Crop rotation analysis is fundamental to understanding agricultural landscape dynamics, yet the complexity of multi-annual, spatially explicit agricultural data presents significant analytical challenges. A key difficulty lies in tracking field parcels whose boundaries change over time through administrative splits, mergers, or reorganizations. This process requires robust spatial intersection approaches that can reconcile multi-temporal polygon geometries. Here, we present CropRotationViz, an open-source R package that provides a detailed framework for processing, analyzing, and visualizing crop rotation patterns across multiple spatial and temporal scales. The package implements a modular architecture consisting of (i) a spatial processing pipeline with automated data validation, crop nomenclature standardization through a customizable crop classification aggregation tool, and geometric handling of temporal field boundary changes through multi-year polygon intersection, (ii) interactive multi-annual flow and diversity visualizations, including Sankey diagram and structural diversity mapping, and environmental context integration, and (iii) three distinct visualization interfaces optimized for different analytical needs: a dynamic rendering mode for detailed exploration, a pre-rendered fast visualization mode for rapid regional comparisons, and a field-level interface for individual parcel inspection. The framework bridges complex geospatial data processing and user-friendly visualization through a dual-access architecture offering both graphical user interfaces and a programmatic API, making advanced crop rotation analysis accessible to researchers and practitioners across disciplines. Privacy-preserving spatial aggregation to administrative or hydrological boundaries enables analysis of sensitive field-level data while producing outputs suitable for stakeholder distribution. The framework is validated using 7 years of field-level crop data from two German federal states, encompassing approximately 2.8 million hectares and over 200,000 parcels annually, processed in under 1 hour on standard hardware. Applied to these data, the framework reveals that soil potential alone explains 61% of the variance in structural crop rotation diversity, highlighting the decisive role of edaphic constraints in shaping agricultural management.
The intensification of moist heat extremes under global warming represents a critical hazard to human health and ecosystem stability. However, the distinct spatiotemporal evolutionary patterns of moist heatwaves (MHWs; relative humidity ≥40%) versus extreme moist heatwaves (EMHWs; relative humidity ≥70%) across different latitudinal zones remain insufficiently understood. Utilizing ERA5 reanalysis data, this study presents a comprehensive analysis of the latitudinal characteristics of MHWs and EMHWs over the Northern Hemisphere land during 1950–2023. By contrasting historical (1950–1979) and recent (1994–2023) periods, we quantify changes in event number, affected area, and duration. MHW occurrence exhibits a pronounced nonlinear acceleration, with the strongest increases concentrated in continental monsoon regions. Although tropical regions show substantial increases in both affected area and duration, mid-latitude regions exhibit particularly prominent changes, characterized by marked increases in MHW event number, affected area, and duration. Emerging MHW hotspots are evident across the Mediterranean coast, Northeast China, and the southeastern United States. Due to the stringent formation conditions of EMHWs, these events rarely occur in high-latitude regions. Despite relatively limited changes in their broad spatial distribution, EMHWs have intensified substantially in terms of event number and duration. Their spatial expansion is predominantly concentrated in the low-to-mid latitude monsoon regions of the Northern Hemisphere, while event number has accelerated markedly in recent decades, particularly over the Indian subcontinent and Indochina Peninsula. Mean EMHW duration has also increased substantially over West Africa, coastal India, and East Asia. Importantly, many of the regions experiencing the strongest EMHW intensification coincide with densely populated areas, highlighting increasing exposure to hazardous humid-heat stress under continued global warming.
Creating high-precision bathymetric models continues to be a major challenge, especially in complex environments where numerous factors restrict data gathering. To address these issues, this study introduces and evaluates a weighted average data fusion method. The approach was implemented during a comprehensive measurement campaign, in which weights were assigned to each dataset according to its estimated accuracy. All sensors, including UAV photogrammetry (Uncrewed Aerial Vehicle), SBES (Single-Beam Echo Sounder), MBES (Multibeam Echo Sounder), ALS (Airborne Laser Scanning), MLS (Mobile Laser Scanning), and GNSS RTK (Global Navigation Satellite System with Real-Time Kinematic positioning), were deployed simultaneously under consistent hydrometeorological conditions. The accuracy of the developed DTM (Digital Terrain Model) compared to actual measurements was assessed using RMSE (Root Mean Square Error) and MAE (Mean Absolute Error), which were 0.058 m and 0.025 m, respectively. These values indicate minimal differences between the interpolated and measured depths. The coefficient of determination reached 1.000, indicating a very strong agreement of the weighted average data fusion model with a power exponent of 1 to the measurement data. The depth estimation error for 68% of the data (R68 measure) was 0.020 m, while the error for 95% of the data (R95 measure) was 0.111 m. These results demonstrate not only the effectiveness of the proposed fusion method but also highlight the importance of synchronized, multimodal data collection. This approach enables the creation of detailed, high-accuracy bathymetric models with vertical accuracy values suitable for hydrographic and environmental monitoring applications in shallow inland waters.
This study delves into the previously uncharted territory of dayas, ephemeral wetlands dotting the arid limestone plateau of Northwest Egypt. As the first comprehensive investigation of these ecologically and geologically vital features, it addresses the critical lack of research on their origins, evolution, and spatiotemporal dynamics. Employing a multi-method approach that integrates high-resolution Sentinel-2 satellite imagery, multi-decadal Landsat time-series analysis, ALOS PALSAR digital elevation model (DEM) processing, and systematic field validation, we identify and delineate 5430 dayas encompassing 258.1 km2 within a study area of 11,254 km2. The supervised maximum-likelihood image classification, validated against 346 stratified field control points, achieved an overall accuracy of 91% (kappa = 0.88). Morphometric analysis characterizes dayas as shallow saucer-shaped depressions with diameters ranging from a few meters to several hundred meters and depths of 0.75 to 5.5 m, etched into the limestone surface filled with loose sediments. 0.75 m is the minimum depth recorded among field-confirmed dayas during the March 2025 survey; the DEM-based automated detection employed a minimum sink-depth threshold of 0.5 m, which represents the lowest depth reliably resolvable at 12.5 m DEM resolution without incurring unacceptable false-positive rates from surface noise. A daya typology comprising bowl-shaped, small flat-bottom, and large flat-bottom classes is established, each reflecting distinct stages within a continuum from active to relict karst. Spatiotemporal analysis of Landsat imagery from 1984 to 2025 documents a 32.63% net increase in daya surface area, corresponding to a mean annual expansion rate of similar to 0.8%. Their evolution appears to be a complex interplay of karstic processes, surface-water runoff, hydro-geomorphological interactions, and erosional forces, all influenced by the interplay of structural and climatic factors. This underscores the critical need for sustainable land management practices that acknowledge the dayas' significance for environmental stability and potential aquifer recharge. In conclusion, this study not only sheds light on the origins and hydrological dynamics of these enigmatic wetlands but also emphasizes their crucial role in the Northwest Egyptian landscape. By advocating for sustainable land-use practices and conservation efforts, we can ensure the continued presence and beneficial influence of these unique dayas for generations to come.
