Identify priority protected areas for biodiversity conservation adapting to future climate and land cover changes

Ecological Indicators, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 170, P. 113068 - 113068

Published: Jan. 1, 2025

Language: Английский

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The 2023 wildfire season in Québec: an overview of extreme conditions, impacts, lessons learned and considerations for the future

bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory), Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: Feb. 22, 2024

Abstract The 2023 wildfire season in Québec set records due to extreme warm and dry conditions, burning 4.5 million hectares indicating persistent escalating impacts associated with climate change. study reviews the unusual weather conditions that led fires, discussing their extensive on forest sector, fire management, boreal caribou habitats, particularly profound effects First Nation communities. wildfires significant declines productivity timber supply, overwhelming management resources, necessitating widespread evacuations. territories were dramatically altered, facing severe air quality issues disruptions. While modest across province, broader ecological, economical, social repercussions considerable. To mitigate future seasons, suggests changes practices increase resilience resistance, adapting industrial structures new supplies, enhancing suppression risk strategies. It calls for a comprehensive, unified approach incorporates lessons from accounts ongoing underscores urgent need detailed planning proactive measures reduce growing risks of changing climate.

Language: Английский

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Dynamic evolution of the ecological footprint of arable land in the Yellow and Huaihai Main grain producing area based on structural equation modeling and analysis of driving factors

Ecological Informatics, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 82, P. 102720 - 102720

Published: July 11, 2024

Arable land is shrinking, and the ecological strain on such growing daily. To ensure its sustainability, uncovering dynamic changes driving forces crucial. We assessed arable footprint (CEF) in Yellow Huaihai main grain-producing areas from 2010 to 2020, employing productive analyses. Additionally, we built a structural equation model for per capita CEF area, incorporating China's economic theory economic-social-ecological system identify influencing factors. Our findings indicate following: (1) area showed fluctuating upward trend during 2010–2020, while carrying capacity of decreased, resulting surplus, except 2017; (2) land's sustainable pressure index increased, signifying low safety grain producing efficiency indicating resource improvements; (3) reveals that output, conditions, socioeconomics, inputs all impact footprints respective order. results offer valuable insights securing national food sustainability preserving land.

Language: Английский

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Effectiveness of population‐based recovery actions for threatened southern mountain caribou

Ecological Applications, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 34(4)

Published: April 17, 2024

Abstract Habitat loss is affecting many species, including the southern mountain caribou ( Rangifer tarandus ) population in western North America. Over last half century, this threatened population's range and abundance have dramatically contracted. An integrated model was used to analyze 51 years (1973–2023) of demographic data from 40 subpopulations assess effectiveness population‐based recovery actions at increasing growth. Reducing potential limiting factors on populations offered a rare opportunity identify causes decline methods recovery. Southern declined by 51% between 1991 2023, 37% were functionally extirpated. Wolf reduction only action that consistently increased growth when applied isolation, combinations wolf reductions with maternal penning or supplemental feeding provided rapid but four subpopulations. As 52%, compared simulation no interventions. When predation pressure reduced, observed, even under contemporary climate change high levels habitat loss. Unless will continue be extirpated well before conservation restoration can become effective.

Language: Английский

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A regional integrated assessment of the impacts of climate change and of the potential adaptation avenues for Quebec's forests

Canadian Journal of Forest Research, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 53(8), P. 556 - 578

Published: March 23, 2023

Regional analyses assessing the vulnerabilities of forest ecosystems and sector to climate change are key considering heterogeneity impacts as well fact that risks, opportunities, adaptation capacities might differ regionally. Here we provide Integrated Assessment on Quebec's forests, a work involved several research teams focused commercial forests potential solutions. Our showed will alter ecological processes within forests. These changes result in important modifications landscapes. Harvest cumulate with effects further future landscapes, which also have consequences wildlife habitats (including woodland caribou habitat), avian biodiversity, carbon budget, variety landscape values for Indigenous peoples. The be crucial mitigate ecosystem goods services improve their resilience. Moving forward, broad range measures, notably through reducing harvest levels, should explored help strike balance among social, ecological, economic values. We conclude without adaptation, strong negative likely affect

Language: Английский

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Local weather interacts with human disturbances to shape the behaviour of boreal caribou across a large climate gradient

Biodiversity and Conservation, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: Jan. 20, 2025

Language: Английский

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Quantifying Missed Opportunities for Cumulative Forest Road Carbon Storage over the Past 50 Years in the Boreal Forest of Eastern Canada

Forests, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 16(4), P. 688 - 688

Published: April 16, 2025

Forest road networks are essential for forest operations but significantly contribute to carbon loss and landscape fragmentation in boreal ecosystems. This study evaluates the potential of reforesting unused roads enhance storage (CS) Quebec’s forests. Four reforestation scenarios were simulated using spatial data from AQréseau+ Ecoforestry Map Quebec, combined with CBM-CFS3 model. These varied site preparation conditions species selection, including use fast-growing local species. Random (RF) models applied analyze influence key variables on CS dynamics, focusing area years harvest. The covered approximately 294,000 km2, temporal dimension was incorporated by estimating construction dates roads. Results show that integrating soil (S1I1) achieved highest potential, up 6.8 million tons (Mt) additional stored over a 40–100 year period medium-category roads, compared 1.15 without intervention (S0I0). findings underscore role enhancing within managed Future work should prioritize segments reforestation, considering ecological benefits, operational feasibility, climate resilience.

Language: Английский

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Research on the Impact of Urban Expansion on Habitat Quality in Chengdu

Sustainability, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 15(7), P. 6271 - 6271

Published: April 6, 2023

Land use changes caused by urban expansion have a significant impact on regional ecological environment and biodiversity. Exploring the of habitat quality can guide future sustainable development path conservation cities. The InVEST model was used to evaluate indices Chengdu in three periods covering 2000, 2010 2020; land intensity quantitatively characterize projection spatial structure then analyze quality; we proposed control zoning strategy. results show that: (1) from 2020, construction grew 140.58%, 5.52 times rate previous decade, as city entered phase rapid development; (2) center gravity moved “back center-eastward” trajectory shifted compact pattern; (3) an important cause decline overall degradation trend, with distribution characterized high eastern western regions low central region; (4) showed negative correlation. study area dominated two clusters: “high intensity–low quality” “low intensity–high quality”. that researchers protect high-quality space cities, improve areas expansion, green future.

Language: Английский

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Assessing the Cumulative Impacts of Forest Management on Forest Age Structure Development and Woodland Caribou Habitat in Boreal Landscapes: A Case Study from Two Canadian Provinces

Land, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 13(1), P. 6 - 6

Published: Dec. 19, 2023

The Canadian boreal forest biome has been subjected to a long history of management for wood production. Here, we examined the cumulative impacts logging on older forests in terms area, distribution and patch configuration managed zones Eastern provinces Ontario Quebec. We also consequences these once widely distributed now threatened species, woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou). area recently logged (since ~1976) was 14,024,619 ha, with 8,210,617 ha Quebec 5,814,002 Ontario. total 21,249,341 11,840,474 9,408,867 Patch statistics revealed that there were 1,085,822 core patches < 0.25 an additional 603,052 1.0 ha. There 52 > 10,00–50,000 8 50,000 Older (critical habitat) 21 local population ranges totalled 6,103,534 among ~387,102 362,933 10 14 median percentage disturbed 53.5%, Charlevoix having maximum (90.3%) Basse Côte-Nord least (34.9%). Woodland suitable habitats >35% are considered unable support self-sustaining populations. found examined, 3 at very high risk (>75% disturbed), 16 (>45 ≤ 75% 2 low (≤35% disturbed). Major changes needed it be ecologically sustainable, including greater emphasis protection restoration forests, lower risks

Language: Английский

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Climate‐informed forecasts reveal dramatic local habitat shifts and population uncertainty for northern boreal caribou

Ecological Applications, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 33(3)

Published: Feb. 8, 2023

Most research on boreal populations of woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) has been conducted in areas high anthropogenic disturbance. However, a large portion the species' range overlaps relatively pristine primarily affected by natural disturbances, such as wildfire. Climate-driven habitat change is key concern for conservation boreal-dependent species, where management decisions have yet to consider knowledge from multiple ecological domains integrated into cohesive and spatially explicit forecast species-specific demography. We used novel forecasting framework provide climate-sensitive projections demography five monitoring within Northwest Territories (NWT), Canada, over 90 years. Importantly, we quantify uncertainty around forecasted mean values. Our results suggest suitability may increase central southwest regions NWT's Taiga Plains ecozone but decrease southern northwestern driven conversion coniferous deciduous forests. do not project that population growth rates will despite changes suitability. emphasize importance efforts protect restore northern climate while highlighting expected spatial variations are important considerations local people who rely them. An ability reproduce previous work, critical thought when incorporating sources uncertainty, be refine forecasts, derive decisions, improve efficacy species at risk.

Language: Английский

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