Articles in 2017

Changes to the land surface, such as land clearing and logging of forest areas, impacts moisture cycling. Now a shift from small-scale to large-scale deforestation in the southern Amazon is found to modify the mechanisms and patterns of regional precipitation.

A seven-year experimental pond experiment reveals that warming can fundamentally alter the carbon balance of small ponds over a number of years, reducing their capacity to sequester CO₂ and increasing emissions of CH₄.

Deforestation in Amazonia has previously been linked to thermally driven precipitation increases. Satellite observations and model simulations now suggest a shift toward a dynamically driven hydroclimate, with enhanced rainfall seen downwind of deforested areas.

Modelling of mammal and bird responses to recent climatic changes—based on a systematic review of the literature—suggests that large numbers of threatened species have already been affected by climate change in at least part of their range.

Policymakers play a critical role in the global response to climate change. Now, research reveals an effective visual strategy for communicating climate science to policymakers and climate negotiators.

Communicating climate science requires depicting uncertainty. This study shows that the tendency for COP21 policymakers to assign model forecasts less weight than their prior beliefs when making predictions is mitigated by presenting individual model forecasts with the statistical range.

Increased atmospheric CO₂ enhances grassland biomass production under average conditions, but contrary to earlier predictions the effect declines when it gets wetter, drier, or hotter.

The countries most vulnerable to climate change impacts are among the poorest in the world. A recent evaluation of Least Developed Countries Fund projects suggests that adaptation efforts must move beyond technological solutions.

Negative emissions are necessary to meet ambitious climate targets, but in order to achieve these we need both technological advances and an economic environment that promotes such activity.

Australia allocates less than 0.1% of health funding to research on health and climate change. This Perspective highlights the country's strength in the individual disciplines of climate science and health research and calls for bringing these areas together.

Forty-five years after it was first proposed, climate change has revived debates around the concept of limits to growth. This Review reflects on economic perspectives on limits to growth, and proposes a third option to reduce resistance to climate policies.

Tracking progress toward the Paris 2015 goal is critical to the terms of the agreement. A new analysis shows how various drivers influence CO₂ emissions, and indicates that more technological advancements are needed to make deep cuts in global emissions.

This paper presents interrelated indicators for tracking progress towards the Paris Agreement. Findings show broad consistency with keeping warming below 2 °C, but technological advances are needed to achieve net-zero emissions.