AIM: For many applications in biodiversity and ecology, existing remote sensing‐derived land‐cover products have limitations due to among‐product inconsistency and their typically non‐continuous ...nature. Here we aim to help address these shortcomings by generating a 1‐km resolution global product that provides scale‐integrated and accuracy‐weighted consensus land‐cover information on an approximately continuous scale. LOCATION: Global. METHODS: Using a generalized classification scheme and an accuracy‐based integration approach, we integrated four global land‐cover products. We evaluated the performance of this product compared with inputs for estimating subpixel 30‐m resolution land cover. We also compared the accuracy of deductive and inductive species distribution models built with the different products for modelling the continental distributions of six avian habitat specialists. RESULTS: Our product offers accuracy‐weighted consensus information on the prevalence of 12 land‐cover classes within every nominal 1‐km pixel across the globe (except for Antarctica). Compared with the four base products, it better captures the land‐cover information contained in the fine‐grain validation data for all classes combined and for most individual classes. It also has the highest sensitivity and overall accuracy for detecting the presence of every fine‐grain land‐cover class. Both deductive and inductive models built with the consensus dataset have the highest or second highest accuracy for modelling bird species distributions. MAIN CONCLUSIONS: Our consensus product integrates the four base products and successfully maximizes accuracy and reduces errors of omission. Specifically, the consensus product reduces limitations caused by misclassifications, false absence rates and the categorical format of existing land‐cover products. Consequently, it surpasses single base products in the ability to capture subpixel land‐cover information and the utility for modelling species distributions. Both the presented methodology and the consensus product have multiple applications in biodiversity research and for understanding and modelling of global terrestrial ecosystems.
AIM: Habitat heterogeneity has long been recognized as a key landscape characteristic determining biodiversity patterns. However, a lack of standardized, large‐scale, high‐resolution and temporally ...updatable heterogeneity information based on direct observations has limited our understanding of this connection and its effective use for biodiversity conservation. To address this, we develop here remote sensing‐based metrics to characterize global habitat heterogeneity at 1‐km resolution and assess their value for biodiversity modelling. LOCATION: Global. METHODS: We develop 14 heterogeneity metrics (available at http://www.earthenv.org) based on the textural features of the enhanced vegetation index (EVI) imagery from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), and closely examine a complementary core set of six of these metrics. We evaluate their ability to provide fine‐grain habitat heterogeneity by comparing the heterogeneity information captured by them with that measured by 30‐m Landsat‐based land‐cover data. Using spatial autoregressive models, we then compare their utility with that of more conventional metrics (derived from topography or categorical land‐cover data) for modelling the species richness of bird communities across the conterminous United States based on Breeding Bird Survey data. RESULTS: The newly derived metrics capture different aspects of habitat heterogeneity and provide fine‐grain information for locations deemed homogeneous by traditional land‐cover classifications at both continental and global extents. Most of them strongly exceed conventional heterogeneity variables in capturing the spatial variation in bird species richness, with Homogeneity emerging as the strongest predictor. MAIN CONCLUSIONS: This study develops and validates the performance of readily usable metrics of textural measures capturing fine‐grain habitat heterogeneity. The presented metrics outperform conventional measures in capturing detailed spatial variation in habitats and in predicting key biodiversity patterns. They provide a rigorous and comparable basis for understanding heterogeneity–diversity relationships, and offer a powerful tool for monitoring and understanding the responses of biodiversity and ecosystems to the changing environment.
Ferroptosis is a new type of cell death that was discovered in recent years and is usually accompanied by a large amount of iron accumulation and lipid peroxidation during the cell death process; the ...occurrence of ferroptosis is iron-dependent. Ferroptosis-inducing factors can directly or indirectly affect glutathione peroxidase through different pathways, resulting in a decrease in antioxidant capacity and accumulation of lipid reactive oxygen species (ROS) in cells, ultimately leading to oxidative cell death. Recent studies have shown that ferroptosis is closely related to the pathophysiological processes of many diseases, such as tumors, nervous system diseases, ischemia-reperfusion injury, kidney injury, and blood diseases. How to intervene in the occurrence and development of related diseases by regulating cell ferroptosis has become a hotspot and focus of etiological research and treatment, but the functional changes and specific molecular mechanisms of ferroptosis still need to be further explored. This paper systematically summarizes the latest progress in ferroptosis research, with a focus on providing references for further understanding of its pathogenesis and for proposing new targets for the treatment of related diseases.
•PCMs integrated building envelope and equipment in 2004∼2017 are reviewed.•Melting temperature range of PCMs used for envelope is 10∼39°C.•Melting temperature range of PCMs used for equipment is ...−15.4∼77°C.•PCMs’ positive effects on energy saving and thermal comfort are demonstrated.•The existing gaps in the research works are identified and classified as 5 aspects.
Confronted with the crises of the growing resource shortages and continued deterioration of the environment, building energy performance improvement using phase change materials has received much attention in recent years. This review work provides an update on recent developments, 2004∼2017, in phase change materials used to optimize building envelope and equipment. Firstly, a review of building envelope optimization methods by integrating surrounding wall, roof, and floor with phase change materials, is given. This is followed by reporting articles on building equipment optimized with phase change materials to reduce regular energy consumption. Series of air cooling, heating, and ventilation systems coupled with thermal energy storage were comparatively investigated. Finally, the existing gaps in the research works on energy performance improvement with phase change materials were identified, and recommendations offered as authors’ viewpoints in 5 aspects. It was also found that the phase change temperature range of PCMs used was changed from 10∼39°C for envelope to −15.4∼77°C for equipment. We believe this comprehensive review might provide an overview of the analytical tools for scholars, engineers, developers, and policy designers, and shed new light on the designing and performance optimization for PCMs used in building envelope and equipment.
•Frost retarding and defrosting studies published in 2000–2017 are reviewed.•Two types of 12 frost retarding measures are classified and analyzed.•5 defrosting methods and 6 improvement methods are ...summarized.•Initiation and termination control strategies of defrosting operation are presented.•The existing gaps in the research works are identified and classified as 5 aspects.
Air source heat pump (ASHP) units have found worldwide applications due to their advantages of high energy efficient and environmental friendly. Frost deposition and accumulation on the surface of the outdoor coil in an ASHP unit is inevitable and always play significant negative effects. To accurately predict and control a frosting-defrosting cycle, the interrelated heat, mass, and momentum transport phenomena within frost, melted frost and at the air-frost interface, a moving boundary condition, should be clearly understood. This review paper focuses on the developments in frost retarding and defrosting investigations for ASHP units from 2000 to 2017. 12 frost retarding measures and 5 defrosting methods are firstly introduced, followed by 6 typical system optimization methods during reverse cycle defrosting. Alternative control strategies to start and end a defrosting operation are thereby presented. Basing on previous analysis, the existing gaps in the research works on frost retarding and defrosting are identified, and recommendations are finally offered as per the viewpoint of the present authors. This comprehensive and systematic review around an entire frosting-defrosting cycle might provide an overview of the analytical tools for scholars, researchers, product developers, and policy makers, and shed new light on the designing and performance optimization of ASHP units.
Cheatgrass (
Bromus tectorum
) is an invasive grass pervasive across the Intermountain Western US and linked to major increases in fire frequency. Despite widespread ecological impacts associated ...with cheatgrass, we lack a spatially extensive model of cheatgrass invasion in the Intermountain West. Here, we leverage satellite phenology predictors and thousands of field surveys of cheatgrass abundance to create regional models of cheatgrass distribution and percent cover. We compare cheatgrass presence to fire probability, fire seasonality and ignition source. Regional models of percent cover had low predictive power (34% of variance explained), but distribution models based on a threshold of 15% cover to differentiate high abundance from low abundance had an overall accuracy of 74%. Cheatgrass achieves ≥ 15% cover over 210,000 km
2
(31%) of the Intermountain West. These lands were twice as likely to burn as those with low abundance, and four times more likely to burn multiple times between 2000 and 2015. Fire probability increased rapidly at low cheatgrass cover (1–5%) but remained similar at higher cover, suggesting that even small amounts of cheatgrass in an ecosystem can increase fire risk. Abundant cheatgrass was also associated with a 10 days earlier fire seasonality and interacted strongly with anthropogenic ignitions. Fire in cheatgrass was particularly associated with human activity, suggesting that increased awareness of fire danger in invaded areas could reduce risk. This study suggests that cheatgrass is much more spatially extensive and abundant than previously documented and that invasion greatly increases fire frequency, even at low percent cover.
•A numerical study was conducted on a task/ambient air conditioning system.•The effects of supply vane angle on energy utilization was studied.•The effects of supply vane angle on thermal comfort was ...investigated.•TOPSIS method was effectively used for combined evaluation in buildings.•The best supply vane angle of 30° (EUC=1.28, DR=8.89) was obtained.
In subtropical area, air conditioning (A/C) is widely used to provide a suitable thermal indoor environment. During operation, many parameters or configurations may influence the performance of the A/C system. Among them, the supply vane angle is an important factor, which can influence the energy saving and thermal comfort level in the occupied zone, according to previously related studies. However, it was revealed that it was difficult to get a balance between these two aspects. Therefore, based on the previous study, this further study was conducted aiming to determine the suitable angle to achieve the best performance. Hence, the technique for order preferences by similarity to an ideal solution (TOPSIS) method was used to calculate the combined performance considering energy saving and thermal comfort. Finally, the best supply vane angle of 30°, with the energy utilization coefficient (EUC) and draft risk (DR) at the values of 1.28 and 8.89, was obtained, at which the A/C system achieved a medium energy saving performance and a lower draft risk. It’s indicated that using TOPSIS method can help tackle with conflicting effects for A/C systems in buildings.
Distributions of Earth's species are changing at accelerating rates, increasingly driven by human-mediated climate change. Such changes are already altering the composition of ecological communities, ...but beyond conservation of natural systems, how and why does this matter? We review evidence that climate-driven species redistribution at regional to global scales affects ecosystem functioning, human well-being, and the dynamics of climate change itself. Production of natural resources required for food security, patterns of disease transmission, and processes of carbon sequestration are all altered by changes in species distribution. Consideration of these effects of biodiversity redistribution is critical yet lacking in most mitigation and adaptation strategies, including the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals.
ABSTRACT
Climate change is driving a pervasive global redistribution of the planet's species. Species redistribution poses new questions for the study of ecosystems, conservation science and human ...societies that require a coordinated and integrated approach. Here we review recent progress, key gaps and strategic directions in this nascent research area, emphasising emerging themes in species redistribution biology, the importance of understanding underlying drivers and the need to anticipate novel outcomes of changes in species ranges. We highlight that species redistribution has manifest implications across multiple temporal and spatial scales and from genes to ecosystems. Understanding range shifts from ecological, physiological, genetic and biogeographical perspectives is essential for informing changing paradigms in conservation science and for designing conservation strategies that incorporate changing population connectivity and advance adaptation to climate change. Species redistributions present challenges for human well‐being, environmental management and sustainable development. By synthesising recent approaches, theories and tools, our review establishes an interdisciplinary foundation for the development of future research on species redistribution. Specifically, we demonstrate how ecological, conservation and social research on species redistribution can best be achieved by working across disciplinary boundaries to develop and implement solutions to climate change challenges. Future studies should therefore integrate existing and complementary scientific frameworks while incorporating social science and human‐centred approaches. Finally, we emphasise that the best science will not be useful unless more scientists engage with managers, policy makers and the public to develop responsible and socially acceptable options for the global challenges arising from species redistributions.
In the open and closed space environments, the influence of spacing on battery pack thermal runaway propagation is studied. The mechanism of thermal runaway propagation for the lithium-ion battery ...pack is analyzed. The experimental results show that when the state of charge (SOC) of the battery is 100%, and the spacing is greater than 2 mm in the horizontal direction and 8 mm in the vertical arrangement, battery pack thermal runaway propagation hardly occurs in an open environment. In a closed environment, there is less chance of uncontrolled heat transmission in batteries when the rate of increase in the battery temperature is less than 0.66 °C s
−1
. When the horizontal spacing is more than 4 mm or the vertical spacing of the battery is more than 8 mm in a closed environment, thermal runaway propagation cannot occur in the batteries. The research results provide some reference for the arrangement of lithium-ion battery packs in transportation and storage.
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