Energy, Resources and the Environment

Words on Wednesday: Do Himalayan treelines respond to recent climate change? An evaluation of sensitivity indicators

ERE Matters June 10, 2015

Words on Wednesday aims at promoting interesting/fun/exciting publications on topics related to Energy, Resources and the Environment. If you would like to be featured on WoW, please send us a link of the paper, or your own post, at ERE.Matters@gmail.com.

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Schickhoff, U., Bobrowski, M., Böhner, J., Bürzle, B., Chaudhary, R. P., Gerlitz, L., Heyken, H., Lange, J., Müller, M., Scholten, T., Schwab, N., and Wedegärtner, R., 2015. Do Himalayan treelines respond to recent climate change? An evaluation of sensitivity indicators, Earth Syst. Dynam., 6, 245-265.

Abstract:

Climate warming is expected to induce treelines to advance to higher elevations. Empirical studies in diverse mountain ranges, however, give evidence of both advancing alpine treelines and rather insignificant responses. The inconsistency of findings suggests distinct differences in the sensitivity of global treelines to recent climate change. It is still unclear where Himalayan treeline ecotones are located along the response gradient from rapid dynamics to apparently complete inertia. This paper reviews the current state of knowledge regarding sensitivity and response of Himalayan treelines to climate warming, based on extensive field observations, published results in the widely scattered literature, and novel data from ongoing research of the present authors.

Anthropogenic treeline in Manang, Nepal, showing an abrupt transition to alpine grazing lands (Schickhoff, 24 September 2013).

Several sensitivity indicators such as treeline type, treeline form, seed-based regeneration, and growth patterns are evaluated. Since most Himalayan treelines are anthropogenically depressed, observed advances are largely the result of land use change. Near-natural treelines are usually krummholz treelines, which are relatively unresponsive to climate change. Nevertheless, intense recruitment of treeline trees suggests a great potential for future treeline advance. Competitive abilities of seedlings within krummholz thickets and dwarf scrub heaths will be a major source of variation in treeline dynamics. Tree growth–climate relationships show mature treeline trees to be responsive to temperature change, in particular in winter and pre-monsoon seasons. High pre-monsoon temperature trends will most likely drive tree growth performance in the western and central Himalaya. Ecological niche modelling suggests that bioclimatic conditions for a range expansion of treeline trees will be created during coming decades.

Climatic treeline (3900–4000 m) on a north-facing slope in Rolwaling, Nepal (Schwab, 18 September 2014).

Funding opportunity for Early Career Researchers to attend GSA Baltimore

ERE Matters June 8, 2015

The Heritage Stone Task Group in southern Europe is a Task Group within the IUGS. In March, HSTG had a proposal accepted as Project 637 of the International Geoscience Programme (IGCP 637). With this acceptance, IGCP 637 offered $US6,000 in 2015 to support conference participation.

HSTG has decided that this funding should be used in 2015 to support attendance to our session in the GSA Baltimore conference. Amounts not exceeding $US2000 will likely be available. We have been asked by the IGCP Secretariat to give preference to supporting scientists from developing countries or who are young or women scientists. Recipients will also be expected to make a conference presentation in our session, related to natural stones, architectonic heritage and related issues.

Early Career researchers who are interested should send a message showing interest and a short cv, with a potential title for the contribution in the HSTG session, to the HSTG secretary general Barry Cooper: Barry.Cooper@unisa.edu.au

Applicatons will be received up to 30 June 2015.

Please contact Dr Lola Pereira for further information (mdp@usal.es)

Down by the River: Environmental Impact of Energy Generation Along the Colorado River

ERE Matters June 5, 2015

In our hunt for energy, we turn in many directions, especially those that will affect the environment to a lesser extent than the conventional fossil fuels. Though renewable energy is a sustainable form of energy production – it is after all infinite – it does not always mean that this form of energy production is without impact.

In 1963 the Glen Canyon Dam was built across the Colorado River, running through the Grand Canyon. Doing so created Lake Powell and helped in the generation of hydroelectric power. By 1974, researchers discovered the impact the dam had further downstream along the Colorado River, with shrinking sandbars as they no longer were replenished by sediment trapped in Lake Powell, behind the dam. Since then, scientists have been trying to get insight into the possibility of controlled flooding of the river to maintaining, or growing, the number of sandbars in the Colorado River. A new High Flow Experimental Release (HFE) Protocol could be the solution. However, care needs to be taken to protect both the downstream eco-system, as well as ensuring sufficient power generation by the dam.

Read more in this week’s EOS article 🙂

Colorado Horseshoe Bend (by Ioannis Daglis, taken from ImagGeo)

Words on Wednesday: Farmers’ perceptions of and adaptation strategies to climate change and their determinants: the case of Punjab province, Pakistan

ERE Matters June 3, 2015

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Abid, M., Scheffran, J., Schneider, U. A., and Ashfaq, M., 2015. Farmers’ perceptions of and adaptation strategies to climate change and their determinants: the case of Punjab province, Pakistan, Earth Syst. Dynam., 6, 225-243.

Abstract:

Climate change is a global environmental threat to all economic sectors, particularly the agricultural sector. Pakistan is one of the countries negatively affected by climate change due to its high exposure to extreme events and low adaptive capacity. In Pakistan, farmers are the primary stakeholders in agriculture and are more at risk due to climate vulnerability. Based on farm household data from 450 households collected from three districts in three agroecological zones in the Punjab province of Pakistan, this study examines how farmers perceive climate change and how they adapt their farming in response to perceived changes in climate. The results demonstrate that awareness of climate change is widespread throughout the area, and farm households make adjustments to adapt their agriculture in response to climatic change. Overall 58% of the farm households adapted their farming to climate change. Changing crop varieties, changing planting dates, planting of shade trees and changing fertilizers were the main adaptation methods implemented by farm households in the study area. The results from the binary logistic model reveal that education, farm experience, household size, land area, tenancy status, ownership of a tube well, access to market information, information on weather forecasting and agricultural extension services all influence farmers’ choices of adaptation measures. The results also indicate that adaptation to climate change is constrained by several factors such as lack of information, lack of money, resource constraints and shortage of irrigation water in the study area. Findings of the study suggest the need for greater investment in farmer education and improved institutional setup for climate change adaptation to improve farmers’ wellbeing.

Schematic framework of farmers’ adaptation process in Pakistan.