Transform high seas management to build climate resilience in marine seafood supply

Climate change is projected to redistribute fisheries resources, resulting in tropical regions suffering decreases in seafood production. While sustainably managing marine ecosystems contributes to building climate resilience, these solutions require transformation of ocean governance. Recent studies and international initiatives suggest that conserving high seas biodiversity and fish stocks will have ecological and economic benefits; however, implications for seafood security under climate change have not been examined. Here, we apply global‐scale mechanistic species distribution models to 30 major straddling fish stocks to show that transforming high seas fisheries governance could increase resilience to climate change impacts. By closing the high seas to fishing or cooperatively managing its fisheries, we project that catches in exclusive economic zones (EEZs) would likely increase by around 10% by 2050 relative to 2000 under climate change (representative concentration pathway 4.5 and 8.5), compensating for the expected losses (around ?6%) from ‘business‐as‐usual’. Specifically, high seas closure increases the resilience of fish stocks, as indicated by a mean species abundance index, by 30% in EEZs. We suggest that improving high seas fisheries governance would increase the resilience of coastal countries to climate change.     

Adaptation of endemic mediterranean Sternbergia candida Mathew Et T. Baytop in the continental climate of central anatolia

Sternbergia candida is an important endemic bulbous plant with beautiful white flowers. It grows on the rock slopes of Baba mountains under Lebanon Cedars in the Mugla province of Turkey with Mediterranean climate. The plant is vulnerable and endangered due to illegal collection for local and foreign flower industry. Fast developing tourism industry and rapid urbanization has also shown negative implications on its population. The study reports three years successful adaptation results of S. candida in the continental climate of Ankara in the Central Anatolia. Four groups of bulbs based on diameter (>2.45, 2.15–2.44, 1.85–2.14 and <1.84 cm) were collected from its natural habitat during March, April and May 1998 and were evaluated for frequency (%) of emergence, mean number of leaves per plant, mean plant height, frequency (%) of flowering, frequency (%) of fruit setting. mean number of bulbs per plant, and mean diameter (cm) of regenerated bulbs. All categories of bulbs could be multiplied and adapted successfully with variable frequency of fruit setting. However, the highest fruit set was recorded from 2.15–2.44 cm April collected bulbs. This indicated that the bulb diameter and collection time had clear implications on multiplication, propagation and adaptation of the plant.     

Climate impacts on palm oil yields in the Nigerian Niger Delta

Palm oil production has increased in recent decades and is estimated to increase further globally. The optimal role of palm oil production, however, is controversial because of conflicts with other important land uses and ecosystem services. Local conditions and climate change affect resource competition and the desirability of palm oil production in the Niger Delta, Nigeria.The objectives of this study are to (1) establish a better understanding of the existing yield potentials of oil palm areas that could be used for integrated assessment models, (2) quantify for the first time uncertainties in yield potentials arising from the use of climate output data from different Global Circulation Models (GCM’s) with varied West African Monsoon (WAM) system representations forced to the same Regional Climate Models (RCM’s). We use the biophysical simulation model APSIM (Agricultural Production Systems Simulator) to simulate spatially variable impacts of climate change on oil palm yield over the Nigerian Niger Delta. Our results show that the impact of climate change on oil palm yield is considerable across our study region. The yield differences between the IPCC RCPs were small. The net impact of climate change on oil palm is positive and is dynamically inconsistent. There is no significant change in the simulated yield arising from the differences in the forcing’s data. We found the most effective strategy for oil palm yield optimization under climate change to be shifting of sowing dates and introduction of irrigation.     

Rice reproductive growth duration increased despite of negative impacts of climate warming across China during 1981–2009

Changes in rice phenology during 1981–2009 were investigated using observed phenological data from hundreds of agro-meteorological stations across China. Spatiotemporal changes of rice phenology across China, as well as the relations to temperature, day length and cultivars shifts were analyzed and presented. We found that major rice phenological dates generally advanced while rice growing period changed diversely for different rice cultivation systems in different agro-ecological zones. Length of vegetative growth period (VGP) increased at 59 (67.0%) stations for single-rice, however, decreased at 36 (54.5%) and 35 (51.5%) stations for early-rice, and late-rice, respectively. Length of reproductive growth period (RGP) increased at 71 (70.3%) and 49 (55.7%) stations for single-rice and early-rice, respectively, however, decreased at 46 (54.8%) stations for late-rice. The changes were ascribed to the combined effects of changes in temperature, photoperiod and cultivar thermal characteristics. Increase in temperature had negative impacts on the lengths of VGP and RGP. Day length slightly counterbalanced the roles of temperature in affecting the duration of VGP. Furthermore, we found that during 1981–2009 cultivars with longer growth duration of VGP were adopted for single-rice, but cultivars with shorter growth duration of VGP were adopted for early-rice and late-rice. Cultivars with longer growth durations of RGP were adopted for single-rice and early-rice, as well as late-rice at the middle and lower reaches of Yangtze River. However, in the southwestern China and southern China, cultivars with shorter or almost same growth duration of RGP were adopted for late rice.     

Impacts of climate change on irrigated potato production in a humid climate

The impacts of climate change on the irrigation water requirements and yield of potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.) grown in England have been assessed, by combining the downscaled outputs from an ensemble of general circulation models (GCM) with a potato crop growth model. The SUBSTOR-Potato model (embedded within the DSSAT program) was used to simulate the baseline and future irrigation needs (mm) and yield (t ha⁻¹) for selected emissions scenario (SRES A1FI and B1) for the 2050s, including CO₂ fertilisation effects. The simulated baseline yields were validated against independent experimental and field data using four reference sites. Probabilistic distribution functions and histograms were derived to assess GCM modelling uncertainty on future irrigation needs. Assuming crop husbandry factors are unchanged, farm yields would show only marginal increases (3-6%) due to climate change owing to limitations in nitrogen availability. In contrast, future potential yields, without restrictions in water or fertiliser, are expected to increase by 13-16%. Future average irrigation needs, assuming unconstrained water availability, are predicted to increase by 14-30%, depending on emissions scenario. The present ‘design’ capacity for irrigation infrastructure would fail to meet future peak irrigation needs in nearly 50% of years. Adaptation options for growers to cope with these impacts are discussed.     

Molecular characterization of avian polyomavirus isolated from psittacine birds based on the whole genome sequence analysis

Seven avian polyomaviruses (APVs) were isolated from seven psittacine birds of four species. Their whole genome sequences were genetically analyzed. Comparing with the sequence of BFDV1 strain, nucleotide substitutions in the sequences of seven APV isolates were found at 63 loci and a high level of conservation of amino acid sequence in each viral protein (VP1, VP2, VP3, VP4, and t/T antigen) was predicted. An A-to-T nucleotide substitution was observed in non-control region of all seven APV sequences in comparison with BFDV1 strain. Two C-to-T nucleotide substitutions were also detected in non-coding regions of one isolate. A phylogenetic analysis of the whole genome sequences indicated that the sequences from the same species of bird were closely related. APV has been reported to have distinct tropism for cell cultures of various avian species. The present study indicated that a single amino acid substitution at position 221 in VP2 was essential for propagating in chicken embryonic fibroblast culture and this substitution was promoted by propagation on budgerigar embryonic fibroblast culture. For two isolates, three serial amino acids appeared to be deleted in VP4. However, this deletion had little effect on virus propagation.     

羊茅属8种牧草在"黑土型"退化草地上的适应性表现

在青海省达日县和玛沁县“黑土型”退化草地上引种的羊茅属8种牧草中有4个可安全越冬,抗寒性强,适应性随栽培年限延长而提高。其中,中华羊茅第2年开始生长发育即达完整,第2、第3年单位面积草产量接近1000g／m^2,种子产量高。下繁草毛稃羊茅、西北羊茅和紫羊茅（同德）第2年生殖枝占20％～35％,生殖生长不整齐,第3年开始产量大幅度增加,适应性增强。越冬良好的4种牧草对“黑土型”退化草地的适应性较强。     

Water use and water use efficiency of cool season grain legumes in low rainfall Mediterranean-type environments

The water use (E_t) and water use efficiency (WUE) of a range of cool season grain legume species (field pea [Pisum sativum L.], faba bean [Vicia faba L.], chickpea [Cicer arietinum L.], lentil [Lens culinaris Med.], albus lupin [Lupinus albus L.], dwarf chickling [Lathyrus cicera L.], ochrus chickling [Lathyrus ochrus L.], grass pea [Lathyrus sativus L.], narbon bean [Vicia narbonensis L.], common vetch [Vicia sativa L.], and purple vetch [Vicia benghalensis L.]) were examined on fine textured neutral to alkaline soils in the low to medium rainfall Mediterranean-type environments in south-western Australia at Merredin and Mullewa in two seasons. There was no difference in the total E_t between grain legumes at either site in either year. There was also no variation in soil water extraction between species on the shallow sandy loam soil at Merredin. However, C. arietinum, L. sativus and L. cicera had greater water extraction and P. sativum the least water extraction at Mullewa where soil conditions were less hostile and root penetration was not restricted. The pattern of water use varied markedly between the grain legume species examined. Grain yield was positively correlated with post-flowering water use (E_tpa) in both erect (r=0.59) and prostrate (r=0.54) grain legume species. Water use efficiencies for dry matter production (WUE_dm) of up to 30 kg ha⁻¹ mm⁻¹ for V. faba and V. narbonensis at Merredin, and water use efficiencies for grain yield (WUE_gr) of up to 16 kg ha⁻¹ mm⁻¹ for P. sativum and 13 kg ha⁻¹ mm⁻¹ for V. faba at Mullewa, were comparable to those reported for cereals and other grain legumes in previous studies in this and other environments. Potential transpiration efficiencies (TE) of 15 kg ha⁻¹ mm⁻¹ together with soil evaporation (E_s) values of 100–125 mm were estimated in this and associated studies, and can be used as benchmark values to assess the yield potential of cool season grain legume crops in low rainfall Mediterranean-type environments. The major traits of adaptation for grain legume species producing large yields in this short season environment are early flowering, and pod and seed set before the onset of terminal drought. Early phenology together with rapid ground cover and dry matter production allows greater water use in the post flowering period. This leads to greater partitioning of dry matter into seed, which is reflected in greater harvest index (HI) and WUE_gr, as was observed for V. faba and P. sativum. Improvement in the adaptation of other grain legume species to short season Mediterranean-type environments requires increased early growth for rapid ground cover and improved tolerance to low temperatures (especially for C. arietinum) during flowering and podding.     

Adaptations to overwintering in the earthworm Dendrobaena octaedra: Genetic differences in glucose mobilisation and freeze tolerance

Geographic variation in freeze tolerance, glycogen storage and freeze-induced glucose mobilisation was investigated in the earthworm Dendrobaena octaedra. Specimens from 15 populations collected in Canada, Greenland and Europe were reared in the laboratory in a common-garden experiment to test whether glucose and glycogen concentrations correlated with genetic variation in freeze tolerance among the populations. Populations from Canada, Sweden, Poland and Finland did not differ much in their freeze tolerance and were able to tolerate freezing for 18 d down to at least −14 °C (lowest temperature tested). Specimens collected in a relatively warm climate (Denmark) were the least freeze tolerant, and also had the lowest concentrations of glucose when frozen at −2 °C. However, there was no clear evidence that glucose concentration is a determinant in the degree of freeze tolerance of D. octaedra when considering the whole assemblage of populations. The role of phylogenetic inertia was tested by looking for serial independence and no influence of phylogeny was detected in our findings allowing us to exclude the possibility that phylogenetic relatedness between populations is a major evolutionary factor explaining the observed differences for freeze tolerance and related traits. The size of the glycogen reserve was significantly correlated with the ability to tolerate freezing. Large glycogen reserves may be advantageous in very cold regions in order to maximise cryoprotectant production and/or as a source of energy for the anaerobic metabolism occurring during prolonged freezing.