Understanding changes in water balance and land-atmosphere interaction under climate change is crucial for managing water resources in alpine regions, especially in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP). Evapotranspiration (ET), a key process in the land-atmosphere interaction, is influenced by permafrost degradation. As the active layer in permafrost regions deepens due to climate warming, the resulting shifts in surface hydrologic connectivity and water storage capacity affect vegetation's ability to access water, thereby influencing its growth and regulating ET dynamics, though the full complexity of this process remains unclear. This study employs the Budyko-Fu model to assess the spatiotemporal dynamics of ET and the ET ratio (the ratio of ET to precipitation) on the QTP from 1980 to 2100. While ET shows a continuous upward trend, the ET ratio exhibits a non-monotonic pattern, increasing initially and then decreasing. More than two-thirds of permafrost areas on the QTP surpassed the critical ET ratio threshold by 2023, under three emission scenarios. By 2100, nearly all areas are projected to reach the tipping point, with 97 % affected under the SSP5-8.5 scenario. Meadow and steppe regions are expected to encounter this threshold earlier, whereas forested areas will be less affected, with over 80 % unlikely to reach the tipping point by 2100. Basin-level differences are notable: nearly 90 % of the Qaidam basin exceeded the threshold before 2023, compared to less than 50 % in the Yangtze basin. By 2100, more than 80 % of regions in all basins are expected to cross the tipping point due to ongoing permafrost degradation. This study advances understanding of land-atmosphere interactions in alpine regions, providing critical insights for water resource management and improving extreme weather predictions.

Alpine tundra ecosystems, like their arctic counterparts, have historically been the sites of considerable soil organic carbon (SOC) storage due to climatic factors that suppressed microbial activity. While climatic factors are important, heterotopic soil respiration (and SOC storage) may be influenced by a range of soil characteristics. In this study, we measured soil respiration, soil temperature, soil moisture, soil nutrient concentrations, soil pH, and soil texture in 4 alpine tundra sites located in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, USA from June 2015 - September 2021. We also used geospatial modeling to visualize predicted climate changes in this system over the 21st century. Finally, we measured SOC concentrations over the seven-year study. We found that soil respiration was significantly correlated with soil temperature, soil moisture, and soil texture. All other parameters were not significantly correlated with soil respiration. We also found that SOC concentrations did not change significantly over the course of the seven-year study. The predictive models show that by the end of the century, over the majority of the park, the mean maximum air temperature will increase, the amount of snowfall will decrease, soil moisture will decrease, and the number of snow-free days will increase. These results suggest that SOC is not currently being lost from this system at a high rate. In addition, it appears that with a changing climate, soil respiration may increase with warming, but the overall increase may be limited by decreased soil moisture and in some cases, high soil temperatures.

Increasing drought stress due to climate warming has triggered various negative impacts on plantations in dryland areas, including growth reduction, crown dieback, and even tree mortality, with unavoidable consequences for forest ecosystems. However, how drought stress progressively led to the damage process from growth reduction to mortality for mature trees remains largely unclear, especially its varying soil moisture thresholds. Here we selected mature trees in larch (Larix principis-rupprechtii) plantations in the dryland areas of northwest China, and monitored the progressive tree responses in an extreme summer drought event in 2021, including transpiration, radial growth, leaf area index, discoloration, defoliation, crown dieback and tree mortality. The results showed strong responses of larch trees to summer drought, such as large stem shrinkage, dramatic decrease in transpiration and leaf area index, and obvious discoloration, defoliation, crown dieback and tree mortality at some sites. The intensity of tree responses mainly depended on soil moisture rather than meteorological factors and there were strong relationships between tree responses and relative soil water content (RSW) of 0-60 cm layers. Based on the trees responded to RSW, five soil drought stress levels or progressive mortality stages and their corresponding RSW thresholds were determined as following: no detectable hydraulic limitations (RSW>0.7, Level I), persistent stem shrinkage and onset of transpiration reduction (0.45<= 0.7, Level II), onset of slight discoloration and defoliation (0.35<= 0.45, Level III), onset of crown dieback and tree mortality (0.25<= 0.35, Level IV), and severe defoliation, crown dieback and tree mortality (RSW <= 0.25, Level V). This study showed that the trees responded to climatic drought were strongly regulated by soil moisture and thus were strongly site-specific. These findings will help to evaluate the degree and spatio-temporal distribution of tree damage and mortality in plantations under increasing climatic drought, particularly in dryland areas.

Study region: Indus Basin Study focus: Meteorological droughts can result in hydrological and soil moisture droughts with severe consequences for food production. In the Indus basin there are strong upstream-downstream linkages and upstream droughts may have strong downstream impacts. This study identifies periods of meteorological, hydrological and soil moisture drought in the Indus Basin for the period 1981-2010, analyses drought propagation and evaluates the role of meltwater in mitigating drought. We used outputs from a cryosphere-hydrology model (SPHY) and a crop-hydrology model (LPJmL), analysed the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI), the Standardized Streamflow Index (SSI), Soil Moisture Anomaly Index (SMAI) and crop yield, which are used as drought indicators to identify periods of drought, analyse drought propagation and its impacts. New hydrological insights for the region: Propagation of meteorological drought to hydrological drought and hydrological drought to soil moisture drought shows varied patterns and lag times. There were slightly more periods of soil moisture drought when meltwater was not available than when meltwater was available for irrigation. Our results show that identifying the link between soil moisture drought and yield anomaly remains challenging due to differences in temporal resolution of the data. Nevertheless, the results highlight the critical role of meltwater in mitigating yield variability, especially in the more downstream areas. This provides insight into the potential consequences of future cryosphere degradation for food production in the future.

The intrusion of petroleum into soil ecosystems causes severe environmental damage. A synergistic plant-microbe-electrochemical soil remediation technology offers a strategic and eco-friendly solution to address this issue. However, the significant mass transfer resistance in soil poses a major limitation for long-distance site remediation. This research introduces a novel technique that leverages water circulation driven by plant transpiration to facilitate the long-distance migration, adsorption, and electrochemical degradation of hydrocarbons. Experimental results demonstrate that the incorporation of Iris tectorum, polyurethane sponge (as an electrode support matrix), and water-retaining agents significantly enhanced soil water circulation, enabling the migration of soluble organic carbon over distances of up to 60 cm. Additionally, the application of a weak voltage (0.7 V) to the electrode further improved total organic carbon (TOC) removal, achieving a reduction of 193 +/- 71 mg/L. After 42 days of remediation, hydrological circulation accelerated the degradation of n-alkanes and aromatics, with removal efficiencies reaching 57 % and 44 %, respectively, within the 20-60 cm range in the microbial electrochemical cell (MEC) group. The functional microbiota, enriched with electroactive microorganisms, was effectively cultivated on the anode, with the total abundance of potential hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria increasing by 42 % compared to the control. Furthermore, a scalable configuration has been proposed, offering a novel perspective for multidimensional ecological soil remediation strategies.

The construction industry faces significant challenges, including the urgent need to minimize environmental impact and develop more efficient building methods. Additive manufacturing, commonly known as 3D-printing, has emerged as a promising solution due to its advantages, such as rapid fabrication, design flexibility, cost reduction, and enhanced safety. This technology enables the creation of structures from digital models through automated layering, presenting opportunities for mass production with innovative materials and architectural designs. This article focuses on developing eco-friendly earthen-based materials stabilized with 9 % cement and 2 % rice husk (RH) for large-scale 3D-printed construction. The raw materials were characterized using geotechnical tests for soil, water absorption tests for natural fibers, and SEM-EDS to examine their microstructure and elemental composition. Key properties such as rheology, printability (pumpability and extrudability), buildability, and compressive strength were evaluated to ensure the material's optimal performance in both fresh and hardened states. By utilizing locally sourced materials such as soil and rice husk, the mixture significantly reduces environmental impact and production costs, making it a sustainable alternative for large-scale 3D-printed construction. The material was integrated into architectural and digital fabrication techniques to construct a bioinspired housing prototype showcases the practical application of the developed material, demonstrating its scalability, adaptability, and suitability for innovative and costeffective real housing solutions. The article highlights the feasibility of using earthen-based materials for sustainable 3D-printed housing, thereby opening new possibilities for advancing greener construction practices in the future.

The tsunami in March 2011 heavily damaged the Pinus thunbergii Parlatore erosion-control coastal forests of northeastern Japan. The restoration is in process but has been challenged by waterlogging resulting from soil compaction of artificial growth bases. In this study, a pot experiment was conducted to elucidate the waterlogging responses of two-year-old P. thunbergii seedlings in terms of waterlogging duration. Three waterlogging durations were set (7 days, 17 days, and 32 days, water table at soil surface) during August, followed by a waterlogging-free recovery period (28 days) in September. In this experiment, the responses of both above- and belowground organs during waterlogging and after the release from waterlogging were elucidated, focusing on parameters, such as transpiration and photosynthesis rates, as well as fine root growth and morphology. As a result, we found that under the conditions of our experiment, if the waterlogging duration is within 17 days, P. thunbergii seedlings can recover physiological activity in about a week; however, if the waterlogging duration is over 32 days, recovery after the release from waterlogging largely varied among seedlings. For the seedlings that could recover, recovery took at least 2 weeks, which required new fine root growth. In cases where the damage was irreversible, seedlings showed an overall decline. These results suggest that it is important to manage the waterlogging conditions so that P. thunbergii seedlings can recover without prolonged negative effects.

Agricultural drought is a natural and damaging phenomenon that is especially harmful to rainfed agriculture. It occurs when there is insufficient soil moisture in the root zone for plants to survive between two rainfall events. In the absence of soil moisture, a variety of losses, including soil evaporation and plant transpiration, cause an imbalance between water supply and water loss. An evapotranspiration-based index was used here to assess agricultural drought. We applied this framework to a less studied area near Fariman City in the northeast part of IRAN. Two time periods were selected for comparison including 2015 and 2016 spring season that are associated with dry and wet conditions, respectively. To calculate the drought index, actual and potential evapotranspiration were estimated by the Surface Energy Balance Algorithm for Land (SEBAL), the upgraded Priestley-Taylor method and remote sensing data. The Relative Water Deficit Index (RWDI) illustrated that lack of water in rainfed lands and pastures for the dry period was obtained from 80 to 100 percent, whereas this was between 50 and 70% for the wet period.

The extensive use of petroleum-based plastics has resulted in critical energy and environmental challenges, driving the pursuit of sustainable and biodegradable bioplastics as ideal alternatives. However, the development of functional bioplastics with superior mechanical strength, water stability, and thermal stability remains a formidable challenge. Herein, inspired by the nacre, a cellulose-based bioplastic was designed with a unique layered architecture and enhanced interfacial interactions,achieved through the self-assembly of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and nano-montmorillonite, while simultaneously forming a chemically and physically double-crosslinked network under the action of TiO2 nanoparticles and citric acid. The resulting bioplastic demonstrated excellent mechanical performance, with the tensile strength reaching 106.83 MPa, representing a 220.09 % improvement over pure CMC-based bioplastic and surpassing the tensile strength of other CMC-based films. Alongside mechanical prowess, it exhibited exceptional water resistance (water absorption reduced to 42.88 %), thermal stability and UV shielding. Furthermore, it was biodegradable and environmentally benign, capable of achieving complete degradation in the soil within three months. This biomimetic strategy provided a novel approach for developing competitive cellulose-based bioplastics, offering a promising alternative to petroleum-derived plastics for everyday applications.

The study applies the Minimum Impact Design Standards (MIDS) calculator to assess urban trees' effectiveness in reducing surface runoff along five flood-prone streets in Hue City, analyzing evapotranspiration, rainfall interception, and infiltration, along with Leaf Area Index (LAI), Canopy Projection (CP), tree pit size, and soil structure. Results show that urban trees retain 1,132.39 m(3) of stormwater, but runoff reduction is not solely dependent on tree quantity. Although tree numbers vary 1.56 to 3.8 times, runoff reduction differs only 1.39 to 1.79 times. Evapotranspiration plays the largest role, contributing 2.8 times more than interception and 2.6 times more than infiltration. Small tree pits and compacted soil limit infiltration, while pruning and height reduction decrease Pc and LAI, reducing flood mitigation benefits. Annual storm damage further weakens this capacity. To enhance effectiveness, the study suggests prioritizing storm-resistant species, increasing tree numbers, enlarging tree pits, and using structured soil. Implementing these measures can improve urban flood resilience and maximize trees' hydrological benefits. Future research should focus on optimizing tree selection and planting strategies for long-term flood management in urban areas, ensuring sustainable solutions that enhance both stormwater control and environmental resilience.