Central Mountain Range Research Articles

Ancient Spring Tunnels of Jerusalem, Israel: Physical, Spatial, and Human Aspects

ABSTRACT About 210 spring tunnels were developed in Israel, most of them within its central mountain range and especially in the Jerusalem Hills. This phenomenon probably first appeared in Israel during Iron Age II, around the 8th century BCE. Spring tunnels are associated with the development of irrigated agricultural systems, landscape design and the establishment of rural settlements. This study presents for the first time a comprehensive statistical picture of this phenomenon, with particularly emphasis on the Jerusalem Hills. We have analysed statistically 21 different parameters of two types of springs in the Jerusalem Hills: 70 with tunnels and 60 without tunnels. The selected parameters fall into three categories: (1) geological-geomorphological (formation, surface slope and group, dip); (2) physical-hydrological (precipitation, discharge, etc.); (3) spatial (dispersion, springs elevation ASL, etc.). The results of this study emphasise the spatial aspects of this phenomenon, especially the accessibility to the Old City of Jerusalem. In addition, there is a clear connection between the karstic aquifer overlying the Moza geological formation and the spring tunnels. This study highlights the physical advantages of Jerusalem’s hinterland at the eastern sections of the Soreq and Refaim river basins, consistent with the rich archaeological record in these areas.

Cybaeus (Araneae: Cybaeidae): the aspenicolens species group of the Californian clade.

Species of North American Cybaeus L. Koch (Araneae: RTA clade: Cybaeidae) are common moist-forest spiders classified in Holarctic and Californian clades. Here, in the second paper in a planned series reviewing the six Californian clade species groups, we review the species of the aspenicolens group. We recognize five species in two subgroups: the aspenicolens subgroup (Cybaeus aspenicolens Chamberlin Ivie, C. blasbes Chamberlin Ivie, and C. coylei Bennett spec. nov.) and the fraxineus subgroup (C. fraxineus Bennett spec. nov. and C. thermydrinos Bennett). The species of the aspenicolens group have very restricted distributions on the western slopes of the central and southern Sierra Nevada mountain range from Tuolumne County south to northern Kern County in east central California, U.S.A. Descriptions, illustrations, distribution maps, and an identification key are provided for the five species as well as a discussion of conservation issues of relevance to the group.

Interaction of hydric and thermal conditions drive geographic variation in thermoregulation in a widespread lizard

AbstractBehavioral thermoregulation is an efficient mechanism to buffer the physiological effects of climate change. Thermal ecology studies have traditionally tested how thermal constraints shape thermoregulatory behaviors without accounting for the potential major effects of landscape structure and water availability. Thus, we lack a general understanding of the multifactorial determinants of thermoregulatory behaviors in natural populations. In this study, we quantified the relative contribution of elevation, thermal gradient, moisture gradient, and landscape structure in explaining geographic variation in thermoregulation strategies of a terrestrial ectotherm species. We measured field‐active body temperature, thermal preferences, and operative environmental temperatures to calculate thermoregulation indices, including thermal quality of the habitat and thermoregulation efficiency for a very large sample of common lizards (Zootoca vivipara) from 21 populations over 3 yr across the Massif Central mountain range in France. We used an information‐theoretic approach to compare eight a priori thermo‐hydroregulation hypotheses predicting how behavioral thermoregulation should respond to environmental conditions. Environmental characteristics exerted little influence on thermal preference with the exception that females from habitats with permanent access to water had lower thermal preferences. Field body temperatures and accuracy of thermoregulation were best predicted by the interaction between air temperature and a moisture index. In mesic environments, field body temperature and thermoregulation accuracy increased with air temperature, but they decreased in drier habitats. Thermoregulation efficiency (difference between thermoregulation inaccuracy and the thermal quality of the habitat) was maximized in cooler and more humid environments and was mostly influenced by the thermal quality of the habitat. Our study highlights complex patterns of variation in thermoregulation strategies, which are mostly explained by the interaction between temperature and water availability, independent of the elevation gradient or thermal heterogeneity. Although changes in landscape structure were expected to be the main driver of extinction rate of temperate zone ectotherms with ongoing global change, we conclude that changes in water availability coupled with rising temperatures might have a drastic impact on the population dynamics of some ectotherm species.

Three Decades of Crimes and Misdemeanours in the Nest Box Life of European Pied Flycatchers Ficedula hypoleuca

Pied Flycatchers Ficedula hypoleuca are known to be victims of nest killings in contexts of competition for nest boxes. However, there is only anecdotal information on their opposite role as perpetrators of nest takeovers and occasional killings of other songbirds. Over 31 years we examined whether competition with Great Tits Parus major over nest box ownership is a significant source of mortality for Pied Flycatchers and whether the increase in Pied Flycatcher populations affected the use of nest boxes by the smallest tit species, the Blue Tit Cyanistes caeruleus and Coal Tit Periparus ater, in two forests in the central Iberian Mountain Range. We found 31 Pied Flycatchers killed inside nest boxes. The Great Tit was the most frequent species to which the killings were attributed. Followed by Pied Flycatchers themselves and Nuthatches Sitta europaea. We confirmed the killing by Pied Flycatchers of at least two conspecific males and one incubating female Coal Tit, with one killer male identified. Large increases in population densities of flycatchers after nest box deployment in the two study areas seem to have triggered an intensification of agonistic interactions among their potential occupants, resulting in an increase of takeovers by Pied Flycatchers of nest boxes initially owned by the smallest tit species. Great Tits are not a serious threat for Pied Flycatchers breeding in the study area, most likely due to their preference for natural holes over the nest box types most frequently installed. The interactions of Pied Flycatchers with Blue and Coal Tits for the ownership of nest boxes do not seem to cause significant mortality in the species involved. However, aggressive usurpations of nest boxes by Pied Flycatchers surely have negative impacts on the reproductive success of the victims through their eviction from suitable nesting sites.—Potti, J., Camacho, C., Canal, D. & Martínez-Padilla, J. (2021). Three decades of crimes and misdemeanours in the nest box life of European Pied Flycatchers Ficedula hypoleuca. Ardeola, 68: 315-333.

Impact of radar data assimilation on simulations of precipitable water with the Harmonie model: A case study over Cyprus

Understanding the mesoscale spatial and temporal variability of precipitation (of the order of 1 to 100 km, and of minutes to hours, respectively) is essential for larger-scale studies, especially in highly heterogeneous areas, such as coastal regions, mountains and urban areas. The adequate capturing of the precipitation patterns in both diagnostic and prognostic terms remains an open challenge. On the one hand, commonly used ground measuring devices, such as rain gauges, disdrometers and other point instruments, exhibit an ineffective sampling for the whole range of scales and areas covered with precipitation. On the other hand, weather radars provide a much greater spatial and temporal resolution which, however, must be exploited with care in rain rate estimations, due to complicated and non-unique transfer functions used in the processing procedures. This study aims at bridging, to at least some extent, this scale gap and to demonstrate the role of fine-scale precipitation estimates derived from weather radar data, and to illustrate their impacts on larger scale weather patterns. The focus is on the precipitable water content and its changes during a Mediterranean cyclone evolution.In this paper, the first results with the regional radar signal processing chain that provides the radar data assimilation (RDA) in the Harmonie convection permitting numerical model are described. The numerical experiments exhibit effective simulation of the precipitable water at different stages of the frontal depression which affected Cyprus in the Eastern Mediterranean, during 31 December 2018–2 January 2019. In particular, it was found that the major volume of precipitable water was related to the cyclone frontal zone (which is in turn related to heavier precipitation), followed by a weaker field of precipitable water behind the frontal zone (and weaker precipitation). During the whole severe weather period, the precipitable water minimum was maintained over the island's central mountain range, reflecting the importance of interactions and feedbacks between the air flow and orography.The radar data assimilation influences the results of the simulations, depending on the particular area and cyclone stage. The largest innovations due to RDA occur with the approach of the cyclone's frontal zone. Enhancement of precipitable water due to RDA is observed over most of the whole area, but this is more pronounced in weaker precipitation locations. The impact is associated with a shift of the precipitable water maximum towards higher values in the precipitable water distribution, which is accompanied by enlarged sizes of areas with greater precipitable water. During the cyclone's mature stage and at the rear zone, the integrated RDA impact over the whole domain is almost negligible but takes the form of mesoscale cells of opposite signs; at this stage, radar measurements yield an alteration of both the positions and rates of spatial precipitable water fields, which result in intermittent mesoscale changes.

Impacts of Hurricane Maria on Land and Convection Modification Over Puerto Rico

AbstractHurricane Maria drastically altered the landscape across the island of Puerto Rico. This article investigates modifications to surface‐atmospheric interactions due to Hurricane Maria induced land damage and the associated impacts on local convective dynamics. Herein, we employed LANDSAT‐8 image mosaics to quantify the hurricane induced land modification. Results of the analysis indicate that the island suffered significant forest damage—much of which registered as a 28.35% increase in barren land and a 10.85% increase in pasture. Smaller changes included a decrease in cultivated agricultural land cover by 0.76%, along with wetland and water increases of 0.62% and 0.25%, respectively. Pre and postMaria land classifications were then assimilated into the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System cloud resolving model for the simulation of the June 23 to July 2, 2018 period under two land conditions. Results of the numerical experiments indicate that surface to atmosphere interactions were significantly modified when the land cover was altered, and that the highest deviations between pre and postMaria convection occurred over elevated areas with extreme hurricane induced land changes, such as the Cordillera Central mountain range and the El Yunque rainforest.

Studying active fault-related folding on tectonically inverted orogens: A case study at the Yariguíes Range in the Colombian Northern Andes

Morphometric analysis is widely used in tectonic geomorphology as a useful method for identifying fold activity in terms of its lateral and vertical growth. This study evaluates the recent tectonic activity and lateral propagation of the Los Cobardes anticline (LCA), which built up the Yariguíes Range, from morphometric characterization, a structural kinematic analysis, and fieldwork. The study area is located west of the Colombian Eastern Cordillera in a tectonically active region bounded by longitudinal tectonically inverted reverse structures (e.g., the Suárez Fault) with minor transverse faults and the LCA as the central fold of the Yariguíes Anticlinorium.A comparison among the precipitation data, lithology, and the morphometric indexes leads us to conclude that for the LCA, recent tectonics drive fold activity. Based on the LCA's geomorphology and the kinematic analysis derived from fault-slip data, we define three independent fold segments bounded by transverse zones: LCA-A, LCA-B, and LCA-C. Of these, the first two show evidence of lateral propagation toward the southwest, which is closely related to the activity of the Suárez Fault and inherited transverse structures. We found qualitative and quantitative geomorphologic evidence of southwestward propagation: wind and water gaps decreasing in elevation, drainages partially flowing in the direction opposite to the regional trend, and low concavity values for normalized profiles (from −40.49 to 11.76) and Vf (from 0.07 to 0.13). Assisted by published low-temperature thermochronology and seismotectonic data, we demonstrate that the LCA has been growing since the Pliocene and remains active, accommodating deformation in a transpressive stress state. Our findings could serve as a reference to study active fold growth and its structural drivers in known tectonically inverted basins, such as the foreland thrust belt in Argentina, the High Atlas Mountains in Morocco, and the Central Mountain Range of Taiwan, among others.

New species and records of Cloeodes Traver, 1938 (Ephemeroptera, Baetidae) from Costa Rica.

The nymph of Cloeodes dantasp. nov. is described from male and female nymphs collected from highland streams in the Caribbean Slope of the Costa Rica Central Volcanic Mountain Range. Adults are unknown. In addition, C. excogitatus and C. redactus are recorded for the first time in the country. Cloeodes dantasp. nov. can be differentiated from all described species by the predominantly brownish coloration on females and a similar coloration on males but with segments VII–IX light yellow and light brown, with no conspicuous marks or patterns; abundant scale-bases throughout most parts of the body; hindwings pads absent; the presence of three spines in the corners of the posterior margin of sternum III, and the posterior margin of tergum III with 28–30 spines on each side of the middle line (spine with a base width up to 0.5× spine length).

Post-wildfire slope stability effects and mitigation: a case study from hilly terrains with unmanaged forest

The combined effects of wildfires and storms strongly induce slopes stability phenomena, thus requiring mitigation measures to manage long-lasting wildfire-induced risks. In Portugal, thousands of increasingly destructive wildfires occur during the hottest months. In the last two decades, almost 3,000,000 ha of forest, bush and agricultural land burned in Portugal, 20% of which caused by massive wildfires that occurred in 2017. Portuguese central mountain range was one of the most affected areas, namely the study area of Serra do Acor and Serra da Estrela, where extreme rainfall events in 2018 and 2019 caused extensive slope instability phenomena that created a unique opportunity for assessing long-term field performance of treated and untreated burnt areas. The registered phenomena as well as the treatment solutions applied to mitigate instability effects on slopes were studied in two sites. Over 3 years, several field research trips were carried out to scientifically assess the situation over time. By comparing areas with distinct response to the extreme rainfall events and based on the data collected, namely prior to 2017, it was been possible to link the registered instability events and the October 2017 wildfires and qualitatively evaluate the effectiveness of the adopted mitigation solutions. This study not only confirms that the study area is prone to slope instability wildfire-related phenomena, with a 13-year return period between similar events in the study area, but also validates the use of protective barriers as a mitigation measure, contrary to previous studies carried out in other countries.

Provenance of Middle Jurassic sequences in the Northern Qiangtang: implications for Mesozoic exhumation of the Central Tibetan Mountain Range

ABSTRACT The exhumation history of the Central Tibetan Mountain Range (CTMR) in the Qiangtang terrane is important for establishing the boundary conditions prior to the India-Asia collision. Previous studies suggest that the CTMR is a significant provenance for Jurassic sediments in the Qiangtang terrane. The Middle Jurassic sediments north of the CTMR provide crucial information to constrain the timing of exhumation in the source area. Here we present detailed stratigraphic sections and detrital zircon U-Pb geochronology in the northern Qiangtang basin. Sedimentary facies analyses indicate that the Early-Middle Jurassic Quemoco Formation is mainly deposited in the deltaic system and carbonate-platform environment. Upsection, the Middle Jurassic Xiali Formation was deposited in a prodelta environment. Combined analyses of palaeocurrent indicators, conglomerate clast composition and U-Pb age spectra suggest that the CTMR is the main provenance for the Quemoco and Xialai formations; while the Triassic southern Qiangtang strata and Jinsha suture are the secondary source areas. The changes in the specific position of detrital zircon U-Pb age peaks around 500 Ma indicate evolving source terranes. Detrital zircon U-Pb geochronological data from the base of the Quemoco Formation and top of the Xiali Formation constrain the conservative maximum depositional ages to be 174.8 ± 1.0 and 161.7 ± 2.3 Ma, respectively. Combined with previous geochronology data, structural geology, and provenance studies across the Qiangtang terrane, the CTMR experienced rapid exhumation during Middle Jurassic and Late Cretaceous and slow exhumation since Eocene. The Jurassic uplift and exhumation of the CTMR were accompanied by the uplift of the southern Qiangtang terrane. The deformation and exhumation history is in favour of the hypothesis that plateau growth in the south-central Qiangtang terrane initiated during the Mesozoic, which is an important initial condition to quantify Cenozoic growth of the Tibetan Plateau.

Track Deflection of Typhoon Maria (2018) during a Westbound Passage Offshore of Northern Taiwan: Topographic Influence

AbstractThis study applies a global model (FV3GFS) with stretched resolution of approximately 7 km for simulating Typhoon Maria (2018), which exhibited a sudden northward track deflection when approaching about 150 km northeast of Taiwan. As Maria approached land, the outer cyclonic flow at the western flank of the typhoon is split around the northern part of the Central Mountain Range (CMR) in Taiwan to converge east of Taiwan with the recirculating southerly flow around the southern corner of the CMR. Such strong convergence leads to northward deflection of the west-northwestward-moving typhoon with the stronger wind mainly east of the vortex center. The radial inflow at low levels is intensified south of the vortex center and transports larger angular momentum (AM) inward with the enhanced upward motions and vertical mean AM advection to increase the azimuthal mean tangential wind in the lower-tropospheric eyewall. A vorticity budget of wavenumber-1 decomposition indicates that the track deflection is dominated by horizontal vorticity advection in response to the intensifying flow. Numerical experiments with idealized WRF also support such northward track deflection as westward tropical cyclones approach a mountain range within an offshore meridional distance of about 200 km. The northward track deflection is only slightly amplified as the terrain height is considerably increased, consistent with the real-case simulation. However, the northward track deflection is not increased as the approaching vortex is initialized closer to the northern end of the mountain range, due to the enhanced east–west symmetry of wind structure in the inner vortex.

Phylogenomics, biogeography and taxonomic revision of New Guinean pythons (Pythonidae, Leiopython) harvested for international trade

The large and enigmatic New Guinean pythons in the genus Leiopython are harvested from the wild to supply the international trade in pets. Six species are currently recognized (albertisii, biakensis, fredparkeri, huonensis, meridionalis, montanus) but the taxonomy of this group has been controversial. We combined analysis of 421 nuclear loci and complete mitochondrial genomes with morphological data to construct a detailed phylogeny of this group, understand their biogeographic patterns and establish the systematic diversity of this genus. Our molecular genetic data support two major clades, corresponding to L. albertisii and L. fredparkeri, but offer no support for the other four species. Our morphological data also only support two species. We therefore recognize L. albertisii and L. fredparkeri as valid species and place L. biakensis, L. meridionalis, L. huonensis and L. montanus into synonymy. We found that L. albertisii and L. fredparkeri are sympatric in western New Guinea; an atypical pattern compared to other Papuan species complexes in which the distributions of sister taxa are partitioned to the north and south of the island’s central mountain range. For the purpose of conservation management, overestimation of species diversity within Leiopython has resulted in the unnecessary allocation of resources that could have been expended elsewhere. We strongly caution against revising the taxonomy of geographically widespread species groups when little or no molecular genetic data and only small morphological samples are available.

Montane forest expansion at high elevations drives rapid reduction in non‐forest area, despite no change in mean forest elevation

AbstractAimAt the elevational limit of forest distribution, montane forests show diverse responses to environmental change with upward shifts, increased tree density and lateral expansion reported. To enable informed analysis of the consequences forest advance will have on montane biodiversity, we quantify changes in the area and elevation of the tree line ecotone and identify how patterns of forest advance are modified by topography and over time.LocationCentral Mountain Range, Taiwan.Time period1963–2016.Major taxa studiedMontane Forests.MethodsChanges in the area and elevation of montane forest at the tree line ecotone were quantified using a stratified random sample of aerial photography captured in 1963, 1980, 2001 and 2016. Weighted estimates of habitat area and elevation for each time step were used to quantify the influence of slope aspect and inclination on tree line ecotone change and identify how the rate of habitat change varies over time.ResultsNon‐forest area declined by 29% between 1963 and 2016 driven by a 295.0 ha increase in forest area within the study region. Despite no change in mean forest elevation, the mean elevation of establishing forest has increased at a rate of 2.17 m/yr. Changes in forest area and elevation are spatially variable, driven by the complex montane topography. East and south facing slopes show the largest gains in forest area and 0–20° slopes show an increasing rate of forest establishment up to 2016, while slopes facing west or with incline > 46° show negligible change.Main conclusionsClimate‐linked montane forest expansion in the Central Mountain Range in Taiwan is dominated by infilling rather than increases in forest elevation. Forest expansion has significantly reduced non‐forest habitat area in this endemic species‐rich region. However, considerable terrain‐dependent variation in forest advance occurs, offering the potential that non‐forest species will continue to persist at high elevations with reduced population size.

Not so stressful after all: Epiphytic individuals of accidental epiphytes experience more favourable abiotic conditions than terrestrial conspecifics

Vascular epiphytes are mainly associated with tropical and subtropical forest ecosystems. However, the frequent occurrence of accidental epiphytes in temperate forests proves that epiphytic growth of vascular plants is possible in tree crowns at these latitudes. Comparing the abiotic conditions of epiphytic and terrestrial microhabitats in conjunction with intraspecific differences in functional traits of the inhabiting plants, we identified limitations to vascular epiphytism in the study area in a Central European low mountain range. We determined light availability, winter temperatures, soil moisture, nutrient concentrations, and pH of arboreal soil in crotches of broad-leaved trees and in the immediate vicinity of each tree on the ground. Similarly, we quantified total plant water content, relative foliar chlorophyll content, specific leaf area (SLA), leaf dry matter content (LDMC), root-mass fraction, and aboveground nutrient concentrations of 110 pairs of epiphytic and terrestrial conspecifics. Water and nutrient availability were generally high in crotches filled with arboreal soil, suggesting better growth conditions than on the ground. A trophic advantage of epiphytic individuals over terrestrial conspecifics can be deduced from higher plant nutrient concentrations, higher SLA, and lower LDMC. Advantageous growth conditions might even result in higher growth rates and higher fitness of epiphytic individuals. Our findings highlight that vascular epiphytism in the study area is not necessarily limited by abiotic conditions but at least partly by the availability of old and structurally diverse trees providing suitable microhabitats. Accordingly, management actions in these secondary forest ecosystems should incorporate the preservation of old and large deciduous trees in order to sustain arboreal microhabitats and the associated biota.

Apatite and zircon (U–Th)/He thermochronological evidence for Mesozoic exhumation of the Central Tibetan Mountain Range

The Central Tibetan Mountain Range (CTMR) exposes the oldest strata in the Qiangtang Terrane and may record the most complete exhumation history prior to and post‐collision of India and Asia. This article presents apatite and zircon (U–Th)/He thermochronology data of granites from the CTMR. Zircon (U–Th)/He single grain ages range from 116 to 191 Ma, while apatite (U–Th)/He single grain ages vary from 54 to 94 Ma. Thermal modelling results based on (U–Th)/He ages of apatite and zircon indicate that episodic rapid exhumations occurred at the Middle‐Late Jurassic and the Late Cretaceous, respectively. The Middle‐Late Jurassic exhumation is consistent with the provenance analysis of Jurassic strata in the South (SQT) and North Qiangtang Terrane (NQT) which suggested they were derived from the CTMR. This stage of rapid exhumation might be attributed to the northward ridge subduction of the Bangong‐Nujiang Ocean. The Late Cretaceous relatively rapid exhumation is compatible with the angular unconformity between the Abushan Formation and the underlying marine strata. This stage of exhumation may be caused by the collision between Lhasa and QT. Our results, combined with the crust shortening and adakitic rocks in the SQT during the Late Cretaceous, provide robust evidence for crustal thickening and early uplift of central Tibetan Plateau prior to the India‐Asia collision. The CTMR experienced very low exhumation since the early Eocene, implying that low‐relief topography had been established at high elevation with internal drainage prior to India‐Asia collision.

Unexpected case of cancrivory in a lotic tropical ecosystem: First record of predation of Strengeriana maniformis by the frog Rheobates palmatus

The organic matter in the form of detrital material from the riverside of the flowing waters constitutes the most important contribution of nutrients and energy received by the lotic ecosystems. The detritivore invertebrates of lotic ecosystems are the first to consume the bigger organic matter and disintegrate it into fine particles. If the amphibians exert predatory pressure over detritivore invertebrates, they could be indirectly influencing the disintegration of organic matter in flowing waters ecosystems being this a fundamental ecological process in such ecosystem. The aim of this work is to describe the first predation event over a detritivore freshwater crab Strengeriana maniformis by the Colombian endemic frog Rheobates palmatus. During herpetological surveys conducted on August 10, 2019 at a creek known locally as Soto, Norcasia municipality, Caldas department, at the eastern hillside of the Central mountain range, Colombia an adult of R. palmatus was caught at 21:50 h. The individual was located on the ground at 2 m from the edge of a creek which is surrounded by a fragment of tropical rainforest. The stomach content of the individual was sampled using the stomach-flushing technique, and a male individual of the crab S. maniformis was recorded inside it. Ecologically, this new trophic link described in this work makes a small but important contribution to the knowledge of the natural history of both taxa. But, also reveal that the amphibians could exert predatory pressure over detritivore invertebrates of lotic ecosystems as freshwater crabs, which have a fundamental ecological process in such an ecosystem by the disintegration of organic matter.

Generation and enhancement mechanisms for extreme orographic rainfall associated with Typhoon Morakot (2009) over the Central Mountain Range of Taiwan

The generation and enhancement mechanisms and essential ingredients for the extreme rainfall associated with Typhoon Morakot (2009) passing over Taiwan's Central Mountain Range (CMR) were investigated by using the Advanced Research Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. First, we found that the extreme rainfall was due to the essential orographic rain ingredients: high precipitation efficiency, strong low-level jet, steep terrain, high moisture upstream, large convective system, and slower movement of the typhoon. Second, the Orographic Rain Index (ORI) proposed by Rostom (2015) was modified and tested by twelve (12) TC cases and found it has a good correlation with daily rainfall. Thus it can be used to help the prediction of extreme orographic TC rainfall. Third, we found there are two types of orographic rainfall mechanisms associated with Morakot, namely initiation and enhancement. These rainfall mechanisms may occur simultaneously at different locations, such as in northeast and southwest CMR. The orographic rain in the northeastern CMR was initiated by the high and steep CMR while the typhoon was still 200 km away. The rainfall was enhanced gradually and continually by the CMR when Morakot was approaching it, which produced a maximum rainfall of 265 mm/3 h starting at 1800 UTC August 7. The rain then decreased when the typhoon's eyewall structure and convection were damaged and weakened, respectively, when it invaded the high and steep CMR. Orographic rain was generated in the southwestern CMR initially when the conditionally unstable, southwesterly monsoonal flow impinged on the southern CMR. It was enhanced afterward by the merged monsoonal flow and Morakot's rainband leading to an extreme maximum rainfall of 311 mm/3 h starting 0000 UTC August 8. Later, this region of orographically enhanced TC rain moved northward along the western flank of the CMR. At last, we presented a conceptual model summarizing four key processes associated with the generation and enhancement of orographic TC rain over the southwest of CMR during the passage of typhoon Morakot (2009).

Climate dependent heating efficiency in the common lizard.

Regulation of body temperature is crucial for optimizing physiological performance in ectotherms but imposes constraints in time and energy. Time and energy spent thermoregulating can be reduced through behavioral (e.g., basking adjustments) or biophysical (e.g., heating rate physiology) means. In a heterogeneous environment, we expect thermoregulation costs to vary according to local, climatic conditions and therefore to drive the evolution of both behavioral and biophysical thermoregulation. To date, there are limited data showing that thermal physiological adjustments have a direct relationship to climatic conditions. In this study, we explored the effect of environmental conditions on heating rates in the common lizard (Zootoca vivipara). We sampled lizards from 10 populations in the Massif Central Mountain range of France and measured whether differences in heating rates of individuals correlated with phenotypic traits (i.e., body condition and dorsal darkness) or abiotic factors (temperature and rainfall). Our results show that heat gain is faster for lizards with a higher body condition, but also for individuals from habitats with higher amount of precipitation. Altogether, they demonstrate that environmentally induced constraints can shape biophysical aspects of thermoregulation.

Molecular phylogenetics and evolutionary history of the endemic land snail genus Everettia in northern Borneo.

Borneo has gone through dramatic changes in geology and topography from the early Eocene until the early Pliocene and experienced climatic cycling during the Pleistocene. However, how these changes have shaped the present-day patterns of high diversity and complex distribution are still poorly understood. In this study, we use integrative approaches by estimating phylogenetic relationships, divergence time, and current and past niche suitability for the Bornean endemic land snail genus Everettia to provide additional insight into the evolutionary history of this genus in northern Borneo in the light of the geological vicariance events and climatic fluctuations in the Pleistocene. Our results show that northern Borneo Everettia species belong to two deeply divergent lineages: one contains the species that inhabit high elevation at the central mountain range, while the other contains lowland species. Species diversification in these lineages has taken place before the Pliocene. Climate changes during the Pleistocene did not play a significant role in species diversification but could have shaped contemporary species distribution patterns. Our results also show that the species-rich highland habitats have acted as interglacial refugia for highland species. This study of a relatively sedentary invertebrate supports and enhances the growing understanding of the evolutionary history of Borneo. Species diversification in Everettia is caused by geological vicariance events between the early Miocene and the Pliocene, and the distribution patterns were subsequently determined by climatic fluctuations in the Pleistocene.

Monitoring occurrence, extinction, and colonization probabilities for gibbon populations.

All gibbon species (Family: Hylobatidae) are considered threatened with extinction and recognized on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species. Because gibbons are one of the most threatened families of primates, monitoring their status is now critically important. Long-term monitoring programs applying occupancy approaches, in addition to assessing occurrence probability, improves understanding of other population parameters such as site extinction or colonization probabilities, which elucidate temporal and spatial changes and are therefore important for guiding conservation efforts. In this study, we used multiple season occupancy models to monitor occurrence, extinction, and colonization probabilities for northern yellow-cheeked crested gibbon Nomascus annamensis in three adjacent protected areas in the Central Annamites mountain range, Vietnam. We collected data at 30 listening posts in 2012, 2014, and 2016 using the auditory point count method. Occurrence probabilities were highest in 2012 (0.74, confidence interval [CI]: 0.56-0.87) but slightly lower in 2014 (0.66, CI: 0.51-0.79) and 2016 (0.67, CI: 0.49-0.81). Extinction probabilities during the 2012-2014 and 2014-2016 intervals were 0.26 (0.14-0.44) and 0.25 (0.12-0.44), respectively. Colonization probabilities during 2012-2014 were 0.44 (0.19-0.73) and between 2014 and 2016 was 0.51 (0.26-0.75). Although local site extinctions have occurred, high recolonization probability helped to replenish the unoccupied sites and kept the occurrence probability stable. Long-term monitoring programs which use occurrence probability alone might not fully reveal the true dynamics of gibbon populations. We strongly recommend including multiple season occupancy models to monitor occurrence, extinction, and colonization probabilities in long-term gibbon monitoring programs.