International Journal of Biometeorology最新文献

Buffalo is playing a leading role in the national economy by producing milk, meat and draught power in Pakistan. According to the Economic Survey of Pakistan (2023–24), buffalo contributes about 59.6%, followed by cattle (37.4%) and sheep/goat/camel (3%). The climatic conditions of tropical areas are primarily characterized as hot and humid. High ambient temperatures, mainly, are a significant factor affecting animals in tropical and subtropical regions. Due to high temperatures and moisture, heat stress is the main force hindering buffalo productivity in tropical regions. High ambient temperatures contribute to reproductive failures and embryonic mortality, especially in buffalo. Heat stress also reduces feed intake while alarmingly decreasing milk yield. Furthermore, one of the major factors affecting infertility in tropical areas is heat stress, and buffaloes require an effective, applicable strategy to combat these problems in buffaloes for increasing breeding efficiency and health condition. However, there is limited research on this topic in buffaloes, particularly associated genes involved in stress-related pathways. Therefore, this review summarizes the consequence of heat stress on the production and reproduction performance of riverine buffaloes. Moreover, practical insights about the adaptive physiology is narrated. Furthermore, potential strategies for heat stress mitigation were discussed in order to reduce negative effects on production performance and buffalo welfare. Future perspectives on the potential of nutrigenomic interventions for the targeted improvement of adaptive physiology in buffalo to cope with heat stress to ensure sustainable buffalo production in tropical areas are also discussed.

The aim of the study was to characterize the intensity, frequency and duration of extreme high temperature events and their variability over a period of 75 years (1948–2022) for Ljubljana, Slovenia. This study uses 23 thermal indices recommended by the WMO (ETCCDI) based on daily maximum and minimum air temperatures, retrieved from the Slovenian Environment Agency. The study conducted showed an increase in heat stress risk during the summer months over the last 75 years, with particularly pronounced changes since the 1990s. The observed increase in air temperature was greater for extreme than for average temperatures. The trends in annual average maximum, minimum and daily temperatures were all positive and significant with rates of 0.37 °C/decade, 0.41 °C/decade and 0.39 °C/decade respectively. As a result of these changes, the number of hot days, tropical nights, intensity, frequency and duration of heatwaves (HW) have also increased. HW are becoming a growing problem in Ljubljana, as all HW indices examined are increasing: number of HW (trend 0.5 events/decade), frequency (2.0 days/decade), magnitude (0.36 °C/decade) and maximum amplitude (0.73 °C/decade). Until recently, these events were only typical of summer, but now they occur in May and even last into September. The thermal heat sum indices, heating degree days (HDDheat) and cooling degree days (CDDcool), indicators of weather-related energy consumption for heating and cooling buildings, showed a clear change, namely a decrease in HDDheat and an increase in CDDcool. The city has experienced pronounced urban growth, which is accompanied by significant changes in the area surrounding the measurement site, which, together with climate change, exacerbate the risk of heat exposure. Despite numerous measures already taken to reduce heat stress in the city, it remains a problem in the summer months, especially given the prediction that conditions will worsen in the future. It is therefore necessary to continue monitoring temperature conditions and local and temporal changes, which is the responsibility of the National Meteorological Service. Further studies on urban characteristics and human thermal comfort parameters are also needed to assess local vulnerability. In addition, some complementary measurements could be carried out to collect data on spatial variations, which is an important step in developing a plan to combat heat stress.

Plant viewing activities, which encompass the enjoyment of seasonal plant phenomena such as flowering and autumn leaf coloration, have become popular worldwide. Plant viewing activities are increasingly challenged by climate change, as key components like plant phenology and climate comfort are highly sensitive to global warming. However, few studies have explored the impact of climate change on viewing activities, particularly from an integrated, multi-factor perspective. To address this gap, we proposed a comprehensive framework that systematically integrates plant phenology, ornamental value and climate comfort, and combines field surveys, questionnaires and phenological models to identify optimal plant viewing seasons and assess their shifts under climate change. A case study at the Summer Palace in Beijing demonstrates that our framework effectively captures variations in phenology, climate comfort and viewing seasons. Specifically, the period of comfortable climate conditions has advanced. The flower viewing season has shifted earlier, while autumn foliage viewing season has been delayed. The findings provide valuable insights for adaptive plant viewing activities management, informing strategies such as flexible scheduling of viewing festivals, optimization of tourism routes, and the development of climate-resilient policies, all of which are crucial for ensuring the sustainable future of tourism.

There is a lack of research on the association between fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) fractions and respiratory disease mortality. Therefore, this study aims to investigate how short-term exposure to fine particulate matter components affects the mortality risk of patients with respiratory diseases.

We collected data on the number of respiratory deaths and fine particulate matter components, including sulfate (SO₄²⁻), nitrate (NO₃⁻), ammonium (NH₄⁺), organic matters (OM), and black carbon (BC), in Hefei, Anhui Province, between 2017 and 2020. A cross-over case study was used to analyze the association between short-term exposure to PM_2.5 components and the risk of mortality from respiratory diseases. We also stratified by age, sex, and season to reveal whether the effect of fine particulate matter fractions on respiratory mortality varied significantly across populations and seasons.

A total of 15,878 deaths from respiratory diseases were included. The results showed that every 10 ug/m³ increase in SO₄²⁻, NO₃⁻, NH₄⁺, OM, and BC was associated with the risk of death from respiratory disease during 0–3 days of exposure, respectively (OR values were 1.068, 1.044, 1.067, 1.047, and 1.284, respectively). Short-term exposure to BC contributed the most to the increased risk of death from RD. Stratified results showed that exposure to PM_2.5 components significantly increased the risk of RD death in the elderly, but there was no significant difference at the gender level. The correlation between PM_2.5 components and RD mortality was more extensive in the cold season than in the warm season.

Short-term exposure to fine particulate matter components does increase the risk of RD death, and the effect is more pronounced during the cold season. This suggests a need to pay close attention to the impact of PM_2.5 composition on patients with RD.

This study evaluated the effects of rumen-protected betaine (RPB) supplementation on growth performance, physiological responses, hematological parameters, immune status, and oxidative stress in crossbred lambs under heat stress conditions. Forty Île-de-France × (Dalagh × Romanov) lambs (33.3 ± 2.67 kg) were assigned to four dietary treatments in a completely randomized design (n = 10): a control group (CTRL) and three RPB-supplemented groups receiving 2 g (RPBL), 4 g (RPBM), or 6 g (RPBH) of RPB per lamb per day. The study lasted 67 days, including a 7-day adaptation period. Feed intake, body weight, and feed conversion ratio were recorded biweekly. Physiological parameters such as rectal and skin temperatures, respiration, and pulse rates, were measured at different times of the day. Blood samples were collected for hematological, biochemical, immunological, and oxidative stress marker analyses. Growth and physiological parameters recorded over time were analyzed using a repeated measures model (PROC MIXED in SAS), while blood variables were assessed using one-way ANOVA (PROC GLM), followed by Tukey’s test for multiple comparisons. Linear and quadratic trends were evaluated using polynomial contrasts, with significance set at p < 0.05. Results indicated that RPB supplementation significantly improved average daily gain and feed efficiency (P < 0.05). Physiological responses, particularly respiration and pulse rates, were lower in RPB-fed lambs, suggesting improved heat stress resilience. Serum immunoglobulin concentrations (IgA, IgG, IgM) increased (P < 0.05), while oxidative stress markers, including malondialdehyde, decreased with RPB supplementation. These findings suggest that RPB enhances performance, mitigates heat stress, and improves immune function and oxidative balance in lambs under high-temperature conditions. Further research is warranted to elucidate the underlying mechanisms.

The Tibetan Plateau (TP), one of the most climate-sensitive regions in the world, has experienced significant warming and wetting in recent decades, which is widely recognized has promoted vegetation greening. However, a paradoxical phenomenon has been observed: during the growing seasons, vegetation greenness negatively correlates with precipitation across large areas of the TP. The underlying causes of this counterintuitive relationship remain unclear. In this study, we investigated this unexpected correlation relationship, using remotely sensed normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) data, meteorological station observations, and several hydrometeorological datasets. First, we explored inter-annual variations in NDVI and precipitation on the TP during the growing seasons over the last four decades. Second, we examined the correlations between NDVI and precipitation in the growing seasons. Our analyses showed that from June to September, NDVI exhibited a significant (p < 0.05) positive correlation with precipitation in 3.04% − 10.9% of the vegetated area of the TP, whereas a significant negative correlation was observed in 3.02–6.03% of the vegetated area. Over half of the vegetated area showed negative correlations in July-September. Focusing on negatively correlated regions, we employed the structural equation model to explore the mechanisms causing this paradoxical relationship. Our findings suggest that the negative relationship between vegetation greenness and precipitation is primarily driven by a reduction in solar radiation associated with increased precipitation. During the growing season, higher precipitation levels led to lower solar radiation, which negatively impacted vegetation growth. These findings improve our understanding of vegetation-climate interactions in this climate-sensitive region.

The global “high-temperature heat wave” is becoming increasingly severe, and the in-depth advancement of new urbanization construction has put the construction of small towns in full swing. Solving the desire of small-town residents for an ecological and livable environment from the perspective of thermal comfort can promote the high-quality development and construction of small towns. This study takes the central area of ​​Shanghang County, Fujian Province, as the research object. Based on GF-2 image data, an object-oriented classification method is used to extract the underlying landscape of small towns. The landscape pattern is analyzed at the type level and the landscape level. The spatial correlation analysis method was used to find the spatial correlation laws between the landscape pattern and the thermal comfort simulation results. The simulation results at 8:00, 12:00, 14:00, and 18:00 are divided into five levels: comfort zone, warm zone, hot zone, very hot zone, and extremely hot zone. It was found that the thermal comfort situation was the worst at 14:00, with very hot areas accounting for 54.29% and extremely hot areas accounting for 23.18%. The correlation between PLAND, LPI, and UTCI is most significant at the small-town scale. The strong correlation indicators of vegetation are PLAND, LPI, AREA_MN, and ED; the strong correlation indicators of water are PLAND, LPI, and AREA_MN; the strong correlation indicators of asphalt pavement are LPI; the strong correlation indicators of cement pavement are PLAND, AREA_MN, and LPI. ENVI-met was used to simulate the thermal comfort of the study area, classify levels, and summarize spatiotemporal patterns. Then, the landscape pattern optimization principles, layout plans, and strategies were proposed, and finally, the results were compared to quantitatively evaluate the thermal comfort improvement benefits. After optimization, the minimum, maximum, and average values ​​of UTCI all decreased, with the average decreasing by 11.39℃. The thermal comfort level has been significantly improved, and the extremely hot area has been reduced by 16.98%, which provides theoretical support and a basis for the scientific development of regulating urban thermal comfort.

The aim of this study is to analyse the spatial and temporal variability of the pollen seasons in Poland and to demonstrate the impact of meteorological parameters on the course of the pollen seasons within the context of climate change over two decades 2003–2012 and 2013–2022. Five early-flowering plant taxa were selected for analysis: Alnus (alder), Corylus (hazel), Populus (poplar), Ulmus (elm), and Salix (willow). Daily airborne pollen data were collected using a Hirst-type pollen trap in six cities across Poland, representing different climatic conditions. Firstly, long-term air temperature trends were analysed to identify spatial and temporal climate variability. Secondly, the differences in pollen seasons between stations were compared to assess the spatial variation. Thirdly, pre-season meteorological influences on season onset and intensity were analysed. Finally, the influence of meteorological parameters on daily pollen grain concentration in the atmosphere was examined. The results show that, in the second decade, the strongest temperature increases occurred in early-year months, potentially influencing early-flowering taxa. Over a 20-year period, the period with the highest pollen grain concentration starts earlier and lasts longer for most stations and taxa. Meteorological influences on pollen dynamics shifted over time, leading to spatial, temporal, and species-specific variation across Poland. Air temperature, insolation time, and relative humidity notably influence daily pollen levels, especially for Populus, Salix, and Ulmus (correlation > 0.2), while Corylus and Alnus show weaker correlations (< 0.1). The analysis indicates a decline in correlation coefficient values over the study period, particularly for Corylus and Alnus.