Kinga Kulesza’s Post

In this changing climate how can we be sure we’re choosing the best tree species to plant in our streets, parks and gardens? As PhD Candidate Patricia Torquato showed at the National Street Tree Symposium last September, ‘It’s not as easy as you think’. Climate modelling helps but it doesn’t tell the full story because resilience varies through species’ life cycles and they adopt different strategies to survive extreme conditions. It’s impossible to make good species selection decisions without reliable information, so what is Patricia’s advice? Plant more trials, keep good records, and share the data! This excerpt from Patricia's presentation gives more information https://lnkd.in/dM6abUV8 To view the full detail see the Treenet website: https://lnkd.in/dmZPK62k #streettreeselection #canopycover #streettree #urbantree #urbanforest

Highly recommended book:  On Fire: The Case for the Green New Deal - Naomi Klein Naomi Klein examines the climate crisis as a profound political challenge, tackling issues such as the conflict between ecology and our culture of ‘short-term profit’, the dazzling story of humans rapidly changing and evolving in the face of grave threats, this book is a vibrant call to action for a planet on the brink. This book was published in 2019, before COVID and all the current catastrophic events (floods, hottest months on record, droughts, etc.) On Fire captures the searing urgency of the climate crisis, as well as the fiery energy of a rising political movement demanding a Green New Deal.

Zoogeochemistry: A New Field of Study This emerging field studies how animals alter the chemistry of their surroundings. This area of study researches into how animals shape the cycling of nutrients and the flow of carbon in and out of their ecosystems. Through everyday activities such as foraging, waste deposition, and seeking relief in water bodies, animals wield considerable influence on their surroundings, sometimes even affecting the emission of greenhouse gases. Despite being in its nascent stages, this field has already observed shifts in animal behavior due to the disruption of longstanding temperature and precipitation patterns caused by climate change. Gathering data on the impacts driven by different species could equip ecologists with valuable insights to better reconcile efforts in mitigating climate change and restoring ecosystems. #environmentalchemistry #climatechange #animals Photo description: This photo was taken by my friend nearly 12 years ago during a day spent at a ranch in South Carolina, USA.

🚨 NEW PAPER ALERT 🚨 Chang Liu and Koenraad Van Meerbeek applied joint species distribution models (SDM) to explore the responses of grassland communities in Europe to climate and land cover change under different future scenarios. Check out the interesting article below! https://lnkd.in/eGnGbuPZ

In an astonishing bulletin in the Guardian, we learn this evening that Alaskan rivers are turning orange. As frozen ground below the surface melts, exposed minerals such as iron are giving streams a rusty colour and they now pose a risk to wildlife. +++ A paper by Jonathan O'Donnell, entitled: "Metal mobilization from thawing permafrost to aquatic ecosystems is driving rusting of Arctic streams", has just been published to the Nature network. The paper presents an emergent threat to Arctic watersheds based on observations from 75 streams in Alaska’s Brooks Range that recently turned orange, reflecting increased loading of iron and toxic metals. Link to original research (open access) : https://lnkd.in/eG94bDd9 +++ The permafrost thaw exposes minerals to oxygen in a process known as weathering, which increases the acidity of the water and dissolves metals like zinc, copper, cadmium and iron – the most apparent metal that gives the rivers a rusty color visible even from satellite images. The study highlights the potential degradation of drinking water and risk to fisheries in the Arctic. “When mixed with another river, it can actually make the metals even more potent [in its] impact to aquatic health.” The phenomenon was first observed in 2018, when researchers noticed the milky orange appearance of the rivers across northern Alaska’s Brooks Range, a stark contrast to the crystal clear waters seen the year prior. Within the year, a tributary of the Akillik River in Kobuk Valley National Park saw the complete loss of two local fish species: the Dolly varden and the Slimy sculpin. +++ It is clear that the First Nations' prophesies are coming true. This is the #Koyaanisqatsi. If you never saw Geoffrey Reggio's film, I recommend it, especially if you appreciate the music of Phillip Glass. I am reminded how we would go to our local Arts Theatre on Friday nights for the late-night screening of #Koyaanisqatsi. That was back in the mid 80's. I was a grad student at the time, all this seemed so far away. I am grateful that researchers at the National Park Service, US Geological Survey and University of California Davis are trying to better understand the long-term implications of the changing water chemistry in places with continuous permafrost. “It’s an area that’s warming at least two to three times faster than the rest of the planet,” said Scott Zolkos, an Arctic scientist at Woodwell Climate Research Center who was not involved in the study. “So we can expect these types of effects to continue.” +++ As I reread all this, I wonder what we have unleashed? I think if it were up to (semi)rational humans we might have a chance to change. When the whole biz is run by markets and algorithms finely attuned to profit maximisation, I think we need a serious (re)Think. #permafrost #thawing #orangerivers #Alaska #climatechange https://lnkd.in/eV7eMJP9

Finally the great paper "Five decades of ecological and meteorological data enhance the mechanistic understanding of global change impacts on the treeline ecotone in the European Alps" by Lechler et al. (I'm part of the "al.") has been published! It has been a lot of work to prepare this dataset but it is now out for all to use. So don't waste any time, go to https://lnkd.in/gJ2c38bN and enjoy!

Call for papers : BACK TO FROZEN EARTH: PERMAFROST IN SOCIAL THEORY AND BEYOND CONFERENCE - Before November, 15th. Conference dates: 17-18 June 2025 Conference location: Sciences Po (Paris) Submission: anastasiya.halauniova@sciencespo.fr Submission deadline: November, 15th, 2024 Results: End of January 2025 If permafrost could once be seen as a silent backdrop to human life, the current ecological crisis troubles that notion. In the context of ecological devastation, permafrost is gaining new visibility. Yet, contemporary discussions around permafrost tend to present it as an environmental threat first and foremost, privileging the view of permafrost as a force that accelerates climate change and disrupts sociomaterial worlds built on its surface. In the words of anthropologist Susan Alexandra Crate, “we all live on permafrost” (2021), but the permafrost we live on is storied as barely livable... https://bit.ly/3BMGSkL #environment #ecology #permafrost Sciences Po Research Anastasiya Halauniova

For our first assignment in my GIS for environmental analysis class at Georgetown, we had to find a map that interested us and share it here. The map below, from Rickbeil et al., 2019, shows the migratory pathways of nine elk herds within and around Yellowstone National Park. The researchers found that the seasonal timing of elk migration relied on temperature, snowfall, and forage conditions and showed the ability to change with changing climatic conditions. The study highlighted migration as a critical component of elk resilience to climate change. This map emphasizes the vast range of elk migration and the expanse of public and private lands that they migrate through. Conservation of the lands utilized during elk migration requires the participation of multiple stakeholders and a multifaceted approach. This map highlights the extensive cooperation that must occur to ensure the conservation of this charismatic ungulate species. Rickbeil, Gregory JM, et al. "Plasticity in elk migration timing is a response to changing environmental conditions." Global change biology 25.7 (2019): 2368-2381.

After taking a few weeks off to clear my head in Ireland, I'm excited to be back to share this culminating PhD thesis paper! The paper demonstrates the planning potential of Q+PPGIS (a novel method that combines Q-method and Public participation GIS) in the Huon Valley coastalscape. Working closely with Jason Byrne and Vanessa Adams, we found that: • Risk-value discourses can be used to develop alternative geospatial analysis approaches. • Our Adjusted Land Classification, which incorporates wilderness, industry, and accessibility, provides a deeper understanding of place. • Individuals with a preference for wilderness do not necessarily perceive wilderness in wild areas (e.g., forestry). • Spatial risk perceptions are informed by both coastalscape values and risk discourses, adding to the complexity of how we plan in places. • Managing coastal socio-ecological systems requires deep community understandings. Ultimately, our research demonstrates a methodological approach that will, at best, lead to reduced conflict over contentious decisions or, at minimum, offer a pathway to better communicate planning and management actions, showing how they reflect the many worldviews within coastal socio-ecological systems. University of Tasmania & Centre for Marine Socioecology

This is my first first-author publication, and one I am super excited to share. Night-time light pollution continues to grow with increasing human population growth and use of LED lights, and has increasing impacts on terrestrial and marine species. Nevertheless, studies on the impacts of light pollution in marine ecosystems reman limited. Additionally, while our ocean environments are often now exposed to multiple stressors, such as ocean warming and artificial light at night, the majority of studies continue to focus on single stressor experiments. Here, we manipulated both artificial light and temperature to investigate impacts on sea urchin grazing and growth rates, with important implications for coastal management.