Understanding the relationship between soil moisture and vegetation is crucial for future projections of ecosystem and water resources. While their hysteresis loop relationship, which arises from their asynchrony in intra-annual variation, remains underexplored. This study used the hysteresis loop type and area (Ah) to characterize the relationship between root zone soil moisture (RZSM) and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) across China from 1986 to 2015, and examined its ecological implications. The results identified four types of hysteresis loops. The clockwise loop, with a delayed single peak of RZSM relative to NDVI, was primarily found in north China and the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, indicating severe water limitation during early growth period. The counterclockwise loop, with an advanced single peak of RZSM relative to NDVI, was common in southeast China's forest, suggesting a shift towards energy limitation. The 8-shaped loop, resulting from double peaks in either RZSM or NDVI due to climate change (e.g., snowmelt) and human disturbance (e.g., irrigation and crop harvest), was observed in northwest China's glaciers and croplands in south and northeast China. The multicrossed loop, marked by multimodal intra-annual variations in both RZSM and NDVI, was predominantly found in northwest China's barren lands. Additionally, from 1986 to 2015, this study observed a shift from 8-shaped or multi-crossed loops to clockwise or counterclockwise loops in some regions like the Yellow River Basin, implying a trend of revegetation. Furthermore, a higher Ah generally indicated more severe water limitation or greater mismatch between RZSM and NDVI. Significant changes in Ah, such as increases in the Yellow River Basin, suggested intensified water limitations, while decreases in southeast and northwest China pointed to an earlier peak of the growing and rainy seasons. This study provides insights into the dynamic interactions between soil moisture and vegetation, offering valuable guidance for ecological management across diverse ecosystems.

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.

Small modular reactors (SMRs) are an alternative for clean energy solutions in Canada's remote northern communities, owing to their safety, flexibility, and reduced capital requirements. Currently, these communities are heavily reliant on fossil fuels, and the transition to cleaner energy sources, such as SMRs, becomes imperative for Canada to achieve its ambitious net-zero emissions target by 2050. However, applying SMR technology in permafrost regions affected by climate change presents unique challenges. The degradation of permafrost can lead to significant deformations and settlements, which can result in increased maintenance expenses and reduced structural resilience of SMR infrastructure. In this paper, we studied the combined effect of climate nonstationarity in terms of ground surface temperature and heat dissipation from SMR reactor cores for the first time in two distinct locations in Canada's North: Salluit in Quebec and Inuvik in the Northwest Territories. It was shown that these combined effects can make significant changes to the ground thermal conditions within a radius of 15-20 m around the reactor core. The change in the ground thermal conditions poses a threat to the integrity of the permafrost table. The implementation of mitigation strategies is imperative to maintain the structural integrity of the nuclear infrastructure in permafrost regions. The thermal modeling presented in this study paves the way for the development of advanced coupled thermo-hydromechanical models to examine the impact of SMRs and climate nonstationarity on permafrost degradation.

With polar amplification warming the northern high latitudes at an unprecedented rate, understanding the future dynamics of vegetation and the associated carbon-nitrogen cycle is increasingly critical. This study uses the dynamic vegetation model LPJ-GUESS 4.1 to simulate vegetation changes for a future climate scenario, generated by the EC-Earth3.3.1 Earth System model, with the forcing of a 560 ppm CO2 level. Using climate output from an earth system model without coupled dynamic vegetation, to run a higher resolution dynamic vegetation standalone model, allows for a more in depth exploration of vegetation changes. Plus, with this approach, the drivers of high latitude vegetation changes are isolated, but there is still a complete understanding of the climate system and the feedback mechanisms that contributed to it. Our simulations reveal an uneven greening response. The already vegetated Southern Scandinavia and western Russia undergo a shift in species composition as boreal species decline and temperate species expand. This is accompanied by a shift to a carbon sink, despite higher litterfall, root turnover and soil respiration rates, suggesting productivity increases are outpacing decomposition. The previously barren or marginal landscapes of Siberia and interior Alaska/Western Canada, undergo significant vegetation expansion, transitioning towards more stable, forested systems with enhanced carbon uptake. Yet, in the previously sparsely vegetated northern Scandinavia, under elevated CO2 temperate species quickly establish, bypassing the expected boreal progression due to surpassed climate thresholds. Here, despite rising productivity, there is a shift to a carbon source. The deeply frozen soils in central Siberia resist colonisation, underscoring the role of continuous permafrost in buffering ecological change. Together, these results highlight that CO2 induced greening does not always equate to enhanced carbon sequestration. The interplay of warming, nutrient constraints, permafrost dynamics and disturbance regimes creates divergent ecosystem trajectories across the northern high latitudes. These findings illustrate a strong need for regional differentiation in climate projections and carbon budget assessments, as the Arctic's role as a carbon sink may be more heterogeneous and vulnerable than previously assumed.

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.

Study region: Gandaki River basin in the central Himalayan region. Study focus: Spatiotemporal investigation of meteorological, agricultural, and hydrological droughts over historical (1986-2014) and future periods (2024-2100). New hydrological insights for the region: Historical analysis reveals that meteorological, agricultural, and hydrological droughts exhibit an insignificant increase in severity and duration. Agricultural and hydrological droughts are characterized by higher severity and longer duration compared to meteorological droughts. Regarding the impact of precipitation and temperature on agricultural drought severity, precipitation replenishes soil moisture in various ways across different elevation zones, thereby alleviating agricultural drought. Conversely, temperature primarily intensifies agricultural drought severity by reducing soil moisture through evaporation and transpiration. Glaciers play an important role in hydrological drought, with both precipitation and temperature helping to alleviate drought severity in subbasins containing glaciers. This phenomenon is particularly pronounced for subbasins with a glacier area ratio exceeding 10.5 %, showcasing a significant negative correlation between temperature and drought severity. Future projections show that meteorological and agricultural droughts, particularly in elevation zones below 3000 m, which cover 79.4 % of agricultural land, will become more severe and prolonged, threatening agricultural productivity. Climate change and glacier retreat are expected to increase hydrological droughts' severity and duration. These findings enhance understanding of drought evolution and highlight the urgent need for drought planning and management to protect socioeconomic development in the Central Himalaya.

The Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP) and the Arctic are prime examples of permafrost distribution in high-altitude and high-latitude regions. A nuanced understanding of soil thermal conductivity (STC) and the various influencing factors is essential for improving the accuracy of permafrost simulation models in these areas. Nevertheless, no comparative analysis of STC between these two regions has been conducted. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the characteristics and influencing factors of STC at varying depths within the active layer (5 to 60 cm) during freezing and thawing periods in the QTP and the Arctic, using the regional-scale STC data products simulated through the XGBoost method. The findings indicate the following: (1) the mean STC of permafrost in the QTP is higher than that in the Arctic permafrost region. The STC in the QTP demonstrates a declining trend over time, while the Arctic permafrost maintains relative stability. The mean STC values in the QTP permafrost region during the thawing period are significantly higher than those during the freezing period. (2) STC of the QTP exhibits a fluctuating pattern at different depths, in contrast, the average STC value in the Arctic increases steadily with depth, with an increase rate of approximately 0.005 Wm-1 K-1/cm. (3) The analysis of influencing factors revealed that although moisture content, bulk density, and porosity are the primary drivers of regional variations in STC between the QTP and the Arctic permafrost, moisture elements in the QTP region have a greater influence on STC and the effect is stronger with increasing depth and during the freeze-thaw cycles. Conversely, soil saturation, bulk density, and porosity in the Arctic have significant impacts. This study constitutes the first systematic comparative analysis of STC characteristics.

Global climate change exerts profound effects on snow cover, with consequential impacts on microbial activities and the stability of soil organic carbon (SOC) within aggregates. Northern peatlands are significant carbon reservoirs, playing a critical role in mitigating climate change. However, the effects of snow variations on microbial-mediated SOC stability within aggregates in peatlands remain inadequately understood. Here, an in-situ field experiment manipulating snow conditions (i.e., snow removal and snow cover) was conducted to investigate how snow variations affect soil microbial community and the associated SOC stability within soil aggregates (> 2, 0.25-2, and < 0.25 mm) in a peatland of Northeast China. The results showed that snow removal significantly increased the SOC content and stability within aggregates. Compared to the soils with snow cover, snow removal resulted in decreased soil average temperatures in the topsoil (0-30 cm depth) and subsoil (30-60 cm depth) (by 1.48 and 1.34 degrees C, respectively) and increased freeze-thaw cycles (by 11 cycles), consequently decreasing the stability of aggregates in the topsoil and subsoil (by 23.68% and 6.85%, respectively). Furthermore, more recalcitrant carbon and enhanced SOC stability were present in microaggregates (< 0.25 mm) at two soil depths. Moreover, reductions in bacterial diversity and network stability were observed in response to snow removal. Structural equation modeling analysis demonstrated that snow removal indirectly promoted (P < 0.01) SOC stability by regulating carbon to nitrogen (C:N) ratio within aggregates. Overall, our study suggested that microaggregate protection and an appropriate C:N ratio enhanced carbon sequestration in response to climate change.