Anthropocene Science最新文献

It is essential to develop methods for estimating species diversity and biomass in human-dominated mosaic landscapes to minimise uncertainty. The level of detail provided by very high-resolution satellite imagery enables the precise mapping and monitoring of individual trees and tree patches in trees outside forests. This work is the first of its kind and attempts to estimate tree density, tree cover, species diversity, and biomass from a comprehensive survey and very high-resolution remote-sensing data. This research compared the census of the entire tree population over a 900-ha site (local landscape) and a 15,142-ha site (regional landscape) in the Sri Sathya Sai district of Andhra Pradesh. This study mapped 47,054 tree individuals that cover a land area of 1.64% in a regional landscape. The most dominant species based on the importance value index are Tamarindus indica, Mangifera indica, Cocos nucifera, Prosopis juliflora, and Pongamia pinnata. Estimated tree density indicates about 3 trees per hectare in regional and local landscapes, respectively. Among the 42 inventoried tree species, 22 were wild. Analysis shows evergreen trees are dominating over deciduous trees with 88% of tree density. Alpha diversity of the local landscape reaching up to H′ = 1.93. The findings show that the maximum above-ground biomass is 40.61 tonnes/ha at one site, while it is relatively low at the remaining sites. Since no sampling is involved, the estimates derived from census data are not subject to sampling error, leading to high precision in the results. The spatial approach used in the study combines field-based data collection with the advantages of remote sensing technology to provide a detailed assessment of tree resources in rural landscapes.

The intensity and frequency of flood are continuously increasing due to climate change. Cities across the world are susceptible to flood causing devastating damages to infrastructure and human life. Almost every country has taking measures to mitigate climate change primarily. However, due to urgency posed by climate change driven flood risk requires more holistic approach focusing on both mitigation and adaptation measures and synergy between these measures. Theory of urban resilience to flood has proposed a paradigm shift in response to flood by cities. Ecological resilience such as living with flood, nature-based solution for flood adaptation, and coping with flood due to community learning and experiences are more effective measures than engineering resilience, such as dykes, flood wall, dam, etc. This paper analyses critically the relevance of this theory and importance of level of resilience of cities for protection at flood rather than flood resistance.

Tea cultivation, being a woody perennial land-use, has an enormous potential to sequester a vast amount of carbon (C) in its biomass and soil rhizosphere. The Northeast Himalayan region (NEH) of India is a traditional tea growing belt, thus the impact of long-term climate change can be mitigated through the enrichment of soil organic carbon (SOC). Tea cultivation can also contribute to land degradation neutrality (LDN) by restoring degraded lands and provide higher economic gains and better livelihood to the small and marginal farmers of the region. The present study was conducted to understand the change in SOC dynamics under climate change (CC) conditions using the RothC simulation model in the Brahmaputra plain of upper Assam state. The model was used to simulate SOC stock change for a period of 10 years (2010–2020) under the baseline climate conditions, and for a period of 30 years (2021–2050) with four CC scenarios for temperature (T) and rainfall (R) available for Assam state. The SOC stock under the baseline climate increased by 8.4% from 2010 to 2020. However, simulations under CC scenarios indicated a negative impact on SOC stock. In particular, SOC stock declined by 3.7, 4.4, 4.5 and 4.8% in CC1 (T + 1.7 °C, R + 5%), CC2 (T + 1.7 °C, R + 10%), CC3 (T + 2.0 °C, R + 5%) and CC4 (T + 2.0 °C, R + 10%), respectively. The average decline in SOC stocks was 4.3% during 2021–2050. Interestingly, the study also revealed that the decline in SOC stock was more marked during the initial 5 years and then stabilized under future CC; thus, the adverse effects of CC seem to be mitigated. Our study identified the high resilience of SOC under long-term tea plantation toward CC. We also recommend that long-term tea plantations are intercropped with other economically important crops to store higher amounts of SOC, contribute to LDN and provide economic stability to the farmers of the region.

The education system has always been proactive in identifying contemporary problems and finding solutions to them. In line with this thought, the Universities, Colleges, and other Education Institutions act as the most significant incubators of ideas and solutions to global environmental problems. The article asserts the transformative potential of Higher Education for Sustainable Development as the keystone for achieving biosphere stewardship and fulfilling the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, especially in India. In addition, the article highlights the education policy and sustainability initiatives, valuing Higher Education Institutions’ Attitude to Action approach in India. The emerging perspective of transdisciplinary efforts in education focusing on the local–regional–global learning continuum offers new insights on managing various challenges posed to sustainability in the Anthropocene. The synthesis calls for collaborative participation of policymakers (enablers) and Higher Education Institutions (executors), looking inward (reflect), outward (connect with different stakeholders), and forward (act) to realize achieving Sustainable Development Goals (facilitators) and build a sustainable future.

The predominant focus of initial research endeavours investigating the impacts of ongoing climate change on biodiversity has been on studying the effects on species as the primary unit of measurement. However, over the last decade, numerous studies have taught us that neglecting intraspecific (genetic and/or phenotypic) diversity limits our understanding of the impacts that human activities have on life on Earth. Intraspecific biodiversity is a critical component of ecological systems, providing the foundation for adaptation, stability, productivity, and the long-term persistence of species and ecosystems. Evidence has demonstrated that consideration of variation below the species level is an absolute prerequisite for a comprehensive understanding of the impacts of anthropogenic pressure, the likely consequences for wider ecosystems and efficient management strategies. Plastic litter has rapidly emerged as a worldwide threat to global biodiversity. Critically, to date, akin to the initial phases of climate change research, the main emphasis of studies has primarily been on examining the effects of plastics on species as the principal metric of assessment. Studies investigating how, or to what extent, plastic pollution affects diversity below the species level are lagging. In this perspective piece, we argue that, by overlooking the role of intraspecific variation in plastic pollution research, the consequences of this new, and ever growing, ecological threat may be oversimplified and underestimated.

The United Nations Ocean Decade Action presents a crucial global initiative aimed at addressing the urgent challenges facing our oceans and promoting their sustainable use. Spanning from 2021 to 2030, this ten-year program seeks to rally governments, organizations, scientists, and communities worldwide to advance ocean science, foster innovation, and implement transformative actions to restore and protect our oceans. It recognizes that oceans are critical to sustaining life on Earth, providing food, livelihoods, climate regulation, and essential ecosystem services. However, human activities, including overfishing, pollution, habitat destruction, and climate change, have led to unprecedented degradation of marine environments, threatening biodiversity and the well-being of coastal communities. By bringing together governments, academia, industry, civil society, and communities, the UN Ocean Decade Action aims to foster transformative actions and policies that will lead to a healthier, more resilient ocean environment. Through its ambitious targets and coordinated efforts, the Ocean Decade Action provides a unique opportunity to reverse the decline of our oceans and ensure their sustainable use for present and future generations.