Late Quaternary vegetation and climate dynamics in central-eastern Brazil: insights from a ~35k cal a bp peat record in the Cerrado biome

The late Quaternary evolution of central-eastern Brazil has been under-researched. Questions remain as to the origin of the Cerrado, a highly endangered biome, and other types of vegetation, such as the Capões – small vegetation islands of semi-deciduous and mountain forests. We investigated the factors that influenced the expansion and contraction of the Cerrado and Capões during the late Quaternary (last ~35 ka), using a multi-proxy approach: stable isotopes (δ¹³C, δ¹⁵N), geochemistry, pollen and multivariate statistics derived from a peat core (Pinheiro mire, Serra do Espinhaço Meridional). Five major shifts in precipitation, temperature, vegetation and landscape stability occurred at different timescales. Our study revealed that changes in the South Atlantic Convergence Zone (SACZ) seem to have been coeval with these shifts: from the Late Glacial Maximum to mid-Holocene the SACZ remained near (~29.6 to ~16.5k cal a bp ) and over (~16.5 to ~6.1 k cal a bp ) the study area, providing humidity to the region. This challenges previous research which suggested that climate was drier for this time period. At present, the Capões are likely to be a remnant of a more humid climate; meanwhile, the Cerrado biome seems to have stablished in the late Holocene, after ~3.1 k cal a bp .     

Using low-density discrete Airborne Laser Scanning data to assess the potential carbon dioxide emission in case of a fire event in a Mediterranean pine forest

The aim of study is to map the carbon dioxide (CO₂) emission of the aboveground tree biomass (AGB) in case of a fire event. The suitability of low point density, discrete, multiple-return, Airborne Laser Scanning (ALS) data and the influence of several characteristics of these data and the study area on the results obtained have been evaluated. A sample of 45 circular plots representative of Pinus halepensis Miller stands were used to fit and validate the model of AGB. The ALS point clouds were processed to obtain the independent variables and a multivariate linear regression analysis between field data and ALS-derived variables allowed estimation of AGB. Then, the influence of several characteristics on the residuals of the model was analyzed. Finally, conversion factors were applied to obtain the CO₂ values. The AGB model presented a R² value of 0.84 with a relative root-mean-square error of 27.35%. This model included ALS variables related to vegetation height variability and to canopy density. Terrain slope, aspect, canopy cover, scan angle and the number of laser returns did not influence AGB estimations at plot level.     

Sulla determinazione e sul calcolo dell'umidità dell'aria

Riassunto Premessi alcuni cenni generali sul calcolo e sulla determinazione del-l'umidità, l'A., col metodo dei minimi quadrati, perviene ad una formula in base alla quale, dalla lettura dei due termometri, asciutto e bagnato, si può ricavare direttamente l'umiditá relativa ed il deficit di saturazione senza l'aiuto di alcuna tabella. Procede quindi alla costruzione di due nomogrammi che facilitano notevolmente tali determinazioni.

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Summary After previously stating some general accounts about the calculation and determination of the air-dampness, the Autor, using the least square method, gets to a formula, according to which, by reading the two thermometers, dry and damp the relative dampness and the saturation-deficit can be directly drawn up without the help of any table. Afterwards he gets on constructing two nomograms that make remarkably easy such determinations. *** DIRECT SUPPORT *** A2919023 00003

     

A new dynamical Climatology: Its aim and method

Summary By dynamical climatology is understood here the branch of mathematical meteorology which aims at a deduction of the mean properties of the atmospheric perturbations that are compatible with a given mean field of temperature, wind and pressure. First of all, the fundamental equations of the author's theory of perturbations are recalled and a general equation for the pressure variations at sea level is deduced. From this equation the different elements of dynamical climatology are then derived, for instance the stability of the mean field, the mean trajectories of the perturbations, the frequencies with which they are visited, the regions of deepening and filling or of birth and death of the perturbations, etc. These results explain many observational facts and empirical rules about the mean behaviour of the atmospheric disturbances at sea level throughout the year.

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Zusammenfassung Unter dynamischer Klimatologie wird hier der Zweig der mathematischen Meteorologie verstanden, der auf die Ableitung der mittleren Eigenschaften atmosphärischer Störungen, die mit einem gegebenen mittleren Temperatur-, Wind- und Druckfeld vereinbar sind, abzielt. Zunächst wird an die fundamentalen Gleichungen der Störungstheorie des Verfassers erinnert, um dann die allgemeine Gleichun; der Druckschwankungen auf dem Meeresniveau abzuleiten. Diese Gleichung führt dann zur Bestimmung der verschiedenen Elemente der dynamischen Klimatologie, z. B. zur Bestimmung der Stabilität des mittleren Feldes, der mittleren Trajektorien der Störungen, der Häufigkeit, mit welcher diese durchlaufen werden, der Gebiete der Vertiefung und Auffüllung oder des Entstehens und Verschwindens der Störungen usw.

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Résumé On entend ici par climatologie dynamique la partie de la météorologie mathématique qui a pour but la déduction des propriétés moyennes des perturbations atmosphériques qui sont compatibles avec un champ moyen donné de température, vent et pression. Tout d'abord on rappelle les équations fondamentales de la théorie des perturbations de l'auteur et l'on en déduit une équation générale des variations de la pression au niveau de la mer. Cette équation conduit à la détermination des éléments de la climatologie dynamique, tels que la stabilité du champ moyen, les trajectoires moyennes des perturbations, la fréquence avec laquelle elles sont parcourues, les régions de creusement et de comblement ou de naissance et de disparition des perturbations, etc. Ces résultats expliquent de nombreux faits d'observation et des règles empiriques sur le comportement moyen des perturbations atmosphériques au niveau de la mer pour les différentes époques de l'année.

     

Impact of data model and point density on aboveground forest biomass estimation from airborne LiDAR

Background

Accurate estimation of aboveground forest biomass (AGB) and its dynamics is of paramount importance in understanding the role of forest in the carbon cycle and the effective implementation of climate change mitigation policies. LiDAR is currently the most accurate technology for AGB estimation. LiDAR metrics can be derived from the 3D point cloud (echo-based) or from the canopy height model (CHM). Different sensors and survey configurations can affect the metrics derived from the LiDAR data. We evaluate the ability of the metrics derived from the echo-based and CHM data models to estimate AGB in three different biomes, as well as the impact of point density on the metrics derived from them.

Results

Our results show that differences among metrics derived at different point densities were significantly different from zero, with a larger impact on CHM-based than echo-based metrics, particularly when the point density was reduced to 1 point m^?2. Both data models-echo-based and CHM-performed similarly well in estimating AGB at the three study sites. For the temperate forest in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, California, USA, R² ranged from 0.79 to 0.8 and RMSE (relRMSE) from 69.69 (35.59%) to 70.71 (36.12%) Mg ha^?1 for the echo-based model and from 0.76 to 0.78 and 73.84 (37.72%) to 128.20 (65.49%) Mg ha^?1 for the CHM-based model. For the moist tropical forest on Barro Colorado Island, Panama, the models gave R² ranging between 0.70 and 0.71 and RMSE between 30.08 (12.36%) and 30.32 (12.46) Mg ha^?1 [between 0.69–0.70 and 30.42 (12.50%) and 61.30 (25.19%) Mg ha^?1] for the echo-based [CHM-based] models. Finally, for the Atlantic forest in the Sierra do Mar, Brazil, R² was between 0.58–0.69 and RMSE between 37.73 (8.67%) and 39.77 (9.14%) Mg ha^?1 for the echo-based model, whereas for the CHM R² was between 0.37–0.45 and RMSE between 45.43 (10.44%) and 67.23 (15.45%) Mg ha^?1.

Conclusions

Metrics derived from the CHM show a higher dependence on point density than metrics derived from the echo-based data model. Despite the median of the differences between metrics derived at different point densities differing significantly from zero, the mean change was close to zero and smaller than the standard deviation except for very low point densities (1 point m^?2). The application of calibrated models to estimate AGB on metrics derived from thinned datasets resulted in less than 5% error when metrics were derived from the echo-based model. For CHM-based metrics, the same level of error was obtained for point densities higher than 5 points m^?2. The fact that reducing point density does not introduce significant errors in AGB estimates is important for biomass monitoring and for an effective implementation of climate change mitigation policies such as REDD + due to its implications for the costs of data acquisition. Both data models showed similar capability to estimate AGB when point density was greater than or equal to 5 point m^?2.

     

The influence of elevation on soil properties and forest litter in the Siliceous Moncayo Massif,SW Europe

Understanding the effects of elevation and related factors (climate, vegetation) on the physical and chemical soil properties can help to predict changes in response to future climate or afforestation forcings. This work aims to contribute to the knowledge of soil evolution and the classification of forest soils in relation to elevation in the montane stage, with special attention to podzolization and humus forms. The northern flank of the Moncayo Massif (Iberian Range, SW Europe) provides a unique opportunity to study a forest soils catena within a consistent quartzitic parent material over a relatively steep elevation gradient. With increasing elevation, pH, base saturation, exchangeable potassium, and fine silt-sized particles decrease significantly, while organic matter, the C/N ratio, soil aggregate stability, water repellency and coarse sand-sized particles increase significantly. The soil profiles shared a set of properties in all horizons: loamy-skeletal particle-size, extreme acidity (pH-H₂O<5.6) and low base saturation (<50%). The most prevalent soil forming processes in the catena include topsoil organic matter accumulation and even podzolization, which increases with elevation. From the upper to lower landscape positions of wooded montane stage of the Moncayo Massif, mull-moder-mor humus and an Umbrisol-Cambisol-Podzol soil unit sequences were found.     

Dynamical supersymmetric inflation

We propose a new class of inflationary models in which the scalar field potential governing inflation is generated by the same nonperturbative gauge dynamics that may lead to supersymmetry breaking. Such models satisfy constraints from cosmic microwave background measurements for natural values of the fundamental parameters in the theory. In addition, they have two particularly interesting characteristics: a “blue” spectrum of scalar perturbations, and an upper bound on the total amount of inflation possible.