Infrastructure in northern regions is increasingly threatened by climate change, mainly due to permafrost thaw. Prediction of permafrost stability is essential for assessing the long-term stability of such infrastructure. A key aspect of geotechnical problems subject to climate change is addressing the surface energy balance (SEB). In this study, we evaluated three methodologies for applying surface boundary conditions in longterm thermal geotechnical analyses, including SEB heat flux, n-factors, and machine learning (ML) models by using ERA5-Land climate reanalysis data until 2100. We aimed to determine the most effective approach for accurately predicting ground surface temperatures for climate-resilient design of northern infrastructure. The evaluation results indicated that the ML-based approach outperformed both the SEB heat flux and n-factors methods, demonstrating significantly lower prediction errors. The feasibility of long-term thermal analysis of geotechnical problems using ML-predicted ground surface temperatures was then demonstrated through a permafrost case study in the community of Salluit in northern Canada, for which the thickness of the active layer and talik were calculated under moderate and extreme climate scenarios by the end of the 21st century. Finally, we discussed the application and limitations of surface boundary condition methodologies, such as the limited applicability of the n-factors in long-term analysis and the sensitivity of the SEB heat flux to inputs and thermal imbalance. The findings highlight the importance of selecting suitable boundary condition methodologies in enhancing the reliability of thermal geotechnical analyses in cold regions.

Most gravel roads leading to rural areas in Ghana have soft spot sections as a result of weak lateritic subgrade layers. This study presents a laboratory investigation on a typical weak lateritic subgrade soil reinforced with non-woven fibers. The objective was to investigate the strength characteristic of the soil reinforced with non-woven fibers. The California Bearing Ratio and Unconfined Compressive Strength tests were conducted by placing the fibers in single layer and also in multiple layers. The results showed an improved strength of the soil from a CBR value of 7%. The CBR recorded maximum values of 30% and 21% for coconut and palm fibers inclusion at a placement depth of H/5 from the compacted surface. Multiple fiber layer application at depths of H/5 & 2 h/5 yielded CBR values of 38% and 31% for coconut and palm fibers respectively. The Giroud and Noiray design method and the Indian Road Congress design method recorded reduction in the thickness of pavement of 56% to 63% for coconut fiber inclusion and 45% to 55% for palm fiber inclusion. Two-way statistical analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed significant effect of depth of fiber placement and fiber type on the geotechnical characteristics considered. (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic),(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic). (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic). (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic). (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic). (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic),CBR(sic)(sic)7%(sic),(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic). (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)H/5(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic),CBR(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)30%(sic)21%. (sic)H/5(sic)2H/5(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic),(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)CBR(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)38%(sic)31%. Giroud&Noiray(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)56%(sic)63%,(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)45%(sic)55%. (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(ANOVA)(sic)(sic),(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic).

Flash floods are often responsible for deaths and damage to infrastructure. The objective of this work is to create a data-driven model to understand how predisposing factors influence the spatial variation of the triggering factor (rainfall intensity) in the case of flash floods in the continental area of Portugal. Flash floods occurrences were extracted from the DISASTER database. We extracted the accumulated precipitation from the Copernicus database by considering two days of duration. The analysed predisposing factors for flooding were extracted considering the whole basin where each occurrence is located. These factors include the basin area, the predominant lithology, drainage density, and the mean or median values of elevation, slope, stream power index (SPI), topographic wetness index (TWI), roughness, and four soil properties. The Random Forest algorithm was used to build the models and obtained mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) around 19%, an acceptable value for the objectives of the work. The median of SPI, mean elevation and the area of the basin are the top three most relevant predisposing factors interpreted by the model for defining the rainfall input for flash flooding in mainland Portugal.

Taurine (TAU) has recently been found to have an impactful role in regulating plant responses under abiotic stresses. This study presented the comparative effects of TAU seed priming and foliar spray application on chickpea plants exposed to hexavalent chromium. Taurine priming and foliar applications (1.6 and 2.4 mM) notably modulated morpho-physiological and biochemical responses of plants under Cr(VI) stress. Plants subjected to 25 mg kg-1 soil Cr in the form of potassium dichromate (K2Cr2O7) displayed a significant reduction in growth, chlorophyll, and uptake of essential nutrients (N, K, P, and Ca). Cr(VI) toxicity also resulted in a notable increase in osmolyte accumulation, lipid peroxidation, relative membrane permeability, ROS generation, antioxidant enzyme activities, antioxidant compounds, endogenous Cr levels, and aerial Cr translocation. Taurine abridged lipoxygenase activity to diminish lipid peroxidation owing to the overproduction of ROS initiated by a higher Cr content. The acquisition and assimilation of essential nutrients were augmented by the TAU-related decrease in leaf and root Cr levels. Consequently, TAU enhanced growth by mitigating oxidative damage, reducing Cr content in the aerial parts, and reinforcing the activities of antioxidant enzymes. Compared to foliar spray, TAU seed priming has demonstrated superior efficacy in mitigating Cr phytotoxicity in plants.

The morphology of sheep wool applied as organic fertilizer biodegraded in the soil was examined. The investigations were conducted in natural conditions for unwashed waste wool, which was rejected during sorting and then chopped into short segments and wool pellets. Different types of wool were mixed with soil and buried in experimental plots. The wool samples were periodically taken and analyzed for one year using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Energy-dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS). During examinations, the changes in the fibers' morphology were observed. It was stated that cut wool and pellet are mechanically damaged, which significantly accelerates wool biodegradation and quickly destroys the whole fiber structure. On the contrary, for undamaged fibers biodegradation occurs slowly, layer by layer, in a predictable sequence. This finding has practical implications for the use of wool as an organic fertilizer, suggesting that the method of preparation can influence its biodegradation rate. (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic). (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic), (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic), (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic). (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic). (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(SEM)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)X(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(EDS)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic). (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic), (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic). (sic)(sic)(sic), (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic), (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic), (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic). (sic)(sic), (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic), (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic). (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic), (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic).

The root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne javanica, is one of the most damaging plant-parasitic nematodes, affecting chickpea and causing substantial yield losses worldwide. The damage potential and population dynamics of this nematode in chickpea in Ethiopia have yet to be investigated. In this study, six chickpea cultivars were tested using 12 ranges of initial population densities (Pi) of M. javanica second-stage juveniles (J2): 0, 0.125, 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64 and 128 J2 (g dry soil)-1 in a controlled glasshouse pot experiment. The Seinhorst yield loss and population dynamics models were fitted to describe population development and the effect on different measured growth variables. The tolerance limit (TTFW) for total fresh weight ranged from 0.05 to 1.22 J2 (g dry soil)-1, with corresponding yield losses ranging from 31 to 64%. The minimum yield for seed weight (mSW) ranged from 0.29 to 0.61, with estimated yield losses of 71 and 39%. The 'Haberu' and 'Geletu' cultivars were considered good hosts, with maximum population densities (M) of 16.27 and 5.64 J2 (g dry soil)-1 and maximum multiplication rate (a) values of 6.25 and 9.23, respectively. All other cultivars are moderate hosts for M. javanica; therefore, it is crucial to initiate chickpea-breeding strategies to manage the tropical root-knot nematode M. javanica in Ethiopia.

The alpine ecosystems of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP) provide multiple ecosystem services. In recent decades, these ecosystem services have been profoundly affected by climate change, human activity, and frozen ground degradation. However, related research remains lacking to date in the QTP. To address this gap, the upper reaches of the Shule River, a typical cryospheric-dominated basin in the QTP, was selected. We simultaneously assessed the spatial-temporal patterns and driving factors of ecosystem services, including habitat quality (HQ), net primary productivity (NPP), water conservation (WC), carbon storage (CS), water yield (WY), green space recreation (GSR), and total ecosystem service (TES), by employing the InVEST, CASA, and Noah-MP land surface models in combination with remote sensing and field survey data. Our results showed that: (1) HQ, NPP, WC, CS, WY, and GSR all increased significantly from 2001 to 2020 at rates of 0.004 a(-1), 1.920 g Cm(-2)a(-1), 0.709 mma(-1), 0.237 Mg & sdot;ha(-1)a(-1), 0.212 x 10(8) m(3)a(-1), and 0.038 x 10(9) km(2)a(-1) (P < 0.05), respectively; (2) warm and humid climates, combined with shrinking of barren, contributed to the increases in HQ, NPP, WC, CS, WY, and GSR; (3) frozen ground degradation had promoting effects on HQ, NPP, CS, GSR, and TES, while inhibiting effects were observed on WY and WC (P < 0.05); (4) synergies among ecosystem services were prominent over the past 20 years; (5) the total ecosystem service value increased significantly at a rate of 1.18 x 10(9) CNYa(-1) from 2001 to 2020 (P < 0.05), primarily due to the increase in the provisioning service value.

The present study performed classification global aerosols based on particle linear depolarization ratio (PLDR) and single scattering albedo (SSA) provided from AErosol RObotic NETwork (AERONET) Version 3.0 and Level 2.0 inversion products of 171 AERONET sites located in six continents. Current methodology could distinguish effectively between dust and non-dust aerosols using PLDR and SSA. These selected sites include dominant aerosol types such as, pure dust (PD), dust dominated mixture (DDM), pollution dominated mixture (PDM), very weakly absorbing (VWA), strongly absorbing (SA), moderately absorbing(MA), and weakly absorbing (WA). Biomass-burning aerosols which are associated with black carbon are assigned as combinations of WA, MA and SA. The key important findings show the sites in the Northern African region are predominantly influenced by PD, while south Asian sites are characterized by DDM as well as mixture of dust and pollution aerosols. Urban and industrialized regions located in Europe and North American sites are characterized by VWA, WA, and MA aerosols. Tropical regions, including South America, South-east-Asia and southern African sites which prone to forest and biomass-burning, are dominated by SA aerosols. The study further examined the impacts by radiative forcing for different aerosol types. Among the aerosol types, SA and VWA contribute with the highest (30.14 +/- 8.04 Wm-2) and lowest (7.83 +/- 4.12 Wm-2) atmospheric forcing, respectively. Consequently, atmospheric heating rates are found to be highest by SA (0.85 K day-1) and lowest by VWA aerosols (0.22 Kday-1). The current study provides a comprehensive report on aerosol optical, micro-physical and radiative properties for different aerosol types across six continents.

The retreat of glaciers due to climate change is reshaping mountain landscapes and biodiversity. While previous research has documented vegetation succession after glacier retreat, our understanding of functional diversity dynamics is still limited. In this case study, we address the effects of glacier retreat on plant functional diversity by integrating plant traits with ecological indicator values across a 140-year chronosequence in a subalpine glacier landscape. We reveal that functional richness and functional dispersion decrease with glacier retreat, while functional evenness and functional divergence increase, suggesting a shift toward more specialized and competitive communities. Our findings highlight the critical role of ecological factors related to soil moisture, soil nutrients and light availability in shaping plant community dynamics. As years since deglaciation was a key factor in regression and machine learning models, encapsulating time-lagged, spatial and historical processes, we highlight the need of including time into phenomenological or mechanistic models predicting biodiversity change following glacier retreat. The integrative approach of this case study provides novel insights into the potential response of alpine plant communities to climate change, offering a deeper understanding of how to predict and anticipate the effects of glacier extinction on biodiversity in rapidly changing environments. (sic)(sic): (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic),(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic).(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic),(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic).(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)140(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic),(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic),(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic),(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic).(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic),(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic),(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic),(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic).(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic).(sic)(sic),(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic),(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic).(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic),(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic).

Aims Human disturbances and environmental changes significantly influence riparian vegetation composition and dynamics by altering hydrological regimes. In high-altitude river systems, snowmelt-driven water-level fluctuations add further complexity to these processes. However, little is known about how riparian plant functional strategies-competitor (C), stress-tolerator (S), and ruderal (R)-respond to dam-induced water-level fluctuations. This study aimed to assess the effects of water-level fluctuations and climatic factors on riparian vegetation functional strategies along the Nyang River, Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.Location This study was conducted along the Nyang River, Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, China. A total of 33 sites were surveyed, spanning upstream, reservoir, and downstream zones, which were categorized based on water-level fluctuation gradients.Methods We classified riparian vegetation functional strategies using Grime's CSR framework based on species trait data. Hydrological and climatic variables, including water-level fluctuations, temperature, precipitation, and snow cover, were derived from the Global Surface Water Mapping Layers and the FLDAS dataset. Soil properties were measured in the field. Redundancy analysis and partial least squares path modeling were applied to identify key drivers of CSR variation across different river zones.Results Riparian vegetation exhibited significant differences in stress tolerance and ruderal strategies across the Nyang River. Plants in the reservoir and upstream zones had higher S-strategy values, whereas downstream vegetation was predominantly characterized by high competitiveness. The primary drivers of CSR variation across the catchment were temperature, precipitation, and snow cover. In reservoir zones, water-level fluctuations (e.g., retention time, river width) were the dominant influences, whereas downstream vegetation was mainly governed by climate variables. In upstream zones, precipitation, water-level fluctuations, and snow cover jointly influenced CSR strategies. Water-level fluctuations directly regulated functional strategies, whereas snow cover had both direct effects and indirect effects via soil moisture changes.Conclusions This study highlights the interactive effects of climate change and flow regulation on riparian vegetation functional strategies in high-altitude river systems. The findings provide critical insights into how water-level fluctuations and climatic factors shape riparian plant strategies, offering valuable information for ecosystem-based river management and conservation in alpine regions.