Ixodes ricinus, commonly known as the castor bean tick and sheep tick, is a significant vector of various diseases, such as tick-borne encephalitis and Lyme borreliosis. Owing to climate change, the distribution and activity of I. ricinus are expected to increase, leading to an increase in the number of diseases transmitted by this species. Most distribution models and ecological niche models utilize macroclimate datasets such as WorldClim or CHELSA to map the distribution of disease-transmitting ticks. However, microclimatic factors are crucial for the activity and survival of small arthropods. In this study, an ecological niche modelling approach was used to assess the climatic suitability of I. ricinus using both microclimatic and macroclimatic parameters. A Mixed model was built by combining parameters from the Soiltemp (microclimate) and Wordclim (macroclimate) databases, whereas a Macroclimate model was built with the CHELSA dataset. Additionally, future suitabilities were projected via the macroclimate model under the SSP3-7.0 and SSP5-8.5 scenarios. Macroclimate and Mixed models showed similar distributions, confirming the current distribution of I. ricinus. The most important climatic factors were seasonality, annual temperature range, humidity and precipitation. Future projections suggest significant expansion in northern and eastern Europe, with notable declines in southern Europe.

The temperature experienced by micro-invertebrates in extreme environments (such as those of Antarctica) is a pivotal parameter regarding these animals' ecology and physiology. However, at present, detailed knowledge of microhabitat physical conditions in Antarctica is limited, as well as being biased towards sub-Antarctic and Maritime Antarctic regions. To better understand the temperature conditions experienced in the microhabitats of Continental Antarctica by the native microfauna, we recorded temperatures year round in ponds and soils in an area of the Victoria Land coast and compared these measurements with air temperature data from the closest automatic weather station. We identified an important difference in temperature dynamics between the air, soil and pond datasets. Ponds were the warmest sites overall, differing by up to 7.5°C in comparison with the air temperature due to their greater thermal capacity, which also drove their patterns of freeze-thaw cycles and mean daily thermal excursion.

Outside of hydrologically wetted active layer soils and humidity-sensitive soil brines, low soil moisture is a limiting factor controlling biogeochemical processes in the McMurdo Dry Valleys. But anecdotal field observations suggest that episodic wetting and darkening of surface soils in the absence of snowmelt occurs during high humidity conditions. Here, I analyse long-term meteorological station data to determine whether soil-darkening episodes are present in the instrumental record and whether they are, in fact, correlated with relative humidity. A strong linear correlation is found between relative humidity and soil reflectance at the Lake Bonney long-term autonomous weather station. Soil reflectance is found to decrease annually by a median of 27.7% in response to high humidity conditions. This magnitude of darkening is consistent with soil moisture rising from typical background values of < 0.5 wt.% to 2–3 wt.%, suggesting that regional atmospheric processes may result in widespread soil moisture generation in otherwise dry surface soils. Temperature and relative humidity conditions under which darkening is observed occur for hundreds of hours per year, but are dominated by episodes occurring between midnight and 07h00 local time, suggesting that wetting events may be common, but are not widely observed during typical diel science operations.

To investigate changes in vegetation and climate with altitude, we established forest plots and recorded climatic data at 100-m intervals between 550–1100 m asl on the western slopes of Mount Batilamu, Mount Koroyanitu range, Viti Levu, Fiji. Trees with a dbh ≥10 cm were identified and measured in 21 10 × 10-m plots, starting at 750 m altitude. Temperature and relative humidity sensors were deployed in two habitats, leaf litter and 50 cm above the ground, and two vegetation types, grasslands and forest, at six altitudes over a 48-h period. Two significantly distinct forest types, lowland and montane, were present. Montane forest was found at higher elevations (>950 m asl) and had significantly higher stem density. Mean temperature decreased significantly with altitude and was strongly moderated by vegetation type (lower average and less variation in forest). While average relative humidity significantly increased with altitude, it was strongly moderated by both habitat and vegetation type (higher average and less variation in leaf litter and forest). The lapse rate varied with time of day (higher during the day) and vegetation type (higher in grasslands). Therefore, vegetation and microhabitats create unique microclimates, and this should be considered when investigating current or future climatic patterns along altitudinal gradients on forested mountains.

Two soil profile sequences on paragneiss debris in the Val di Rabbi (Northern Italy) along an altitude gradient ranging from 1200 to 2400 m a.s.l. were studied to evaluate the effect of aspect on the weathering of clay minerals. All the soils had a coarse structure, a sandy texture and a low pH. Greater weathering intensities of clay-sized phyllosilicates (greater content of smectites) were observed in soils on the north-facing slope. On the south-facing slope, smectite was found only in the surface horizon of the soil profile at the highest altitude. Hot citrate treatment of north-facing soils revealed the presence of low-charged 2:1 clay minerals, the expansion of which was hindered in the untreated state by interlayered polymers. However, the hot citrate treatment encountered some problems with the samples of the south-facing soils: as confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, the hot citrate treatment was unable to remove all interlayer Al polymers. The 2:1 phyllosilicates were not expanded by ethylene glycol solvation in several samples, although thermogravimetric analyses indicated the presence of clay minerals with interlayer H2O. At the same time, the collapse of clay minerals to 1.0 nm following K-saturation was evident. Theoretically, this should indicate that 2:1 phyllosilicates had no evident substitution of trioctahedral cations (Mg2+, Fe2+) by dioctahedral cations (Al3+ and Fe3+). X-ray diffraction analysis of the d060 region and determination of the layer charge of clay minerals by the long-chain (C18) alkylammonium ion, however, did not confirm this. A transformation from trioctahedral to dioctahedral species was observed and low-charge clay minerals (ξ ~0.30) were identified in the surface horizons of the south-facing sites. In the south-facing soils, the podzolization process was less pronounced because of a lower water flux through the soil and probably less complexing organic molecules that would remove the interlayer polymers. Besides the eluviation process, clay minerals underwent a process of ionic substitutions in the octahedral sheet that led to the reduction of the layer charge. This process was more obvious in the north-facing sites.

Within Antarctica there are large gradients both in climate and in vegetation which offer opportunities to investigate links between the two. The activity (% total time active) of lichens and bryophytes in hydric and xeric environments was monitored at Livingston Island (62°39'S). This adds a northern site with a maritime, cloudy climate to previous studies in the southern Antarctic Peninsula and the Dry Valleys (78°S). Annual activity increases northwards from less than 1% to nearly 100%. There is a major and consistent difference between hydric sites which, with snow melt, can be 100% active in summer months even in the Dry Valleys, and xeric sites which, depending on precipitation, rarely exceed 80% activity even at Livingston Island. Mosses dominate hydric sites and lichens the xeric sites all along the gradient. Mean temperatures when active are 2–4°C at all sites, as liquid water is required. Light is a potential major stress reaching 880 µmol m-2 s-1 when active in continental sites. The lack of extremes in temperatures and light combined with high activity levels means that summer at Livingston Island is one of the better sites for lichen and bryophyte growth in the world.

Two major properties that determine weed seed germination are soil temperature and moisture content. Incident radiation is the primary variable controlling energy input to the soil system and thereby influences both moisture and temperature profiles. However, many agricultural field sites lack proper instrumentation to measure solar radiation directly. To overcome this shortcoming, an empirical model was developed to estimate total incident solar radiation (beam and diffuse) with hourly time steps. Input parameters for the model are latitude, longitude, and elevation of the field site, along with daily precipitation with daily minimum and maximum air temperatures. Field validation of this model was conducted at a total of 18 sites, where sufficient meteorological data were available for validation, allowing a total of 42 individual yearly comparisons. The model performed well, with an average Pearson correlation of 0.92, modeling index of 0.95, modeling efficiency of 0.80, root mean square error of 111 W m−2, and a mean absolute error of 56 W m−2. These results compare favorably to other developed empirical solar radiation models but with the advantage of predicting hourly solar radiation for the entire year based on limited climatic data and no site-specific calibration requirement. This solar radiation prediction tool can be integrated into dormancy, germination, and growth models to improve microclimate-based simulation of development of weeds and other plants.

The environment in which a plant grows (maternal environment) can affect seed viability, germination, and dormancy. We assessed the effects of maternal environment on wild oat seed viability, germination, dormancy, and pathogen infection by collecting and analyzing wild oat seed from above and below a barley canopy at three field sites in Montana. The viability of wild oat seed collected below a crop canopy was consistently less than it was for seed from the overstory but varied among sites and years. Reductions in viability because of relative canopy position ranged from 10% to 30%. Effects of position relative to crop canopy on weed seed germination/dormancy rates varied by site and suggest that the direction and magnitude of the effects of maternal environment on dormancy depend on environmental conditions. These effects may be driven by crop competition or by changes in seed pathogen pressure or both. Seven species each of fungi and bacteria were isolated from wild oat seeds. The only fungi causing reductions in seed viability (15%) was isolated from understory seeds, and several bacteria from both overstory and understory sources reduced seed germination. Results suggest that, in addition to the known weed-suppressive effects of using taller or earlier emerging varieties of crops, such crops can reduce weed spread through effects on weed seed demography because weeds growing beneath the crop canopy produce a reduced amount of viable seed that is less likely to germinate in the following year.

At germination, seedlings may be encouraged by the surrounding vegetation. This facilitation was studied in dandelions in a manipulative experiment to determine whether a nurse plant, either maple trees or alfalfa, assisted in the germination of dandelion seeds and whether there was a difference in germination when additional moisture (irrigation) was provided on top of rainfall. Seeds were sown into 33-cm2 “arenas” and surrounded by plastic collars, which prevented the seed from being eaten by predators. Germination was recorded at 1- to 2-d intervals, and the percentage of the seeds that germinated and their time to 50% germination (T50) was calculated. The nurse plant was consistently associated with seed germination. Compared with bare ground, the germination percentage was lower under tree cover, whereas T50 was shorter under the cover of herbaceous plants (alfalfa). The values for the germination percentage and T50 were similar under tree and herb nurse plants when the soil was irrigated. Nurse plants facilitated germination via their effects on understory humidity. Facilitating the germination of dandelions through the presence of nurse plants contributes to their propagation in crops.

The spatial and temporal pattern of wild oat emergence in eastern Washington is affected by the steep, rolling hills that dominate this landscape. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of landscape position and crop residue on the emergence phenology of wild oat. Emergence of a natural wild oat infestation was characterized over two growing seasons (2003 and 2004), at two wheat residue levels (0 and 500 g m−2), and at five landscape positions differing in slope, aspect, and elevation in a no-till winter wheat field. Wild oat emerged 1 to 2 wk earlier at south-facing landscape positions than at north-facing landscape positions. Crop residue delayed wild oat emergence by 7 to 13 d relative to bare soil at south-facing positions in 2003 and had a reduced effect on emergence at north-facing landscape positions. Therefore, preserving surface residues tended to synchronize emergence across the landscape and may facilitate better timing of weed control where residue is present. Emergence of wild oat was modeled as a function of thermal time adjusted by water potential using a Weibull function. Temperature explained more variation in the model than water potential. This model explained much of the variability in wild oat emergence among landscape positions over these 2 yr and may be useful as a tool to predict the timing of wild oat emergence. Results also indicate that site-specific modeling is a plausible approach to improving prediction of weed seedling emergence.

On sub-Antarctic Marion Island, wandering albatross (Diomedea exulans) nests support high abundances of tineid moth, Pringleophaga marioni, caterpillars. Previous work proposed that the birds serve as thermal ecosystem engineers by elevating nest temperatures relative to ambient, thereby promoting growth and survival of the caterpillars. However, only 17 days of temperature data were presented previously, despite year-long nest occupation by birds. Previous sampling was also restricted to old and recently failed nests, though nests from which chicks have recently fledged are key to understanding how the engineering effect is realized. Here we build on previous work by providing nest temperature data for a full year and by sampling all three nest types. For the full duration of nest occupancy, temperatures within occupied nests are significantly higher, consistently by c. 7°C, than those in surrounding soils and abandoned nests, declining noticeably when chicks fledge. Caterpillar abundance is significantly higher in new nests compared to nests from which chicks have fledged, which in turn have higher caterpillar abundances than old nests. Combined with recent information on the life history of P. marioni, our data suggest that caterpillars are incidentally added to the nests during nest construction, and subsequently benefit from an engineering effect.

Edge effects have been studied extensively in fragmented landscapes, often with conflicting findings. Edge effects may also be important in other situations, such as linear clearings (e.g. along roads, power lines or train tracks). We tested for responses of small mammals to a narrow (c. 10 m) linear clearing created by a railway in the largest area of Atlantic Forest in southern Brazil. Only two environmental variables, light intensity and train noise, were greatest at the edge and decreased with distance from the edge. Temperature differed (greater extremes and more variable) only at the edge itself. The few small mammal species that were only rarely captured at the edge resulted in an apparent edge-effect with respect to species richness. The abundance of small mammals, however, was independent of distance from the railway. There was no correlation between resource availability at the tracks and abundance of small mammals. Edge effects were minimal, which suggests that narrow railways (in contrast with roads) in unfragmented landscapes probably do not have a significant impact (if any) on wildlife, as found elsewhere and especially in tropical forests. The use of railways instead of roads is a potential strategy to minimize the effects of traversing important habitats for commercial reasons.

This study examined high temperature survival and heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) responses to temperature variation for two marine invertebrate species on sub-Antarctic Marion Island. The isopod Exosphaeroma gigas Leach and the amphipod Hyale hirtipalma Dana had the same tolerance to high temperature. The mean upper temperature which was lethal for 50% of the population (upper lethal temperature, ULT50) was 26.4°C for both species. However, the isopod E. gigas showed significant plasticity of ULT50, with a positive response to acclimation. In addition, the isopod had a heat shock response of Hsp70 at all acclimations, and the amount of Hsp70 protein increased significantly from basal levels upon an acute warm exposure after a cold acclimation. By contrast, the amphipod H. hirtipalma showed limited plasticity of ULT50 and no evidence for a heat shock response (failure of three different Hsp70 antibodies to bind to the extracted 70kDa proteins). Overall, these results reflect different flexibility of thermal tolerance of intertidal invertebrate species on Marion Island, with possible variation in the underlying cellular mechanisms, suggesting that warming associated with climate change may result in changes in species assemblage structure in sub-polar environments.

Patterns of edge-related environmental changes and plant water relations were investigated in the isolated forest reserves of the INPA-WWF Minimum Critical Size of Eco-systems project near Manaus, Brazil early in the wet season.

Air temperature was elevated and humidity reduced in the understorey within 40 m of the reserve margins, and air temperature and vapour pressure deficit (VPD) were higher in the interiors of 1 ha reserves than in 100 ha reserves. There was increased photosynthetically active radiation penetration to understorey level up to 40 m into a 100 ha reserve.

Soil moisture was depleted in the outer 20 m of both small and large reserves, and surface soil water potentials fell below – 1.5 MPa at the margin of a 1 ha reserve.

Studies of leaf relative water contents (RWCs) in understorey shrubs revealed no appreciable saturation deficits, though RWCs were sometimes lower at the reserve margins. Studies of leaf conductances revealed no evidence of restriction of water loss in these plants, and conductances of plants near the edges were significantly higher and higher for longer.

The implications of these results for reserve design and for local and regional water budgets, as well as the possible role of water stress in increased tree mortality in isolated reserves are discussed.

Padrōes de mudanças ambientais e hídricos de plantas relacionados a bordas de matas isoladas foram investigadas no início da estação seca nas reservas de floresta do Projeto Dinâmica Biológica de Fragmentos Florestais do INPA-WWF, proximo de Manaus, Brasil.

No sub-bosque, até 40 m da borda da mata, a temperatura ambiental estava elevada e a umidade reduzida, e a temperatura do ar e o DPV estavam maiores nas reservas de 1 ha do que nas reservas de 100 ha. A penetração de radiaçao fotosintéticamente ativa no sub-bosque estava aumentada até 40 m da borda em reservas de 100 ha.

A umidade do solo baixou consideravelmente nos 20 m periféricos de reservas grandes a pequenas, e o potencial hídrico na superficie do solo baixou para menos de −1.5 MPa na margem de uma reserva de 1 ha.

Estudos do teor relativo de água (TRA) em folhas de arbustos de sub-bosque nӑo revelaram deficits de saturação apreciaveis apesar de que TRAs foram menores nas bordas das reservas. Estudos da conductancia foliar não revelaram evidência de restrições de perdas hídricas nessas plantas, e as conductancias de plantas próximas a bordas foram significativamente maiores durante um período mais longo.

As impliçõtes desses resultados para o planejamento de reservas e para o balanço hídrico local e regional, assim como as possiveis funçoes de ‘stress’ hídrico na alta mortalidade de árvores em reservas isoladas são discutidas.

We investigated the influence of a four-year-old forest edge near Manaus, Brazil, on soil moisture and vertical profiles of air vapour pressure deficit (VPD) within the forest. Soil moisture was measured (with a neutron probe) 0, 5, 10, 20, 40, 60, 80, 100, 150 and 200 m into the forest from the edge, in undisturbed control areas, and in the pasture. Control soil moisture was better explained by rainfall in the previous 2 or 10 days than by longer-term totals. Soil water potentials ≤ – 1.5 MPa occurred at some forest locations during the driest period. The variation in soil moisture with distance from the forest edge was complex, with higher values just inside the edge and depleted zones at the edge and 40–80 m inside it. At a given height, VPD (standardized relative to measurements in the open) was not related to distance from the edge, but VPD increased more with height near the edge than in control areas. The complexity of the edge's influence and the contrast with earlier data from the same edge can be explained by the changing vegetation structure near the edge. Regrowth ‘seals’ the edge with more leaves that transpire and deplete soil moisture, while protecting the understorey just inside the edge from desiccating conditions. A mosaic of gaps of differing ages develops behind the edge, increasing the variation in microclimatic conditions near the ground and consequently in evapotranspiration and soil moisture.