Article
Geography, Physical
Kristina Krklec, Regis Braucher, Drazen Perica, David Dominguez-Villar
Summary: The development of karst landscapes is determined by the complex interactions between lithology, climate, hydrology, soil, vegetation, and tectonics. This study conducted in the North Dalmatian Plain in the Dinaric karst region found that lithology does not have a significant impact on the topography of the erosive surface. The variable denudation rates observed are attributed to local differences influenced by factors like lichens and pedogenic carbonates.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Qi Wang, Cheng Cheng, Evgenios Agathokleous, Yuanyuan Liu, Xuewei Li, Xiafang Sheng
Summary: This study revealed the significant impact of mosses and lichens on microbial communities inhabiting rock surfaces, enhancing bacterial diversity and rock-weathering activity. Moss-covered and lichen-covered rock surfaces showed higher diversity and greater weathering activity compared to bare rock surfaces.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Gang Fu, Zhen-Xi Shen
Summary: This study reveals that asymmetrical warming has a lagging effect on soil respiration in alpine regions, with a greater warming during the non-growing season potentially having a stronger impact on Rs than a greater warming during the growing season. The inter-annual variation of Rs may be greater than the warming effect in alpine meadows.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Editorial Material
Biology
Hans-Peter Braun
Summary: Studying the atomic structures of mitochondrial enzyme complexes in plants provides insights into their diverse functions.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Hua Deng, Lei Su, Yifan Zheng, Fangni Du, Quan-Xing Liu, Jia Zheng, Zhiwei Zhou, Huahong Shi
Summary: In this study, a crack pattern system was proposed to describe the morphological changes of plastic surfaces, based on the analysis of 5013 plastic fragments collected from different locations in China. The study also established a succinct protocol for crack investigation in the field. The results showed that some crack metrics were closely correlated with the chemical characteristics of the fragments, and the crack pattern system proved to be a useful tool for describing the morphological changes of plastic surfaces in the environment.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Raquel Pino-Bodas, Soili Stenroos
Summary: The study on the diversity of lichen photobionts associated with Cladonia revealed a high genetic diversity of Asterochloris. The main drivers for the genetic variation of Asterochloris were found to be mycobiont identity and climate, with different Asterochloris lineages showing dominance in specific climatic regions. Additionally, both specialist and generalist species of Cladonia were identified based on their association with specific Asterochloris OTUs.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Caitlin Hodges, John M. Regan, Brandon Forsythe, David Oakley, Jason Kaye, Susan L. Brantley
Summary: This study used fixed-potential electrodes for the first time to explore the fine-scale temporal redox fluctuations of iron and manganese in unsaturated soils. The electrodes recorded fluctuations over timescales from minutes to weeks. Reduction was promoted when the water table rose above the electrodes, while rainfall only stimulated oxidation above the water table. These results provide valuable insights into the fast-changing biogeochemical impacts of metal redox cycling in soils.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Hua Deng, Lei Su, Yifan Zheng, Fangni Du, Quan-Xing Liu, Jia Zheng, Zhiwei Zhou, Huahong Shi
Summary: This study collected plastic fragments from coastal beaches, estuary dikes, and lake banks in China, and identified the dominant polymers and crack patterns. A general crack pattern system was proposed based on extracted crack images. Some crack metrics were found to be closely correlated with the chemical characteristics of the fragments. A succinct protocol for crack investigation was proposed and successfully applied to analyze crack features at different sites.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Tobias Roylands, Robert G. Hilton, Mark H. Garnett, Guillaume Soulet, Josephine-Anne Newton, Joanne L. Peterkin, Peter Hancock
Summary: The weathering of organic carbon in sedimentary rocks has a significant impact on the concentrations of CO2 and oxygen in the atmosphere. This study investigates the CO2 emissions from the oxidation of organic carbon in a rapidly eroding river catchment in New Zealand, revealing high rates of CO2 release and unique characteristics of the emitted CO2. The findings demonstrate the environmental controls on CO2 fluxes and provide insights for future research on the oxidation of organic carbon in different geological and climatic settings.
Article
Agronomy
Magdalena Grudzinska, Dominika Boguszewska-Mankowska, Krystyna Zarzynska
Summary: The study evaluated the response of two potato varieties to different drought stress conditions in terms of sugar accumulation and respiration rate. It was found that the drought-sensitive variety accumulated more sugars and had a higher respiration rate compared to the drought-resistant variety under both drought conditions and during storage.
JOURNAL OF AGRONOMY AND CROP SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Mathematics, Applied
Milos Dolnik, Christopher Konow, Noah H. Somberg, Irving R. Epstein
Summary: This study investigated the impact of discrete domain discontinuities on Turing pattern formation and discovered that obstructions significantly affect pattern formation and lead to novel pattern morphologies. The findings provide guidance for future numerical and experimental studies and offer new insights into biological pattern growth and formation.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Grace L. Brown, Ben W. Brock
Summary: This study examines carbon fluxes on debris-covered glaciers and finds that carbon uptake is larger on thick debris compared to thin debris. It suggests that debris-covered glaciers play an important role in the global carbon cycle.
FRONTIERS IN EARTH SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Geography, Physical
Yoni Israeli, Eyal Salhov, Simon Emmanuel
Summary: The texture of rocks, including grain size and the presence of cracks and stylolites, plays a critical role in influencing weathering rates. Different structural patterns impact weathering rates and grain size differently. Weathering rates increase with density of discontinuities, but decrease as the tortuosity of the pattern increases.
EARTH SURFACE PROCESSES AND LANDFORMS
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Sawyer S. S. Stoyanovich, Leslie J. J. Saunders, Zeyu Yang, Mark L. L. Hanson, Bruce P. P. Hollebone, Diane M. M. Orihel, Vince Palace, Jose L. L. Rodriguez-Gil, Fatemeh S. S. Mirnaghi, Keval Shah, Jules M. M. Blais
Summary: Diluted bitumen (dilbit) rapidly depletes hydrocarbons following spills into freshwater. This study evaluated the weathering patterns of Cold Lake Winter Blend dilbit by performing controlled spills in a freshwater lake. The results showed that evaporation and photooxidation were major processes contributing to dilbit weathering, while dissolution and biodegradation were less important.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Forestry
K. Y. Crous, A. W. Cheesman, K. Middleby, E. I. E. Rogers, A. Wujeska-Klause, A. Y. M. Bouet, D. S. Ellsworth, M. J. Liddell, L. A. Cernusak, C. V. M. Barton
Summary: As global climate warms, increasing leaf temperatures have a significant impact on tree physiology and the interaction between leaf and air temperatures in forests. By warming leaves in two mature evergreen forests, researchers found that higher leaf temperatures lead to reduced stomatal conductance and net photosynthesis, potentially weakening the land carbon sink in tropical and temperate forests.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Fengxia Bao, Yafang Cheng, Uwe Kuhn, Guo Li, Wenjie Wang, Alexandra Maria Kratz, Jens Weber, Bettina Weber, Ulrich Poeschl, Hang Su
Summary: This study confirms the bi-directional exchange of HONO between soil and the atmosphere and proposes a method for quantifying soil fluxes of HONO by measuring the equilibrium gas-phase concentration [HONO] * in the soil. Compared to measurements in chambers, [HONO] * provides a more accurate representation of soil HONO fluxes, although it varies with soil water content.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Soil Science
Emilio Rodriguez-Caballero, Andres Reyes, Alexandra Kratz, Jennifer Caesar, Emilio Guirado, Ute Schmiedel, Paula Escribano, Sabine Fiedler, Bettina Weber
Summary: This study analyzed the development of biocrust under different climate change and livestock density scenarios in southern Africa using NDVI data, and validated the results by analyzing biocrust occurrence along a mesoclimatic gradient. The results showed a predicted decrease in biocrust coverage by the end of the 21st century due to reduced water availability and exacerbated by livestock trampling, demonstrating the effects of climate change on biocrust at regional scales.
Article
Ecology
S. Maier, A. M. Kratz, J. Weber, M. Prass, F. Liu, A. T. Clark, R. M. M. Abed, H. Su, Y. Cheng, T. Eickhorst, S. Fiedler, U. Poeschl, B. Weber
Summary: This study analyzed the activity of microbial consortia relevant in N-r emissions during desiccation and found that genes encoding for all relevant nitrogen cycling processes were expressed within 30 minutes after wetting. The most transcriptionally active N-transforming microorganisms in the investigated biocrusts were affiliated with Rhodobacteraceae, Enterobacteriaceae, and Pseudomonadaceae. The results confirm that the activity of N-cycling microorganisms determines the process rates and overall quantity of N-r emissions.
Review
Biology
Bettina Weber, Jayne Belnap, Burkhard Budel, Anita J. Antoninka, Nichole N. Barger, V. Bala Chaudhary, Anthony Darrouzet-Nardi, David J. Eldridge, Akasha M. Faist, Scott Ferrenberg, Caroline A. Havrilla, Elisabeth Huber-Sannwald, Oumarou Malam Issa, Fernando T. Maestre, Sasha C. Reed, Emilio Rodriguez-Caballero, Colin Tucker, Kristina E. Young, Yuanming Zhang, Yunge Zhao, Xiaobing Zhou, Matthew A. Bowker
Summary: Studies of biocrusts have grown in recent years with a broader literature, increased research scope, and incorporation into global perspectives and models. This review aims to establish a clear and comprehensive definition of biocrusts, highlighting their ecological relevance and ecosystem services. The four defining elements of biocrusts are physical structure, functional characteristics, habitat, and taxonomic composition. The review also covers outgroups and different community types falling under the biocrust definition. The suggested universal definition emphasizes the association between soil particles and photoautotrophic and heterotrophic organisms living within or on top of the uppermost millimeters of soil.
BIOLOGICAL REVIEWS
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
E. Rodriguez-Caballero, T. Stanelle, S. Egerer, Y. Cheng, H. Su, Y. Canton, J. Belnap, M. O. Andreae, I Tegen, C. H. Reick, U. Poeschl, B. Weber
Summary: Biological soil crusts play a significant role in stabilizing the soil surface of drylands. However, quantitative information on their impact on global dust cycling and climate effects is limited. This study reveals that biocrusts reduce global atmospheric dust emissions by approximately 60% and prevent the release of about 0.7 Pg dust per year. However, due to climate change and land-use intensification, the coverage of biocrusts is expected to be severely reduced by 2070, leading to increased dust burden and a reduction in the global radiation budget. These findings emphasize the importance of considering the control of biocrusts on dust cycling and its climate impacts in modeling, mitigation, and management of global change.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Alexandra Maria Kratz, Stefanie Maier, Jens Weber, Minsu Kim, Giacomo Mele, Laura Gargiulo, Anna Lena Leifke, Maria Prass, Raeid M. M. Abed, Yafang Cheng, Hang Su, Ulrich Poeschl, Bettina Weber
Summary: Biocrusts in drylands play a crucial role in biological nitrogen fixation and release of gaseous reactive nitrogen. This study reveals the simultaneous occurrence of aerobic and anaerobic nitrogen transformations in small-scale gradients within biocrusts. These processes are critical for nitrogen emissions and may be influenced by future global change and land management.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Correction
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Laura M. Otter, Dorothea S. Macholdt, Klaus Peter Jochum, Brigitte Stoll, Ulrike Weis, Bettina Weber, Denis Scholz, Gerald H. Haug, Abdullah M. Al-Amri, Meinrat O. Andreae
Article
Ecology
Sylvia Mota de Oliveira, Elza Duijm, Michael Stech, Jasmijn Ruijgrok, Marcel Polling, Cybelli G. G. Barbosa, Gabriela R. Cerqueira, Antonio H. M. Nascimento, Ricardo H. M. Godoi, Philip E. E. Taylor, Stefan Wolff, Bettina Weber, Juergen Kesselmeier
Summary: Biological particles suspended in the atmosphere play a crucial role in the dynamics of the biosphere. By using high-throughput DNA sequencing techniques, we identified airborne fungal and plant material with improved taxonomic resolution. Our findings showed that the composition of airborne fungi differed significantly from anthropogenic regions, and the plant material mainly belonged to Amazonian taxa.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Max Mallen-Cooper, Emilio Rodriguez-Caballero, David J. Eldridge, Bettina Weber, Burkhard Buedel, Hermann Hoehne, Will K. Cornwell
Summary: Lichens and mosses play important roles in terrestrial ecosystems, especially in tundra and drylands. To adapt to climate change, they will need to migrate. However, there are no estimates of future habitat suitability or migration rates for these groups at a global scale.
JOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2023)
Editorial Material
Plant Sciences
Philipp Porada, Maaike Y. Bader, Monica B. Berdugo, Claudia Colesie, Christopher J. Ellis, Paolo Giordani, Ulrike Herzschuh, Yunyao Ma, Samuli Launiainen, Juri Nascimbene, Imke Petersen, Jose Raggio Quilez, Emilio Rodriguez-Caballero, Kathrin Rousk, Leopoldo G. Sancho, Christoph Scheidegger, Steffen Seitz, John T. Van Stan, Maik Veste, Bettina Weber, David J. Weston
Summary: Nonvascular photoautotrophs (NVP), such as bryophytes, lichens, terrestrial algae, and cyanobacteria, play a crucial role in ecosystem functioning. However, climate change poses a significant threat to NVP, and its impact on ecosystem functions and services remains uncertain. This study proposes a research agenda to address this urgent question, focusing on physiological and ecological processes linking NVP to ecosystem functions and considering the taxonomic diversity across different ecosystems. The study highlights the need for more quantitative understanding in areas such as acclimation potential, response to elevated CO2, microbiome role, and feedback to (micro)climate, and suggests an integrative approach of laboratory and field experiments and ecophysiological modeling.
Article
Ecology
Lina K. K. Muehlbauer, Giorgio Zavattoni, Risto Virtanen, Martin Grube, Bettina Weber, Adam Thomas Clark
Summary: The importance of microclimate conditions in ecological research is increasingly recognized. Measuring microclimate variability requires a large number of sensors that can sample across small and large scales, which calls for cost-effective sensor networks.
ECOLOGICAL SOLUTIONS AND EVIDENCE
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Yunyao Ma, Bettina Weber, Alexandra Kratz, Jose Raggio, Claudia Colesie, Maik Veste, Maaike Y. Bader, Philipp Porada
Summary: Biocrusts are a global phenomenon that contribute significantly to ecosystem functioning. Their growth and survival are influenced by various environmental factors, including climate, and the interaction between these factors and physiological processes. However, observational data on the responses of biocrusts to individual environmental factors have not been comprehensively assembled into a framework that allows for quantitative exploration of their performance across different climatic regions.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Charlotte M. Beall, Thomas C. J. Hill, Paul J. DeMott, Tobias Koneman, Michael Pikridas, Frank Drewnick, Hartwig Harder, Christopher Pohlker, Jos Lelieveld, Bettina Weber, Minas Iakovides, Roman Prokes, Jean Sciare, Meinrat O. Andreae, M. Dale Stokes, Kimberly A. Prather
Summary: Mineral dust and sea spray aerosols are important sources of ice-nucleating particles that influence cloud properties, with organics playing a significant role at higher temperatures. Seawater has relatively low ice-nucleating potential. Future research should focus on characterizing organic species and improving dust parameterization models.
ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS
(2022)
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Paulo Artaxo, Hans-Christen Hansson, Meinrat O. Andreae, Jaana Back, Eliane Gomes Alves, Henrique M. J. Barbosa, Frida Bender, Efstratios Bourtsoukidis, Samara Carbone, Jinshu Chi, Stefano Decesari, Viviane R. Despres, Florian Ditas, Ekaterina Ezhova, Sandro Fuzzi, Niles J. Hasselquist, Jost Heintzenberg, Bruna A. Holanda, Alex Guenther, Hannele Hakola, Liine Heikkinen, Veli-Matti Kerminen, Jenni Kontkanen, Radovan Krejci, Markku Kulmala, Jost Lavric, Gerrit de Leeuw, Katrianne Lehtipalo, Luiz Augusto T. Machado, Gordon McFiggans, Marco Aurelio M. Franco, Bruno Backes Meller, Fernando G. Morais, Claudia Mohr, William Morgan, Mats B. Nilsson, Matthias Peichl, Tuukka Petaja, Maria Prass, Christopher Poehlker, Mira L. Poehlker, Ulrich Poeschl, Celso Von Randow, Ilona Riipinen, Janne Rinne, Luciana Rizzo, Daniel Rosenfeld, Maria A. F. Silva Dias, Larisa Sogacheva, Philip Stier, Erik Swietlicki, Matthias Soergel, Peter Tunved, Aki Virkkula, Jian Wang, Bettina Weber, Ana Maria Yanez-Serrano, Paul Zieger, Eugene Mikhailov, James N. Smith, Juergen Kesselmeier
Summary: This review examines the impact of boreal and tropical forests on the atmosphere and climate, highlighting the similarities and differences between these two ecosystems. The observations show that aerosol concentrations and chemistry are similar, but the boreal ecosystem has higher concentrations of inorganic components due to long-range transported air pollution. Climate change and deforestation also affect the ecosystems and carbon cycles. Therefore, it is crucial to have more observation sites and long-term data to better understand the interactions between these major ecosystems.
TELLUS SERIES B-CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL METEOROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Kai Tang, Beatriz Sanchez-Parra, Petya Yordanova, Joern Wehking, Anna T. Backes, Daniel A. Pickersgill, Stefanie Maier, Jean Sciare, Ulrich Poeschl, Bettina Weber, Janine Froehlich-Nowoisky
Summary: This study investigated the composition and activity of bioaerosols in relation to rainfall and dust events. The results showed that rainfall influenced the community composition of bioaerosols, with an increase in fungi and a reduction in bacteria. Additionally, rainfall and dust events affected the types and activity of ice nuclei. Samples collected after rainfall contained more heat-sensitive biological ice nuclei, while samples collected during dust events were dominated by heat-resistant ice nuclei, most likely mineral dust. DNA analysis revealed the presence of unknown sources of ice nuclei activity and cell-free ice nucleating macromolecules. These findings have implications for the hydrological cycle and health effects of air particulate matter.