Hemiptera Heteroptera collected from an active raised bog in the Rhaetian Alps

Citrus surveys were conducted at high (>700 m), medium (300-600 m) and low (<200 m) altitudes in Tanzania in 2014/15. Adults and nymphs of Trioza erytreae (del Guercio) were abundant in the highlands and less abundant at medium altitudes. Unexpectedly, adults and nymphs of Diaphorina citri Kuwayama, the Asian citrus psyllid, were found and collected at medium altitudes, around Morogoro. No psyllids were observed at low altitudes. Severe huanglongbing symptoms and tree decline were evident at high altitudes, while mild and few symptoms were observed at intermediate and low altitudes, respectively. DNA was extracted from leaf and psyllid samples and subjected to conventional PCR (cPCR) with seven different primer sets and RT qPCR with two primer sets. cPCR bands were sequenced and subjected to phylogenetic analysis. Candidatus Liberibacter africanus (Laf) was detected in highland leaf and T. erytreae samples from high and medium altitudes by all methods. Sequences from leaves and psyllids were similar to those from South Africa. Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (Las) was detected by qPCR in medium altitude leaf samples, but cross-reaction with Laf was likely because presence of Las was not confirmed by cPCR and sequencing. Neither Laf nor Las were detected in D. citri samples. This is the first reported occurrence of D. citri in Africa. Predictions were made of the potential distribution of D. citri and Las in Africa and along the Mediterranean coast using the correlative models MAXENT and Multi-Model Framework. Additional surveys at medium and low altitudes and quarantine measures are recommended.

Arabica coffee (Coffea arabica) cultivation in the medium altitude (700-900 m above sea level, asl.) will face problems such as decreasing productivity, physical, biochemical and cup quality and increasing intensity of pest and diseaseattacks. Utilization of plant material that has good productivity and cup quality, resistance to pests and diseases is an effort that can be done to overcome theseproblems. The aims of this study is to evaluate performance of Arabica coffee quality grown at high and medium altitude area, as well as biochemical compound and cup quality changes that occur due to influence of genotypes and genotype × altitude interactions. Eight genotypes of Arabica coffee were evaluated at two locations namely KP Andungsari (1,250 m asl.) and Kalibendo (700 m asl.). The field design for each location was randomized complete block design with three replicates. Observations were made on the two quality aspects, namely the biochemical compounds and cup qualities. The result on the biochemical compounds showed that the altitude significantly affect to the content of caffeine, sucrose, and trigonelline. Effect of genotype × altitude occured to the caffeine, trigonelline, and sucrose content. Diversity of chlorogenic acid content was caused by the genotype effect. Cup test results showed that genotypes grown at high altitude had a better cup quality than genotypes on medium altitude. Cup quality variables that were changed due to altitude difference were fragrance and aroma, flavor, aftertaste, acidity, balance, and overall, while the cup quality variable that did not changed was the body. Characters of coffee aroma at the high altitude were floral, spicy and fruity, while at the medium altitude were herbal, green and grassy. The best quality genotype at the high altitude was K8, while at the medium altitude was K29. Environment (altitude) gives greater influence to the formation of coffee flavor variations produced compared to genotypes.

Morphocultural and aggressiveness variability of Colletotrichum kahawae isolates from different altitudes of the Western highlight zone of Cameroon

This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of gallstone disease among health check-upers (employees) in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and clarify the independent effects of altitude, ethnicity, and their interaction on gallstone disease risk, so as to provide evidence for precise prevention and control of gallstone disease in high-altitude multi-ethnic regions. A cross-sectional study was conducted, and data were collected from 35,930 employees who underwent health check-ups in formal institutions across the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Gallstone disease was defined as the presence of current gallstones (diagnosed by abdominal ultrasound) or a history of cholecystectomy due to gallstones. Demographic information (age, gender, ethnicity), anthropometric indicators (BMI), metabolic indicators (blood glucose, blood lipid, blood pressure), fatty liver status (diagnosed by ultrasound), and residential altitude (classified as low altitude: >1680m~, medium altitude: >2500m~, high altitude: >3500m ~ based on county government altitude data) were collected. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to analyze the association between altitude, ethnicity, and gallstone disease, and stratified regression was performed to explore the interaction effect of "altitude × ethnicity". The overall prevalence of gallstone disease in the study population was 13.6%, with 40.63% of gallstone patients having a history of cholecystectomy. Stratified by altitude, the prevalence of gallstone disease showed a trend of "medium altitude > high altitude > low altitude": 20.5% in the medium-altitude group, 15.5% in the high-altitude group, and 9.8% in the low-altitude group. After adjusting for confounders (age, gender, BMI, fatty liver, abnormal blood glucose, hypertension, hyperlipidemia), compared with the low-altitude group, the medium-altitude group (OR = 2.439, 95% CI: 2.236-2.661, P < 0.001) and high-altitude group (OR = 1.427, 95% CI: 1.269-1.606, P < 0.001) had significantly increased gallstone disease risk. Regarding ethnicity, Tibetans had a higher risk than Han Chinese (OR = 1.344, 95% CI: 1.228-1.471, P < 0.001), while no significant difference was observed between other ethnic groups (Hui, Tu, Mongolian) and Han Chinese. A significant "altitude × ethnicity" interaction was identified (OR = 0.796, 95% CI: 0.723-0.876, P < 0.001): Han Chinese showed a persistent risk increase with rising altitude (medium-altitude OR = 2.804, high-altitude OR = 1.671), whereas Tibetans only had elevated risk at medium altitude (OR = 1.855) and no significant risk at high altitude (OR = 1.100). Altitude is an independent risk factor for gallstone disease in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau health check-upers (employees). Ethnicity moderates the association between altitude and gallstone disease-Tibetans' high-altitude adaptability attenuates the additional altitude-induced risk, while Han Chinese lack such adaptability and show continuous risk elevation. The high cholecystectomy rate among gallstone patients highlights the heavy clinical burden of gallstone disease in this region. These findings provide a theoretical basis for formulating ethnicity- and altitude-specific prevention strategies for gallstone disease in high-altitude areas.

BackgroundAltitude affects biodiversity and physic-chemical properties of soil, providing natural sites for studying species distribution and the response of biota to environmental changes. We sampled soil at three altitudes in an arid valley, determined the physic-chemical characteristics and microbial community composition in the soils, identified differentially abundant taxa and the relationships between community composition and environmental factors.ResultsThe low, medium and high altitudes were roughly separated based on the physic-chemical characteristics and clearly separated based on the microbial community composition. The differences in community composition were associated with differences in soil pH, temperature, and SOC, moisture, TN, TP, AN, AP and SMBC contents. The contents of organic and microbial biomass C, total and available N and available P, and the richness and diversity of the microbial communities were lowest in the medium altitude. The relative abundances of phyla Proteobacteria, Gemmatimonadetes, Actinobacteria and Acidobacteria were high at all altitudes. The differentially abundant amplified sequence variants (ASVs) were mostly assigned to Proteobacteria and Acidobacteria. The highest number of ASVs characterizing altitude were detected in the high altitude. However, the predicted functions of the communities were overlapping, suggesting that the contribution of the communities to soil processes changed relatively little along the altitude gradient.ConclusionsThe low, medium and high altitudes were roughly separated based on the physicochemical characteristics and clearly separated based on the microbial community composition. The differences in community composition were associated with differences in soil pH, temperature, and SOC, moisture, TN, TP, AN, AP and SMBC contents.

Looking Beyond the Cigarette in COPD

This paper presents results of a study conducted in parts of Eastern Arc, Uluguru Mountains in Tanzania. The main objective was to identify and select best agricultural production options for sustaining the natural resource base of the Mountains. A cross sectional single-visit interview of 120 farmers from Konde, Tawa and Kiswila villages representing high, medium and low altitudes, respectively was conducted. Differences in accessibility to the market were also considered when drawing a sample. Multi-Criteria analysis (MCA) as decision support tool (DST) was developed to identify best cropping options suitable for specific location for sustainable management of the mountain. Results show high differences in production options within and across the villages caused by differences in plot positions (sloppy grounds or valley bottoms) and households’ socio-economic characteristics. Banana, clove and cassava are common crops for Konde village located at high altitude; banana, pineapple and maize for Kiswila village located at low altitude and banana, pineapple and cassava for Tawa village located at medium altitude. MCA results were collated with profitability index to identify the crops and livestock production options in fragile mountain resource base. The study recommends promotion of cassava and banana production as ideal crops both for food security, income and effectiveness in natural resource conservation. Crops such as rice, pineapple and cloves should be avoided in mountain ecosystem for sustainability reason.

气候变暖在高海拔山地更为明显，山地植被对气候变暖响应的空间格局将成为山地研究新的热点。在黄土高原东部沿纬度梯度选择北段管涔山、中段关帝山和南段五鹿山，分别划分高、中、低3个海拔梯度，每一梯度用开顶式生长室设置对照（CK）、低度增温（LW）、高度增温（HW）3种模拟增温样地，于增温1年后植被生长季调查山地林下草本群落的生长特征及水热因子，探究黄土高原林下草地对气候变暖的短期响应及其随纬度、海拔的变化格局。结果表明：在LW和HW处理下，（1）空气温度增加0.47℃和1.00℃，空气湿度增加1.37%和1.94%，其中空气温度增幅随海拔增加显著增大（P=0.012）；（2）土壤水分减小0.32%和0.64%，土壤温度减小0.07℃和增加0.06℃，其中土壤温度增幅随纬度增加显著减小（P=0.003）；（3）植物密度增加41.27株/m²和78.53株/m²，植物高度增加0.04 m和0.03 m，植物频度增加5.47%和3.47%，而植物盖度显著增加5.32%和0.88%（P=0.042）；（4）植被与温度关系的相关系数绝对值增加31.49%和56.82%，与水分关系的相关系数绝对值增加38.67%和62.89%。因此，山地温度对增温响应更大，且空气温度具正向海拔依赖性，土壤温度具负向纬度依赖性；增温加强植被与水分的关系，促进植物对水的依赖性，进而显著影响植物盖度。然而，增温的短期效应易受到降雨条件的影响，使结果出现误差，故在类似的研究中建议加强试验的时间尺度。;Climate warming is more obvious in high-altitude mountains, and as a result, investigating the spatial patterns of mountainous vegetation responses to climate warming is becoming a new hot spot of mountain research. The Luliang Mountain Range lies on the east side of the Loess Plateau in central China and is characterized by an extremely fragile environment due to the lack of precipitation. Based on latitudinal gradients from north to south in the Luliang Mountain Range, the affiliated Guancen Mountain in its northern section, Guandi Mountain in its central section, and Wulu Mountain in its southern section were selected as study area. Each of these mountains was divided into three gradients: high altitude, medium altitude, and low altitude. The corresponding elevations for the high, medium, and low altitudes were 2571.3 m, 2395.0 m, and 2222.4 m for Guancen Mountain, 2179.1 m, 2000.7 m, and 1899.7 m for Guandi Mountain, and 1602.0 m, 1458.6 m, and 1318.0 m for Wulu Mountain, respectively. Three experimental plots heated by open-top chambers (OTCs) were placed within each altitudinal gradient. Treatments were implemented using completely randomized block design and including control (CK), low temperature increase (LW), and high temperature increase (HW). During the growing season in 2017, the growth characteristics and hydrothermal factors of the herbaceous communities in mountainous forests were surveyed in order to explore the responses of herbaceous communities to climate warming as well as the spatial pattern changes of these responses with latitudinal and altitudinal gradients. The results revealed the following under the LW and HW treatments: (1) air temperature increased by 0.47℃ and 1.00℃, respectively. The atmospheric relative humidity increased by 1.37% and 1.94%, respectively. The increasing amplitude of air temperature grew significantly with altitude (P = 0.012). (2) Corresponding soil moisture decreased by 0.32% and 0.64%, respectively. The soil temperature decreased by 0.07℃ and increased by 0.06℃. The increasing amplitude of soil temperature diminished significantly with latitude (P = 0.003). (3) The respective vegetation density increased by 41.27 plants/m² and 78.53 plants/m², but vegetation height increased by 0.04 m and 0.03 m. The vegetation frequency increased by 5.47% and 3.47%, while vegetation coverage significantly increased by 5.32% and 0.88% (P = 0.042). (4) The relationships among vegetation indices, temperature factors, and moisture factors using RDA ordination analysis indicated that the absolute value of the correlation coefficient between vegetation and temperature increased by 31.49% and 56.82%, as well as that between vegetation and moisture correspondingly increased by 38.67% and 62.89%, respectively. Therefore, in the Luliang Mountain Range, temperature factors were more responsive to warming, with air temperature being positively correlated with altitude and soil temperature being negatively correlated with latitude. However, the warming effects from the OTCs strengthened the relationship between vegetation and moisture, which promoted the dependence of plants on moisture, thereby significantly affecting vegetation coverage. Warming should be controlled in terms of amplitude, which will then have positive effects on vegetation. When precipitation occurred during the experiment, however, the associated moisture enhancement could weaken the warming effects on the soil. Thus the soil temperature decreased during warming treatments, indicating that precipitation had a greater influence on warming effects in regions where precipitation dominated the environmental factors. Therefore, the effects of short-term warming were affected largely by rainfall, which introduced errors into the results. We strongly suggest that the experimental duration should be prolonged in similar studies on warming effects in order to reduce these errors.

分析了金沙江畔7个不同海拔区域花椒园中昆虫群落特征的动态变化及其与温、湿度变化的关系。结果表明：花椒园中昆虫群落的多样性、均匀度、丰富度、<em>S</em>_<em>s</em>/<em>S</em>_i、<em>S</em>_<em>n</em>/<em>S</em>_<em>p</em>指标随海拔升高先增加后减少，而个体数、优势集中性指数则随海拔升高先减少后增加；低海拔（450-750 m）区域花椒园中由于总体温度高、湿度低，较高海拔（1300-1550 m）区域总体温度低、湿度高，均不利昆虫群落多样性、均匀度、丰富度、<em>S</em>_<em>s</em>/<em>S</em>_i、<em>S</em>_<em>n</em>/<em>S</em>_<em>p</em>指标的提高和群落的稳定，而中等海拔（750-1300 m）区域的温度、湿度较为适中，昆虫群落的物种数及个体数量均相对较高，昆虫群落多样性、均匀度、丰富度、<em>S</em>_<em>s</em>/<em>S</em>_i、<em>S</em>_<em>n</em>/<em>S</em>_<em>p</em>指标也较高，群落较稳定；相反，低海拔、较高海拔区域花椒园中昆虫群落优势集中性指数较高，而中等海拔区域却相对较低。综合分析表明，海拔高度及温湿度对花椒园昆虫群落特征影响较大，而海拔高度及温湿度的测量和分析较为方便。;<em>Zanthoxylum bungeanum</em> (Rutaceae) is one of the most important economic plants in some areas of China, because <em>Z. bungeanum</em> could be used to mitigate water and soil loss through the reforestation of barren hillsides where cultivation and tree removal has occurred. The mechanisms of insect community dynamics and pest insect outbreaks can be identified through their relationship with environmental factors such as altitude, temperature, humidity and insect community characteristics.<br>This study investigated the relationship between the environmental variables and insect communities in <em>Z. bungeanum</em> gardens near the Jinshajiang River, Yongshan County, Yunnan, China. Insect communities were sampled from seven different gardens at varying altitudes (low 450-750 m; medium 750-1300 m; high 1300-1550 m) from March to September, 2008. All data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and the level of correlation using the Gray-system theory. The results were: 1) Insect community structure varied with altitude, suggesting altitude is a key factor influencing insect communities in <em>Z. bungeanum</em> gardens; 2) Increases in altitude resulted in higher species diversity, evenness, richness, <em>S</em>_<em>s</em>/<em>S</em>_i (the number of species divided by the number of individuals) and <em>S</em>_<em>n</em>/<em>S</em>_<em>p</em> (the number of natural enemy species divided by the number of phytophagous species) at lower altitudes followed by a decline at higher altitudes. However, the species abundance and dominance indices decreased at lower altitudes then increased at higher altitudes; 3) Where <em>Z. bungeanum</em> gardens grew under more extreme climatic conditions, such as higher temperatures and lower humidity at lower altitudes, or lower temperatures and higher humidity at higher altitudes, there were less diverse insect communities. Thus, insect community characteristics such as species diversity, evenness, richness, <em>S</em>_<em>s</em>/<em>S</em>_i and <em>S</em>_<em>n</em>/<em>S</em>_<em>p</em> indices were lower and more unstable in gardens at lower and higher altitudes. The seasonal dynamics of insect communities at lower and higher altitudes changed more quickly compared with those at medium altitudes. The climatic conditions at the gardens at medium altitudes (750-1300 m) were more suitable for diverse insect communities with ideal temperatures and humidity. Thus, the number of insects at the individual and species level in gardens between 750 and 1300 m (medium altitude) were relatively higher compared with gardens at lower and higher altitudes. The insect communities at medium altitudes indicated better stability based on insect community diversity, evenness, richness, <em>S</em>_<em>s</em>/<em>S</em>_i and <em>S_n/S_p </em>indices, which were higher compared with the other two altitudinal groups. In comparison with the gardens at low and high altitudes, the seasonal dynamics of the insect community at medium altitudes changed slightly; 4) The dominance indices for the insect communities were higher at 450-750 m and 1300-1550 m altitude gardens, but lower in the 750-1300 m gardens. Furthermore, the dominance indices at the low and high altitude gardens showed a more significant change among seasons compared with the medium altitude gardens.<br>Overall, insect community dynamics in <em>Z. bungeanum</em> gardens (Yunnan Province) may be influenced by altitudinal factors such as temperature and humidity, affecting insect species and abundance in various sub-communities. The key influencing factors were the extremes of temperature and humidity. The stability of insect communities in <em>Z. bungeanum</em> gardens could be improved under suitable temperature and humidity conditions similar to those found between 750 and 1300 m.

We investigated the seasonal changes in macroinvertebrate reference communities in four Mediterranean stream types (temporary, evaporite calcareous at medium altitude, siliceous headwaters at high altitude, and cal- careous headwaters at medium and high altitudes) and the interannual changes in the two headwaters stream types in Spain. Eighty-eight seasonal reference sites distributed into 23 basins were sampled on three occasions (spring, summer and autumn of 2003), and 18 interannual reference sites distributed in 6 basins were sampled in the autumn of 2003, 2004 and 2005 to examine this temporal variability. Interannual reference sites were a subset of seasonal reference sites. The analysis of similarity (ANOSIM) performed on Bray-Curtis similarity distances, using pres- ence-absence data, showed no seasonal or interannual changes in the macroinvertebrate communities. The infl uence of seasonal and interannual variability was also tested in all the stream types using 18 macroinvertebrate metrics classifi ed as richness, index, multimetric index, tolerance/intolerance and diversity. ANOVAs showed no seasonal differences in any of the studied metrics for temporary and evaporite calcareous at medium altitude and most of the metrics in the two headwaters stream types. This suggests the suitability of using a single season approach for the biomonitoring purposes of these metrics. Conversely, the seasonal differences detected in the metrics related with EPT (Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera) and OCH (Odonata, Coleoptera and Heteroptera) taxa in calcareous headwaters indicate possible differences in the relative presence of macrohabitats (riffl es and pools) as a result of fl ow variation. No interannual changes were detected in any of the metrics except EPT/OCH in siliceous headwaters. However, the large variability in the annual rainfall in this study area suggests that this three-year study period may be too short to assess the effect of climatic variations on the ecological status assessment. In general, the lower temporal variability (measured as seasonal and interannual coeffi cients of variation) of the taxon richness metric (S) and the two studied indices (IBMWP and IASPT), compared with the other metrics, make them a priori robust indicators to assess ecological status in Mediterranean streams.

Global climate change can affect the sensitivity of tree radial growth to climate factors, but the specific responses of tree radial growth to microclimate along the altitudinal gradient in the long term are still unclear. In this study, the tree-ring width chronologies of Pinus tabuliformis Carr. in Shanxi Province of China were studied at three altitude gradients (1200-1300m (low altitude), 1300-1400m (medium altitude) and 1400-1500m (high altitude)) during 1958-2017. The results showed that (1) the climate background could be divided into two periods based on the Mann-Kendall test analysis: 1958-1996 was a stable period (mean annual temperature (MAT)=10.25°C, mean annual precipitation (MAP)=614.39 mm), and 1997-2017 was a rapid change period (MAT=10.91°C, MAP=564.70 mm), indicating a warming and drying trend in the study region. (2) The radial growth of P. tabuliformis at different altitudes showed inconsistent variation patterns. The tree radial growth at low and medium altitudes (CV=27.01% for low altitude and CV=24.69% for medium altitude) showed larger variation amplitudes during the rapid change period than that in the stable period (CV=12.40% for low altitude and CV=18.42% for medium altitude). In contrast to the increasing trend, the tree radial growth rates at the high altitude showed a decreasing trend across years. (3) In the stable period, the radial growth of P. tabuliformis at the low altitude showed a significantly negative response to temperature and a positive response to precipitation in May and June. The tree radial growth at the medium altitude was positively related to precipitation in June and minimum temperature in February. The tree growth at the high altitude was mainly positively correlated with the temperature in May and August. In the rapid change period, the radial growth of P. tabuliformis at the low altitude was affected by more meteorological factors than that in the stable period. Medium-altitude trees were positively influenced by precipitation in June and minimum temperature in January, whereas high-altitude trees responded positively to wind speed in February. (4) Along altitudinal gradients, tree radial growth was more related to temperature than precipitation in the stable period. The tree radial growth at the high altitude during the rapid change period was only affected by wind speed in February, whereas the tree radial growth at low and medium altitudes was mainly affected by temperature to a similar extent during the two periods. The study indicated that tree growth-climate response models could help deeply understand the impact of climate change on tree growth adaptation and would be beneficial for developing sustainable management policies for forest ecosystems in the transition zone from warm-temperate to subtropical climates.

Smallholder dairy farming is important in Kenya, however reducing farms into subdivisions over the past four decades has resulted in small farms. Meeting the nutritional requirements of high yielding dairy cows is now a constant challenge to the farmers especially during the dry season. Sweetpotato is a potential source of food and feed for smallholder farmers. The high biomass yield and quality of sweetpotato storage roots and vines are two of the most important factors that deserve attention when it is used as a feed. The present study evaluated six cultivars of sweetpotato for their potential as dual-purpose crops, biomass yield, and quality in different agroecological zones in Kenya. Six cultivars of sweetpotato were grown on farms in five sites located in the Central, South, and North Rift Valley regions of Kenya under rain-fed conditions. Two sites each were located in the high and medium altitude area while one was located in the low altitude area. All sites have a warm climate except the one at high altitude that experiences a cold climate. The cultivars were 103001, Gweri, Kemb-23, Kemb-36, Naspot-1, and Wagabolige. The vines of each variety were harvested at two different stages (75 and 150 days) post-planting. The 75-day treatment was ratooned again at 150 days post-planting. Agronomic observations were carried out during the long rainy season in 2010. Harvesting vines twice significantly (P < 001) increased forage yields but significantly reduced root yield in all the varieties. Gweri variety realized the highest forage yield but the lowest storage root yield indicating its potential as a forage variety. Kemb23, Kemb36, and Naspot1 produced appreciable amounts of vines and the highest root storage yield showing their potential as dual-purpose varieties. The effect of cultivar on forage yield varied with time of harvest. There was a high interaction between the cultivars and stage of harvest at 150 days after planting. Gweri, Kemb 23, and Kemb 36 showed some level of interaction with stage of harvesting at 150 days after planting. Across AEZs vine yields (t/DM/ha) ranged from 0.9 t/ha at high altitude (dry), 2.4 at high altitude (wet), 1.7 at low altitude (dry), and 2.8 medium altitude (wet). The root to vine ratios (R/V) obtained classifies cultivar 103001 as a low forage-high storage root cultivar while Gweri was classified as a forage cultivar in all AEZs. Four other varieties (Kemb‐23, Naspot‐1, Wagabolige, and Kemb 36) were identified as “best bet” dual-purpose varieties. Harvesting sweetpotato plants twice at 75 and 150 days post-planting increased vine yield by 34 % but also reduced tuber yields by 54 %. The practical implications of these results is that farmers in each AEZ will have at least one suitable forage, dual-purpose or root variety to choose from depending on the feed needs on farms.

To study changes in the cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR) at different altitude area in healthy adults. CVR was tested using transcranial Doppler combined with CO2 inhalation, near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) was used to detect the regional cerebral oxygen saturation (rScO2). Blood samples were collected, and the vasoactive substances in serum were detected using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. In this study, 59 healthy adults were divided into 3 groups: low altitude group, medium altitude group and high altitude group. All the indicators in low altitude group were tested at 24h before departure and after arrival from Beijing (at an altitude of 44.4 m) to Xining (at a medium altitude of 2200 m). Then, after resting for 48h, all the indicators were tested at 24h and 48h after arrival from Xining (at a medium altitude of 2200 m) to Yushu Jiegu town (at a high altitude of 3700 m) together with those at the medium altitude. Intergroup comparisons were made for the subjects in the three altitudes. There was an increase in the CVR in low altitude group after acute exposure to high altitude, and the difference was significant (CVR: 1.94re was vs. 0.91±0.53, p<0.001); the CVR index was increased, and the difference was significant [cerebrovascular reserve index (CVRI): 3.65he CVR vs. 1.37e CVR, p<0.001]; the rScO2 level was decreased with the increase of altitude, and the difference was significant [(66.78±4.61)% vs. (70.29±4.52)%, p<0.001]. The levels of vasoactive substances in low altitude group were decreased after acute exposure to high altitude compared with those before exposure: NO: [(79.14±9.54) μmol/L vs. (58.01±9.93) μmol/L, p<0.001]; serum eNOS level was increased, and the difference was significant [(77.23±6.20) pg/ml vs. (65.07±9.82) pg/ml, p<0.001]; EPO: [(84.68±13.16) pg/ml vs. (65.01±5.92) pg/ml, p<0.001]; VEGF: [(71.91±11.62) pg/ml vs. (54.92±11.86) pg/ml, p<0.001]; sFlt: [(384.18±42.73) pg/ml vs. (320.62±78.96) pg/ml, p<0.001]. There was also an increase in CVR in medium altitude group after acute exposure to high altitude, and the difference was significant [CVR: 2.00±0.79 vs. 0.91±0.66, p<0.001]; the difference of CVRI was significant [3.83±0.67 vs. 1.67±0.87, p<0.001]; rScO2 was slightly decreased with the increase of altitude, and the difference was not statistically significant [(67.53±4.61) % vs. (69.63±5.59) %, p<0.001]. Before exposure to high altitude area, the levels of NO, NOS, EPO, VEGF, and sFlt in low and medium altitude groups were higher than those in high altitude group. CVR level of subjects at different altitudes was negatively related to the ScO2 (r=-0.91) but positively related to NO and NOS levels (rs=0.89, r=0.75); CVR was moderately related to VEGF and EPO (rs=0.45, r=0.42). rScO2 was positively related to RBC, HB and VEGF levels (r=0.89, r=0.75, rs=0.86), but had a moderately negative correlation with NO and NOS levels (rs=-0.52, r=-0.57). After subjects at a low altitude are exposed to high altitude rapidly, CVR is increased, RBC and vasoactive substances in serum, such as NO, eNOS, and EPO, are dramatically increased, VEGF is increased first and then decreased, sFlt-1 level is increased gradually, and rScO2 level is gradually decreased with the increase of altitude, indicating the local brain anoxia of subjects at a high altitude.

“Site‐specific” vegetation, that is germplasm ecologically adapted to the prevailing pedoclimatic conditions and native to the target region, is increasingly required in the revegetation of disturbed areas at high altitude. Some key site‐specific species have been reported for the Alpine region. Better knowledge is needed on the existing variability of these species, while high seed yield is required to ensure the availability of commercially adequate seed supply. Natural populations of Alpine cat’s tail from the Rhaetian Alps were evaluated for morphology and seed production at a mountain and at a lowland site of northern Italy aiming at (1) identifying possible superior populations for the selection of adapted high‐yielding cultivars and (2) verifying whether the seed multiplication of site‐specific species could also be undertaken in areas different from those of origin. The germplasm from one valley featured an interesting architecture of traits, representing a possible ideotype for seed production purposes. Individual populations across different valleys also proved to be a valuable source of variation for economically useful traits. A discussion on possible implications of use of nonlocal germplasm sources for restoration purposes is provided. The lowland site gave much lower seed production than the mountain location and experienced outstanding plant mortality after the first summer. The specific site conditions, namely the occurrence of an appreciable level of heat and drought stress in summer and a severe rust infection rather than the altitude per se, limited the suitability of this site for seed production of the alpine germplasm.

Species adapted to prevailing soil and climatic conditions and native to the same geographic context are increasingly recommended for ecological restoration at high altitude. Better knowledge is required on the level of variation within these species for morpho‐physiological traits and seed yield. Adequate and affordable seed production is a prerequisite for native species to be widely adopted for restoration interventions. This study evaluated the variation of yarrow (Achillea millefolium L.) germplasm collected in the Rhaetian Alps, Italy. The worth of yarrow for restoration at high altitude has been repeatedly noted. The main goal of the study was to identify promising materials for selection purposes. The explored mountain section harbored valuable variation for traits of interest. Altitude, climate, and soil should frame an ecological correspondence between the collection site and the target restoration site, to secure the value of the native germplasm outside the boundaries of its collection area. The work also assessed any interaction between the germplasm and the ex situ growing environments, represented by a mountain and a lowland site, and verified the feasibility of the latter for seed multiplication. The growing site remarkably affected several morpho‐physiological characters. The lack of difference in mean seed yield between the two altitude‐contrasting sites suggested that seed multiplication of yarrow could also be conveniently carried out in lowland environments, with advantages in terms of production costs. Nonetheless, different yield responses in the two sites were observed, emphasizing the need of choosing the material to multiply based on the environment adopted for seed production.