Impacts of February climate conditions in the Gobi Desert on March dust activities in the northern East Asia.

Amid ongoing global warming, intense dust storms continue to plague regions despite efforts to understand and mitigate their impacts. This study explores the connection between surface temperature (ST) and precipitation (PRE) in the Gobi Desert (GD) during February and their subsequent effects on March dust concentrations across northern East Asia. Our analysis reveals a clear pattern: higher February ST combined with lower PRE in GD correlates with increased dust levels in March, with ST effects predominantly in northern areas of dust sources compared to PRE. The warming of the ST in February facilitates surface thawing, and the concurrently reduced PRE decreases soil moisture in GD. These conditions both contribute to the loosening of the soil, thereby creating favorable lower boundary conditions for the onset of dust activities in the subsequent March. Atmospheric dynamics play a pivotal role in the changes of ST and PRE. The preceding ST warming is closely tied to the weakening of the East Asian winter monsoon. Furthermore, the Eurasia teleconnection (EU) pattern is identified as a key circulation factor driving the changes of February PRE in GD. Additionally, sea surface temperature anomalies in the Barents Sea and the North Atlantic appear to influence these atmospheric circulation changes, altering ST and PRE in GD, and consequently, impacting March dust dynamics in northern East Asia. This study provides crucial insights into the climatic precursors that drive dust storm activities, which are essential for improving the accuracy of dust storm forecasting.

Effect modification of air pollution on the association between heat and mortality in five European countries.

BACKGROUND: Evidence suggests that air pollution modifies the association between heat and mortality. However, most studies have been conducted in cities without rural data. This time-series study examined potential effect modification of particulate matter (PM) and ozone (O3) on heat-related mortality using small-area data from five European countries, and explored the influence of area characteristics. METHODS: We obtained daily non-accidental death counts from both urban and rural areas in Norway, England and Wales, Germany, Italy, and the Attica region of Greece during the warm season (2000-2018). Daily mean temperatures and air pollutant concentrations were estimated by spatial-temporal models. Heat effect modification by air pollution was assessed in each small area by over-dispersed Poisson regression models with a tensor smoother between temperature and air pollution. We extracted temperature-mortality relationships at the 5th (low), 50th (medium), and 95th (high) percentiles of pollutant distributions. At each air pollution level, we estimated heat-related mortality for a temperature increase from the 75th to the 99th percentile. We applied random-effects meta-analysis to derive the country-specific and overall associations, and mixed-effects meta-regression to examine the influence of urban-rural and coastal typologies and greenness on the heat effect modification by air pollution. RESULTS: Heat-related mortality risks increased with higher PM levels, rising by 6.4% (95% CI: -2.0%-15.7%), 10.7% (2.6%-19.5%), and 14.1% (4.4%-24.6%) at low, medium, and high PM levels, respectively. This effect modification was consistent in urban and rural regions but more pronounced in non-coastal regions. In addition, heat-mortality associations were slightly stronger at high O3 levels, particularly in regions with low greenness. CONCLUSION: Our analyses of both urban and rural data indicate that air pollution may intensify heat-related mortality, particularly in non-coastal and less green regions. The synergistic effect of heat and air pollution implies a potential pathway of reducing heat-related health impacts by improving air quality.

Short-Term Effects of Lower Air Temperature and Cold Spells on Myocardial Infarction Hospitalizations in Sweden.

BACKGROUND: Lower air temperature and cold spells have been associated with an increased risk of various diseases. However, the short-term effect of lower air temperature and cold spells on myocardial infarction (MI) remains incompletely understood. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to investigate the short-term effects of lower air temperature and cold spells on the risk of hospitalization for MI in Sweden. METHODS: This population-based nationwide study included 120,380 MI cases admitted to hospitals in Sweden during the cold season (October to March) from 2005 to 2019. Daily mean air temperature (1 km2 resolution) was estimated using machine learning, and percentiles of daily temperatures experienced by individuals in the same municipality were used as individual exposure indicators to account for potential geographic adaptation. Cold spells were defined as periods of at least 2 consecutive days with a daily mean temperature below the 10th percentile of the temperature distribution for each municipality. A time-stratified case-crossover design incorporating conditional logistic regression models with distributed lag nonlinear models using lag 0 to 1 (immediate) and 2 to 6 days (delayed) was used to evaluate the short-term effects of lower air temperature and cold spells on total MI, non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) and ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). RESULTS: A decrease of 1-U in percentile temperature at a lag of 2 to 6 days was significantly associated with increased risks of total MI, NSTEMI, and STEMI, with ORs of 1.099 (95% CI: 1.057-1.142), 1.110 (95% CI: 1.060-1.164), and 1.076 (95% CI: 1.004-1.153), respectively. Additionally, cold spells at a lag of 2 to 6 days were significantly associated with increased risks for total MI, NSTEMI, and STEMI, with ORs of 1.077 (95% CI: 1.037-1.120), 1.069 (95% CI: 1.020-1.119), and 1.095 (95% CI: 1.023-1.172), respectively. Conversely, lower air temperature and cold spells at a lag of 0 to 1 days were associated with decreased risks for MI. CONCLUSIONS: This nationwide case-crossover study reveals that short-term exposures to lower air temperature and cold spells are associated with an increased risk of hospitalization for MI at lag 2 to 6 days.

Air temperature and humidity impact out-of-hospital-cardiac-arrests in Germany: A 10-year cohort study from the German Resuscitation Registry.

Objectives: This study examines the impact of temperature variations on out-of-hospital-cardiac-arrests in Germany over a decade (2010-2019). Out-of-hospital-cardiac-arrests affects 164 per 100,000 inhabitants annually in Germany, 11% survive to hospital discharge. The following study investigates days with the following characteristics: summer days, frost days, and high humidity days. Furthermore, the study explores incidence, causes, demographics, and outcomes of out-of-hospital-cardiac-arrests. Methods: Data from the German Resuscitation Registry and Meteorological Service were combined for analysis. The theory posits that temperature and humidity play a significant role in the occurrence and outcomes of out-of-hospital-cardiac-arrests, potentially triggering pre-existing health issues. Results: Findings reveal increased out-of-hospital-cardiac-arrests during frost days (6.39 up to 7.00, p < 0.001) monthly per 100,000 inhabitants), notably due to cardiac-related causes. Conversely, out-of-hospital-cardiac-arrests incidence decreases on summer days (6.61-5.79, p < 0.001 monthly per 100,000 inhabitants). High-humidity days exhibit a statistically significant increase in out-of-hospital-cardiac-arrests incidence (6.43-6.89, p < 0.001 monthly per 100,000 inhabitants). Conclusion: In conclusion, there's a notable rise in out-of-hospital-cardiac-arrests incidence and worse outcomes during cold days, and a significant increase in out-of-hospital-cardiac-arrests during high-humidity days. Moreover, extreme temperature events in unaccustomed regions also elevate out-of-hospital-cardiac-arrests rates. However, the dataset lacks sufficient hot days for conclusive findings, hinting that very hot days might also affect out-of-hospital-cardiac-arrests incidence. Further research, particularly on hotter days, is essential.No third-party funding was received for this study.

Spatiotemporal patterns of greenhouse gas fluxes in the subtropical wetland ecosystem of Indian Himalayan foothill.

The study characterized the temporal and spatial variability in greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes (CO2, CH4, and N2O) between December 2020 and November 2021 and their regulating drivers in the subtropical wetland of the Indian Himalayan foothill. Five distinct habitats (M1-sloppy surface at swamp forest, M2-plain surface at swamp forest, M3-swamp surface with small grasses, M4-marshy land with dense macrophytes, and M5-marshy land with sparse macrophytes) were studied. We conducted in situ measurements of GHG fluxes, microclimate (AT, ST, and SMC(v/v)), and soil properties (pH, EC, N, P, K, and SOC) in triplicates in all the habitat types. Across the habitats, CO2, CH4, and N2O fluxes ranged from 125 to 536 mg m-2 h-1, 0.32 to 28.4 mg m-2 h-1, and 0.16 to 3.14 mg m-2 h-1, respectively. The habitats (M3 and M5) exhibited higher GHG fluxes than the others. The CH4 flux followed the summer > autumn > spring > winter hierarchy. However, CO2 and N2O fluxes followed the summer > spring > autumn > winter. CO2 fluxes were primarily governed by ST and SOC. However, CH4 and N2O fluxes were mainly regulated by ST and SMC(v/v) across the habitats. In the case of N2O fluxes, soil P and EC also played a crucial role across the habitats. AT was a universal driver controlling all GHG fluxes across the habitats. The results emphasize that long-term GHG flux monitoring in sub-tropical Himalayan Wetlands has become imperative to accurately predict the near-future GHG fluxes and their changing nature with the ongoing climate change.

Ixodes ricinus tick presence is associated with abiotic but not biotic factors.

Species composition and densities of wild ungulate communities in Europe have changed over the last decades. As ungulates play an important role in the life-cycle of the tick species Ixodes ricinus, these changes could affect both the life-cycle of I. ricinus and the transmission of tick-borne pathogens like Borrelia burgdorferi (s.l.) and Anaplasma phagocytophilum. Due to morphological and behavioural differences among the ungulate species, these species might have different effects on the densities of questing I. ricinus, either directly through a bloodmeal or indirectly via the impact of ungulates on rodent numbers via the vegetation. In this study, we aimed to investigate these direct and indirect effects of five different ungulate species, fallow deer (Dama dama), roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), red deer (Cervus elaphus), moose (Alces alces), and wild boar (Sus scrofa), on the presence and abundance of I. ricinus ticks. In the summer of 2019, on 20 1 × 1 km transects in south-central Sweden that differed in ungulate community composition, we collected data on tick presence and abundance (by dragging a cloth), ungulate community composition (using camera traps), vegetation height (using the drop-disc method), temperature above field layer and rodent abundance (by snap-trapping). Using generalized linear mixed models we did not find any associations between vegetation height and tick presence/abundance or ungulate visitation frequencies, or between ungulate visitation frequencies and the presence/abundance of questing I. ricinus. The power of our analyses was, however, low due to very low tick and rodent numbers. We did find a negative association between adult ticks and air temperature, where we were more likely to find adult ticks if temperature in the field layer was lower. We conclude that more elaborate long-term studies are needed to elucidate the investigated associations. Such future studies should differentiate among the potential impacts of different ungulate species instead of treating all ungulate species as one group.

Association between air temperature and self-perceived health status in Southern Germany: Results from KORA FIT study.

BACKGROUND: Short-term exposure to low and high air temperatures can cause serious harmful effects on human health. Existing literature has mostly focused on associations of ambient air temperature with mortality and the need for health care in population-level studies. Studies that have considered self-perceived health status as an outcome when examining the effects of air temperature on health are scarce. In this study, we explored the short-term association of daily mean air temperature with various measures of self-perceived health status. METHODS: This cross-sectional analysis is based on the Cooperative Health Research in the Region of Augsburg (KORA) FIT study conducted in 2018/2019 and included participants from the Augsburg region of Southern Germany. Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) was evaluated by using the 5-level EuroQol Five Dimension (EQ-5D-5L) questionnaire, including the EuroQol visual analog scale (EQ-VAS). Self-rated health (SRH) and comparative self-rated health (CSRH) were each assessed using a single question. Daily mean air temperature data was estimated using a spatiotemporal model and assigned to participants' home addresses at a resolution of 1 × 1 km. Regression models with a Distributed Lag Non-linear Modeling (DLNM) approach were used to investigate the associations between daily mean air temperature and self-perceived health measures. RESULTS: We found no association of heat or cold with the HRQOL, SRH or CSRH. Nevertheless, there was a significant protective association of low air temperature with the EQ-5D-5L dimension "usual activities." CONCLUSION: There was no evidence of daily mean air temperature adversely affecting participants' self-perceived health status.

The impact of meteorological factors on the incidence of infantile atopic dermatitis.

BACKGROUND: The role of the climate regarding atopic dermatitis (AD) in infants is still unclear. This study aimed to determine the relationship between meteorological conditions and the incidence of early AD. METHODS: The study was conducted using a retrospective design. We analyzed children aged 0-24 months with clinically diagnosed AD (n = 603), including infantile eczema (IE, n = 292), in relation to the mean monthly meteorological data in Minsk. The Mantel-Haenszel method was used to study the association between an AD outcome and meteorological variables, stratifying by potential confounders. Seasons of birth were analyzed in children diagnosed with AD before 6 months of age (n = 567) and at 12 months of age (n = 350) from 2005 to 2019. RESULTS: The incidence rate of IE was negatively associated with air temperature (adjusted incidence rate ratio = 0.75; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.59-0.94), precipitation (0.74; 95% CI 0.58-0.93), and positively associated with atmospheric pressure (1.31; 95% CI 1.04-1.66). The highest incidence rate of IE was during spring, and the lowest was during summer. Incidences of AD were less frequent among infants born in the spring (18.1% vs. 29.4%, P < 0.001) than among older children. The principal component analysis identified three meteorological combinations where the first one (warm, low humidity) was negatively associated with the incidence rate of AD among children aged 0-24 months (0.77; 95% CI 0.65-0.92), and the third one (rainy, low atmospheric pressure) with IE (0.70; 95% CI 0.54-0.90). CONCLUSION: Continental seasonal cold-humid weather may influence early AD incidence. Moreover, short-term meteorological factors may play an important role in the onset of IE.

Variation of temperature increase rate in the Northern Hemisphere according to latitude, longitude and altitude: the Turkey example.

Global climate change notably influences meteorological variables such as temperature, affecting regions and countries worldwide. In this study, monthly average temperature data spanning 73 years (1950-2022) were analyzed for 28 stations in the city centers across seven regions of Turkey. The station warming rates (SWR) were calculated for selected stations and the overall country using Singular Spectrum Analysis (SSA) and Least Square Polynomial Fit (LSPF) methods. The temperature trend in Turkey exhibited a decline until the late 1970s, followed by a continuous rise due to global warming. Between 1980 and 2022, the average SWR in Turkey was found to be 0.52 °C/decade. The SWR was determined to be the lowest in Antakya (0.28 °C/decade) and the highest in Erzincan (0.69 °C/decade). The relationship between SWR and latitude, longitude, altitude, and distance to Null Island (D2NI) was explored through linear regression analysis. Altitude and D2NI were found to be the most significant variables, influencing the SWR. For altitude, the correlation coefficient (R) was 0.39 with a statistically significant value (p) of 0.039. For D2NI, R, and p values were 0.39 and 0.038, respectively. Furthermore, in the multiple regression analysis involving altitude and D2NI, R and p values were determined to be 0.50 and 0.029, respectively. Furthermore, the collinearity analysis indicates no collinearity between altitude and D2NI, suggesting that their effects are separated in the multiple regression.

Impacts of urban expansion on air temperature and humidity during 2022 mega-heatwave over the Yangtze River Delta, China.

The Yangtze River Delta (YRD) experienced record-breaking heat in the summer of 2022. However, the urban heat pattern and the role of urban expansion over the last two decades in this hot summer have not been explored. Using the advanced mesoscale Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model, we reproduced the fine spatial features and investigated the urban heat island (UHI) and dry island (UDI) effects during the two identified heatwaves in 2022. We further replace the current (2020) land use with the historical (2001) land use in WRF to evaluate the impacts of urban expansion from 2001 to 2020 on air temperature and moisture. Our finding revealed that the conversion of land use resulted in near-surface warming and drying, with pronounced diurnal variations, especially during the July heatwave. The analysis of surface energy balance demonstrated that the substantial decrease in evapotranspiration (ET) was the primary driver of daytime warming, elevating temperatures by 7 °C (July heatwave) and 2 °C (August heatwave). This ET reduction also led to the strong daytime coupling of warming and drying effects over new urban areas. At night, the release of stored heat resulted in the temperature increase of 2 °C (1 °C) during July (August) heatwave, highlighting the nighttime as a critical period for heightened thermal risk. Additionally, urban expansion at the periphery contributed modestly to the warming of urban cores, exacerbating conditions in an already hot environment. This study enhances understanding of the impacts of urban expansion on air temperature and humidity during extreme heatwaves, thereby supporting targeted adaptation and mitigation for extreme events within large cities.

A new high spatial density temperature dataset in the Grenoble alpine valley (France) for urban heat island investigation and climate services dedicated to municipalities purposes.

Within the study of the urban heat island (UHI) in Echirolles and Grenoble (France, the eastern part of the alpine arc), two temperature measurement networks have been deployed. The aim is to measure the temperature gradients associated with the UHI in summer. A total of 62 measurement points has been installed in the various neighborhoods on 3-meter-high streetlights, starting in summer 2019. The preliminary classification of the different neighborhood typologies according to ``Local Climate Zone'' guided the choice of location for the temperature sensors. These urban observations respond to a dual challenge: firstly, to observe temperature located in complex topographical situations with valleys, and secondly, to observe the urban climate in neighborhoods where social considerations are important. Municipalities of Echirolles and Grenoble were involved in the investigation. The ADEME-funded (The French Agency for Ecological Transition) CASSANDRE research program analyzes and processes these observations to study the vulnerability of inhabitants to heat waves and more generally to summer heat stress.

Hormonal basis of seasonal metabolic changes in mammalian species.

Seasonal changes in external conditions (photoperiod, meteorological conditions, diet) cause adaptive changes in both energy and substrate metabolism in the animals of mammalian species. In summer, long days and a rich diet contribute to relative elevation in the levels of thyroid hormones (TH), but warmer weather lowers their levels. In winter, short days and a poor diet inhibit TH synthesis, but low temperatures increase their secretion. In addition, the results of our meta-analyses revealed a significant role of atmospheric pressure in circannual fluctuations of metabolic parameters in humans. The changes in photoperiod are generally viewed as a major factor contributing to seasonal rhythm regulation However, numerous data show that season-dependent metabolic changes in mammals could be also accounted for by meteorological factors and diet.

The impact of scavenging air state on the combustion and emission performance of marine two-stroke dual-fuel engine.

The scavenging process significantly affects the combustion and emission performance of marine low-speed two-stroke dual-fuel engines. Optimizing scavenging air pressure and temperature can enhance the engine's combustion efficiency and emission control performance, thereby achieving more environmentally friendly and efficient operation of dual-fuel engines. This study focuses on marine low-speed two-stroke dual-fuel engines, analyzing the effects of scavenging air pressure (3.0 bar, 3.25 bar, 3.5 bar, and 3.75 bar) and scavenging air temperature (293 K, 303 K, and 313 K) on engine performance and emission products. The results indicate that scavenging air pressure has a greater impact on engine performance than scavenging air temperature. An increase in scavenging air pressure leads to higher thermal efficiency and power. As the scavenging air pressure increases from 3 to 3.75 bar, the indicated thermal efficiency (ITE) increases from 44.02 to 53.26%, and indicated mean effective pressure (IMEP) increases by approximately 0.35 MPa. Increased scavenging air pressure improves nitrogen oxide (NOx) and hydrocarbons (HC) emissions. For every 0.25 bar increase in scavenging air pressure, NOx emissions decrease by 3.53%, HC emissions decrease by 33.35%, while carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions increase by 0.71%. An increase in scavenging air temperature leads to lower ITE and IMEP. As the air temperature changes from 293 to 313 K, the ITE decreases by approximately 1%, and IMEP decreases by about 0.04 MPa. Increased scavenging air temperature improves CO2 emissions. For every 10 K increase in the air temperature, the CO2 emissions decrease by 0.02%, while NOx emissions increase by 4.84%, HC emissions increase by 34.39%. Therefore, controlling scavenging air pressure is more important than scavenging air temperature in the operational management of marine two-stroke engines. Higher power and lower NOx and HC emissions can be achieved by increasing the scavenging air pressure.

Sunscreen use during recreational activities on a French Atlantic beach: release of UV filters at sea and influence of air temperature.

Organic UV filters are emerging contaminants in personal care products such as sunscreens. The toxicity of numerous of these UV filter compounds has been demonstrated in several marine taxa. However, whilst the biological impact has already been largely demonstrated, the anthropogenic drivers leading to UV filter contamination still need to be identified. In this work, a survey was conducted on a site of the French Atlantic Coast (i) to describe beachgoers' behaviours (sunscreen use and beach frequentation), (ii) provide an estimation of the UV filters released at sea and (iii) highlight the effect of air temperature on these behaviours and on the release of UV filters. In parallel with these estimations of the UV filters released at sea, in situ chemical measurements were performed. By comparing the results of both approaches, this interdisciplinary work provides an insight of how the observations of beachgoers' behaviour modulations and attendance level fluctuations could be used to prevent UV filter contaminations and ultimately manage the ecotoxicological risk.

Reproductive biology of Lepidocephalichthys guntea: a key conservation approach considering environmental factors in Payra River, Bangladesh.

The guntea loach, Lepidocephalichthys guntea, is categorically common freshwater fish in Southeast Asia. Current study is the first elucidation on the reproductive feature of L. guntea including population structure, sex ratio (SR), size at first maturity (Lm), breeding period, and condition factor, emphasizing on the effect of environmental factors on reproduction of this fish in the Payra River (Southern Bangladesh) during July 2021 to June 2022. Using various conventional gears, 1128 individuals (534 males and 594 females) have been collected. Total length (TL), standard length (SL), and body weight (BW) of each fish were measured. Ovaries were cautiously dissected, removed, and precisely weighed. TL ranges from 4.6 to 9.7 cm (BW = 0.7-9.27 g) for male and 4.6-10.3 cm (BW = 0.8-10.75 g) for female. Both male (47.34%) and female (52.66%) populations were the leading group in 7.00-7.99 cm TL. Overall SR was not notably altered from anticipated value of 1:1 (male:female = 1:1.11). Nonetheless, monthly variations of SR specified females were considerably outnumbered males in each month excluding March-May. Lm range was 6.4-7.0 cm, so larger than Lm is recommended to exploit. Monthly changes in GSI indicated that the main spawning season was from March to June. The spawning season was substantially correlated with rainfall, nonetheless with temperature. Additionally, relative weight indicated that habitat was imbalanced with higher predators. A fishing ban is recommended during peak spawning to protect L. guntea in the Payra River and its surroundings based on current research.

External exposome and all-cause mortality in European cohorts: the EXPANSE project.

Background: Many studies reported associations between long-term exposure to environmental factors and mortality; however, little is known on the combined effects of these factors and health. We aimed to evaluate the association between external exposome and all-cause mortality in large administrative and traditional adult cohorts in Europe. Methods: Data from six administrative cohorts (Catalonia, Greece, Rome, Sweden, Switzerland and the Netherlands, totaling 27,913,545 subjects) and three traditional adult cohorts (CEANS-Sweden, EPIC-NL-the Netherlands, KORA-Germany, totaling 57,653 participants) were included. Multiple exposures were assigned at the residential addresses, and were divided into three a priori defined domains: (1) air pollution [fine particulate matter (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), black carbon (BC) and warm-season Ozone (warm-O3)]; (2) land/built environment (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index-NDVI, impervious surfaces, and distance to water); (3) air temperature (cold- and warm-season mean and standard deviation). Each domain was synthesized through Principal Component Analysis (PCA), with the aim of explaining at least 80% of its variability. Cox proportional-hazards regression models were applied and the total risk of the external exposome was estimated through the Cumulative Risk Index (CRI). The estimates were adjusted for individual- and area-level covariates. Results: More than 205 million person-years at risk and more than 3.2 million deaths were analyzed. In single-component models, IQR increases of the first principal component of the air pollution domain were associated with higher mortality [HRs ranging from 1.011 (95% CI: 1.005-1.018) for the Rome cohort to 1.076 (1.071-1.081) for the Swedish cohort]. In contrast, lower levels of the first principal component of the land/built environment domain, pointing to reduced vegetation and higher percentage of impervious surfaces, were associated with higher risks. Finally, the CRI of external exposome increased mortality for almost all cohorts. The associations found in the traditional adult cohorts were generally consistent with the results from the administrative ones, albeit without reaching statistical significance. Discussion: Various components of the external exposome, analyzed individually or in combination, were associated with increased mortality across European cohorts. This sets the stage for future research on the connections between various exposure patterns and human health, aiding in the planning of healthier cities.

Effects of canopy gaps on microclimate, soil biological activity and their relationship in a European mixed floodplain forest.

Forest canopy gaps can influence understorey microclimate and ecosystem functions such as decomposition. Gaps can arise from silviculture or tree mortality, increasingly influenced by climate change. However, to what degree canopy gaps affect the buffered microclimate in the understorey under macroclimatic changes is unclear. We, therefore, investigated the effect of forest gaps differing in structure and size (25 gaps: single tree gaps up to 0.67 ha cuttings) on microclimate and soil biological activity compared to closed forest in a European mixed floodplain forest. During the investigation period in the drought year 2022 between May and October, mean soil moisture and temperature as well as soil and air temperature fluctuations increased with increasing openness. In summer, the highest difference of monthly means between cuttings and closed forest in the topsoil was 3.98 ± 9.43 % volumetric moisture and 2.05 ± 0.89 °C temperature, and in the air at 30 cm height 0.61 ± 0.35 °C temperature. For buffering, both the over- and understorey tree layers appeared as relevant with a particularly strong influence of understorey density on soil temperature. Three experiments, investigating soil biological activity by quantifying decomposition rates of tea and wooden spatulas as well as mesofauna feeding activity with bait-lamina stripes, revealed no significant differences between gaps and closed forest. However, we found a positive significant effect of mean soil temperature on feeding activity throughout the season. Although soil moisture decreased during this period, it showed no counteracting effect on feeding activity. Generally, very few significant relationships were observed between microclimate and soil biological activity in single experiments. Despite the dry growing season, decomposition rates remained high, suggesting temperature had a stronger influence than soil moisture. We conclude that the microclimatic differences within the gap gradient of our experiment were not strong enough to affect soil biological activity considerably.

Decametric-scale buffering of climate extremes in forest understory within a riparian microrefugia: the key role of microtopography.

Riparian corridors often act as low-land climate refugia for temperate tree species in their southern distribution range. A plausible mechanism is the buffering of regional climate extremes by local physiographic and biotic factors. We tested this idea using a 3-year-long microclimate dataset collected along the Ciron river, a refugia for European beech (Fagus sylvatica) in southwestern France. Across the whole network, canopy gap fraction was the main predictor for spatial microclimatic variations, together with two other landscape features (elevation above the river and woodland fraction within a 300m radius). However, within the riparian forest only (canopy gap fraction < 25%, distance to the river < 150m), variations of up to -4°C and + 15% in summertime daily maximum air temperature and minimum relative humidity, respectively, were still found from the plateau to the cooler, moister river banks, only ~ 5-10m below. Elevation above the river was then identified as the main predictor, and explained the marked variations from the plateau to the banks much better than canopy gap fraction. The microclimate measured near the river is as cool but moister than the macroclimate encountered at 700-1000m asl further east in F. sylvatica's main distribution range. Indeed, at all locations, we found that air relative humidity was higher than expected from a temperature-only effect, suggesting that extra moisture is brought by the river. Our results explain well why beech trees in this climate refugium are restricted to the river gorges where microtopographic variations are the strongest and canopy gaps are rare.

The Influence of Fine Particulate Matter and Cold Weather on Emergency Room Interventions for Childhood Asthma.

(1) Background: Children are the most vulnerable to pollution due to their decreased stature, heightened respiratory rate, and frequent outdoor engagement. PM2.5, nitrogen dioxide (NO2), ozone, and cold weather are associated with pediatric asthma. In this study, we investigated the nexus between air pollution, climate factors, and pediatric asthma emergency room visits (ERVs). (2) Method: Pediatric asthma ERV data for healthcare quality from the Taiwanese National Insurance in the Taipei area were obtained from 2015 to 2019. Air pollution and climate factor data were also collected. Poisson regression was employed to determine the relationships with relative risks (RRs). (3) Results: The incidence of pediatric asthma ERVs decreased, with a crude RR of 0.983 (95% CI: 0.98-0.986, p < 0.001). Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) had an adjusted RR of 1.102 (95% CI: 1.037-1.172, p = 0.002) and a 7.7 µg/m3 increase, and air temperature had an adjusted RR of 0.813 (95% CI: 0.745-0.887, p < 0.001) comparing between the highest and lowest quarter air temperature associated with pediatric asthma ERVs. (4) Conclusions: This inquiry underscores the positive associations of PM2.5 and cold weather with pediatric asthma ERVs. The findings could guide the government to establish policies to reduce air pollution and promote children's health.