Although the Neotropics harbour almost half of the world's butterfly species, there are few assessments regarding the potential future suitability of habitats for this important bioindicator in the region. Here, we test if butterfly species restricted to the Amazonia rainforest will be more affected by environmental change than closely related, more widespread species. We compiled 1149 individually checked observation records of three closely related species pairs with distinct distribution patterns (Amazonian-restricted and widely distributed in the Neotropics). Using MaxEnt species distribution models, we projected the future habitat suitability (2050 and 2100) under low (SSP126) and high (SSP585) greenhouse gas emission scenarios and also considering reduced forested cover. Estimated models showed that in the low-emission scenario, most species will potentially expand their suitable habitats and distributions by 3.7%-11.4% in 2100. Contrastingly, in the high-emission scenario, most species will potentially lose habitat and distribution ranges by 9.6%-49.7% in 2100, regardless of their original range extent or phylogenetic relatedness. Only one widespread generalist species might benefit from this scenario in 2100, increasing its suitable habitat area by 30%. Both Amazonian range-restricted and more widely distributed Neotropical butterflies may be equally negatively affected by global change in high-emission scenarios. The fact that only one generalist species might expand its suitable habitat suggests a butterfly fauna homogenisation in the Neotropics. This prospect requires further testing to consider whether global change will affect not only restricted but generalist species as well.

The intensive utilization of cementitious materials worldwide has driven the cement industry into a high carbon footprint. Different strategies focused on carbon mitigation in the cement industry have been investigated, in particular Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage (CCUS). Carbonation during production is a strategy where CO2 is injected during the mixing process together with the different components that compose the concrete. This approach is virtually applicable to all cementitious mixtures from ready-mix mortar or concrete to precast products. However, the carbon uptake capability is very small, below 1 % of the cement mass, resulting in losses in mechanical performance for values above this threshold. This paper intends to present the reasons for this event. The impact of carbonation on the cement hydration reaction during the first minutes immediately after the contact with water is analysed. Results demonstrated that exposing the anhydrous cement to CO2 in the presence of water increases the dissolution rate of these particles, leading to the complete consumption of a higher amount of smaller cement particles. This rearrangement of cement particles leads to a coarser pore microstructure and a reduction in the early mechanical performance of the paste, which is able to partially recover at later ages.

The concrete sector is known for its significant contribution to CO2 emissions. There are two main contributing factors in this situation: the large amount of concrete consumed per year on the planet and the high levels of CO2 released from the manufacture of Portland cement, the key binding agent in concrete. To face the consequent sustainability issues, diverse strategies involving the carbon capture and storage potential of cementitious materials have been explored. This paper addresses the potential of storing CO2 in concrete during the curing stage within the context of the precast Portuguese industry. To this end, it was assumed that CO2 will become a waste that will require an outlet in the future, considering that carbon capture will become mandatory in many industries. This work concluded that, in terms of carbon retention, the net benefit is positive for the process of storing carbon in concrete during the curing stage. More specifically, it was demonstrated that the additional emissions from the introduction of this new operation are only 10% of the stored amount, returning a storage potential of 76,000 tonnes of CO2 yearly. Moreover, the overall net reduction in the concrete life cycle averages 9.1% and 8.8% for precast elements and only non-structural elements, respectively. When a low-cement dosage strategy is coupled with carbonation curing technology, the overall carbon net reduction is estimated to be 45%.

Abstract Current approaches to project spatial biodiversity responses to climate change mainly focus on the direct effects of climate on species while regarding land use and land cover as constant or prescribed by global land‐use scenarios. However, local land‐use decisions are often affected by climate change and biodiversity on top of socioeconomic and policy drivers. To realistically understand and predict climate impacts on biodiversity, it is, therefore, necessary to integrate both direct and indirect effects (via climate‐driven land‐use change) of climate change on biodiversity. In this perspective paper, we outline how biodiversity models could be better integrated with regional, climate‐driven land‐use models. We initially provide a short, non‐exhaustive review of empirical and modelling approaches to land‐use and land‐cover change (LU) and biodiversity (BD) change at regional scales, which forms the base for our perspective about improved integration of LU and BD models. We consider a diversity of approaches, with a special emphasis on mechanistic models. We also look at current levels of integration and at model properties, such as scales, inputs and outputs, to further identify integration challenges and opportunities. We find that LU integration in BD models is more frequent than the other way around and has been achieved at different levels: from overlapping predictions to simultaneously coupled simulations (i.e. bidirectional effects). Of the integrated LU‐BD socio‐ecological models, some studies included climate change effects on LU, but the relative contribution of direct vs. indirect effects of climate change on BD remains a key research challenge. Important research avenues include concerted efforts in harmonizing spatial and temporal resolution, disentangling direct and indirect effects of climate change on biodiversity, explicitly accounting for bidirectional feedbacks, and ultimately feeding socio‐ecological systems back into climate predictions. These avenues can be navigated by matching models, plugins for format and resolution conversion, and increasing the land‐use forecast horizon with adequate uncertainty. Recent developments of coupled models show that such integration is achievable and can lead to novel insights into climate–land use–biodiversity relations. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

The effort towards a greener future will entail a shift to more environmentally friendly alternatives of many human activities. Within this context, the path towards a decarbonized society in general, and industrial decarbonization in particular, will require using low carbon solutions and/or capturing carbon emissions at the source. This flux of captured carbon will then require management and one option is to store it in concrete. The incorporation of the captured CO2 can be done during the mixing and/or curing. While the latter is more efficient and effective in terms of the amount of CO2 incorporated, it is limited to concrete in elements that are compatible with chamber curing. In practice, this would be restricted to the concrete pre-fabrication industry and, most probably, only to small size elements. Despite the lower performance, incorporation of CO2 into concrete during the mixing stage is a relatively universal alternative. The present research effort reveals that the latter solution is beneficial from an environmental point of view, with an estimated yearly carbon storage of 23 million tonnes worldwide against emissions of 2.5 million tonnes to do it.

ABSTRACT Mammalian carnivores (Carnivora) are crucial components of landscapes, because of both their top‐down effects on lower trophic level species and their sensitivity to bottom‐up processes, such as limited food resources (e.g. due to climate instability). To understand their functional role in Iberian ecosystems more clearly, and to define effective plans for their management and conservation, it is crucial to sum up the available regional knowledge that can inform decision‐making processes. We review bio‐ecological research on wild Iberian carnivores over 30 years (1990–2020) and identify key knowledge gaps and priority avenues for future research. Based on a systematic review of the scientific literature, we aimed to: 1) summarise current knowledge; 2) assess species and ecoregion representativeness; 3) identify key research topics addressed and those lacking investment and 4) suggest key future research priorities. We examined 920 peer‐reviewed articles involving wild Iberian mammalian carnivores, focusing on different bio‐ecological issues. We found considerable heterogeneity in the topics and species investigated, as well as in the study areas (ecoregions) explored, with a mismatch between the research priorities identified by researchers and the knowledge gaps. We suggest that future research should prioritise: 1) rear‐edge populations that are at the southwestern limits of the species' Eurasian range, thus being particularly sensitive to the increasing fragmentation and aridity of Iberian ecosystems, and that were less studied (e.g. brown bear Ursus arctos , stoat Mustela erminea , European mink Mustela lutreola and pine marten Martes martes ); 2) less‐studied topics, such as morphometry and body condition, ecophysiology, and reproductive biology, all of which provide essential information for species' management and conservation and 3) specific ecoregions for which studies on species' adaptations to environmental and anthropic contexts are lacking (e.g. northern ecoregions of Iberia, Iberian conifer forests and Northwest Iberian montane forests). Our review provides the necessary background to support future research on carnivore populations in Iberia.

Land use is the main direct driver of biodiversity loss and Southern-Asia is, globally, one of the regions under the highest land-use change. Here we estimate how mammals that play a key role in the ecosystem functioning will cope with landscape transformations. We used the a state-of-the-art spatially-explicit agent-based model (RangeShifter) combining local density-dependence on fecundity, stage-structured demographics and dispersal to predict the occupancy and abundance for large-body size carnivorous species (Panthera tigris, Panthera pardus) mid-sized and small carnivorous (Cuon alpinus, Felis chaus, Vulpes vulpes and Prionailurus bengalensis) and two Cetartiodactyla species (Sus scrofa and Gazella benetti) in Southern Asia. In addition, we estimated how species-richness changed through time. The model was projected to the period 1850 to 2100 under two socio-economic pathways, representing an intermediate scenario (SSP2-4.5) and a fossil-fueled development scenario (SSP5-8.5). We found mixed-response to land-use across species. We estimate the mean total proportion of remaining individuals to be 0.60 (SD = 0.24) under SSP2 and 0.64 (SD = 0.37) under SSP5 compared to baseline land use in 1850. The drop in the total number of occupied cells is of lower magnitude (SSP2: mean = 0.82, SD = 0.27; SSP5: mean = 0.84, SD = 0.32). Mean species richness per cell followed a decline throughout the 20th century (mean = 0.90, SD = 0.15) followed by increase from current time up to 2100 under both scenarios (SSP2: mean = 0.95, SD = 0.18; SSP5: mean = 0.97, SD = 0.22). Our results support biotic homogenization with spread of widespread species and restriction of forest-specialists. We confirm a disproportionate and negative influence of loss of non-disturbed patches, and lower landscape permeability in large mammals, potentially leading to considerable change in mammalian biomass in the ecosystem. These findings suggest that a middle-road socio-economic pathway (SSP2) is not enough to maintain or recover populations compared to pre-disturbance levels.

Carbon capture storage and utilization is the main technology for reducing CO2 emissions, accounting for 56% of the overall reduction required to achieve the carbon neutrality of concrete by 2050. Different strategies have been explored in cement-based materials towards this end, namely, in concrete. However, the impact on carbonated concrete differs depending on the moment at which cementitious material comes into contact with CO2, either in terms of CO2 uptake or in terms of its lifetime performance. This paper presents three leading strategies that rely on the direct carbonation of a cementitious binder to reduce the carbon footprint. For each strategy, the effect of the carbonation process on the kinetics and microstructure of cementitious paste, the estimation of its carbon capture capability and the application feasibility are discussed. Accelerated carbonation curing is one approach widely studied by academics. However, despite some CO2 capture effectiveness, its industrial processing is still a long way off. A second strategy consists of incorporating CO2 during the mixing process, which has been shown to speed up the hardening reactions of cement. However, this effect is of short term and may negatively affect its long-term performance. Finally, the carbonation of hydrated cement waste is shown to be a very promising strategy that enables the recycling of hydrated cement waste as a supplementary cementitious material which also has a potentially high CO2 uptake. The integrated analysis of the three strategies highlights a wide variability in the reduction of CO2 emissions from 1% to 37% in relation to current emissions, where the best result was achieved using carbonated waste (third strategy) in the production of a concrete subjected to carbonation curing (first strategy).

Cement paste powder (CPP) is a by-product of the recycling process of concrete with an elevated carbonation capability and potential to be recycled as a binding material in new concrete batches. The application of a carbonation treatment to CPP improves this potential even more, besides the evident gains in terms of CO2 net balance. However, the long duration usually adopted in this treatment, from 3 to 28 days, hampers the industrial viability of the process. We studied the feasibility of a short-duration carbonation process, with a duration of two hours, carrying out a comprehensive characterization of the material throughout the process. The test was performed on CPP with an average initial water content of 16.9%, exposed to a CO2 concentration of 80%. The results demonstrate two main carbonation rates: a rapid growth rate in the first 18 minutes of the process, involving all the calcium-bearing compounds in CPP, and a slow growth rate afterwards, where only C-S-H contributes to the carbonation reaction. During the 2 h carbonation process, the main CPP compounds, calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H) and calcium hydroxide (CH), reached different carbonation degrees, 31% and 94%, with, however, close CO2 uptake values, 8% and 11%, respectively. Nevertheless, the total CO2 uptake for this process (≈19%) attained values not distant from the values usually obtained in a carbonation of 12 days or more (19–25%). Hence, these findings highlight the blocking role of C-S-H in the carbonation process, indicating that longer carbonation periods are only going to be useful if an effective carbonation of this compound is accomplished. In the present scenario, where CH is the main contributor to the reaction, the reduction in the process duration is feasible.

Cement compounds contain carbon-reactive metal oxides, reason why the Cement Technology Roadmap recommends the integration of carbon capture into the cement manufacturing process. The carbonation potential of cement is mainly due to calcium oxide (CaO), which represents around 60% of the cement composition. With this reasoning in mind, different strategies have been explored aiming at developing technologies for carbon capture by cement-based materials. Accelerated carbonation curing of cement-based materials is one of the approaches. However, despite some CO2 capture effectiveness is reported, its industrial process is still a long way off. A second strategy consists of incorporating CO2 during the mixing process, which has shown to speed up the hardening reactions of cement. However, this effect is of short-term and may negatively affect its long-term performance. The carbonation of cement waste is also a strategy for carbon capture, which maximizes the access of CO2 to the calcium-rich compounds and enables the reuse of cement-based materials as filler addition. This chapter presents an overview of these three strategies, their pros and cons and main findings achieved, aiming at reducing the carbon footprint of concrete production, the most widely used building material on earth.

The recycling process of concrete originates a byproduct, cement paste powder (CPP), which is a material composed mainly of hydrated cement. This cementitious material has demonstrated promising results when applied as a binder in new concrete batches, provided it has been subjected to a previous carbonation process. One of the obstacles to the industrial application of this strategy is the long duration of the typical carbonation process, which requires from 3 to 28 days. Recently, the authors have developed a short two-hour carbonation process and thoroughly analysed it over its entire extension. In this paper, a parametric analysis of the carbonation process is performed towards CO2 uptake maximization, aiming to increase the feasibility of its short duration. CO2 uptake is evaluated using the ignition by furnace method and thermogravimetric analysis. Among the parameters considered, the initial water content and the CPP thickness present the highest impact on CO2 uptake. The investigation of different CO2 concentrations inside the carbonation chamber showed that the maximum CO2 uptake does not occur for the highest concentration value. Moreover, a minimum resident time for the forced carbonation of CPP in industrial contexts is presented, and is found to be highly dependent on the CO2 concentration. The particle size and purity degree of CPP revealed a limited influence on the CO2 uptake achieved. Additionally, this paper provides further insight into the mechanisms involved in the carbonation of mature cement paste while increasing the feasibility of our recently proposed short duration carbonation process.

Juliano Sarmento Cabral1, Alma Mendoza-Ponce2,3, André Pinto da Silva4,5, Johannes Oberpriller6, Anne Mimet7, Julia Kieslinger8, Thomas Berger9, Jana Blechschmidt1, Maximilian Brönner8, Alice Classen10, Stefan Fallert1, Florian Hartig6, Christian Hof7, Markus Hoffmann11, Thomas Knoke12, Andreas Krause13, Anne Lewerentz1, Perdita Pohle8, Uta Raeder11, Anja Rammig13, Sarah Redlich10, Sven Rubanschi7, Christian Stetter14, Wolfgang Weisser7, Daniel Vedder1,15,16,17 , Peter H. Verburg18, Damaris Zurell191 Ecosystem Modelling, Center for Computational and Theoretical Biology (CCTB), University of Würzburg, Klara-Oppenheimer-Weg 32, 37074, Würzburg, Germany2 Research Program on Climate Change, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico3 International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Laxenburg, Austria4 Department of Ecology and Genetics, Animal Ecology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden5 Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes (cE3c), Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal6 Theoretical Ecology Lab, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstraße 31, 93053 Regensburg, Germany7 Technical University of Munich, Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, Department of Life Science Systems, School of Life Sciences, 84354 Freising, Germany8 Institute of Geography, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuernberg, Wetterkreuz 15, 91058 Erlangen, Germany9 Land-Use Economics in the Tropics and Subtropics, Hans-Ruthenberg Institute, Hohenheim University, Hohenheim, Germany10 Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocentre, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074 Würzburg, Germany11 Technical University of Munich, Limnologische Station Iffeldorf, Chair of Aquatic Systems Biology, Department of Life Science Systems, School of Life Science,Hofmark 1-3, 82393 Iffeldorf, Germany12 Technical University of Munich, Institute of Forest Management, Department of Life Science Systems, School of Life Sciences, 58354 Freising, Germany13 Technical University of Munich, Land Surface-Atmosphere Interactions, Department of Life Science Systems, School of Life Sciences, 85354 Freising, Germany14 Agricultural Production and Resource Economics, School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, 84354 Freising, Germany15 Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department of Ecosystem Services, Permoserstr. 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany16 Institute of Biodiversity, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Dornburger Straße 159, 07743 Jena, Germany17 German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstr. 4, 04103 Leipzig, Germany18 Institute for Environmental Studies, VU University Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1111, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands19 Ecology & Macroecology, Inst. for Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Am Neuen Palais 10, 14469 Potsdam, GermanyArticle type: review/perspective

Abstract Scientists have warned decision‐makers about the severe consequences of the global environmental crisis since the 1970s. Yet ecological degradation continues and little has been done to address climate change. We investigated early‐career conservation researchers' (ECR) perspectives on, and prioritization of, actions furthering sustainability. We conducted a survey (n = 67) and an interactive workshop (n = 35) for ECR attendees of the 5th European Congress of Conservation Biology (2018). Building on these data and discussions, we identified ongoing and forthcoming advances in conservation science. These include increased transdisciplinarity, science communication, advocacy in conservation, and adoption of a transformation‐oriented social–ecological systems approach to research. The respondents and participants had diverse perspectives on how to achieve sustainability. Reformist actions were emphasized as paving the way for more radical changes in the economic system and societal values linked to the environment and inequality. Our findings suggest that achieving sustainability requires a strategy that (1) incorporates the multiplicity of people's views, (2) places a greater value on nature, and (3) encourages systemic transformation across political, social, educational, and economic realms on multiple levels. We introduce a framework for ECRs to inspire their research and practice within conservation science to achieve real change in protecting biological diversity.

Theory on intraguild killing (IGK) is central to mammalian carnivore community ecology and top-down ecosystem regulation. Yet, the cryptic nature of IGK hinders empirical evaluations. Using a novel data source - online photographs of interspecific aggression between African carnivores - we revisited existing predictions about the extent and drivers of IGK. Compared with seminal reviews, our constructed IGK network yielded 10 more species and nearly twice as many interactions. The extent of interactions increased 37% when considering intraguild aggression (direct attack) as a precursor of killing events. We show that IGK occurs over a wider range of body-mass ratios than predicted by standing competition-based views, with highly asymmetrical interactions being pervasive. Evidence that large species, particularly hypercarnivore felids, target sympatric carnivores with a wide range of body sizes suggests that current IGK theory is incomplete, underestimating alternative competition pathways and the role of predatory and incidental killing. Our findings reinforce the potential for IGK-mediated cascades in species-rich assemblages and community-wide suppressive effects of large carnivores.

The characterization of components from old buildings, with the intention of evaluating their state of conservation, has been one of the main focuses of application for the drilling resistance test. The results given by this low intrusion in situ characterization technique have recently been extended by a proposed classification model, which has contributed to the determination of the probable composition of an unknown mortar. This study extends even more the outputs provided from the method, since it establishes the relationships between the parameters of the distribution function used in the classification model that define the mortars and their properties, namely compressive strength and heterogeneity degree. An application protocol for the assessment of those properties in low-strength mortars using drilling test is also proposed.

Chloride-induced corrosion has been one of the main causes of reinforced concrete deterioration. One of the most used methods in assessing the chloride penetration resistance of concrete is the rapid chloride migration test (RCMT). This is an expeditious and simple method but may not be representative of the chloride transport behaviour of concrete in real environment. Other methods, like immersion (IT) and wetting–drying tests (WDT), allow for a more accurate approach to reality, but are laborious and very time-consuming. This paper aims to analyse the capacity of RCMT in assessing the chloride penetration resistance of common concrete produced with different types of aggregate (normal and lightweight) and paste composition (variable type of binder and water/binder ratio). To this end, the RCMT results were compared with those obtained from the same concretes under long-term IT and WDT. A reasonable correlation between the RCMT and diffusion tests was found, when slow-reactive supplementary materials or porous lightweight aggregates surrounded by weak pastes were not considered. A poorer correlation was found when concrete was exposed under wetting–drying conditions. Nevertheless, the RCMT was able to sort concretes in different classes of chloride penetration resistance under distinct exposure conditions, regardless of the type of aggregate and water/binder ratio.

Concrete is the most widely material used in the construction industry. However, it has a great environmental impact, mainly because of cement manufacture and the inherent CO2 emissions into the atmosphere. This research intends to contribute to the reduction of the environmental impact of the concrete industry through the uptake of CO2 during the concrete production phase. The few research works on this issue report contradictory results regarding the impact of CO2 when added during the mixing phase. These results report an acceleration of the reactions [1], a reduction of the time setting [2] and either an increase or a decrease in the amount of hydration products, depending on the CO2 amount [3, 1]. Thus, this research aims at understanding the impact of CO2 amount on the hydration reactions of cement in order to enable its adoption as a component mixture. To achieve this purpose, 4 cement pastes were produced with different amounts of CO2. The pH of the mixture was measured to evaluate the impact of CO2 on its alkalinity reduction. Compressive strength, XRD and SEM analysis were also performed to assess the influence on the hydration reactions and also on the degree of carbonation. Results suggest that CO2 can increase the mechanical resistance at early ages if used in a little amount. However, the reduction in pH due to CO2 appears to compromise this performance at longer ages.

Phylogenetically closely related species are often assumed to have similar responses to environmental conditions, but species-specific responses have also been described. These two scenarios may have different conservation implications. We tested these two hypotheses for Prionailurus cats (P. rubiginosus, P. bengalensis, P. viverrinus) in the Indian subcontinent and show its implications on species current protected area coverage and climatic suitability trends through time. We fitted ecological niche models with current environmental conditions and calculated niche overlap. In addition, we developed a model for the Jungle Cat Felis chaus to compare species responses and niche overlap estimates within Prionailurus with those for a related sympatric small cat species. Then we estimated the proportion of current suitable environment covered by protected area and projected climatic models from past (last interglacial) to future (2070; RCP4.5 and RCP8.5) conditions to show implications on population management and conservation. The hypothesis of a similar response and niche overlap among closely related species is not supported. Protected area coverage was lowest for P. viverrinus (mean=0.071, SD=0.012) and highest for P. bengalensis (mean=0.088, SD=0.006). In addition, the proportion of the subcontinent with suitable climate varied through time and was species-specific. For P. bengalensis, climatic suitability shrunk since at least the mid-Holocene, a trend that can be intensified by human-induced climate warming. Concerning P. viverrinus, most predictions show stable future climatic suitability, but a few indicated potential loss. Climatic suitability for P. rubiginous was predicted to remain stable but the species exhibited a negative association with intensive agriculture. Similar responses to environmental change by phylogenetically closely related species should not be assumed and have implications on protected area coverage and natural trends of species climatic suitability over time. This should be taken into account during conservation and management actions.

The drilling resistance test is a minor destructive technique of in situ application, reason why it is frequently used in the characterization of components from old buildings. However, the drilling data obtained in heterogeneous and weak materials, such as lime-based mortars, shows a very high variability, which brings uncertainty to the analysis. This paper proposes a classification model to identify the probable composition and the corresponding technological properties of a given unknown mortar from its drilling data, by comparing it with data from 18 lab-produced mortars with diverse heterogeneities and strengths from low to medium range. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.