An anomalous warm weather event in the Antarctic McMurdo Dry Valleys on 18 March 2022 created an opportunity to characterize soil biota communities most sensitive to freeze-thaw stress. This event caused unseasonal melt within Taylor Valley, activating stream water and microbial mats around Canada Stream. Liquid water availability in this polar desert is a driver of soil biota distribution and activity. Because climate change impacts hydrological regimes, we aimed to determine the effect on soil communities. We sampled soils identified from this event that experienced thaw, nearby hyper-arid areas, and wetted areas that did not experience thaw to compare soil bacterial and invertebrate communities. Areas that exhibited evidence of freeze-thaw supported the highest live and dead nematode counts and were composed of soil taxa from hyper-arid landscapes and wetted areas. They received water inputs from snowpacks, hyporheic water, or glacial melt, contributing to community differences associated with organic matter and salinity gradients. Inundated soils had higher organic matter and lower conductivity (p < .02) and hosted the most diverse microbial and invertebrate communities on average. Our findings suggest that as liquid water becomes more available under predicted climate change, soil communities adapted to the hyper-arid landscape will shift toward diverse, wetted soil communities.

Forests are increasingly impacted by climate change, affecting tree growth and carbon sequestration. Tree-ring width, closely related to tree growth, is a key climate proxy, yet models describing ring width or growth often lack comprehensive environmental data. This study assesses ERA5-Land data for tree-ring width prediction compared to automatic weather station observations, emphasizing the value of extended and global climate data. We analyzed 723 site-averaged and detrended tree-ring chronologies from two broadleaved and two gymnosperm species across Europe, integrating them with ERA5-Land climate data, CO2 concentration, and a drought index (SPEI12). A subset was compared with weather station data. For modelling interannual variations of tree-ring width we used linear models to assess parameter importance. ERA5-Land and weather-station-based models performed similarly, maintaining stable correlations and consistent errors. Models based on meteorological data from weather stations highlighted SPEI12, sunshine duration, and temperature extremes, while ERA5-Land models emphasized SPEI12, dew-point temperature (humidity), and total precipitation. CO2 positively influenced the growth of gymnosperm species. ERA5-Land facilitated broader spatial analysis and incorporated additional factors like evaporation, snow cover, and soil moisture. Monthly assessments revealed the importance of parameters for each species. Our findings confirm that ERA5-Land is a reliable alternative for modeling tree growth, offering new insights into climate-vegetation interactions. The ready availability of underutilized parameters, such as air humidity, soil moisture and temperature, and runoff, enables their inclusion in future growth models. Using ERA5-Land can therefore deepen our understanding of forest responses to diverse environmental drivers on a global scale.

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.

Soil-plant-atmosphere interaction (SPAI) plays a significant role on the safety and serviceably of geotechnical infrastructure. The mechanical and hydraulic soil behaviour varies with the soil water content and pore water pressures (PWP), which are in turn affected by vegetation and weather conditions. Focusing on the hydraulic reinforcement that extraction of water through the plant roots offers, this study couples advances in ecohydrological modelling with advances in geotechnical modelling, overcoming previous crude assumptions around the application of climatic effects on the geotechnical analysis. A methodology for incorporating realistic ecohydrological effects in the geotechnical analysis is developed and validated, and applied in the case study of a cut slope in Newbury, UK, for which field monitoring data is available, to demonstrate its successful applicability in boundary value problems. The results demonstrate the positive effect of vegetation on the infrastructure by increasing the Factor of Safety. Finally, the effect of climate change and changes in slope vegetation cover are investigated. The analysis results demonstrate that slope behaviour depends on complex interactions between the climate and the soil hydraulic properties and cannot be solely anticipated based on climate data, but suctions and changes in suction need necessarily to be considered.

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.

Revealing regional-scale differences in microbial community structure and metabolic strategies across different land use types and soil types and how these differences relate to soil carbon (C) cycling function is crucial for understanding the mechanisms of soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration in agroecosystems. However, our understanding of these knowledge still remains unclear. Here, we employed metagenomic methods to explore differences in microbial community structure, functional potential, and ecological strategies in calcareous soil and red soil, as well as the relationships among these factors and SOC stocks. The results showed that the bacterial absolute abundance and diversity were higher and the fungal absolute abundance and diversity were lower in calcareous soil than in red soil. This may be attributed to stochastic processes dominated the assembly of bacterial and fungal communities in calcareous soil and red soil, respectively. This in turn was closely related to soil pH and Ca2 + content. Linear discriminant analysis showed that genes related to microbial growth and reproduction (e.g., amino acid biosynthesis, central carbon metabolism, and membrane transport) were enriched in calcareous soil. While genes related to stress tolerance (e.g., bacterial chemotaxis, DNA damage repair, biofilm formation) were enriched in red soil. The great difference in soil properties between calcareous soil and red soil may be the cause of this result. Compared with red soil, the higher soil pH, SOC, and calcium and magnesium content in calcareous soil increased the bacterial absolute abundance and diversity, thus increasing the SOC sequestration potential of microorganisms, but also increased the decomposition of organic carbon by fungi, thus increasing the SOC loss potential. However, the bacterial absolute abundance and diversity were much higher than that of fungi. Therefore, soil carbon sequestration potential was still greater than its loss potential in karst agroecosystems. Agricultural disturbance intensity may be the main factor affecting these relationships. Overall, these findings advance our understanding of how soil microbial metabolic processes are related to SOC sequestration.

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.

Permafrost degradation on the Tibetan Plateau (TP) has triggered widespread retrogressive thaw slumps (RTSs), affecting hydrology, carbon sequestration and infrastructure stability. To date, there is still a lack of long-term monitoring of RTSs across the TP, the thaw dynamics and comprehensive driving factors remain unclear. Here, using time-series Landsat imagery and change detection algorithm, we identified RTSs on permafrost regions of the TP from 1986 to 2020. Existing RTSs inventories and high-resolution historical imagery were employed to verify the identified results, the temporal validation of RTSs disturbance pixels demonstrated a high accuracy. In the study area, a total of 3537 RTSs were identified, covering a total area of 5997 ha, representing a 26-fold increase since 1986, and 69.2 % of RTSs formed since 2010. Most RTSs are located on gentle slope (4-12 degrees) at elevations between 4500 m and 5300 m, with a tendency to form in alpine grassland and alpine meadow. Annual variations in RTSs area exhibited a significant positive correlation with minimum air temperature, mean land surface temperature, and annual thawing index, while it showing a significant negative correlation with the decrease in downward shortwave radiation. Spatially, RTSs were more common in areas with higher soil water content and shallower active layer. Landsat imagery captured the vast majority of RTSs on the TP and revealed interannual disturbance details, but the 30 m resolution remains inadequate for delineating the refined boundaries of some micro-scale (< 0.18 ha) RTSs. Detected RTSs disturbances on the TP will aid in hazard management and carbon feedback assessments, and our findings provide novel insights into the impacts of climate change and permafrost environments on RTSs formation.

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.