Climate change is transforming the ice-free areas of Antarctica, leading to rapid changes in terrestrial ecosystems. These areas represent <0.5% of the continent and coincide with the most anthropogenically pressured sites, where the human footprint is a source of contamination. Simultaneously, these are the locations where permafrost can be found, not being clear what might be the consequences following its degradation regarding trace element remobilisation. This raises the need for a better understanding of the natural geochemical values of Antarctic soils as well as the extent of human impact in the surroundings of scientific research stations. Permafrost thaw in the Western Antarctic Peninsula region and in the McMurdo Dry Valleys is the most likely to contribute to the remobilisation of toxic trace elements, whether as the result of anthropogenic contamination or due to the degradation of massive buried ice and ice-cemented permafrost. Site-specific locations across Antarctica, with abandoned infrastructure, also deserve attention by continuing to be a source of trace elements that later can be released, posing a threat to the environment. This comprehensive summary of trace element concentrations across the continent's soils enables the geographical systematisation of published results for a better comparison of the literature data. This review also includes the used analytical techniques and methods for trace element dissolution, important factors when reporting low concentrations. A new perspective in environmental monitoring is needed to investigate if trace element remobilisation upon permafrost thaw might be a tangible consequence of climate change.

Emerging contaminants and climate change are major challenges that soil organisms are facing today. Triclosan (TCS), an antibacterial agent, is widespread and hazardous in terrestrial environments, but there is a lack of information on how its toxicity will change because of climate change. The aim of the study was to evaluate the short-term effects of increased temperature, decreased soil moisture content (drought), and their complex interaction on triclosan-induced biochemical changes in Eisenia fetida (as well as growth and survival). Four different treatments were used in TCS-contaminated soil tests with E. fetida (10-750 mg TCS kg-1): C (21 degrees C + 60 % water holding capacity (WHC)), D (21 degrees C and 30 % WHC), T (25 degrees C + 60 % WHC), and T + D (25 degrees C + 30 % WHC). The more prominent TCS effect on the survival was seen only after two weeks and at the high TCS concentrations, though a negative effect on weight growth was recorded after one week of exposure at all tested TCS concentrations and climate conditions. Under standard (C) conditions, an activated E. fetida antioxidative system effectively reduced the oxidative stress induced by TCS. Changes in the climatic conditions influenced E. fetid a's biochemical response to TCS-induced oxidative stress. Despite the enhanced activity of antioxidant enzymes, the combination of drought (D) and TCS caused significant lipid peroxidation in E. fetida. Under elevated temperature, E. fetida experienced oxidative stress and a considerable rise in lipid peroxidation due to insufficient activation or inhibition of antioxidant enzymes.

With changing climate and increased frequency of wet weather extremes, increased attention is being directed towards understanding the resilience of agroecosystems and the goods and services they deliver. The world's most instrumented and monitored farm (the North Wyke Fam Platform - a UK National Bioscience Research Infrastructure) has been used to explore the resilience of sediment loss regulation delivered by lowland grazing livestock and arable systems under conventional best management. The robustness of water quality regulation was explored using exceedance of modern background (i.e. pre-World War II) net soil loss rates (i.e., sediment delivery) during both typical (2012-13, 2015-16) and the most extreme (2013-14, 2019-20, 2023-24) winters (December - February, inclusive), in terms of seasonal rainfall totals, over the past similar to decade. Exceedances of maximum modern background sediment loss rates from pasture were as high as 2.4X when scheduled ploughing and reseeding for sward improvement occurred immediately prior to the winters in question. Exceedances of maximum modern background sediment loss rates in the arable system (winter wheat and spring oats) were as high as 21.7X. Over the five monitored winters, the environmental damage costs for cumulative sediment loss from the permanent pasture system ranged from pound 163-203 and pound 197-245 ha(-1) to pound 321-421 and pound 386-507 ha(-1). Over the same five winters, environmental damage costs for cumulative sediment loss from catchments subjected to reseeding and, more latterly, arable conversion, ranged between pound 382-584 and pound 461-703 ha(-1) to pound 1978-2334 and pound 2384-2812 ha(-1). Our data provide valuable quantitative insight into the impacts of winter rainfall and land use on the resilience of sediment loss regulation.

CONTEXT: Policy issues in most nations include adapting primary agricultural production to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Commitments have been established through multi-lateral agreements targeting GHG emission reductions to abate climate change impacts. In response to policy initiatives targeted at industries such as agriculture, producers are adopting innovative production methods and technologies to provide environmental services and mitigate emissions. GHG emissions arising from livestock production contribute to a damaging narrative surrounding agriculture, particularly beef production. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is three-fold, quantifying (a) net emissions,2 (b) changes in practice, and (c) economic outcomes attributed to the forage production facet of cow-calf production. METHODS: The Saskatchewan Forage Production Survey was developed to gather forage management practices data, placing emphasis on land use and land management changes. Canada's whole-farm assessment model, Holos, was applied as a carbon accounting framework to derive the net emissions of the forage production cycle. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Results indicate carbon sequestration increased between the periods of 1991-94 and 2016-19. Gross emissions decreased to a larger degree and net emission results for the forage production facet of the Saskatchewan cow calf sector are -0.123 Mg CO2e/ha/yr in 2016-19. SIGNIFICANCE: Recommendations include the renewal of forage rejuvenation funding programs that may improve forage yields and carbon sequestration potential. Further, the expansion of term conservation easement programs to include non-native forage lands is recommended to incentivize the retention of forage land.

In this study, the physiological response of potted apple trees to combined drought and heat stress was evaluated. After establishing different levels of soil water availability, the trees were exposed to a five-day simulated heatwave with daily maximum temperatures of 40 degrees C. Stem water potential, leaf gas exchange, chlorophyll fluorescence, and tree transpiration were monitored before, during and after the combined application of heat and water stress, therefore providing insights into the extent and rapidity of the recovery. Drought caused stomatal closure that limited net photosynthesis and transpiration both at leaf and at tree level, leading to structural damage through leaf loss. On drought-stressed plants, chlorophyll fluorescence was significantly reduced by heat stress, suggesting additional leaf damage although net photosynthesis was not lower than under drought stress alone. On the other hand, well-watered trees showed low midday stem water potentials and high transpiration rates during the heatwave, while net photosynthesis was not affected. Water use efficiency of well-watered trees at 33 degrees C was reduced to 60 % of that at 23 degrees C. After the heatwave, transpiration rate in well-watered trees immediately declined to pre-stress levels, underscoring the strong atmospheric control on transpiration in apple trees. In drought-stressed trees, predawn stem water potential reached pre-stress values already on the first day of recovery. Stomatal conductance, net photosynthesis, and chlorophyll fluorescence, however, required a longer period to recover, indicating that drought stress induced transient hydraulic limitations. Nevertheless, all parameters fully recovered within five days after the end of the heatwave, showing that apple trees can withstand periods of combined heat and drought stress. The key role of water in modulating the response to heat stress highlights the need for improved irrigation management in apple orchards under climate change.

Soil freeze-thaw state influences multiple terrestrial ecosystem processes, such as soil hydrology and carbon cycling. However, knowledge of historical long-term changes in the timing, duration, and temperature of freeze-thaw processes remains insufficient, and studies exploring the combined or individual contributions of climatic factors-such as air temperature, precipitation, snow depth, and wind speed-are rare, particularly in current thermokarst landscapes induced by abrupt permafrost thawing. Based on ERA5-Land reanalysis, MODIS observations, and integrated thermokarst landform maps, we found that: 1) Hourly soil temperature from the reanalysis effectively captured the temporal variations of in-situ observations, with Pearson' r of 0.66-0.91. 2) Despite an insignificant decrease in daily freeze-thaw cycles in 1981-2022, other indicators in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP) changed significantly, including delayed freezing onset (0.113 d yr- 1), advanced thawing onset (-0.22 d yr- 1), reduced frozen days (-0.365 d yr- 1), increased frozen temperature (0.014 degrees C yr- 1), and decreased daily freeze-thaw temperature range (-0.015 degrees C yr- 1). 3) Total contributions indicated air temperature was the dominant climatic driver of these changes, while indicators characterizing daily freeze-thaw cycles were influenced mainly by the combined effects of increased precipitation and air temperature, with remarkable spatial heterogeneity. 4) When regionally averaged, completely thawed days increased faster in the thermokarstaffected areas than in their primarily distributed grasslands-alpine steppe (47.69%) and alpine meadow (22.64%)-likely because of their stronger warming effect of precipitation. Locally, paired comparison within 3 x 3 pixel windows from MODIS data revealed consistent results, which were pronounced when the thermokarst-affected area exceeded about 38% per 1 km2. Conclusively, the warming and wetting climate has significantly altered soil freeze-thaw processes on the QTP, with the frozen soil environment in thermokarstaffected areas, dominated by thermokarst lakes, undergoing more rapid degradation. These insights are crucial for predicting freeze-thaw dynamics and assessing their ecological impacts on alpine grasslands.

Purpose of ReviewForest roads, which are important for accessing and managing forest areas, are particularly vulnerable to damaging impacts of severe climatic events. Understanding how weather changes affect forest roads is important for their efficient management and to ensure their reliability in supporting forest products supply chains. This paper reviews research conducted on the impact of climate factors on forest roads over the past two decades. The aim of our study was to develop a conceptual framework to support adaptation and mitigation strategies in forest road network management, ensuring sustainable wood flow despite a changing climate.Recent FindingsThrough a review of scientific articles and their results, we provided insights and recommendations to increase the resiliency of forest road infrastructures against the effects of climate change. Framed within the principles of climate-smart forestry, this study also offers practical suggestions to maintain the efficiency and safety of wood transportation networks under changing weather conditions, supporting sustainable forest operations and climate adaptation.SummaryThis review highlights how changes in precipitation and temperature patterns caused by climate change can impact forest road infrastructure and wood transportation. Based on the analysis of the reviewed articles, we identified key consequences such as increased erosion, road deformation, and reduced frozen periods. The research provides dedicated actions to ensure sustainability of forest resources and their infrastructure. This review is a key step towards more resilient and adaptive forest road management practices, helping to reduce the impacts of climate change on forest transportation and ecological systems.

Snow cover is a critical factor controlling plant performance, such as survival, growth, and biomass, and vegetation cover in regions with seasonal snow (e.g., high-latitude and high-elevation regions), due to its influence on the timing and length of the growing season, insulation effect during winter, and biotic and abiotic environmental factors. Therefore, changes in snow cover driven by rising temperatures and shifting precipitation patterns are expected to alter plant performance and vegetation cover. Despite the rapid increase in research on this topic in recent decades, there is still a lack of studies that quantitatively elucidate how plant performance and vegetation cover respond to shifting snow cover across snowy regions. Additionally, no comprehensive study has yet quantitatively examined these responses across regions, ecosystems, and plant functional types. Here, we conducted a meta-analysis synthesizing data from 54 snow cover manipulation studies conducted in both the field and laboratory across snowy regions to detect how plants performance and vegetation cover respond to decreased or increased snow cover. Our results demonstrate that plant survival, aboveground biomass, and belowground biomass exhibited significant decreases in response to decreased snow cover, with rates of survival having the greatest decrease. In response to increased snow cover, plant survival, growth, biomass and vegetation cover tended to increase, except for plant belowground length growth and biomass, which showed significant decreases. Additionally, our quantitative analysis of plant responses to changes in snow cover across regions, ecosystems, and plant functional types revealed that cold regions with thin snow cover, tundra and forest ecosystems, and woody species are particularly vulnerable to snow cover reduction. Overall, this study demonstrates the strong controls that snow cover exerts on plant performance, providing insights into the dynamics of snow-covered ecosystems under changing winter climatic conditions.

Permafrost roughly affects half of the boreal region in Alaska and varies greatly in its thermo-physical properties and genesis. In boreal ecosystems, permafrost formation and degradation respond to complex interactions among climate, topography, hydrology, soils, vegetation, and disturbance. We synthesized data on soil thermal conditions and permafrost characteristics to assess current permafrost conditions in central Alaska, and classified and mapped soil landscapes vulnerable to future thaw and thermokarst development. Permafrost soil properties at 160 sites ranged from rocky soils in hillslope colluvium and glacial till, to silty loess, to thick peats on abandoned floodplains and bogs, across 64 geomorphic units. Ground-ice contents (% moisture) varied greatly across geomorphic units. Mean annual ground temperatures at similar to 1 m depth varied 12.5 degrees C across 77 sites with most permafrost near thawing or actively thawing. To assess the vulnerability of permafrost to climate variability and disturbance, we differentiated permafrost responses in terms of rate of thaw, potential thaw settlement, and thermokarst development. Using a rule-based model that uses geomorphic units for spatial extrapolation at the landscape scale, we mapped 10 vulnerability classes across three areas in central Alaska ranging from high potential settlement/low thaw rate in extremely ice-rich loess to low potential settlement/high thaw rate in rocky hillslope colluvium. Permafrost degradation is expected to result in 10 thermokarst landform types. Vulnerability classes corresponded to thermokarst features that developed in response to past climates. Differing patterns in permafrost vulnerability have large implications for ecosystem trajectories, land use, and infrastructure damage from permafrost thaw.

This study analyzes the effects of Hurricane Eta on the Chiriqui Viejo River basin, revealing the significant impact of extreme weather events on the hydrological dynamics of the region. The maximum rainfall recorded on November 4, 2020, reached 223.8 mm, while the flow in Paso Canoa reached 638.03 m3/s, demonstrating the magnitude of the event and the inability of the basin to handle such high volumes of water. Through a detailed analysis, it was observed that soil saturation resulted in direct runoff of up to 70.0 mm that same day, which shows that the infiltration capacity of the soil was quickly exceeded. Despite the damage observed, there are currently no advanced hydrological studies on extreme events in critical basins such as the Chiriqui Viejo River. This lack of research reflects a serious lack of planning and assessment of the risks associated with phenomena of this magnitude. One of the most critical problems found is the lack of specialized hydrology professionals, who are essential to carry out detailed studies and ensure sustainable management of water resources. In a context where climate change increases the frequency and intensity of extreme events, the absence of hydrologists in the region puts the resilience of the basin to future disasters at risk. The basin's hydraulic system demonstrated its inability to handle high flows, underscoring the need to improve flood control and water retention infrastructure. In addition, the lack of effective hydrological planning and coordination in the management of hydraulic infrastructures compromises both the safety of downstream communities and the sustainability of hydroelectric reservoirs, vital for the region.