Pub Date : 2025-12-01Epub Date: 2025-11-28DOI: 10.1016/j.ancene.2025.100503
Natálie Bedrunková, Jan Lenart
Hard coal spoil heaps exemplify distinctive anthropogenic landforms and complex geosystems within post-mining landscapes. They exhibit a wide range of semi-natural features and dynamic processes that interact in cascading sequences, creating extreme environmental conditions and producing sharp contrasts with the surrounding zonal landscape. This review synthesizes current global research in physical geography on hard coal spoil heaps, with a particular focus on substrate properties, geomorphology, hydrology, microclimate, and thermal activity. While thermal activity and water contamination have been extensively studied due to their environmental significance, other aspects such as water bodies, microclimatic systems, and certain geomorphological processes remain insufficiently explored. We emphasize the need for integrated, holistic approaches that connect these subfields and propose morphometric variables as a key parameter governing spoil heap dynamics.
{"title":"Hard coal mining spoil heaps in recent landscape: A physical geography perspective","authors":"Natálie Bedrunková, Jan Lenart","doi":"10.1016/j.ancene.2025.100503","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ancene.2025.100503","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Hard coal spoil heaps exemplify distinctive anthropogenic landforms and complex geosystems within post-mining landscapes. They exhibit a wide range of semi-natural features and dynamic processes that interact in cascading sequences, creating extreme environmental conditions and producing sharp contrasts with the surrounding zonal landscape. This review synthesizes current global research in physical geography on hard coal spoil heaps, with a particular focus on substrate properties, geomorphology, hydrology, microclimate, and thermal activity. While thermal activity and water contamination have been extensively studied due to their environmental significance, other aspects such as water bodies, microclimatic systems, and certain geomorphological processes remain insufficiently explored. We emphasize the need for integrated, holistic approaches that connect these subfields and propose morphometric variables as a key parameter governing spoil heap dynamics.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56021,"journal":{"name":"Anthropocene","volume":"52 ","pages":"Article 100503"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145693900","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-01Epub Date: 2025-09-30DOI: 10.1016/j.ancene.2025.100496
Ali Haji Elyasi , Dorna Gholamzade Ledari , Mohsen Nasseri , Peyman Badiei
Researchers have consistently strived to improve the discriminability of various land cover types, particularly between aquatic and vegetative areas, through diverse remote sensing techniques. This is crucial for conserving wetlands that have been degraded and undergone land use changes due to anthropogenic activities. This paper performs a meta-analysis and provides a systematic review of studies related to the land use classification process. After an extensive search, 74 papers were selected (PRISMA method) for detailed analysis. The study aims to introduce, investigate, and evaluate remote sensing methodologies for wetland land use classification and assess how these methods impact the detection of wetland change patterns. The findings reveal that 10 % of the studies utilized an object-based approach with optimization based on a trial-and-error method. Additionally, wetland researchers prefer combining Landsat data with supervised machine learning classification methods (82 %). This paper suggests conducting an in-depth examination of integrating dynamic training sample selection methods with object-based approaches, automating the optimization of segmentation parameters, and employing transfer learning techniques for classification. Moreover, the review highlights existing gaps and proposes future research avenues to advance research. For instance, improving accuracy is possible through explainable artificial intelligence and replacing the weak and commonly used Kappa with new evaluation metrics. Additionally, a new concept framework, “Aquatic Harmony/Aquatic Disruption,” and a wetland risk assessment map have been introduced, offering a comprehensive perspective on the impact of anthropogenic activities on wetlands. This review may open new horizons for wetland researchers by providing alternative approaches for the future.
{"title":"Assessing the impacts of anthropogenic-induced land use/land cover changes in wetlands using remotely sensed information: A systematic state-of-the-art review and future directions","authors":"Ali Haji Elyasi , Dorna Gholamzade Ledari , Mohsen Nasseri , Peyman Badiei","doi":"10.1016/j.ancene.2025.100496","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ancene.2025.100496","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Researchers have consistently strived to improve the discriminability of various land cover types, particularly between aquatic and vegetative areas, through diverse remote sensing techniques. This is crucial for conserving wetlands that have been degraded and undergone land use changes due to anthropogenic activities. This paper performs a meta-analysis and provides a systematic review of studies related to the land use classification process. After an extensive search, 74 papers were selected (PRISMA method) for detailed analysis. The study aims to introduce, investigate, and evaluate remote sensing methodologies for wetland land use classification and assess how these methods impact the detection of wetland change patterns. The findings reveal that 10 % of the studies utilized an object-based approach with optimization based on a trial-and-error method. Additionally, wetland researchers prefer combining Landsat data with supervised machine learning classification methods (82 %). This paper suggests conducting an in-depth examination of integrating dynamic training sample selection methods with object-based approaches, automating the optimization of segmentation parameters, and employing transfer learning techniques for classification. Moreover, the review highlights existing gaps and proposes future research avenues to advance research. For instance, improving accuracy is possible through explainable artificial intelligence and replacing the weak and commonly used Kappa with new evaluation metrics. Additionally, a new concept framework, “Aquatic Harmony/Aquatic Disruption,” and a wetland risk assessment map have been introduced, offering a comprehensive perspective on the impact of anthropogenic activities on wetlands. This review may open new horizons for wetland researchers by providing alternative approaches for the future.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56021,"journal":{"name":"Anthropocene","volume":"52 ","pages":"Article 100496"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145227788","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-01Epub Date: 2025-09-25DOI: 10.1016/j.ancene.2025.100495
Karl Ljung, Edward Allison, Yevhenii Rohozin, Ethan L. Silvester, Dan Hammarlund
Black carbon (BC) is produced by incomplete combustion of biomass and fossil fuels and is released as aerosols to the atmosphere with effects on the climate, environment, and human health. Current BC emissions are well monitored in many parts of the world. However, the geographical coverage is limited, and historical records of BC accumulation are still scarce. Here we present a quantification of soot BC (SBC) concentrations in sediments deposited in a small lake in southern Sweden during recent centuries. The SBC was quantified using chemical and thermal oxidation at 375°C (CTO375). The SBC concentrations are low (c. 3 mg/g) in the preindustrial sediments older than 1650 CE and reached maximum concentrations (c. 8.5 mg/g) after 1900 CE. The increase in SBC accumulation started before the major phase of industrialisation of Sweden in the 19th century, probably related to local emission sources from increased biomass burning or coal extraction in the region that expanded from the second half of the 17th century. The effect of industrialisation is seen as an increase in SBC concentration and accumulation from around 1875 CE. The maximum accumulation of SBC was observed between 1950 CE and 2005 CE. The fraction of the SBC derived from fossil fuels was estimated using radiocarbon-based source apportionment. Biomass was the main source of SBC throughout the studied period. The maximum contribution from fossil fuel was observed between 1970 CE and 1990 CE, amounting to 26 −28 % of the total SBC. From 2000 CE the SBC deposition was dominated by biomass sources, probably because of a transition from fossil fuels to biomass as the dominant source of heating in Sweden.
{"title":"Deposition and 14C-based source apportionment of black carbon in a small lake in southern Sweden since 1450 CE","authors":"Karl Ljung, Edward Allison, Yevhenii Rohozin, Ethan L. Silvester, Dan Hammarlund","doi":"10.1016/j.ancene.2025.100495","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ancene.2025.100495","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Black carbon (BC) is produced by incomplete combustion of biomass and fossil fuels and is released as aerosols to the atmosphere with effects on the climate, environment, and human health. Current BC emissions are well monitored in many parts of the world. However, the geographical coverage is limited, and historical records of BC accumulation are still scarce. Here we present a quantification of soot BC (SBC) concentrations in sediments deposited in a small lake in southern Sweden during recent centuries. The SBC was quantified using chemical and thermal oxidation at 375°C (CTO375). The SBC concentrations are low (c. 3 mg/g) in the preindustrial sediments older than 1650 CE and reached maximum concentrations (c. 8.5 mg/g) after 1900 CE. The increase in SBC accumulation started before the major phase of industrialisation of Sweden in the 19th century, probably related to local emission sources from increased biomass burning or coal extraction in the region that expanded from the second half of the 17th century. The effect of industrialisation is seen as an increase in SBC concentration and accumulation from around 1875 CE. The maximum accumulation of SBC was observed between 1950 CE and 2005 CE. The fraction of the SBC derived from fossil fuels was estimated using radiocarbon-based source apportionment. Biomass was the main source of SBC throughout the studied period. The maximum contribution from fossil fuel was observed between 1970 CE and 1990 CE, amounting to 26 −28 % of the total SBC. From 2000 CE the SBC deposition was dominated by biomass sources, probably because of a transition from fossil fuels to biomass as the dominant source of heating in Sweden.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56021,"journal":{"name":"Anthropocene","volume":"52 ","pages":"Article 100495"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145227789","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-01Epub Date: 2025-10-04DOI: 10.1016/j.ancene.2025.100497
Scott Mensing , Theodore Dingemans , Edward Schoolman , Gianluca Piovesan , Adam Csank , Paolo Tomei , Simone Maria Collavini , Annamaria Pazienza , Federico Cantini , Jordan Palli , Giovani Zanchetta , Monica Bini
Both climate and human activity play a role in ecosystem change, and studies examining the relationship between climate, society and the environment need detailed data from all three sources. Too often, the historical archives used in such studies are not from the exact location and period as the paleoecologic and climatic data. We analyze one of the oldest and most complete set of medieval Italian records of land use and compare that with a new paleoecologic reconstruction from Lucca, Tuscany, and independent records of climate reconstructed from tree-rings and speleothems to identify causal factors of landscape change when comparing climate, society and environment over the last 2000 years. We identified three environmental periods of abrupt permanent vegetation change at times of both climatic and societal change: (1) The early 7th century following the end of the Late Antique Little Ice Age and the structuring of Lombard society in the wake of the Roman Empire; (2) The early 11th century associated with the Medieval Climate Anomaly but also new institutional land tenure rights; (3) The early 15th century, following the Black Death and coinciding with the Little Ice Age as well as the early Renaissance. For each period we found that while climate may have played some role in human actions, environmental change was most clearly explained by new societal structures controlling land use. We argue for additional local studies with in-depth historical records to create more nuanced explanations of the complex relationship between society, climate and environmental change. A network of studies across a region would help develop more convincing long-term causal connections between climate, society and environmental impacts.
{"title":"Reconstruction of climatic and socio-economic impacts on the landscape of Northern Tuscany (Italy) over the last 2000 years based on palaeoecological and historical evidence","authors":"Scott Mensing , Theodore Dingemans , Edward Schoolman , Gianluca Piovesan , Adam Csank , Paolo Tomei , Simone Maria Collavini , Annamaria Pazienza , Federico Cantini , Jordan Palli , Giovani Zanchetta , Monica Bini","doi":"10.1016/j.ancene.2025.100497","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ancene.2025.100497","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Both climate and human activity play a role in ecosystem change, and studies examining the relationship between climate, society and the environment need detailed data from all three sources. Too often, the historical archives used in such studies are not from the exact location and period as the paleoecologic and climatic data. We analyze one of the oldest and most complete set of medieval Italian records of land use and compare that with a new paleoecologic reconstruction from Lucca, Tuscany, and independent records of climate reconstructed from tree-rings and speleothems to identify causal factors of landscape change when comparing climate, society and environment over the last 2000 years. We identified three environmental periods of abrupt permanent vegetation change at times of both climatic and societal change: (1) The early 7th century following the end of the Late Antique Little Ice Age and the structuring of Lombard society in the wake of the Roman Empire; (2) The early 11th century associated with the Medieval Climate Anomaly but also new institutional land tenure rights; (3) The early 15th century, following the Black Death and coinciding with the Little Ice Age as well as the early Renaissance. For each period we found that while climate may have played some role in human actions, environmental change was most clearly explained by new societal structures controlling land use. We argue for additional local studies with in-depth historical records to create more nuanced explanations of the complex relationship between society, climate and environmental change. A network of studies across a region would help develop more convincing long-term causal connections between climate, society and environmental impacts.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56021,"journal":{"name":"Anthropocene","volume":"52 ","pages":"Article 100497"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145333892","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Net primary production (NPP) is as a dynamic ecological indicator for evaluating land degradation and desertification. Therefore, identifying the factors affecting the changes in NPP can help better manage ecosystems, especially in arid regions. This study was conducted to evaluate the changes in the spatial-temporal patterns of NPP in the rangelands of northeastern Iran using the geographical detector model (GDM). NPP values were estimated from 2004 to 2023 using the CASA model. The spatial-temporal changes in NPP were evaluated using the Theil-Sen estimator, Mann-Kendall test, coefficient of variation, and Hurst index. The impacts of driving forces on the spatial distribution of NPP were investigated using 18 indicators and the GDM. The results showed that the estimated NPP values had strong correlation (r = 0.8) and good accuracy compared with MODIS NPP products. The 20-year average NPP in the growing season (March-September) varied from 7.74 to 192.36 (gC m−2 y−1). Annual changes in NPP had a downward trend in most of the study area based on the Theil-Sen estimator; however, the Mann-Kendall test indicated that these changes were not significant. The GDM model indicated that soil salinity, vegetation density, and soil moisture were the most important natural factors and village density and livestock density were the most important anthropogenic factors affecting NPP. According to the GDM, the interaction of soil moisture with vegetation density and soil salinity had the greatest impact on the spatial distribution of NPP. These findings demonstrated that soil salinity is a major concern, affecting rangeland productivity.
{"title":"Analyzing the impacts of natural and anthropogenic drivers on the spatio-temporal changes of net primary production in northeastern Iran","authors":"Mohammad Gholami , Morteza Akbari , Ebrahim Mahmoudabadi , Majid Kazemzadeh , Mohamad Alizadeh Noughani","doi":"10.1016/j.ancene.2025.100502","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ancene.2025.100502","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Net primary production (NPP) is as a dynamic ecological indicator for evaluating land degradation and desertification. Therefore, identifying the factors affecting the changes in NPP can help better manage ecosystems, especially in arid regions. This study was conducted to evaluate the changes in the spatial-temporal patterns of NPP in the rangelands of northeastern Iran using the geographical detector model (GDM). NPP values were estimated from 2004 to 2023 using the CASA model. The spatial-temporal changes in NPP were evaluated using the Theil-Sen estimator, Mann-Kendall test, coefficient of variation, and Hurst index. The impacts of driving forces on the spatial distribution of NPP were investigated using 18 indicators and the GDM. The results showed that the estimated NPP values had strong correlation (r = 0.8) and good accuracy compared with MODIS NPP products. The 20-year average NPP in the growing season (March-September) varied from 7.74 to 192.36 (gC m<sup>−2</sup> y<sup>−1</sup>). Annual changes in NPP had a downward trend in most of the study area based on the Theil-Sen estimator; however, the Mann-Kendall test indicated that these changes were not significant. The GDM model indicated that soil salinity, vegetation density, and soil moisture were the most important natural factors and village density and livestock density were the most important anthropogenic factors affecting NPP. According to the GDM, the interaction of soil moisture with vegetation density and soil salinity had the greatest impact on the spatial distribution of NPP. These findings demonstrated that soil salinity is a major concern, affecting rangeland productivity.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56021,"journal":{"name":"Anthropocene","volume":"52 ","pages":"Article 100502"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145528818","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-01Epub Date: 2025-09-03DOI: 10.1016/j.ancene.2025.100493
Kunshan Bao , Weidan Shen , Zhongle Zhou , Yang Gao
Quantitatively distinguishing the historical record of potentially harmful trace element (PHTE) pollution in alpine wetland sediments enables an understanding of the nature and scale of Anthropocene human impact. In this study, we present PHTE and stable isotope (Pb and Hg) records for a sediment core from Jiulongchi wetland, Fanjing Mountain, southwest China. We calculate the chemical index of alteration and enrichment factors, and conduct multivariate statistics to reveal that the PHTEs in these wetland sediments were mainly regulated by weathering and erosion processes, as well as organic matter content. The pollution history for the last 1300 years is reconstructed from stable Pb and Hg isotopes, PHTE enrichment factors and accumulation rates. Coal combustion is shown to be a major anthropogenic source for PHTE input into the wetland, commencing in the 1940s and amplified during the 1950s. The research findings reflect the pattern of anthropogenic environmental changes in a remote tourist-hotspot area, which can aid in formulating policies to achieve a sustainable and environmentally healthy future for a vulnerable but important ecosystem.
{"title":"Sedimentary records from an alpine wetland in southwestern China reveal the timing of Anthropocene human impact","authors":"Kunshan Bao , Weidan Shen , Zhongle Zhou , Yang Gao","doi":"10.1016/j.ancene.2025.100493","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ancene.2025.100493","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Quantitatively distinguishing the historical record of potentially harmful trace element (PHTE) pollution in alpine wetland sediments enables an understanding of the nature and scale of Anthropocene human impact. In this study, we present PHTE and stable isotope (Pb and Hg) records for a sediment core from Jiulongchi wetland, Fanjing Mountain, southwest China. We calculate the chemical index of alteration and enrichment factors, and conduct multivariate statistics to reveal that the PHTEs in these wetland sediments were mainly regulated by weathering and erosion processes, as well as organic matter content. The pollution history for the last 1300 years is reconstructed from stable Pb and Hg isotopes, PHTE enrichment factors and accumulation rates. Coal combustion is shown to be a major anthropogenic source for PHTE input into the wetland, commencing in the 1940s and amplified during the 1950s. The research findings reflect the pattern of anthropogenic environmental changes in a remote tourist-hotspot area, which can aid in formulating policies to achieve a sustainable and environmentally healthy future for a vulnerable but important ecosystem.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56021,"journal":{"name":"Anthropocene","volume":"52 ","pages":"Article 100493"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145109097","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Estuarine ecosystems, as critical transitions between marine and terrestrial environments, face growing pressures from urban wastewater discharge and extensive shoreline development. To examine how anthropogenic disturbances and monsoon seasons shape phytoplankton communities, this study was conducted at 8 estuarine sites along the northern coast of Hainan Island. We classified phytoplankton communities by functional groups, evaluated their assembly patterns via the neutral community model and modified stochasticity ratios (MST), quantified interspecific competitive and cooperative interactions using network-based cohesion indices, and assessed community stability via the coefficient of variation (CV) of phytoplankton abundance. The results showed that anthropogenic disturbances, rather than monsoon seasons, were important drivers of phytoplankton community structure. With the intensification of anthropogenic disturbances, MST decreased from 73.37 ± 2.22 % in the low-disturbance sites to 42.04 ± 2.34 % in the high-disturbance sites, suggesting the displacement of stochastic assembly by deterministic assembly. Notably, this shift further increased interspecific competition by 9.97 % and reduced cooperative interactions within phytoplankton communities by 7.37 %. Under high disturbance, primary productivity increased by 109.76 %-179.66 %, but community stability decreased by 43.13 %. This instability is driven by deterministic assembly processes, which were significantly associated with elevated turbidity and reduced total dissolved solids (suggesting low osmotic conditions). Our findings reveal that anthropogenic disturbances can temporarily boost estuarine primary productivity but increase long-term risks to phytoplankton community stability and overall ecosystem resilience.
{"title":"Linking phytoplankton community assembly to ecosystem functional shifts in tropical estuaries under anthropogenic disturbance","authors":"Gaoquan He , Rongqian Zhong , Wenting Xu , Shun Qiu , Weiju Zhu , Le-Zheng Qin","doi":"10.1016/j.ancene.2025.100500","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ancene.2025.100500","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Estuarine ecosystems, as critical transitions between marine and terrestrial environments, face growing pressures from urban wastewater discharge and extensive shoreline development. To examine how anthropogenic disturbances and monsoon seasons shape phytoplankton communities, this study was conducted at 8 estuarine sites along the northern coast of Hainan Island. We classified phytoplankton communities by functional groups, evaluated their assembly patterns via the neutral community model and modified stochasticity ratios (MST), quantified interspecific competitive and cooperative interactions using network-based cohesion indices, and assessed community stability via the coefficient of variation (CV) of phytoplankton abundance. The results showed that anthropogenic disturbances, rather than monsoon seasons, were important drivers of phytoplankton community structure. With the intensification of anthropogenic disturbances, MST decreased from 73.37 ± 2.22 % in the low-disturbance sites to 42.04 ± 2.34 % in the high-disturbance sites, suggesting the displacement of stochastic assembly by deterministic assembly. Notably, this shift further increased interspecific competition by 9.97 % and reduced cooperative interactions within phytoplankton communities by 7.37 %. Under high disturbance, primary productivity increased by 109.76 %-179.66 %, but community stability decreased by 43.13 %. This instability is driven by deterministic assembly processes, which were significantly associated with elevated turbidity and reduced total dissolved solids (suggesting low osmotic conditions). Our findings reveal that anthropogenic disturbances can temporarily boost estuarine primary productivity but increase long-term risks to phytoplankton community stability and overall ecosystem resilience.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56021,"journal":{"name":"Anthropocene","volume":"52 ","pages":"Article 100500"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145424392","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-01Epub Date: 2025-12-02DOI: 10.1016/j.ancene.2025.100506
Germán Flor-Blanco , Efrén García-Ordiales , Julio López Peláez , Violeta Navarro García , Noa Pardo-Rivera , Germán Flor
The Nalón estuary (Asturias, NW Spain) offers a wealth of information about natural and anthropogenic changes since its formation. Sedimentological records from the mouth (up to 27 m), have facilitated the dating of two Quaternary periods and the interpretation of 4 distinctive evolutionary stages, driven by natural climatic changes, in addition to the subsequent human impact since 19th century. During this latter period, the estuary underwent significant transformations for port-related purposes, including the construction of jetties at the mouth, docks, an expansive port, and extensive dredging operations throughout the 20th century. These modifications resulted in the progradation of the dune field in the confining barrier, erosion of adjacent eastern dune fields, and subsequent changes in the morphology and sedimentary patterns. Additionally, historical exploitation of numerous coal mines, and to a lesser extent metallic mines, in the hydrographic basin, often conducted with minimal environmental oversight, introduced carbonaceous mineralogy into the quartz sand fractions. This activity also altered natural geochemistry through the introduction of metals and metalloids (notably arsenic and mercury), with particularly significant impacts observed in the muddy tidal flats, marshes and port docks.
The substantial input of solid fluvial discharges and the cessation of intensive dredging in the estuary at the end of the 20th century contributed to the progradation of the dune fields, a trend observed at least until the second decade of the 21st century. However, the effects of sea-level rise and the recurrence of intense wave storms since 2009 have caused the retreat of the dune fields, nonetheless, this trend is being reversed towards sediment accretion in these system and dune progradation/greening.
{"title":"Assessment of pleisto-holocene environmental changes vs. anthropogenic modifications. A case study: The Nalón estuary (North-West Spain)","authors":"Germán Flor-Blanco , Efrén García-Ordiales , Julio López Peláez , Violeta Navarro García , Noa Pardo-Rivera , Germán Flor","doi":"10.1016/j.ancene.2025.100506","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ancene.2025.100506","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Nalón estuary (Asturias, NW Spain) offers a wealth of information about natural and anthropogenic changes since its formation. Sedimentological records from the mouth (up to 27 m), have facilitated the dating of two Quaternary periods and the interpretation of 4 distinctive evolutionary stages, driven by natural climatic changes, in addition to the subsequent human impact since 19th century. During this latter period, the estuary underwent significant transformations for port-related purposes, including the construction of jetties at the mouth, docks, an expansive port, and extensive dredging operations throughout the 20th century. These modifications resulted in the progradation of the dune field in the confining barrier, erosion of adjacent eastern dune fields, and subsequent changes in the morphology and sedimentary patterns. Additionally, historical exploitation of numerous coal mines, and to a lesser extent metallic mines, in the hydrographic basin, often conducted with minimal environmental oversight, introduced carbonaceous mineralogy into the quartz sand fractions. This activity also altered natural geochemistry through the introduction of metals and metalloids (notably arsenic and mercury), with particularly significant impacts observed in the muddy tidal flats, marshes and port docks.</div><div>The substantial input of solid fluvial discharges and the cessation of intensive dredging in the estuary at the end of the 20th century contributed to the progradation of the dune fields, a trend observed at least until the second decade of the 21st century. However, the effects of sea-level rise and the recurrence of intense wave storms since 2009 have caused the retreat of the dune fields, nonetheless, this trend is being reversed towards sediment accretion in these system and dune progradation/greening.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56021,"journal":{"name":"Anthropocene","volume":"52 ","pages":"Article 100506"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145693899","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Human activities and environmental degradation are closely interconnected worldwide. In developing countries, anthropogenic drivers are the primary cause of irreversible land use land cover (LULC) change, leading to significant biodiversity loss. In southwestern Ethiopia, rapid population growth coupled with rural poverty has intensified pressure on natural resources. This study aims to identify the drivers of LULC change over the past 30-years and its contemporary bird distribution patterns in the Agnuak Zone, southwestern Ethiopia. We used a combination of primary data including satellite images, field surveys, household questionnaires, key informant interviews, and focus group discussions. Multiple regression analysis was conducted to identify anthropogenic drivers of LULC change. To examine LULC change, we used satellite images from 1993, 2008, and 2023. To assess avifauna distribution, detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) and non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) were employed. Agricultural expansion (92.4 %) and illegal mining (99.2 %) were the main anthropogenic drivers of LULC change. The analysis of LULC change revealed that the grassland decreased drastically from 47.5 % in 1993 to 4.5 % in 2023. Bird species records show a strong association with relatively undisturbed habitats; the highest proportions were observed in undisturbed forest (22.6 %), undisturbed wooded grassland (19.8 %), and undisturbed wetland (16.2 %). In contrast, degraded habitats supported fewer bird species. In order to conserve avian diversity and maintain diverse land uses, we recomend strict enforcement against illegal activities, while promoting green mining and sustainable farming practices.
{"title":"Drivers of land use and land cover change and their association with bird distribution patterns in southwestern Ethiopia","authors":"Eskinder Belay Tefera, Tibebu Alemu, Dessalegn Obsi Gemeda, Tariku Mekonen Gutema","doi":"10.1016/j.ancene.2025.100505","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ancene.2025.100505","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Human activities and environmental degradation are closely interconnected worldwide. In developing countries, anthropogenic drivers are the primary cause of irreversible land use land cover (LULC) change, leading to significant biodiversity loss. In southwestern Ethiopia, rapid population growth coupled with rural poverty has intensified pressure on natural resources. This study aims to identify the drivers of LULC change over the past 30-years and its contemporary bird distribution patterns in the Agnuak Zone, southwestern Ethiopia<em>.</em> We used a combination of primary data including satellite images, field surveys, household questionnaires, key informant interviews, and focus group discussions. Multiple regression analysis was conducted to identify anthropogenic drivers of LULC change. To examine LULC change, we used satellite images from 1993, 2008, and 2023. To assess avifauna distribution, detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) and non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) were employed. Agricultural expansion (92.4 %) and illegal mining (99.2 %) were the main anthropogenic drivers of LULC change. The analysis of LULC change revealed that the grassland decreased drastically from 47.5 % in 1993 to 4.5 % in 2023. Bird species records show a strong association with relatively undisturbed habitats; the highest proportions were observed in undisturbed forest (22.6 %), undisturbed wooded grassland (19.8 %), and undisturbed wetland (16.2 %). In contrast, degraded habitats supported fewer bird species. In order to conserve avian diversity and maintain diverse land uses, we recomend strict enforcement against illegal activities, while promoting green mining and sustainable farming practices.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56021,"journal":{"name":"Anthropocene","volume":"52 ","pages":"Article 100505"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145747686","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-01Epub Date: 2025-10-08DOI: 10.1016/j.ancene.2025.100499
Manob Das , Arijit Das , Paulo Pereira
The transformation of land use and land cover (LULC) profoundly impacts ecosystem service (ES). Urbanization has emerged as a major driver altering landscape patterns and ES dynamics. However, there are very limited studies investigating the spatial interplay between landscape patterns and ES using gradient approach. This study explores the relationship between landscape patterns and ES along the urban-rural gradient (URG) in the Kolkata Megacity Region (KMR), India, from 2000 to 2020. Ten landscape metrics were utilized to elucidate this relationship. Correlation and regression analyses were employed to assess the impact of landscape patterns on ES. Over the last two decades, built-up areas increased by 98 %, while vegetation cover and water bodies decreased by 69 % and 10 %, respectively. Metrics such as number of patches (NP), landscape shape index (LSI), patch density (PD), shape mean (SHP_MN), and division (DIV) showed increasing trends, whereas the largest patch index (LPI), cohesion (COHE), and aggregation index (AI) decreased with distance from the urban core. The total ES value experienced a decline of 66.78 % from 2000 to 2020, with ES values increasing as distance from the urban core increased. Positive correlations were observed between ES values and metrics such as NP, PD, LSI, SHP_MN, DIV, SPLIT, and SHDI, while LPI, COHE, and AI showed negative correlations. Natural landscapes exhibited higher ES values, underscoring the need for integrating spatial landscape planning into decision-making frameworks aimed at enhancing ES.
{"title":"Mapping and assessment of ecosystem service values using gradient approach: A spatial scenario from Kolkata megacity region, India","authors":"Manob Das , Arijit Das , Paulo Pereira","doi":"10.1016/j.ancene.2025.100499","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ancene.2025.100499","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The transformation of land use and land cover (LULC) profoundly impacts ecosystem service (ES). Urbanization has emerged as a major driver altering landscape patterns and ES dynamics. However, there are very limited studies investigating the spatial interplay between landscape patterns and ES using gradient approach. This study explores the relationship between landscape patterns and ES along the urban-rural gradient (URG) in the Kolkata Megacity Region (KMR), India, from 2000 to 2020. Ten landscape metrics were utilized to elucidate this relationship. Correlation and regression analyses were employed to assess the impact of landscape patterns on ES. Over the last two decades, built-up areas increased by 98 %, while vegetation cover and water bodies decreased by 69 % and 10 %, respectively. Metrics such as number of patches (NP), landscape shape index (LSI), patch density (PD), shape mean (SHP_MN), and division (DIV) showed increasing trends, whereas the largest patch index (LPI), cohesion (COHE), and aggregation index (AI) decreased with distance from the urban core. The total ES value experienced a decline of 66.78 % from 2000 to 2020, with ES values increasing as distance from the urban core increased. Positive correlations were observed between ES values and metrics such as NP, PD, LSI, SHP_MN, DIV, SPLIT, and SHDI, while LPI, COHE, and AI showed negative correlations. Natural landscapes exhibited higher ES values, underscoring the need for integrating spatial landscape planning into decision-making frameworks aimed at enhancing ES.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56021,"journal":{"name":"Anthropocene","volume":"52 ","pages":"Article 100499"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145333432","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
扫码关注我们
求助内容：
应助结果提醒方式：
京公网安备 11010802042870号