Lorenzo, Nicolas Buono, Ricardo Paez, Yesica Diaz, Victoria Marchesini, Marcelo D. Nosetto
Summary: This study in central Argentina found that the replacement of native vegetation with rainfed crops led to the formation of groundwater-fed streams. Seasonal fluctuations in groundwater level and stream baseflow were influenced by plant uptake and rainfall, with different impacts observed in croplands compared to deep incision areas. The research highlights the complex interplay of mechanisms governing evapotranspiration and streamflow partitioning, and the importance of understanding these interactions for predicting and managing future hydrological changes in dry plains of South America.
HYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Civil
Pablo A. Meglioli, Pablo E. Villagra, Julieta N. Aranibar, Patricio N. Magliano, Esteban G. Jobbagy
Summary: This study evaluated the impact of livestock settlements on Prosopis flexuosa woodlands in the desert ecosystem, revealing their effects on groundwater level fluctuations and solute transport, as well as the differences compared to undisturbed woodlands. The research found that livestock stations lead to more intense seasonal fluctuations in groundwater levels and increased chloride and nitrate concentrations and salinity in groundwater.
JOURNAL OF HYDROLOGY
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
C. Echegoyen, V. A. Campodonico, K. L. Lecomte, E. G. Jobbagy, P. A. Yaciuk, L. D. Sepulveda
Summary: This study used stable isotopes to investigate the hydrological characteristics of a lake in the Dry Pampean Plain. The results showed that evaporation was the main factor influencing the isotopic composition of the lake water, rather than rainfall input. Additionally, the study found that the lake had higher groundwater inflow during the dry season and lower groundwater inflow during the wet season, leading to a decrease in lake level during the wet season. Based on the proportion of water leaving the lake through evaporation, the lake was classified as a throughflow lake with a short water residence time.
HYDROGEOLOGY JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Patrick Meyfroidt, Ariane de Bremond, Casey M. Ryan, Emma Archer, Richard Aspinall, Abha Chhabra, Gilberto Camara, Esteve Corbera, Ruth DeFries, Sandra Diaz, Jinwei Dong, Erle C. Ellis, Karl-Heinz Erb, Janet A. Fisher, Rachael D. Garrett, Nancy E. Golubiewski, H. Ricardo Grau, J. Morgan Grove, Helmut Haberl, Andreas Heinimann, Patrick Hostert, Esteban G. Jobbagy, Suzi Kerr, Tobias Kuemmerle, Eric F. Lambin, Sandra Lavorel, Sharachandra Lele, Ole Mertz, Peter Messerli, Graciela Metternicht, Darla K. Munroe, Harini Nagendra, Jonas Ostergaard Nielsen, Dennis S. Ojima, Dawn Cassandra Parker, Unai Pascual, John R. Porter, Navin Ramankutty, Anette Reenberg, Rinku Roy Chowdhury, Karen C. Seto, Verena Seufert, Hideaki Shibata, Allison Thomson, Billie L. Turner Ii, Jotaro Urabe, Tom Veldkamp, Peter H. Verburg, Gete Zeleke, Erasmus K. H. J. zu Ermgassen
Summary: The paper synthesizes 10 important truths in land use, which help explain the challenges of achieving sustainability in land use and point toward solutions. These facts have important implications for guiding scientists, policymakers, and practitioners in meeting sustainability challenges in land use.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Ezequiel M. Arrieta, Carlos Gonzalez Fischer, Sebastian Aguiar, Milva Geri, Roberto J. Fernandez, Julia Becaria Coquet, Carlos M. Scavuzzo, Andres Rieznik, Alberto Leon, Alejandro D. Gonzalez, Esteban G. Jobbagy
Summary: The current dietary patterns in Argentina are unhealthy, unsustainable, and relatively expensive. Adopting healthier diets, particularly plant-based diets, can improve health while reducing environmental impacts.
SUSTAINABILITY SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Rafael Calderon-Contreras, Patricia Balvanera, Micaela Trimble, Alfonso Langle-Flores, Esteban Jobbagy, Manuel Maass Moreno, Jorge Marcone, Nestor Mazzeo, Minerva M. Munoz Anaya, Ivan A. Ortiz-Rodriguez, Maria Perevochtchikova, Sophie Avila-Foucat, Martha Bonilla-Moheno, Laurie Beth Clark, Miguel Equihua, Barbara Ayala-Orozco, Isabel Bueno, Loni Hensler, Juana Claudia Leyva Aguilera, Miguel Martinez Ramos, Juliana Mercon, M. Azahara Mesa-Jurado, Henrik Osterblom, Raul Pacheco-Vega, Bonifacio Perez Alcantara, Octavio Perez-Maqueo, Luciana Porter-Bolland, Sandra Quijas, Laura Elisa Quiroz Rosas, Eduardo Rios Patron, Juan C. Rocha-Gordo, Iskra Alejandra Rojo Negrete, Luz Piedad Romero-Duque, Julieta A. Rosell, Marten Scheffer, Luis-Bernardo Vazquez, Mariana Villada Canela, Monica Velazquez
Summary: This paper assesses the strengths of Place-Based Social-Ecological Sustainability Research (PBSESR) communities in Latin America and the Caribbean, highlighting two prominent regional networks. The results show that these networks play key roles in connecting teams and have the potential to constitute a Latin American node for PECS.
ECOSYSTEMS AND PEOPLE
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Ezequiel M. Arrieta, Sebastian Aguiar, Carlos Gonzalez Fischer, Anibal Cuchietti, Diego A. Cabrol, Alejandro D. Gonzalez, Esteban G. Jobbagy
Summary: The livestock sector has significant impacts on resource use and pollution in food systems. This study assesses the environmental impacts of livestock production in Argentina by analyzing biomass consumption, land occupation, greenhouse gas emissions, and energy and chemical fertilizers use. Results show that beef production has the highest environmental footprints, requiring more land and emitting more greenhouse gases compared to other livestock products. Tailored solutions based on management traditions and ecological heterogeneity are necessary to reduce these impacts.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Civil
Patricio N. Magliano, Juan Whitworth-Hulse, Fabricio D. Cid, Jorge L. Leporati, John T. Van Stan, Esteban G. Jobbagy
Summary: Rainfall partitioning by plant canopies plays a key role in dryland ecohydrology by altering water receipt to soils. This study synthesized observations from rainfall events across multiple sites and developed empirical models to predict partitioning. The models found that interception, throughfall, and stemflow linearly increased with rainfall event size, with different patterns observed for different plant species. These findings contribute to understanding and managing ecohydrological change in water-limited ecosystems.
JOURNAL OF HYDROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Isabel Vilanova, Alfonsina Tripaldi, Karsten Schittek, Leandro Rojo, Eduardo L. Piovano, Steven L. Forman, Esteban G. Jobbagy, Guillermo Heider, Jorge Chiesa
Summary: The Pampas plains of southern South America were predominantly dry landscapes during most of the late Pleistocene-Middle Holocene, evolving to humid grasslands hosting shallow lakes in the late Holocene. The study of the sediment of Primera Laguna, a shallow lake in the western edge of Pampas, provides valuable evidence to understand past environmental conditions and human impacts. Comparisons with other lakes suggest an increase in water availability in the region since 1500 years ago.
JOURNAL OF SOUTH AMERICAN EARTH SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Tomas Milani, Jason D. Hoeksema, Esteban G. Jobbagy, J. Alejandro Rojas, Rytas Vilgalys, Francois P. Teste
Summary: This study investigated the roots and surrounding soil of invading pines in mountain grasslands of Argentina, as well as the EM fungal spore bank in grassland soil near and far from the original pine plantations. The results showed differential dispersal capacities among EM fungi and the influence of pine age on the fungal composition. These findings have important implications for the ecosystem functioning of co-invaded sites.
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Frederike Vincent, Michiel Maertens, Michel Bechtold, Esteban Jobbagy, Rolf H. Reichle, Veerle Vanacker, Jasper A. Vrugt, Jean-Pierre Wigneron, Gabrielle J. M. De Lannoy
Summary: In this study, the surface soil moisture, temperature, salinity, and vegetation in the Dry Chaco region of South America were investigated using satellite observations and simulations. The results showed that satellite-based soil moisture performed better than model simulations when evaluated against field data. Including salinity in the simulations improved the results, but the accuracy of salinity retrieval was still limited.
IEEE JOURNAL OF SELECTED TOPICS IN APPLIED EARTH OBSERVATIONS AND REMOTE SENSING
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Micaela Trimble, Tomas Olivier, Lidiane A. P. Anjos, Natalia Dias Tadeu, Gabriel Giordano, Lara Mac Donnell, Rosana Laura, Franco Salvadores, Igor Matheus Santana-Chaves, Pedro H. C. Torres, Miguel Pascual, Pedro R. Jacobi, Nestor Mazzeo, Cristina Zurbriggen, Lydia Garrido, Esteban Jobbagy, Claudia Pahl-Wostl
Summary: Adaptive water governance involves collaboration, social learning, and flexibility. This paper analyzes the actions of basin committees in South America with different levels of institutionalization in response to water crises. The findings highlight the barriers faced by basin committees in fostering adaptive water governance.
ECOLOGY AND SOCIETY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Lucia Zarba, Maria Piquer-Rodriguez, Sebastien Boillat, Christian Levers, Ignacio Gasparri, T. Mitchell Aide, Nora L. Alvarez-Berrios, Liana O. Anderson, Ezequiel Araoz, Eugenio Arima, Mateus Batistella, Marco Calderon-Loor, Cristian Echeverria, Mariano Gonzalez-Roglich, Esteban G. Jobbagy, Sarah -Lan Mathez-Stiefel, Carlos Ramirez-Reyes, Andrea Pacheco, Maria Vallejos, Kenneth R. Young, Ricardo Grau
Summary: This study presents a spatially explicit social-ecological land system (SELS) typology for South America, which incorporates both social and biophysical dimensions. Through a hybrid methodology combining data-driven spatial analysis and knowledge-based evaluation by regional specialists, the study identifies 13 SELS in 5 larger social-ecological regions. The SELS classification provides a systematic and operative characterization of South American social-ecological land systems.
ECOLOGY AND SOCIETY
(2022)