Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Characterizing Dryland Surface Hydrological Dynamics Using Ecohydrological Modeling and Geophysical Observations

The two greatest challenges facing dryland ecosystems are: 1) recent and rapid changes in land use and 2) the predicted e↵ects due to climate change, which have potentially devastating consequences on the 2.5 billion people living in drylands around the world. The situation is particularly sensitive in sub-Saharan Africa, where 800 million people are reliant on local crop and animal agricultural food production. The following dissertation will address three main objectives: 1) providing research that focuses on agricultural systems where a direct coupling exists between the natural distribution of vegetation and livestock instead of crop based agricultural systems, 2) advancing the theoretical understanding of the organization of dryland vegetation patterns by developing novel ecohydrologic models, 3) advancing geophysical methods towards providing hydrological datasets at novel spatial and temporal scales in drylands. In Chapters 2 and 5, two novel ecohydrologic models are developed that utilize the resource tradeo↵ hypothesis on the organization of dryland vegetation patterns. Chapter 2 presents changes in the regional distribution of woody species in central Kenya varying rainfall patterns. Model results of future rainfall scenarios indicate expansion of the most drought tolerant species and reduction of the species with the highest water use. Chapter 5 presents results from a spatially explicit ecohydrological model used to understand the spatial patterns of vegetation on hillslopes. The model results suggest a switch in optimal vegetation patterns, from highly organized vegetation clusters to a random distribution of vegetation, by varying two model parameters that control the length scales of plant water facilitation and competition. Chapters 3 and 4 each present novel soil moisture datasets collected with di↵erent geophysical methods. In Chapter 3, direct-current resistivity is used to collect high-temporal resolution soil moisture measurements in a tank laboratory setting. The dataset sup-
The effectiveness of deep placement of fertilisers is determined by crop species and edaphic conditions in Mediterranean-type environments: a review.

Much of our knowledge of plant growth in response to soil nutrient supply comes from studies under homogeneous soil conditions. However, the adoption of reduced or nil tillage and shallow banding of fertilisers at the time of seeding causes spatially variable distribution and availability of soil nutrients in agricultural lands. Soil available nutrients, particularly the poorly mobile ones such as phosphorus (P), potassium (K), zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn), and copper (Cu), stratify within the fertilised topsoil. In water-limited environments where the topsoil is prone to drying, soil nutrient stratification may influence nutrient availability and plant uptake because of impeded root growth or reduced diffusion of immobile nutrients to the root surface, or more likely a combination of both factors. Placing fertilisers deeper in the soil profile could increase nutrient acquisition and utilisation by plants as fertiliser nutrients are in the moist soil for a longer part of the growing season. However, the effectiveness of deep placement of fertilisers may also be determined by soil texture, tillage, fertilising history, nutrient mobility, and crop species. In Mediterranean-type climates of southern Australia, a yield response of winter crops to deep fertiliser mostly occurs on infertile sandy soils in low rainfall regions. This contrasts with the responses of winter and summer crops in northern Australia on soils with optimum-to-high nutrients but subjected to rapid and frequent drying of topsoil because of high temperatures and high evaporation demand during the growing season. The pattern of nutrient accumulation by crop species (indeterminate v. determinate) and the mobility of mineral nutrients in the phloem would also modify the effectiveness of deep-placed nutrients under drought. The complexity of plant responses to subsoil nutrition may suggest that before adopting deep fertiliser practice in a paddock it is essential to understand the effects of edaphic and climatic conditions, soil management, and plant-soil interactions in order to achieve maximum yield benefit.
Climatic control of trace fossil distribution in the marine realm

Abstract Modern coastal and shoreface faunas exhibit strong latitude (climate) controlled distributions. In contrast, most ichnotaxa are long-ranging, and ichnofacies are widely distributed geographically. This is readily explained by the dominantly warmer and more equable climates of much of the past, as well as the diversity of the producers of most ichnotaxa. Nevertheless, in the Pleistocene, and in the Eocene, cool-water ichnofabrics can be recognized. The latitudinal distributions of thalassinidean crustaceans and infaunal spatangoid echinoids are examined because of their propensity to form distinctive and often abundant trace fossils. Three climatic zones are tentatively recognized from modern shore and shoreface sediments, and which are considered to extend back to the Mesozoic: tropical and subtropical with pellet-lined burrows (Ophiomorpha), echinoid burrows and other traces; temperate with echinoid burrows and mud-lined or non-lined thalassinidean burrows (Thalassinoides), but without Ophiomorpha; and arctic (cold waters) with only a molluscan and annelid trace fossil association. Examples demonstrating this climatic trend are drawn from the Cenozoic and Pleistocene.
Effect of Different Coverings on Soil Temperature and Soil Moisture Content in Cotton Field in Xinjiang

Effects of different coverings on soil temperature and soil moisture content,which are the important environmental factors affecting cotton growth are different.After measuring soil temperature under different coverings,it is found that the temperature increase of soil covered with plastic film occurs mainly at the early stage of cotton growth,and soil temperature can be increased by 0.9~2.3 ℃ at different covering modes in May.Temperature of soil covered with straw is 3.6~6.5 ℃ lower than that without covering.The maximum daily change extent and depth of soil temperature can be fitted into a logarithmic function,and there is a good correlation between them.Both plastic film mulch and straw mulch have good water retention in soil.Moisture content of soil covered with narrow and wide plastic film,completely covered with plastic film and with straw can be increased by 0.15%~5.01%,0.19%~5.26%,1.34%~7.71% and 0.47%~4.55% respectively.There is almost no effect of straw mulch on cotton plant height,but the effect of plastic film on increasing cotton plant height is significant.
Remnants of Viking Age Tundra in Spitsbergen and Northern Scandinavia

Fossil tundra fragments consisting chiefly of moss (Rhacomitrium lanuginosum 60 ? /0, Dicranum 20 0/0) were found in the forefield of Werenskioldbreen during the glaciological investigations of the Polish Scientific Spitsbergen Expedition. The vegetation formed a cover about 5 cm thick and occurred between two till layers. The samples taken for radiocarbon analysis in 1973 came from a position 25 m a.s. l. , located about 450 m from the glacier front. In 1957 the fossil tundra was still completely covered by ice. The average age of the whole stratum was dated to 1080 ? 105 years B.P. (St-4695). The age of the upper part of this layer was dated to 760 ? 145 years B.P. (Gd-264), and the lower part to 1565 ? 235 (St-5068). Tundra fragments of similar age (I-7578: 1095 ? 85 years B.P.) have also been found between two till layers at the front of Arjep Ruotesjekna in Swedish Lapland. The results indicate that during the Viking Age Spitsbergen and northern Scandinavia experienced a warm period with distinct glacier retraction and welldeveloped tundra on the glacier forefields. This period was preceded by a marked, long-lasting glacier advance and followed by an equally extensive, but shorter advance.
Exposure to low levels of hydrogen sulphide and its impact on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung function in the geothermal area of Mt. Amiata in Italy: The cross-sectional InVETTA study

Background The geothermal power plants for electricity production currently active in Italy are all located in Mt. Amiata area in the Tuscany region. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in the framework of the regional project “InVETTA—Biomonitoring Survey and Epidemiological Evaluations for the Protection of Health in the Amiata Territories”, using objective measures of lung function to investigate the role of hydrogen sulphide (H2S) in affecting the respiratory health of the population living in this area. Methods 2018 adults aged 18–70 were enrolled during 2017–2019. Home and workplace addresses of participants were geocoded. Dispersion modelling was used to evaluate the spatial variability of exposure to H2S from the geothermal power plants’ emissions. We estimated average long-term historical exposure to H2S and more recent exposure indicators. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) was defined according to the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD). Multivariable logistic regressions were performed to investigate associations between outcome and exposure. Results Our findings did not showed any evidence of an association between increasing H2S exposure and lung function impairments. Some risk reductions were observed: a -32.8% (p = 0.003) for FEV1<80% and a -51.7% (p = 0.001) risk decrease for FVC<80% were associated with interquartile increase (13.8 μg/m3) of H2S levels. Conclusion Our study provides no evidence that chronic exposure to low levels of H2S is associated with decrements in pulmonary function, suggesting that ambient H2S exposure may benefit lung function.
BLURRING BOUNDARIES: THE GROWING VISIBILITY, EVOLVING FORMS AND COMPLEX IMPLICATIONS OF PRIVATE SUPPLEMENTARY TUTORING

Recent decades have brought intensication of wha t in some settings has been called the shadow education system of suppleme ntary private tutoring. Pupils in regular fee-free public schools attend supplementar y fee-paying classes after school, at week-ends and during vacations. This practice is especially evident during the period leading up to major examinations, but for some pupi ls occurs at all levels of education systems. The practice blurs conceptual boundaries: it is no longer a question of public or private education, but increasingly a question o f public and private education. The practice has long been ingrained in the cultures of East Asia, and is now increasingly evident in West and Central Asia, in Europe, in North America, and in Africa. Moreover, new types of tutoring over the internet are being provided across national boundaries. In this respect, tutoring is blurring geographic bo undaries. This paper describes and analyses the phenomenon. It notes that di erent types of tutoring dominate in di erent cultures and income groups, and remarks on the forces of technology and globalisation. Shadow education brings complex implications for policy-makers and practitioners. It has positive as well as negative dimensions, and requires sophisticated analysis and greater attention from researchers in both East and West, and North and South.
A whole‐basin study of sediment accumulation using stable lead isotopes and flyash particles in an acidified lake, Sweden

Using analyses of lead concentrations, lead isotopes (206Pb/207Pb), and spheroidal carbonaceous flyash particles (SCP), we studied sediment accumulation patterns in the acidified lake Haärsvatten in southwest Sweden. After determining the natural background 206Pb/207Pb ratio (1.5) in deeper sediments in long sediment cores from three basins in the lake, we applied an isotope mixing model to quantify pollution Pb accumulation in 46 gravity cores. The mean pollution Pb inventory in the cores was 2.6 g m−2 (range, 0.3–11 g m−2). Although some variation in Pb concentrations can be explained by loss on ignition (LOI) and water depth (together, R2adj = 0.33), there is no relationship between pollution Pb inventories and these variables. Contrary to the traditional model of sediment focusing, where higher accumulations of pollutants are expected in deeper waters, the highest inventories for pollution Pb and SCP are generally found at shallow sites (<4 m water depth) and not in the three deep basins of the lake (10, 12, and 24 m deep). Furthermore, the model for sediment focusing, which may be appropriate for describing the physical building of sediments in a lake basin, may be inappropriate for describing the specific processes controlling the distribution of pollutants in a lake basin of this type.
Doing what matters in times of stress: No-nonsense meditation and occupational well-being in COVID-19

While the COVID-19 pandemic challenged the general public’s health and well-being, it exacerbated the pre-existing well-being issues in the educational sector in many countries. Mindfulness-based interventions are often applied to protect and promote occupational well-being. To investigate how the well-being benefits of these interventions arise, we selected one accessible technique that is used in most of them: focused attention meditation. In the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, 199 teachers voluntarily practiced five to ten minutes of meditation together with their pupils, every morning for six months. We employed a three-wave longitudinal design to follow any changes in the meditating teachers’ well-being and compared these changes to a waitlist control condition of 42 teachers. Three dimensions of well-being were measured at baseline, half-time, and post-intervention: emotional, cognitive, and physical well-being. Latent growth curve models revealed that the meditation technique not only improves well-being but also prevents the development of well-being problems. The practice of focused attention meditation resulted in improvements in emotional and physical well-being and prevented the development of cognitive well-being problems that were observed within the control condition. The effects were strongest for emotional and cognitive well-being and followed a linear trend. This paper shows that the well-being effects of mindfulness-based interventions are at least in part due to the focused attention meditation that is practiced in them. Occupational groups that experience emotional, cognitive, or physical well-being issues can benefit from a few minutes of focused attention meditation per day.
Remote Forcing versus Local Feedback of East Pacific Intraseasonal Variability during Boreal Summer

AbstractDuring boreal summer (June–October), interactions between intraseasonal variability in the Eastern Hemisphere and east Pacific warm pool are often described as a local amplification of the Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO), the dominant mode of tropical intraseasonal variability. The MJO in the Eastern Hemisphere emits eastward-propagating dry Kelvin waves that are a source of rapid communication with the east Pacific. However, the precise mechanism by and degree to which intraseasonal variability in the Eastern Hemisphere interacts with the east Pacific are not well understood. To quantify the relationship, sensitivity tests in two separate models are used: the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) Community Atmosphere Model (CAM) and the International Pacific Research Center Regional Atmosphere Model (IRAM). Different methods are employed to isolate the east Pacific from outside intraseasonal signals in each model. When isolated from Kelvin wave fronts associated with the MJO, the CAM pr.
PREDATOR-PREY RELATIONSHIPS AND REPRODUCTION OF THE BARN OWL IN SOUTHERN TEXAS'

HIS study was designed to reveal the ecological interactions existing T between the food habits and breeding of Barn Owls (Tyto alba) in southern Texas. Specific areas of investigation included determination of (a) Barn Owl food habits, (b) relative abundance of prey populations, and (c) Barn Owl nesting biology. Certain portions of the study began in 1965, whereas intensive field work was initiated and continued in 1969 through 1971.
Measurements of the aerosol and ice crystal populations in tropical stratospheric cumulonimbus anvils

A pair of particle size spectrometers was flown aboard the NASA U-2 operating from the Canal Zone to make measurements of the aerosol and ice crystal budgets in cirrus produced by thunderstorms in the tropics. Measurements indicate that fairly large crystals up to 1 mm in size are injected into the stratosphere during cumulonimbus activity. Ice water contents range from a few thousandths to a few hundredths of a gram per cubic meter. Because the ambient temperature is typically around −80°C the mass of the larger crystals largely returns to lower altitudes before evaporating. Aerosol size distributions indicate a curious narrow growth mode between 0.15 and 0.2 µm in cirrus anvils which is absent outside these clouds. The presence of this narrow mode is attributed to near water saturation produced at cloud top. Nucleation of new ice crystals as well as aerosol is hypothesized.
On the significant impact of the moderate geomagnetic disturbance of March 2008 on the equatorial ionization anomaly region over Indian longitudes

[1] The response of the equatorial and low-latitude ionosphere plasmasphere system to the moderate geomagnetic disturbance of March 2008 is the subject of this paper. This study for the first time reports large plasmaspheric electron content modulation at equatorial and low-latitude regions over India during a moderate geomagnetic disturbance. This paper also presents, for the first time, five station tomograms encompassing the entire EIA region and unequivocally demonstrates the effectiveness of tomographic technique in investigating storm-induced modulations of the equatorial ionization anomaly. The present study has been carried out using the total electron content values derived from GPS and Coherent Radio Beacon Experiment (CRABEX) data over Indian longitudes, ionosonde data at Trivandrum (8.5°N, 77°E) and Delhi (28°N, 78°E), and the geomagnetic field data from Trivandrum and Alibag.
A diatom–conductivity transfer function for reconstructing past changes in the Southern Hemisphere westerly winds over the Southern Ocean

Sub‐Antarctic islands are ideally placed to reconstruct past changes in Southern Hemisphere westerly wind behaviour. They lie within their core belt (50–60°S) and the strong winds deliver sea salt ions to the islands resulting in a west to east conductivity gradient in their water bodies. This means that the stronger (or weaker) the winds, the higher (or lower) the conductivity values measured in the water bodies. A survey of the water chemistry and diatom assemblages of lakes and ponds on sub‐Antarctic Campbell Island (52°32′S, 169°8′E) revealed that, similar to other sub‐Antarctic islands, conductivity was the most important, statistically significant ecological variable explaining turnover in diatom community structure. Based on this, a diatom–conductivity transfer function was developed (simple weighted averaging with inverse deshrinking: R2 = 0.86, R2jack = 0.66, RMSEP = 0.25 log10 μS cm−1). This transfer function will be applied to lake sediment cores from the western edge of the Campbell Island plateau to reconstruct past conductivity/sea spray and therefore directly reconstruct changes in Southern Hemisphere westerly wind strength within their core belt.
Submarine Geomorphology of the Continental Shelf off Southeast Florida Based on Interpretation of Airborne Laser Bathymetry

Abstract Airborne laser bathymetry (ALB) is a new laser bathymetric survey tool that has applicability in clear coastal (Case II) waters to depths of −70 m. The new sounding technique features rapid acquisition of large, high-quality data sets via variable swath widths that are independent of water depth. This advanced ALB system was deployed along the continental shelf of southeast Florida (Palm Beach, Broward, and Miami-Dade Counties), providing a contiguous data set for 160 km of coast from onshore to 6 km offshore. Image enhancement of the ALB digital data facilitates recognition of numerous seafloor features and bathymetric patterns. Bathymetric analysis of the 600-km2 survey area on the continental shelf shows inherited lithologic features that are partly covered by surficial sediments. Primary parabathic (shore-parallel) provinces include: (1) nearshore rocky zones dominated by the Anastasia Formation, (2) coral-algal reef systems (Florida Reef Tract [FRT]), and (3) marine platforms (terraces). Sedimentary subprovinces include shoreface sands, interreefal sedimentary infills (coral rubble in basal sequences and near reef gaps), and finer-grained materials seaward of coral reefs. Tertiary topographic features include: (1) longshore bar and trough systems, shoals, sand sheets (flats), and diabathic (cross-shore) channels; (2) reef crests and ledges, forereef spur-and-groove topography, sediment ramps in large reef gaps, and incised paleo-river channels; and (3) drowned karst topography. Hierarchical organization (classification and mapping) of these bathymetric features is now possible for the first time because of the increased accuracy and density of ALB data. These data and related maps allow, for the first time, assessment of links between the influence of seabed morphology on wave transformation patterns and beach morphodynamics in southeast Florida.
Aircraft‐type dependency of contrail evolution

The impact of aircraft type on contrail evolution is assessed using a large eddy simulation model with Lagrangian ice microphysics. Six different aircraft ranging from the small regional airliner Bombardier CRJ to the largest aircraft Airbus A380 are taken into account. Differences in wake vortex properties and fuel flow lead to considerable variations in the early contrail geometric depth and ice crystal number. Larger aircraft produce contrails with more ice crystals (assuming that the number of initially generated ice crystals per kilogram fuel is constant). These initial differences are reduced in the first minutes, as the ice crystal loss during the vortex phase is stronger for larger aircraft. In supersaturated air, contrails of large aircraft are much deeper after 5 min than those of small aircraft. A parameterization for the final vertical displacement of the wake vortex system is provided, depending only on the initial vortex circulation and stratification. Cloud resolving simulations are used to examine whether the aircraft‐induced initial differences have a long‐lasting mark. These simulations suggest that the synoptic scenario controls the contrail cirrus evolution qualitatively. However, quantitative differences between the contrail cirrus properties of the various aircraft remain over the total simulation period of 6 h. The total extinctions of A380‐produced contrails are about 1.5 to 2.5 times higher than those from contrails of a Bombardier CRJ.