Research

16 pages, 3523 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Impacts of Extreme Weather Event in Southeast Brazilian Mangrove Forest

by Nádia Lima, Marília Cunha-Lignon, Alécio Martins, Gustavo Armani and Emerson Galvani

Atmosphere 2023, 14(8), 1195; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos14081195 - 25 Jul 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1268

Climate oscillations are becoming more extreme, and mangroves may be more susceptible to changes in physical conditions that can lead to mass diebacks. The current study analysed the impacts of an extreme weather event in the Cananéia-Iguape Coastal System, southeast Brazilian mangroves and [...] Read more.

Climate oscillations are becoming more extreme, and mangroves may be more susceptible to changes in physical conditions that can lead to mass diebacks. The current study analysed the impacts of an extreme weather event in the Cananéia-Iguape Coastal System, southeast Brazilian mangroves and the condition of the area over three years. We used a multiproxy approach, including analyses of climatic attributes, structural vegetation, and vegetation indices. Damage caused by a strong storm and hail damage had a severe impact on mangrove areas. A meteorological station installed in the mangrove since 2008 recorded a maximum wind gust of 58 km·h⁻¹ on 30 May 2019. On the Beaufort scale, this speed is classified as strong wind. After the extreme weather event, there were catastrophic impacts on the mangrove, with more than 90% dead trunks. Vegetation indices were reduced, indicating intense changes. The NDVI of the mangroves was reduced from 0.72 to 0.35. The LAI confirmed this premise, with a reduction from 4.25 to 0.63. After three years, natural recovery had not occurred. Extreme weather events have continued to occur along coasts, drastically altering the landscape. Mangroves have been affected by these events, and depending on the state of health of the forests, may have difficulties in recovery. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forests and Climate Interactions)

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15 pages, 4994 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Meteorological Influences on Short-Term Carbon-Water Relationships in Two Forests in Subtropical China

by Jihua Pan, Jane Liu, Mengmiao Yang and Rong Wang

Atmosphere 2023, 14(3), 457; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos14030457 - 24 Feb 2023

Viewed by 1163

Abstract

Carbon and water fluxes in ecosystems are tightly coupled by gas diffusion through stomata. However, carbon–water (C–W) relationships vary largely across time scales, vegetation types, and regions. Subtropical forests in China play an important role in the global carbon and water cycles, yet [...] Read more.

Carbon and water fluxes in ecosystems are tightly coupled by gas diffusion through stomata. However, carbon–water (C–W) relationships vary largely across time scales, vegetation types, and regions. Subtropical forests in China play an important role in the global carbon and water cycles, yet studies of C–W relationships in this region remain limited. Here, we investigated summer-time C–W relationships in this region at two subtropical sites: the evergreen broadleaved forest at Dinghushan (23.17° N, 112.53° E, 300 m) and the evergreen coniferous forest at Qianyanzhou (26.74° N, 115.06° W, 106 m), using the flux tower data from the FLUXNET2015. The C–W relationship was examined using two measures. The first was daily water use efficiency (WUE), which is the ratio of daily gross primary productivity (GPP) to evapotranspiration (ET). The second was the correlation coefficient (r) of hourly GPP and ET. Our analysis showed that the daily WUE in the two forests ranged over 4–14 mg CO₂ per g H₂O, higher in the coniferous forest than in the broadleaved forest. The mean values of r for hourly C–W coupling were similar at the two forests, being 0.5–0.6, which suggests asynchronous diurnal variations in GPP and ET. Both daily WUE and r were modulated by meteorological conditions. In general, high radiation, air temperature, and humidity can reduce WUE at both sites. For the broadleaved forest, the most influential factor on WUE was VPD, followed by radiation, while in the coniferous forest, VPD, air temperature, and radiation were almost equally important. For hourly C–W coupling, VPD plays a significant role. The drier the air is, the weaker the coupling in the two forests. The daily WUE and hourly C–W coupling reflect the C–W relationship from different perspectives. Both showed the strongest response to VPD but with different sensitivity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forests and Climate Interactions)

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18 pages, 15633 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Scots Pines (Pinus sylvestris) as Sources of Biological Ice-Nucleating Macromolecules (INMs)

by Teresa M. Seifried, Florian Reyzek, Paul Bieber and Hinrich Grothe

Atmosphere 2023, 14(2), 266; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos14020266 - 28 Jan 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1490

Abstract

Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) is the most widespread pine species in the world. It grows in the largest forest system in the northern hemisphere and, together with birch trees, occupies a major part of the boreal forests. Recently, birch trees have [...] Read more.

Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) is the most widespread pine species in the world. It grows in the largest forest system in the northern hemisphere and, together with birch trees, occupies a major part of the boreal forests. Recently, birch trees have been discovered as important emission sources of terrestrial ice-nucleating macromolecules (INMs) coming from pollen, bark, leaves, petioles, branches, and stem surfaces. It is known that pine pollen nucleate ice; however, the potential of other tree parts releasing INMs and contributing to the emission of ice-active aerosols is unknown. Here, we investigated the distribution of INMs in, on, and around Scots pines (Pinus sylvestris) in a laboratory and field study. We collected bark, branch wood, and needle samples from six pine trees in an urban park in Vienna, Austria. The concentration of INMs from aqueous extracts of milled (powder extracts) and intact surfaces (surface extracts) were determined. In addition, we collected rainwater rinsed off from three pines during a rainfall event and analyzed its INM content. All investigated samples contained INMs with freezing onset temperatures ranging from −16 °C to −29 °C. The number concentration of INMs in powder extracts at −25 °C (

n_{I N M s} (- 25 ° C)

) ranged from 10⁵ to 10⁹ per mg dry weight. Surface extracts showed concentrations from 10⁵ to 10⁸ INMs per cm² of extracted surface, with needle samples exhibiting the lowest concentrations. In the rain samples, we found 10⁶ and 10⁷ INMs per cm² of rain-collector area at −25 °C, with freezing onset temperatures similar to those observed in powder and surface extracts. With our data, we estimate that one square meter of pine stand can release about 4.1 × 10⁹ to 4.6 × 10¹² INMs active at −25 °C and higher, revealing pine forests as an extensive reservoir of INMs. Since pines are evergreen and release INMs not only from pollen grains, pines and the boreal forest in general need to be considered as a dominant source of INMs in high latitude and high-altitude locations, where other species are rare and other ice nuclei transported over long distances are diluted. Finally, we propose pine trees as an INM emission source which can trigger immersion freezing events in cloud droplets at moderate supercooled temperatures and therefore may have a significant impact on altering mixed phase clouds. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forests and Climate Interactions)

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19 pages, 5938 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Interactions of Biosphere and Atmosphere within Longleaf Pine Restoration Areas

by Xiongwen Chen and John L. Willis

Atmosphere 2022, 13(10), 1733; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13101733 - 21 Oct 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1236

Abstract

Longleaf pine forests are economically and culturally valued ecosystems in the southeastern United States. Efforts to restore the longleaf pine ecosystem have risen dramatically over the past three decades. Longleaf pine restoration generally involves varying degrees of forest harvesting and frequent applications of [...] Read more.

Longleaf pine forests are economically and culturally valued ecosystems in the southeastern United States. Efforts to restore the longleaf pine ecosystem have risen dramatically over the past three decades. Longleaf pine restoration generally involves varying degrees of forest harvesting and frequent applications of prescribed fire. Thus, it is important to understand their interactions with the atmosphere on a large scale. In this study, we analyzed 14 parameters of aerosols, gasses, and energy from three areas with longleaf pine restoration (named Bladen in eastern NC, Escambia in southern AL and northern FL, and Kisatchie in central LA, USA) from 2000 to 2021 using multiple satellites. Averaged across the areas, the monthly aerosol optical depth at 483.5 nm was about 0.022, and the monthly aerosol single scattering albedo was 0.97. Black carbon column mass density averaged 7.46 × 10⁻⁷ kg cm⁻² across these areas, but Kisatchie had a higher monthly dust column mass density (2.35 × 10⁻⁴ kg cm⁻²) than Bladen or Escambia. The monthly total column ozone and CO concentration averaged about 285 DU and 135 ppbv across the three areas. Monthly SO₂ column mass density was significantly higher in Bladen (4.42 × 10⁻⁶ kg cm⁻²) than in Escambia and Kisatchie. The monthly surface albedo in Escambia (0.116) was significantly lower than in the other areas. The monthly total cloud area fraction averaged about 0.456 across the three areas. Sensible and latent heat net flux and Bowen ratios significantly differed among the three areas. Bowen ratio and total cloud area fraction were not significantly correlated. Net shortwave of the forest surface averaged about 182.62 W m⁻² across the three areas. The monthly net longwave was much lower in Bladen (−90.46 W m⁻²) than in Escambia and Kisatchie. These results provide the baseline information on the spatial and temporal patterns of interactions between longleaf pine forests under restoration and the atmosphere and can be incorporated into models of climate change. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forests and Climate Interactions)

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11 pages, 1465 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Climate Change Mitigation in Forestry: Paying for Carbon Stock or for Sequestration?

by Álvaro Enríquez-de-Salamanca

Atmosphere 2022, 13(10), 1611; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13101611 - 30 Sep 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2080

Abstract

Climate change requires mitigation actions, mainly preventive, by reducing greenhouse gas emissions; however, carbon sequestration is a complementary measure. Although short-term carbon sequestration can be somewhat effective, it is really interesting when it is permanent. Sequestration calculates the carbon removed from the atmosphere [...] Read more.

Climate change requires mitigation actions, mainly preventive, by reducing greenhouse gas emissions; however, carbon sequestration is a complementary measure. Although short-term carbon sequestration can be somewhat effective, it is really interesting when it is permanent. Sequestration calculates the carbon removed from the atmosphere over a period, while the stock expresses the cumulative carbon of a forest. Sequestration and stock are closely related, but ecosystem service valuation often focuses on the former, which can discourage forest maintenance. This study analyzes carbon sequestration and storage in four pine forests located in central Spain, comparing its valuation for different equivalence times, a period considered sufficient to compensate for the emission of one ton of CO₂ into the atmosphere. Equilibrium equivalence times were calculated for each forest, defined as the period in which carbon sequestration and stock payments are equal; values ranged from 33 to 101 years, with significant correlations with commercial volume and carbon stock. Equivalence times of 30–50 years are reasonable in Mediterranean forest stands with moderate growth and density, while in dense mature stands this time should increase to 50–100 years. Valuing carbon stocks and paying for them in a sustained manner over time promotes sustainable forest management, while the sale of sequestration credits may generate a speculative “greenwashing” market. In addition, payments for stocks can be applied to any forest stand and not only to new plantations. Carbon stock valuation is a win–win strategy for climate change mitigation, sustainable forest management, and rural development. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forests and Climate Interactions)

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14 pages, 3524 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Assessment of Organic Carbon Sequestration from Romanian Degraded Soils: Livada Forest Plantation Case Study

by Gicu Valeriu Chiriluș, Elena Simina Lakatos, Ramona Bălc, Alexandru Sabin Bădărău, Lucian Ionel Cioca, Geanina Maria David and Gheorghe Roşian

Atmosphere 2022, 13(9), 1452; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13091452 - 08 Sep 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1515

Abstract

To analyse the capacity of a soil to sequester organic carbon and the impact that deforestation and reforestation can have on its physical and chemical properties, specific laboratory analyses are necessary. According to a standard methodology, a number of 16 samples were taken [...] Read more.

To analyse the capacity of a soil to sequester organic carbon and the impact that deforestation and reforestation can have on its physical and chemical properties, specific laboratory analyses are necessary. According to a standard methodology, a number of 16 samples were taken from two different depths (0–10 cm, 10–20 cm) and from two different areas (degraded area and forest area) to identify if the type of land use and sampling depth are the key factors in changing the obtained values and also to prove the hypothesis according to which forest lands may have a higher carbon sequestration capacity. The highest value of soil organic carbon was identified in the forest area at a depth of 0–10 cm. The organic carbon values relative to the surface indicated a higher average in the forest area with a value of 36.19 t/ha, compared to the degraded area, with a value of 32.07 t/ha which indicated a greater capacity of carbon sequestration in forest lands. The forest lands also indicated the highest water holding capacity, with values of up to 100% at a depth of 0–10 cm. The higher values of organic carbon, its sequestration capacity and water holding capacity values in the forest lands compared to the values obtained on the degraded lands and at the surface of 0–10 cm compared to the depth of 10–20 showed that the type of land use and sampling depth influences the physico-chemical properties of the soil and leads to a visibly greater capacity to sequester carbon. These results match the expected ones and support our hypothesis Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forests and Climate Interactions)

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21 pages, 3350 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Joint Pattern Analysis of Forest Fire and Drought Indicators in Southeast Asia Associated with ENSO and IOD

by Sri Nurdiati, Ardhasena Sopaheluwakan and Pandu Septiawan

Atmosphere 2022, 13(8), 1198; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13081198 - 29 Jul 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1829

Abstract

Land and forest fires in Southeast Asia often coincide with severe dry seasons in the specific region caused by the warm phase of an El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD). This research aims to identify and quantify the ENSO–IOD [...] Read more.

Land and forest fires in Southeast Asia often coincide with severe dry seasons in the specific region caused by the warm phase of an El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD). This research aims to identify and quantify the ENSO–IOD effect on a joint pattern between the dry season and land and forest fires in Southeast Asia. This research provides a quantitative result which represents the ENSO–IOD’s impact in Southeast Asia for hotspots, dry spells, and precipitation anomalies. The methods used in this research are singular value decomposition, probability density skill score, and coherence analysis. Cambodia, Myanmar, and Thailand gave a similar result with less than a 25% increasing severity in the hotspots from normal to either El Niño, positive IOD, or El Niño–positive IOD years. The maximum increase in hotspot severity in North Sumatra was 13.06% and happened during a weak El Niño and positive IOD. Meanwhile, South Sumatra had a maximum accumulation of more than 89% and Kalimantan had more than a 72% increase during the strong El Niño in 2015. Even though the relationship between the ENSO and IOD was inconsistent, the occurrence of both phenomena in the same year can lead to fires and need to be considered. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forests and Climate Interactions)

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13 pages, 1939 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Influence of Local Climate and ENSO on the Growth of Cedrela odorata L. in Suriname

by Michael Köhl, Neda Lotfiomran and Archana Gauli

Atmosphere 2022, 13(7), 1119; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13071119 - 15 Jul 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1812

Abstract

In this study, we used retrospective dendroclimatological analyses to explore whether El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and local precipitation patterns have an influence on tree growth in Suriname, a country located on the Guiana Shield, as annual precipitation patterns on the Guiana Shield [...] Read more.

In this study, we used retrospective dendroclimatological analyses to explore whether El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and local precipitation patterns have an influence on tree growth in Suriname, a country located on the Guiana Shield, as annual precipitation patterns on the Guiana Shield are related to ENSO. Discs were taken from 20 trees of Cedrela odorata, whose stem forms very distinct annual growth rings, for tree ring analyses. The trees grew in unmanaged tropical wet forests of Suriname. The tree-ring series of individual trees started between 1836 and 1931 and extended over a period of 84–180 years. The 20 dated series were utilized for constructing a tree-ring chronology. Unlike many other studies that used local anomalies such as flood pulse, precipitation, and drought events to describe the influence of El Niño on tree growth, we used monthly precipitation and ENSO indices as predictors of tree growth to calculate response and correlation functions. The study observed that tree ring growth of Cedrela odorata is influenced by precipitation in August and June of the current year and in August of the previous year, as well as by the ENSO indices SSTA, TSA, TNA, and NAO. Systematic increases in the strength of the El Niño southern oscillation (ENSO) teleconnection due to climate change could affect the growth of trees on the Guiana Shield. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forests and Climate Interactions)

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