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Climate change in the Middle East and North Africa : 15,000 years of crises, setbacks, and adaptation
\"Environmental factors in the Middle East and North Africa have played a crucial role in the historical and social development of the region. The book delves into a broad set of historical literature from the past 15,000 years that neglected to consider environmental factors to their full effect. Beyond the broad historic analysis, the chapters derive conclusions for today's debate on whether climate change leads to more social conflict and violence. Introducing a theoretical framework focused on adaptive cycling, this book probes and refines the role of climate in ancient and modern political-economic systems in the MENA region. It also underscores just how bad the 21st century environment may become thanks to global warming. While the MENA region may not survive the latest onslaught of deteriorating climate, there is also some interest in how a region that once led the world in introducing all sorts of innovations thousands of years ago has evolved into a contemporary setting characterized by traditional conservatism, poverty, and incessant strife. Emphasizing regional dynamics, the central question deals with the role of climate change in the rise and decline of the MENA region. The book will be a key resource to students and readers interested in global warming including academics and policy makers\"-- Provided by publisher.
Book
Climate sensitivity and area efficiency threshold of urban park cooling effects: a cross-climate zone comparative analysis
Context
Urban parks play a critical role in alleviating urban heat island effects, affecting human development directly and background climatic conditions greatly influence the intensity of their cooling effects.
Objectives
Here, focusing on 108 urban parks in four major cities across different climate zones—temperate subhumid continental climate (Shenyang city), north temperate continental monsoon climate (Zhengzhou city), subtropical monsoon humid climate (Wuhan city), and subtropical monsoon climate (Nanning city) in China, we explored the optimal area threshold for cooling effectiveness in urban parks under different background climatic conditions.
Methods
Using land surface temperature (LST) inversion data, the cooling intensity and cooling distance of each park were analyzed by temperature classification, buffer analysis and segmentation function, and the influence of 11 landscape elements on the cooling effect characteristics of parks and regional differences were explored.
Results
The results indicate: (1) Surface temperature inversion aligns with actual conditions during summer noon, with all four cities experiencing a heat island effect. (2) The average park cooling effect distance (PCE
d
) across all parks in the four cities is 161 m, the average park cooling effect intensity (PCE
i
) was 2.73 °C, the maximum PCE
d
was 437.35 m, and the maximum PCE
i
reached 6.9 °C. (3) The perimeter-to-area ratio (PARA) is the most influential parameter negatively correlated with park cooling effect, while the most influential positively correlated factor is park area (AREA). Interestingly, the number of factors that enhance the park cooling effect decreased from north to south. (4) The park area thresholds for optimal cooling effect in Shenyang, Zhengzhou, Wuhan, and Nanning was 7.27 ha, 8.08 ha, 9.69 ha, and 44.42 ha, respectively.
Conclusions
All four cities in the study area experience urban heat island effects. Overall, the most influential positive landscape element correlating with the park cooling effect was park area. Therefore, planning parks according to optimal cooling effect area thresholds can maximize land use efficiency, enhance cooling value, and promote urban and human development.
Journal Article
Genetic diversity and population divergence of Leonurus japonicus and its distribution dynamic changes from the last interglacial to the present in China
Background
Leonurus japonicus
, a significant medicinal plant known for its therapeutic effects on gynecological and cardiovascular diseases, has genetic diversity that forms the basis for germplasm preservation and utilization in medicine. Despite its economic value, limited research has focused on its genetic diversity and divergence.
Results
The avg. nucleotide diversity of 59 accessions from China were 0.00029 and hotspot regions in
petN-psbM
and
rpl32-trnL
(UAG)
spacers, which can be used for genotype discrimination. These accessions divided into four clades with significant divergence. The four subclades, which split at approximately 7.36 Ma, were likely influenced by the Hengduan Mountains uplift and global temperature drop. The initial divergence gave rise to Clade D, with a crown age estimated at 4.27 Ma, followed by Clade C, with a crown age estimated at 3.39 Ma. The four clades were not showed a clear spatial distribution. Suitable climatic conditions for the species were identified, including warmest quarter precipitation 433.20 mm ~ 1,524.07 mm, driest month precipitation > 12.06 mm, and coldest month min temp > -4.34 °C. The high suitability distribution showed contraction in LIG to LGM, followed by expansion from LGM to present. The Hengduan Mountains acted as a glacial refuge for the species during climate changes.
Conclusions
Our findings reflected a clear phylogenetic relationships and divergence within species
L. japonicus
and the identified hotspot regions could facilitate the genotype discrimination. The divergence time estimation and suitable area simulation revealed evolution dynamics of this species and may propose conservation suggestions and exploitation approaches in the future.
Journal Article
Global patterns of phylogenetic relatedness of invasive flowering plants
Aim The ability of predicting which naturalized non‐native species are likely to become invasive can help manage and prevent species invasions. The goal of this study is to test whether invasive angiosperm (flowering plant) species are a phylogenetically clustered subset of naturalized species at global, continental and regional scales, and to assess the relationships of phylogenetic relatedness of invasive species with climate condition (temperature and precipitation). Location Global. Time period Current. Taxon Angiosperms (flowering plants). Methods The globe is divided into 290 regions, which are grouped into seven biogeographic (continental) regions. Two phylogenetic metrics (net relatedness index and nearest taxon index), which represent different evolutionary depths, are used to quantify phylogenetic relatedness of invasive angiosperms, with respect to different tailor‐made species pools. Phylogenetic relatedness of invasive angiosperms is related to climatic variables. Results The global assemblage of invasive angiosperm species is a strongly phylogenetically clustered subset of the species of the entire global angiosperm flora. Most invasive angiosperm assemblages are a phylogenetically clustered subset of their respective naturalized species pools, and phylogenetic clustering reflecting shallow evolutionary history is greater than that reflecting deep evolutionary history. In general, the phylogenetic relatedness of invasive species is greater in regions with lower temperature and precipitation across the world. Main conclusions The finding that invasive angiosperm assemblages across the globe are, in general, phylogenetically clustered subsets of their respective naturalized species pools has significant implications in biological conservation, particularly in predicting and controlling invasive species based on phylogenetic relatedness among naturalized species.
Journal Article
Risky futures : climate, geopolitics and local realities in the uncertain circumpolar North
\"The volume examines complex intersections of environmental conditions, geopolitical tensions and local innovative reactions characterising 'the Arctic' in the early twenty-first century. What happens in the region (such as permafrost thaw or methane release) not only sweeps rapidly through local eco-systems but also has profound global implications. Bringing together a unique combination of authors who are local practitioners, indigenous scholars and international researchers, the book provides nuanced views of the social consequences of climate change and environmental risks across human and non-human realms\"-- Provided by publisher.
Book
Assessing the impact of dust events on the Holiday Climate Index in the Taklimakan Desert region
As a significant sector within the tourism industry, desert tourism has developed rapidly in recent years, contributing significantly to local economic development. On the other hand, desert tourism is constantly influenced by the desert climate, characterized by high temperatures, aridity, and dust events. This study examines and analyzes the impact of dust events on the Holiday Climate Index (HCI) using an improved methodology. It incorporates comprehensive meteorological data including temperature, relative humidity, cloud cover, precipitation, wind speed and dust events of Tazhong, located in the heart of the Taklimakan Desert. The results indicate that the maximum mean monthly HCI dips from an ideal level (91) to a very good level (73), the minimum dips from good level (66) to a marginal level (47), and the annual comfortable days (HCI ≥ 80) decrease from 180.5 to 95.3 after considering the impacts of dust events. The corrective HCI indicates that autumn, especially October, offers relatively comfortable climatic conditions for tourism, with the mean monthly comfortable days reach 20.1. These findings can better guide desert tourism activities and also demonstrate that the impact of dust weather on tourism activities cannot be ignored.
Journal Article
Optimizing PCM Integrated Wall and Roof for Energy Saving in Building under Various Climatic Conditions of Mediterranean Region
Energy conservation in buildings has been the focus of many studies since nearly one-third of global energy consumption is due to buildings. Phase change material (PCM) technology promises to be an attractive solution for energy saving in buildings since it is a passive and effective technology, as demonstrated in the literature. Therefore, this study focuses on the energy-saving performance of PCM-integrated buildings located in a Mediterranean climate to reveal their energy-saving potential. PCM is integrated both in external or internal south walls and roofs of buildings under four different climatic conditions. EnergyPlus, which is a well-known building simulation software, is adopted for building thermal analyses. The effects of melting temperature, location of PCM layer in the wall, thickness of PCM layer, type of envelope (wall or roof), and PCM double-layer system in the wall are investigated. The corresponding energy savings and CO2 emission reductions are obtained for the considered cases. The results showed that up to 41.6% reduction in energy demand can be obtained depending on the PCM application. Besides, PCM with a low melting temperature (21 °C) favored heating energy savings, while PCM with a high melting temperature (29 °C) favored cooling energy savings. Moreover, the double-layer PCM system provided higher energy savings than the single-layer PCM system, especially in warm and arid regions (Sousse and Tozeur).
Journal Article