Related Articles

Successes and failures of conservation actions to halt global river biodiversity loss

To address the losses of river biodiversity worldwide, various conservation actions have been implemented to promote recovery of species and ecosystems. In this Review, we assess the effectiveness of these actions globally and regionally, and identify causes of success and failure. Overall, actions elicit little improvement in river biodiversity, in contrast with reports from terrestrial and marine ecosystems. This lack of improvement does not necessarily indicate a failure of any individual action. Rather, it can be attributed in part to remaining unaddressed stressors driving biodiversity loss; a poor match between the spatial scale of action and the scale of the affected area; and absence of adequate monitoring, including insufficient timescales, missing reference and control sites or insufficient selection of targeted taxa. Furthermore, outcomes are often not reported and are unevenly distributed among actions, regions and organism groups. Expanding from local-scale actions to coordinated, transformative, catchment-scale management approaches shows promise for improving outcomes. Such approaches involve identifying major stressors, appropriate conservation actions and source populations for recolonization, as well as comprehensive monitoring, relevant legislation and engaging all stakeholders to promote the recovery of river biodiversity.

The role of rivers in the origin and future of Amazonian biodiversity

The rich biodiversity of Amazonia is shaped geographically and ecologically by its rivers and their cycles of seasonal flooding. Anthropogenic effects, such as deforestation, infrastructure development and extreme climatic events, threaten the ecological processes sustaining Amazonian ecosystems. In this Review, we explore the coupled evolution of Amazonian rivers and biodiversity associated with terrestrial and seasonally flooded environments, integrating geological, climatic, ecological and genetic evidence. Amazonia and its fluvial environments are highly heterogeneous, and the drainage system is historically dynamic and continually evolving; as a result, the discharge, sediment load and strength of rivers as barriers to biotic dispersal has changed through time. Ecological affinities of taxa, drainage rearrangements and variations in riverine landscape caused by past climate changes have mediated the evolution of the high diversity found in modern-day Amazonia. The connected history of the region’s biodiversity and landscape provides fundamental information for mitigating current and future impacts. However, incomplete knowledge about species taxonomy, distributions, habitat use, ecological interactions and occurrence patterns limits our understanding. Partnerships with Indigenous peoples and local communities, who have close ties to land and natural resources, are key to improving knowledge generation and dissemination, enabling better impact assessments, monitoring and management of the riverine systems at risk from evolving pressures.

Extreme drought-heatwave events threaten the biodiversity and stability of aquatic plankton communities in the Yangtze River ecosystems

Rivers are crucial to biogeochemical cycles, connecting terrestrial, oceanic, and atmospheric systems. However, their ecosystems are increasingly threatened by extreme weather events. Here we used the environmental DNA approach to assess the impact of extreme drought-heatwave events on the aquatic plankton communities of the Yangtze River. We showed that an extreme drought-heatwave event reduced the α diversity of communities, increased their β diversity, and simultaneously simplified and destabilized community network structure. This event also shifted the dominant algae taxa from Bacillariophyta to Cyanobacteria, accompanied by increases in organic carbon and labile organic carbon contents. Globally, temperature rises during this extreme drought-heatwave event are more pronounced in high-latitude regions, likely amplifying impacts on river ecosystem biodiversity and stability. Our findings highlight the vulnerability of river ecosystems to extreme events and underscore the need to mitigate climate change’s effects on river ecosystems.

Worldwide rooftop photovoltaic electricity generation may mitigate global warming

Rooftop photovoltaic (RPV) is often understood as a niche contribution to climate change mitigation. However, the global potential of RPVs to mitigate global warming is unknown. Here we map the global rooftop area at 1-km resolution, quantifying 286,393 km2 of rooftops worldwide through geospatial data mining and artificial intelligence techniques. Using nine advanced Earth system models from the coupled model intercomparison project phase 6, we reveal that RPVs could substantially contribute to reducing global temperatures by 0.05–0.13 °C before 2050. Region-specific analysis underscores the variability in RPV potential and the necessity of tailored approaches to optimize RPV deployment, considering local solar resources, existing infrastructure and grid carbon intensity. Our findings reveal that leveraging RPV systems offers a viable and impactful strategy for reducing carbon footprints and combating climate change globally, while advocating targeted interventions to enhance the benefits of RPVs, particularly in areas with high solar radiation or rapid urbanization.

Uneven diffusion: a multi-scale analysis of rural settlement evolution and its driving forces in China from 2000–2020

In recent years, the spatial and temporal patterns of rural settlement expansion in China have shifted significantly due to rapid urbanization and industrialization. This study examines rural settlement expansion in China from 2000 to 2020, using the Landscape Expansion Index (LEI) and GIS spatial analysis to assess changes in land use scale and related factors. The findings reveal that: (1) From 2000 to 2020, China saw a rapid and large-scale expansion of rural settlements, with the total area increasing by 40,322.74 km², 87.42% of which resulted from outlying expansion, indicating a clear diffusion trend. (2) The movement of rural settlements has predominantly followed a southeast–northwest axis, focusing on the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, with a clockwise rotation shift. (3) Settlement expansion has been primarily concentrated in low-elevation, waterfront, and road-adjacent areas, where GDP per capita and population density significantly influence settlement patterns. These results offer valuable insights for optimizing the spatial distribution and industrial restructuring of rural settlements, as well as for guiding rural spatial planning and industrial policy development.

Responses

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *