Model Computations of the Impact of Climatic Change on the Windthrow Risk of Trees

The more humid, warmer weather pattern predicted for the future is expected to increase the windthrow risk of trees through reduced tree anchorage due to a decrease in soil freezing between late autumn and early spring, i.e during the most windy months of the year. In this context, the present study aimed at calculating how a potential increase of up to 4°C in mean annual temperature might modify the duration of soil frost and the depth of frozen soil in forests and consequently increase the risk of windthrow. The risk was evaluated by combining the simulated critical windspeeds needed to uproot Scots pines (Pinus sylvestris L.) under unfrozen soil conditions with the possible change in the frequency of these winds during the unfrozen period. The evaluation of the impacts of elevated temperature on the frequency of these winds at times of unfrozen and frozen soil conditions was based on monthly wind speed statistics for the years 1961–1990 (Meteorological Yearbooks of Finland, 1961–1990). Frost simulations in a Scots pine stand growing on a moraine sandy soil (height 20 m, stand density 800 stems ha–1) showed that the duration of soil frost will decrease from 4–5 months to 2–3 months per year in southern Finland and from 5–6 months to 4–5 months in northern Finland given a temperature elevation of 4°C. In addition, it could decrease substantially more in the deeper soil layers (40–60 cm) than near the surface (0–20 cm), particularly in southern Finland. Consequently, tree anchorage may lose much of the additional support gained at present from the frozen soil in winter, making Scots pines more liable to windthrow during winter and spring storms. Critical wind-speed simulations showed mean winds of 11–15 m s–1 to be enough to uproot Scots pines under unfrozen soil conditions, i.e. especially slender trees with a high height to breast height diameter ratio (taper of 1:120 and 1:100). In the future, as many as 80% of these mean winds of 11–15 m s–1 would occur during months when the soil is unfrozen in southern Finland, whereas the corresponding proportion at present is about 55%. In northern Finland, the percentage is 40% today and is expected to be 50% in the future. Thus, as the strongest winds usually occur between late autumn and early spring, climate change could increase the loss of standing timber through windthrow, especially in southern Finland.     

Permafrost Thaw Accelerates in Boreal Peatlands During Late-20th Century Climate Warming

Permafrost covers 25% of the land surface in the northern hemisphere, where mean annual ground temperature is less than 0°C. A 1.4–5.8 °C warming by 2100 will likely change the sign of mean annual air and ground temperatures over much of the zones of sporadic and discontinuous permafrost in the northern hemisphere, causing widespread permafrost thaw. In this study, I examined rates of discontinuous permafrost thaw in the boreal peatlands of northern Manitoba, Canada, using a combination of tree-ring analyses to document thaw rates from 1941–1991 and direct measurements of permanent benchmarks established in 1995 and resurveyed in 2002. I used instrumented records of mean annual and seasonal air temperatures, mean winter snow depth, and duration of continuous snow pack from climate stations across northern Manitoba to analyze temporal and spatial trends in these variables and their potential impacts on thaw. Permafrost thaw in central Canadian peatlands has accelerated significantly since 1950, concurrent with a significant, late-20th-century average climate warming of +1.32 °C in this region. There were strong seasonal differences in warming in northern Manitoba, with highest rates of warming during winter (+1.39 °C to +1.66 °C) and spring (+0.56 °C to +0.78 °C) at southern climate stations where permafrost thaw was most rapid. Projecting current warming trends to year 2100, I show that trends for north-central Canada are in good agreement with general circulation models, which suggest a 4–8 °C warming at high latitudes. This magnitude of warming will begin to eliminate most of the present range of sporadic and discontinuous permafrost in central Canada by 2100.     

Impacts of climate change on primary production and carbon sequestration of boreal Norway spruce forests: Finland as a model

The aim of this study was to estimate the potential impacts of climate change on the spatial patterns of primary production and net carbon sequestration in relation to water availability in Norway spruce (Picea abies) dominated forests throughout Finland (N 60°–N 70°). The Finnish climatic scenarios (FINADAPT) based on the A2 emission scenario were used. According to the results, the changing climate increases the ratio of evapotranspiration to precipitation in southern Finland, while it slightly decreases the ratio in northern Finland, with regionally lower and higher soil water content in the south and north respectively. During the early simulation period of 2000–2030, the primary production and net carbon sequestration are higher under the changing climate in southern Finland, due to a moderate increase in temperature and atmospheric CO₂. However, further elevated temperature and soil water stress reduces the primary production and net carbon sequestration from the middle period of 2030–2060 to the final period of 2060–2099, especially in the southernmost region. The opposite occurs in northern Finland, where the changing climate increases the primary production and net carbon sequestration over the 100-year simulation period due to higher water availability. The net carbon sequestration is probably further reduced by the stimulated ecosystem respiration (under climate warming) in southern Finland. The higher carbon loss of the ecosystem respiration probably also offset the increased primary production, resulting in the net carbon sequestration being less sensitive to the changing climate in northern Finland. Our findings suggest that future forest management should carefully consider the region-specific conditions of sites and adaptive practices to climate change for maintained or enhanced forest production and carbon sequestration.     

Effects of climate change on coastal fresh groundwater resources

This study evaluates the impacts of climate change on fresh groundwater resources specifically salinity intrusion in water resources stressed coastal aquifers. Our assessment used the Hadley Centre climate model, HadCM3 with high and low emission scenarios (SRES A2 and B2) for years 2000–2099. In both scenarios, the annual fresh groundwater resources losses indicate an increasing long-term trend in all stressed areas, except in the northern Africa/Sahara region. We also found that precipitation and temperature individually did not show good correlations with fresh groundwater loss. However, the relationship between the aridity index and fresh groundwater loss exhibited a strong negative correlation. We also discuss the impacts of loss of fresh groundwater resources on socio-economic activities, mainly population growth and per capita fresh groundwater resources.     

山西最大冻土深度时空分布特征

基于山西68个气象观测站1960—2018年月最大冻土深度资料,应用EOF和小波分析等方法,研究山西年最大冻土深度的时空分布特征。结果表明：(1)1960—2018年山西68站平均年最大冻土深度平均值为71 cm,极端最大值为192 cm,极端最小值为7 cm。近59 a山西68站平均年最大冻土深度呈显著减小趋势,气候倾向率为-1.394 cm·(10 a)^-1,且在1986年发生一次显著的气候突变。(2)山西68站平均年最大冻土深度存在准4 a周期。(3)山西年最大冻土深度空间分布整体上南浅北深、东浅西深。(4)山西年最大冻土深度EOF分解前2个模态的累积方差贡献率达58.4%,第1模态空间型为全省一致型,第2模态空间型为南北反向型。     

Climate change and future populations at risk of malaria

Global estimates of the potential impact of climate change on malaria transmission were calculated based on future climate scenarios produced by the HadCM2 and the more recent HadCM3 global climate models developed by the UK Hadley Centre. This assessment uses an improved version of the MIASMA malaria model, which incorporates knowledge about the current distributions and characteristics of the main mosquito species of malaria.The greatest proportional changes in potential transmission are forecast to occur in temperate zones, in areas where vectors are present but it is currently too cold for transmission. Within the current vector distribution limits, only a limited expansion of areas suitable for malaria transmission is forecast, such areas include: central Asia, North America and northern Europe. On a global level, the numbers of additional people at risk of malaria in 2080 due to climate change is estimated to be 300 and 150 million for P. falciparum and P. vivax types of malaria, respectively, under the HadCM3 climate change scenario. Under the HadCM2 ensemble projections, estimates of additional people at risk in 2080 range from 260 to 320 million for P. falciparum and from 100 to 200 million for P. vivax. Climate change will have an important impact on the length of the transmission season in many areas, and this has implications for the burden of disease. Possible decreases in rainfall indicate some areas that currently experience year-round transmission may experience only seasonal transmission in the future. Estimates of future populations at risk of malaria differ significantly between regions and between climate scenarios.     

Changes in Soybean Yields in the Midwestern United States as a Result of Future Changes in Climate, Climate Variability, and CO2 Fertilization

This modeling study addresses the potential impacts of climate change and changing climate variability due to increased atmospheric CO₂ concentration on soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merrill) yields in theMidwestern Great Lakes Region. Nine representative farm locations and six future climate scenarios were analyzed using the crop growth model SOYGRO. Under the future climate scenarios earlierplanting dates produced soybean yield increases of up to 120% above current levels in the central and northern areas of the study region. In the southern areas, comparatively small increases (0.1 to 20%) and small decreases (–0.1 to–25%) in yield are found. The decreases in yield occurred under the Hadley Center greenhouse gas run (HadCM2-GHG), representing a greater warming, and the doubled climate variability scenario – a more extreme and variableclimate. Optimum planting dates become later in the southern regions. CO₂fertilization effects (555 ppmv) are found to be significant for soybean, increasing yields around 20% under future climate scenarios.For the study region as a whole the climate changes modeled in this research would have an overall beneficial effect, with mean soybean yield increases of 40% over current levels.     

Future Climate Impact on the Productivity of Sugar Beet (Beta vulgaris L.) in Europe

The impact of future climate change on sugar beet yields is assessed over western Europe using future (2021–2050) climate scenario data from a General Circulation Model (GCM) and the Broom's Barn simulation model of rain-fed crop growth and yield. GCM output for the 1961–1990 period is first compared with observed climate data and shown to be reliable for regions west of 24° E. Comparisons east of this meridian were less reliable with this GCM (HadCM2) and so were omitted from simulations of crop yield. Climate change is expected to bring yield increases of around 1 t/ha of sugar in northern Europe with decreases of a similar magnitude in northern France, Belgium and west/central Poland, for the period 2021–2050. Averaged for the study area (weighted by current regional production), yields show no overall change due to changed climate. However, this figure masks significant increases in yield potential (due to accelerated growth in warmer springs) and in losses due to drought stress. Drought losses are predicted to approximately double in areas with an existing problem and to become a serious new problem in NE France and Belgium. Overall west and central Europe simulated average drought losses rise from 7% (1961–1990) to 18% (2021–2050). The annual variability of yield (as measured by the coefficient of variation) will increase by half, from 10% to 15% compared to 1961–1990, again with potentially serious consequences for the sugar industry. The importance of crop breeding for drought tolerance is further emphasised. These changes are independent of the 9% yield increase which we estimate, on the basis of work by Demmers-Derks et al. (1998), is the likely direct effect of the increase in atmospheric CO₂ concentration by 2021–2050.     

未来我国极端温度事件变化情景分析

基于Hadley气候预测与研究中心的区域气候模式系统PRECIS（Providing REgional Climates for Impacts Studies）单向嵌套该中心全球海-气耦合气候模式HadCM3高分辨率的大气部分HadAM3P, 检验PRECIS对我国气候基准时段（1961—1990年）极端温度事件的模拟能力, 分析IPCCSRES（Special Reporton Emission Scenarios）B2情景下未来2071—2100年相对于气候基准时段我国极端温度事件的变化响应。与观测资料的对比分析表明:PRECIS能够较好地模拟我国气候基准时段极端温度事件的局地分布特征。IPCC SRESB2情景下, 预估未来2071—2100年我国大部分地区高温日数出现频率均比气候基准时段高5倍以上; 霜冻日数将呈减少趋势, 我国南方地区的减少趋势大于北方地区; 暖期持续指数整体将呈增加趋势, 我国东北地区、西北地区中西部、华北地区和东南沿海地区增加显著; 冷期持续指数整体将呈减少趋势, 且东北地区、华北地区、西北地区及内蒙古、青藏高原大部地区的减少幅度将达到90%以上。     

Computations on the influence of changing climate on the soil moisture and productivity in scots pine stands in southern and northern Finland

A model computation on the evaporative demand in relation to precipitation indicated that, under a changing climate with elevating temperatures, evapotranspiration could exceed the concurrent precipitation during the growing period in southern Finland (61° N), but not in northern Finland (66° N). This could reduce the supply of soil water to enable tree growth on sites with soil of low water holding capacity. This in turn could reduce the productivity of Scots pine more in southern Finland than in northern Finland. In northern Finland, the reduction in growth due to a limited supply of water was partly compensated by the enhanced growth due to a rise in temperature outside dry periods.     

北京地区冻土时空分布特征

基于1981—2021年北京地区6个气象站的逐日最大冻土深度、平均气温、平均地表温度及5、10、15、20、40、80 cm地温等资料，分析了近40年北京地区最大冻土深度的时空分布特征及其与气温和地温的关系。结果表明：北京地区最大冻土深度总体呈变浅趋势，气候倾向率为-2.3 cm/10 a，各站点最大冻土深度变浅趋势从西到东呈逐渐减弱趋势。北京地区最大冻土深度与40、80 cm地温相关性最好，与地表温度相关性较差。选取2021至2022年北京地区冻土对比试验数据，评估测温式冻土自动观测仪观测精度，发现仪器安装至少一个冻融周期后与冻土人工观测吻合度更好，测温式冻土自动观测仪的观测精度与仪器安装位置的地下岩层、土质分布密切相关，需要在仪器稳定运行后根据当地实际优化算法和冻融阈值。     

Model computations on the effect of rising temperature on soil moisture and water availability in forest ecosystems dominated by scots pine in the boreal zone in Finland

Based on model calculations, the moisture of soil for sites with and without a cover of trees under the current and rising temperature was studied assuming a 5 °C increase in annual mean temperature over a period of 100 years. The calculation for southern Finland (61°N) showed that the soil moisture under elevated temperature could be reduced compared to that under current temperature conditions. This was also true for northern Finland (66°N), but there the reduction in soil moisture was less substantial. In particular, when trees were present, the soil moisture during the growing season was reduced due to enhanced evapotranspiration. In the presence of trees, the moisture content of the surface soil was only half that under the current temperature. In these conditions, reduced accumulation of snow and a thin humus layer allowed the soil to freeze to deep layers, thereby causing further reduction in soil moisture due to poor transfer of water deeper in the soil.     

1985—2020年呼伦贝尔市冻土气候变化特征

利用1985—2021年呼伦贝尔市15个国家气象站各层地温、第一冻土层下限、最大冻土深度资料,研究呼伦贝尔市冻土气候演变特征,同时采用重标极差（R/S）和非周期循环分析,统计最大冻土深度等气象要素时间序列的Hurst指数、分维数和非周期循环的平均循环长度,分析最大冻土深度等气象要素变化趋势和记忆周期。研究表明：（1）0cm地温、40cm平均地温、80cm平均地温都呈现出增大趋势,且0cm地温增大趋势最显著,特别是0cm地温最小值增大更加明显。（2）冻结持续日数呈缓慢减小趋势,其中中部偏北海拔超过600 m山区持续时间最长,西南部和东南部地区持续时间最短。（3）7月中旬冻土在北部地区开始,9月开始到10月下旬向西南和东南地区扩展,次年5月上旬至6月下旬自西南和东南地区向北部地区开始消失。（4）最大冻土深度呈现逐年减小趋势,突变年份出现在1988年,最大冻土深度在7－9月最浅,次年2－4月最深,10月－次年1月是最大冻土深度不断加深的过程,5－6月是最大冻土深度显著减小的时段,其中最大冻土深度最大值出现在西部偏南地区。（5）R/S和非周期循环分析表明,冻结持续日数和最大冻土深度未来减小趋势仍将持续,持续时间分别为10 a和8 a;0cm地温、40cm平均地温、80cm平均地温未来增大趋势仍将持续,持续时间都为12 a。     

Climate Change and People-Caused Forest Fire Occurrence in Ontario

Climate change that results from increasing levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere has the potential to increase temperature and alter rainfall patterns across the boreal forest region of Canada. Daily output from the Canadian Climate Centre coupled general circulation model (GCM) and the Hadley Centre's HadCM3 GCM provided simulated historic climate data and future climate scenarios for the forested area of the province of Ontario, Canada. These models project that in climates of increased greenhouse gases and aerosols, surface air temperatures will increase while seasonal precipitation amounts will remain relatively constant or increase slightly during the forest fire season. These projected changes in weather conditions are used to predict changes in the moisture content of forest fuel, which influences the incidence of people-caused forest fires. Poisson regression analysis methods are used to develop predictive models for the daily number of fires occurring in each of the ecoregions across the forest fire management region of Ontario. This people-caused fire prediction model, combined with GCM data, predicts the total number of people-caused fires in Ontario could increase by approximately 18% by 2020–2040 and50% by the end of the 21st century.     

Modelling geomorphic response to climatic change

This paper develops a three-step thaw model to assess the impact of predicted warming on an ice-rich polar desert landscape in the Canadian high Arctic. Air temperatures are established for two climate scenarios, showing mean annual increases of 4.9 and 6.5°C. This leads to a lengthening of the summer thaw season by up to 26 days and increased thaw depths of 12–70 cm, depending on the thermal properties of the soil. Subsidence of the ground surface is the primary landscape response to warming and is shown to be a function of the amount and type of ground ice in various cryostratigraphic units. In areas of pore ice and thin ice lenses with a low density of ice wedges, subsidence may be as much as 32 cm. In areas with a high density of ice wedges, subsidence will be slightly higher at 34 cm. Where massive ice is present, subsidence will be greater than 1 m. Landscape response to new climate conditions can take up to 15 years, and may be as long as 50 years in certain cases.     

喀什地区1961—201O年最大冻土深度变化

利用1961—2010年喀什地区所属喀什市、莎车县、巴楚县、塔什库尔干县等4个代表性站50a的年最大冻土深度、冬季平均气温、极端最低气温、极端最低地温等资料,采用气候趋势系数和气候倾向率方法,对1961年以来喀什地区最大冻土深度变化进行了分析。结果表明,喀什地区平原多年平均最大冻土深度为48．1cm,年际最大值与最小值深度差为82cm,年际变化总体呈明显的减小趋势,其变化倾向率为-3．8cm／10a,年代际变化呈阶梯状逐渐减小,冻土深度减小主要受冬季平均气温升高的影响,气温每升高1℃,冻土深度减小7．75cm;山区多年平均最大冻土深度为148．8cm,年际最大值与最小值深度差为88cm,年际变化总体呈明显的减小趋势,其变化倾向率为-2．5cm／10a。     

Changed thinning regimes may increase carbon stock under climate change: A case study from a Finnish boreal forest

A physiological growth and yield model was applied for assessing the effects of forest management and climate change on the carbon (C) stocks in a forest management unit located in Finland. The aim was to outline an appropriate management strategy with regard to C stock in the ecosystem (C in trees and C in soil) and C in harvested timber. Simulations covered 100 years using three climate scenarios (current climate, ECHAM4 and HadCM2), five thinning regimes (based on current forest management recommendations for Finland) and one unthinned. Simulations were undertaken with ground true stand inventory data (1451 hectares) representing Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris), Norway spruce (Picea abies) and silver birch (Betula pendula) stands. Regardless of the climate scenario, it was found that shifting from current practices to thinning regimes that allowed higher stocking of trees resulted in an increase of up to 11% in C in the forest ecosystem. It also increased the C in the timber yield by up to 14%. Compared to current climatic conditions, the mean increase over the thinning regimes in the total C stock in the forest ecosystem due to the climate change was a maximum of 1%; but the mean increase in total C in timber yield over thinning regimes was a maximum of 12%.     

Climate change impacts on ecosystems and the terrestrial carbon sink: a new assessment

Climate output from the UK Hadley Centre's HadCM2 and HadCM3 experiments for the period 1860 to 2100, with IS92a greenhouse gas forcing, together with predicted patterns of N deposition and increasing CO₂, were input (offline) to the dynamic vegetation model, Hybrid v4.1 (Friend et al., 1997; Friend and White, 1999). This model represents biogeochemical, biophysical and biogeographical processes, coupling the carbon, nitrogen and water cycles on a sub-daily timestep, simulating potential vegetation and transient changes in annual growth and competition between eight generalized plant types in response to climate.Global vegetation carbon was predicted to rise from about 600 to 800 PgC (or to 650 PgC for HadCM3) while the soil carbon pool of about 1100 PgC decreased by about 8%. By the 2080s, climate change caused a partial loss of Amazonian rainforest, C₄ grasslands and temperate forest in areas of southern Europe and eastern USA, but an expansion in the boreal forest area. These changes were accompanied by a decrease in net primary productivity (NPP) of vegetation in many tropical areas, southern Europe and eastern USA (in response to warming and a decrease in rainfall), but an increase in NPP of boreal forests. Global NPP increased from 45 to 50 PgC y⁻¹ in the 1990s to about 65 PgC y⁻¹ in the 2080s (about 58 PgC y⁻¹ for HadCM3). Global net ecosystem productivity (NEP) increased from about 1.3 PgC y⁻¹ in the 1990s to about 3.6 PgC y⁻¹ in the 2030s and then declined to zero by 2100 owing to a loss of carbon from declining forests in the tropics and at warm temperate latitudes — despite strengthening of the carbon sink at northern high latitudes. HadCM3 gave a more erratic temporal evolution of NEP than HadCM2, with a dramatic collapse in NEP in the 2050s.     

Impacts of Present and Future Climate Variability on Agriculture and Forestry in the Temperate Regions: Europe

Agriculture and forestry will be particularly sensitive to changes in mean climate and climate variability in the northern and southern regions of Europe. Agriculture may be positively affected by climate change in the northern areas through the introduction of new crop species and varieties, higher crop production and expansion of suitable areas for crop cultivation. The disadvantages may be determined by an increase in need for plant protection, risk of nutrient leaching and accelerated breakdown of soil organic matter. In the southern areas the benefits of the projected climate change will be limited, while the disadvantages will be predominant. The increased water use efficiency caused by increasing CO₂ will compensate for some of the negative effects of increasing water limitation and extreme weather events, but lower harvestable yields, higher yield variability and reduction in suitable areas of traditional crops are expected for these areas. Forestry in the Mediterranean region may be mainly affected by increases in drought and forest fires. In northern Europe, the increased precipitation is expected to be large enough to compensate for the increased evapotranspiration. On the other hand, however, increased precipitation, cloudiness and rain days and the reduced duration of snow cover and soil frost may negatively affect forest work and timber logging determining lower profitability of forest production and a decrease in recreational possibilities. Adaptation management strategies should be introduced, as effective tools, to reduce the negative impacts of climate change on agricultural and forestry sectors.     

The contribution of snow condition trends to future ground climate

Global climate models predict that terrestrial northern high-latitude snow conditions will change substantially over the twenty-first century. Results from a Community Climate System Model simulation of twentieth and twenty-first (SRES A1B scenario) century climate show increased winter snowfall (+10–40%), altered maximum snow depth (?5 ± 6 cm), and a shortened snow-season (?14 ± 7 days in spring, +20 ± 9 days in autumn). By conducting a series of prescribed snow experiments with the Community Land Model, we isolate how trends in snowfall, snow depth, and snow-season length affect soil temperature trends. Increasing snowfall, by countering the snowpack-shallowing influence of warmer winters and shorter snow seasons, is effectively a soil warming agent, accounting for 10–30% of total soil warming at 1 m depth and ~16% of the simulated twenty-first century decline in near-surface permafrost extent. A shortening snow season enhances soil warming due to increased solar absorption whereas a shallowing snowpack mitigates soil warming due to weaker winter insulation from cold atmospheric air. Snowpack deepening has comparatively less impact due to saturation of snow insulative capacity at deeper snow depths. Snow depth and snow-season length trends tend to be positively related, but their effects on soil temperature are opposing. Consequently, on the century timescale the net change in snow state can either amplify or mitigate soil warming. Snow state changes explain less than 25% of total soil temperature change by 2100. However, for the latter half of twentieth century, snow state variations account for as much as 50–100% of total soil temperature variations.