Central Mountains Research Articles

Seasonal movements in caribou ecotypes of Western Canada

BackgroundSeveral migratory ungulates, including caribou, are dramatically declining. Caribou of the Barren-ground ecotype, which forms its own subspecies, are known to be mainly migratory. By contrast, within the Woodland subspecies, animals of the Boreal ecotype are known to be mainly sedentary, while those within the Northern and Central Mountain ecotypes to be partially migratory, with only some individuals migrating. Promotion of conservation actions (e.g., habitat protection) that are specific to both residents and migrants, as well as to the areas they frequent seasonally (which may be separate for migrants), requires distinguishing migration from other movement behaviours, which might be a challenge.MethodsWe aimed at assessing seasonal movement behaviours, including migratory, resident, dispersing, and nomadic, for caribou belonging to the Barren-ground and Woodland subspecies and ecotypes. We examined seasonal displacement, both planar and altitudinal, and seasonal ranges overlap for 366 individuals that were GPS-collared in Northern and Western Canada. Lastly, we assessed the ability of caribou individuals to switch between migratory and non-migratory movement behaviours between years.ResultsWe detected migratory behaviour within each of the studied subspecies and ecotypes. However, seasonal ranges overlap (an index of sedentary behaviour) varied, with proportions of clear migrants (0 overlap) of 40.94% for Barren-ground caribou and 23.34% for Woodland caribou, and of 32.95%, 54.87%, and 8.86% for its Northern Mountain, Central Mountain, and Boreal ecotype, respectively. Plastic switches of individuals were also detected between migratory, resident, dispersing, and nomadic seasonal movements performed across years.ConclusionsOur unexpected findings of marked seasonal movement plasticity in caribou indicate that this phenomenon should be better studied to understand the resilience of this endangered species to habitat and climatic changes. Our results that a substantial proportion of individuals engaged in seasonal migration in all studied ecotypes indicate that caribou conservation plans should account for critical habitat in both summer and winter ranges. Accordingly, conservation strategies are being devised for the Woodland subspecies and its ecotypes, which were found to be at least partially migratory in this study. Our findings that migration is detectable with both planar and altitudinal analyses of seasonal displacement provide a tool to better define seasonal ranges, also in mountainous and hilly environments, and protect habitat there.

Short communication: The mosquito yew wood: Survey and analysis of Mediterranean Taxus baccata L. woods (Habitat 9580*)

Aim of study: To survey a yew tree grove and to evaluate its conservation status to ascertain whether its proposal to class it as Habitat 9580* is appropriate. Area of study: Eastern end of Central Mountain Range, Spain. Material and methods: We conducted a field survey collecting data of UTM coordinates, altitude, orientation, companion woody species, height, stem perimeter, sex and browsing evidence. Individuals were classified in four age groups, considering height and stem perimeter: 1) seedling, 2) juvenile, 3), adult and 4) old. Companion species were analysed to assess the presence of habitat 9580* according to the Habitats Directive. Population structural complexity, stability and compactness were analysed to assess the conservation status. Main results: We registered 8,304 yews along with seventeen distinctive accompanying species, thus confirming the presence of priority habitat of community interest 9580* "Mediterranean Taxus baccata woods”. Population analysis leads us to appreciate a favourable conservation status for the whole habitat in the study area. Research highlights: We have described the largest T. baccata grove registered to date in the Central Mountain Range of the Iberian Peninsula. We confirm the presence of priority habitat of community interest 9580* "Mediterranean Taxus baccata woods", being the first description of this habitat in the Community of Madrid. As the study area is located within a Special Area of Conservation (SAC), we propose its inclusion on the SAC habitats list.

Seasonal variation and sources of atmospheric polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in a background site on the Tibetan Plateau

The study of atmospheric polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in northeastern Tibetan Plateau with fragile ecological environment and complex atmospheric circulation system is blank. To understand the characteristics and sources of persistent organic pollutants in the atmosphere of the northeastern Tibetan Plateau, we monitored levels in the central Qilian Mountain. From 2016 to 2017, we collected 45-pair (particle + gas) samples using active air samplers to investigate the sources, transport paths, and their influencing factors. Sources of PAHs were analysed with a source diagnostic model, and atmospheric transport paths were calculated. The concentration range for ∑15PAHs was 439–4666 pg/m3, and the average was 2015 pg/m3. The PAHs in central Qilian Mountain are mainly low molecular weight (LMW) PAHs. Winter concentrations of PAHs were higher than those in summer. The transport of PAHs is mainly affected by westerlies, and there are seasonal differences. Source analysis showed that PAHs mainly came from coal and biomass combustion and vehicle emissions, with seasonal differences. This study clarifies the concentration and seasonal variation of PAHs in the northern Tibetan Plateau, which is conducive to understanding the atmospheric transport process and fate of pollutants. The background site of Qilian Mountains located in the Silk Road economic belt has the value and significance of long-term observation of pollutants.

Impacts of future land use changes on land use conflicts based on multiple scenarios in the central mountain region, China

Under the influence of local planning and policy implementation, the transformation of regional land-use types leads to an increasing strain on limited land resources and frequent conflicts between various land-use types. However, so far, only a few studies have combined these two in an in-depth analysis. In this study, the CLUMondo model was adopted in Enshi Prefecture, a typical city in the central mountain region of China, to predict the land use pattern under the scenarios of natural development (NGS), economic development (EDS), and ecological security (ESS) in 2025 according to different development priority policies. Furthermore, the indicator model of landscape pattern and ecological risk effects was constructed to identify land use conflicts (LUCs) under multiple scenarios, revealing their spatial distribution, level of conflict, and change characteristics. The results of the study indicate that under the scenarios led by three different development priority policies, the accelerated growth and outward expansion of the built-up land area will occupy a large amount of grassland and cultivated land. The goal of synergistic economic development and ecological environmental protection is achieved only under the ESS. The indicator model classified LUCs in Enshi Prefecture into four levels. The performance and changes of LUCs under different scenarios have their characteristics. The overall performance in order from bad to good is as follows: the NGS > the EDS > the ESS. Therefore, it is necessary to set up differentiated development policies and governance measures based on regional development's current situation and vision to balance different land use needs. The indicator model and simulation method used in this study can effectively reflect the actual status and potential risks of land use in ecologically fragile mountainous areas in China, and provide theoretical basis and technical support for the optimal management of future development and formulation of ecological environmental protection policies in Enshi Prefecture.

Analysis and Simulations of a Heavy Rainfall Event Associated with the Passage of a Shallow Front over Northern Taiwan on 2 June 2017

Abstract From 0200 to 1000 LST 2 June 2017, the shallow, east–west-oriented mei-yu front (<1 km) cannot move over the Yang-Ming Mountains (with peaks ∼1120 m) when it first arrives. The postfrontal cold air at the surface is deflected by the Yang-Ming Mountains and moves through the Keelung River and Tamsui River valleys into the Taipei basin. The shallow northerly winds are anchored along the northern side of the Yang-Ming Mountains for 8 h. In addition, the southwesterly barrier jet with maximum winds in the 900–950-hPa layer brings in abundant moisture and converges with the northwesterly flow in the southwestern flank of the mei-yu frontal cyclone. Therefore, torrential rain (>600 mm) occurs over the northern side of the Yang-Ming Mountains. From 1100 to 1200 LST, with the gradual deepening of the postfrontal cold air, the front finally passes over the Yang-Ming Mountains and arrives at the Taipei basin, which results in an east–west-oriented rainband with the rainfall maxima over the northwestern coast and Taipei basin. From 1300 to 1400 LST, the frontal rainband continues to move southward with rainfall over the northwestern slopes of the Snow Mountains. In the prefrontal southwesterly flow, the orographic lifting of the moisture-laden low-level winds results in heavy rainfall on the southwestern slopes of the Snow Mountains and the Central Mountain Range. With the terrain of the Yang-Ming Mountains removed in the high-resolution model, the mei-yu front moves quickly southward without a rainfall maximum over the northern tip of Taiwan.

SPRINGS QUANTITY AND POTENTIAL IN JAYAWIJAYA AND TOLIKARA REGENCY, PAPUA PROVINCE

Papua Province, especially the Central Mountain Region, which experiences regional expansion will certainly experience an increase in the need for clean water. The spring found in Jayawijaya and Tolikara Regencies has a high potential for water resources if optimized for utilization. Therefore, research is needed on the potential of springs in both regencies so that this study can be continued towards the development of efficient management of spring water resources. Priority scales based on potential springs in the development of planning the provision of raw water sources with uncritical classification in Jayawijaya District can be carried out in Walelagama District, where the fulfillment of domestic water needs can be met by Goa Spring, Asokobal District where the fulfillment of domestic water needs can be met by the Hepuba 1 Spring, Hepuba 2 Spring and Hepuba 3 Spring, Maima District where the fulfillment of domestic water needs can be fulfilled by Waima 1 and Waima 2 Springs. Whereas in Tolikara Regency can be done in Wenam District where the fulfillment of domestic water needs can be met by Yelepelek and Lirak Springs, District Anawi where the fulfillment of domestic water needs can be fulfilled by Anawi 1 and Anawi 2 Springs, Kubu District where the fulfillment of domestic water needs can be fulfilled by Minagi Spring.

The Moho reflectivity of the subduction beneath the Southwestern Alps from ambient seismic noise autocorrelations

SUMMARY The Western Alps shows a complex crustal organization due to the subduction of the European Plate beneath the Adriatic Plate and exhumation of the mantle wedge. The lithospheric structure of the Western Alps, that may hold significance for understanding orogenic processes and evolution, has been the subject of many geophysical studies, but the Moho profile remains unclear and this has led to controversies about the depth and extent of the European Plate beneath the Adriatic Plate. With the goal of retrieving detailed information on crustal constitution, we use autocorrelation of seismic ambient noise as a tool to map the body wave reflectivity structure at the subduction zone under the southwestern Alps. We use data recorded by the China–Italy–France Alps (CIFALPS) seismic transect, that includes 45 stations located approximately 5–10 km apart along a profile crossing the Alpine continental subduction in the Western Alps. We analyse the data set in four different frequency bands between 0.09 and 2 Hz. We automatically pick the arrival time of the Moho reflection in the second derivative of the envelope of the autocorrelation stack using prior Moho information. The 0.5–1 Hz frequency band mostly gives the best result due to the clear changes in reflectivity along the waveforms of the autocorrelation stacks after the picked arrival times of the Moho reflections. We find spatial coherence between 18 and 23 km depth in the western portion of the profile, indicating relatively homogeneous crustal rocks, and highly reflective structure under the central mountain range, due to the existence of a highly faulted zone. The very thin crust and the underlying mantle wedge known as the Ivrea body show instead high transparency to seismic waves and absence of reflections. The subduction profile of the European Plate shows a steep trend as compared to previous studies. We discuss autocorrelation stacks and Moho depths obtained from the arrival times of the picked reflectivity change in comparison with previous studies to validate the different reflection structures. Stacked ambient noise autocorrelations reliably image varied crustal properties and reflectivity structures in the highly heterogeneous region of the southwestern Alps.

Trees, forests and people: The Central Himalayan case of forest ecosystem services

In the Central Himalayan mountains forest ecosystems occupy over two-third of the landscape. People of the region largely depend upon a variety of ecosystem goods and services (ES) emanating from these forest ecosystems for their subsistence living. The rich diversity of Central Himalayan forests harbors over 675 wild plant species used by people as food/edible, meets the protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamin and mineral requirement, fuelwood, fodder, fiber, resin, gums and medicinal plants for sustaining life that also accrue immense economic wealth to the nation and generate employment and income to the rural people. In addition, they provide a large sink for atmospheric CO2 and thus contribute to the climate change mitigation. These forests vary considerably from each other with respect to structure and functioning, and the seasonality and magnitude of flow of ES. However, in the recent decades owing to changing livelihood avenues and increasing developmental aspirations the forested landscapes are facing landuse change for infrastructure development such as urban sprawl, road network, hydro-projects and other activities. These activities along with unsustainable use of natural resources is leading to degradation of forests and decline in ES, jeopardizing agri-sylvi-pastoral forest-based livelihood of the rural people. Thus, rural society at large is facing confrontation between subsistence living, environmental conservation and developmental imperatives. Policy makers are looking for compensatory mechanisms in lieu of the bygone opportunity cost of landuse conversion for developmental activities. The immediate challenge is how to take the intangible services of the forest ecosystems into accounting of state domestic product as valuation of ES and payment mechanism is still developing. This article depicts linkages among ecology, economy and society and figure out complexities and challenges in quantification and valuation of ES from the standpoint of both academic and policy making, and calls for ecologists and economists to work together to provide sustainable solutions for environmental conservation and sustainable development in the Himalayan region.

Hot Lizards: Testing the Tolerance to Climate Warming of Thermoconformers in the Andes (Squamata: Gymnophthalmidae)

Climate change is one of the greatest threats to species across the globe, but the threats to tropical animals have largely been overlooked. Tropical high elevation species are distinctly at risk as they will be unable to disperse to habitats with favorable temperatures in the future. Twenty percent of all lizard species may be faced with extinction. Proctoporus unsaacae and P. sucullucu are two thermoconforming lizard species native to the Central Andes mountains where their habitats are predicted to rise over 3°C within the 21st century. Because these species do not thermoregulate behaviorally, we predicted that they would have narrow temperature tolerances and would be vulnerable to climate warming. We collected lizards of these species in Peru and tested their critical thermal maxima (CTmax) by slowly heating them until they were unable to maintain normal bodily functions, measured by muscular spasms. Surprisingly, we found that the species have high thermal tolerance with P. unsaacae averaging 38.2°C CTmax and P. sucullucu averaging 39.4°C. The difference between CTmax and field active body temperatures for both species exceeded 20°C. Based on our results, increased environmental temperature will not directly cause these species to suffer death or activity restriction. We posit that these species of Proctoporus and the few other truly eurythermic lizard species may be particularly well suited to surviving global temperature increases. Although global warming will continue to cause the decline and extinction of species worldwide, more research is needed on species with unusual ecologies before making sweeping statements about the dire fate of reptiles.

Combined influence of maximum accumulation and melt rates on the duration of the seasonal snowpack over temperate mountains

The duration of the seasonal snowpack determines numerous aspects of the water cycle, ecology and the economy in cold and mountainous regions, and is a balance between the magnitude of accumulated snow and the rate of melt. The contribution of each component has not been well quantified under contrasting topography and climatological conditions although this may provide useful insights into how snow cover duration could respond to climate change. Here, we examined the contribution of the annual peak snow water equivalent (SWE) and the seasonal melt rate to define the duration of the snowpack over temperate mountains, using snow data for mountain areas with different climatological characteristics across the Iberian Peninsula. We used a daily snowpack database for the period 1980–2014 over Iberia to derive the seasonal peak SWE, melt rate and season snow cover duration. The influence of peak SWE and melt rates on seasonal snow cover duration was estimated using a stepwise linear model approach.The stepwise linear models showed high R-adjusted values (average R-adjusted = 0.7), without any clear dependence on the elevation or geographical location. In general, the peak SWE influenced the snow cover duration over all of the mountain areas analysed to a greater extent than the melt rates (89.1%, 89.2%, 81.6% 93.2% and 95.5% in the areas for the Cantabrian, Central, Iberian, Pyrenees and Sierra Nevada mountain ranges, respectively). At these colder sites, the melt season occurs mostly in the spring and tends to occur very fast. In contrast, the areas where the melt rates dominated snow cover duration were located systematically at lower elevations, due to the high interannual variability in the occurrence of annual peak SWE (in winter or early spring), yielding highly variable melt rates. However, in colder sites the melt season occurs mostly in spring and it is very fast in most of the years. The results highlight the control that the seasonal precipitation patterns, in combination with temperature, exert on the seasonal snow cover duration by influencing the peak SWE and suggest a future increased importance of melt rates as temperatures increase. Despite the high climatological variability of the Iberian mountain ranges, the results showed a consistent behaviour along the different mountain ranges, indicating that the methods and results may be transferrable to other temperate mountain areas of the world.

Origin, Persistence, and Vulnerability to Climate Changes of Podocarpus Populations in Central African Mountains

Background and objectives—Podocarpus latifolius (synonym of P. milanjianus) is a key tree representative of Afromontane forests where it is highly threatened by climate and land-use changes. While large populations occur in East Africa, only a few isolated and usually small populations remain in western Central Africa (Cameroon to Angola). Studying the evolutionary history of such relictual populations can thus be relevant to understand their resilience under changing environments. Materials and Methods—we developed nine polymorphic nuclear microsatellites (nSSRs) to estimate genetic variability, (historical) gene flow, and demographic changes among natural populations from Central to East Africa. Results—despite the extended distribution range of P. latifolius, a strong isolation-by-distance pattern emerges at the intra-population scale, indicating low seed and pollen dispersal capacities. Central African populations display a lower genetic diversity (He = 0.34 to 0.61) and are more differentiated from each other (FST = 0.28) than are East African populations (He = 0.65 to 0.71; FST = 0.10), suggesting high genetic drift in the Central African populations. Spatial genetic structure reveals past connections between East and West Africa but also a gene flow barrier across the equator in western Central Africa. Demographic modelling anchors the history of current lineages in the Pleistocene and supports a strong demographic decline in most western populations during the last glacial period. By contrast, no signature of demographic change was detected in East African populations. Conclusions—in Cameroon, our results exclude a recent (re)colonization from one source population of all mountain ranges, but rather indicate long-term persistence of populations in each mountain with fluctuating sizes. A higher impact of genetic drift and further loss of diversity can be expected by survival through climatically unfavorable periods in such small refugial populations. Tracking the Quaternary legacy of podocarp populations is thus essential for their conservation since there is a temporal gap between environment crises and an ecological/genetic answer at the population level.

Topographic Controls on Stomatal and Mesophyll Limitations to Photosynthesis in Two Subalpine Conifers

Premise of research. Leaf stomatal and mesophyll conductances limit photosynthesis and influence water use efficiency. Few studies have quantified the relative limitations imposed by these CO2 diffusion pathways on photosynthesis in mature conifer trees under natural conditions. Here, we report observations of stomatal and mesophyll conductance changes during seasonal drying across contrasting topographic positions in two Rocky Mountain conifers. We predicted that topographic controls on soil water availability and energy balance would determine limitations to photosynthesis by mesophyll conductance across conifer species with contrasting patterns of stomatal and hydraulic traits. Methodology. Concurrent measurements of leaf gas exchange and carbon isotope discrimination were used to estimate stomatal (gs) and mesophyll (gm) conductance in branches of an isohydric species, lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta), and an anisohydric species, Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii), in the central Rocky Mountains. Quantitative limitation analysis of photosynthesis (A) was then performed using data from CO2 response curves. Pivotal results. Stomatal conductance imposed greater limitations on photosynthesis (42%–67%) than mesophyll conductance (5%–17%), but no significant differences in gm were observed between the two conifer species. At the mesic lower hillslope position, A, gs, and gm increased during the growing season despite declines in soil moisture. In contrast, at the drier upper hillslope position, declines in soil moisture and increases in air temperature during the growing season are correlated with reductions in gs but not with A or gm. Conclusions. Adjustments in gm played a potentially important role in sustaining photosynthesis and improving plant water use efficiency when stomatal conductance decreased with water limitation during the growing season at the research site. Sustained gm with seasonal drought may be an important mechanism allowing conifers to survive and maintain competitive dominance in low-resource habitats.

Late Quaternary landform evolution and sedimentary successions in the Miaoli Tableland, northwestern Taiwan

Abstract. Elevated Quaternary sedimentary complexes in the western foreland of the central mountain ranges of Taiwan are called tablelands. Their mostly flat surfaces are deeply incised by fluvial processes. The landforms and the fluvial systems in the Miaoli Tableland are investigated by high-resolution terrain analyses based on different datasets. Sediments are described in 51 outcrops and characterized by grain size composition. The outcrops revealed complete or incomplete sequences of the general scheme from bottom to top: sandy tidal–coastal units overlain by gravel- and cobble-rich fluvial deposits always with a fine-grained silt-rich top cover layer influenced by aeolian deposits. All layers are unconsolidated sediments. Three subtypes of this sequence were identified, with respect to the occurrence of the fluvial deposits. The relation of tectonic and erosional processes including the rework of gravels is discussed. The results reveal a tableland surface much more disaggregated than previously mapped, suggesting that individual tableland segments represent remnants of an inferred palaeotopography. The tableland surfaces have been separated into Sedimentary Highlands (SH-I and SH-II) and Sedimentary Terraces (ST) by geometrical properties. The Alluvial and Coastal Plains (AL) represent broad valley bottoms (“box-shaped valleys”) in the dendritic drainage systems below 150 m and the coastal plains. The landforms and predominantly the sediment sequences are discussed in the context of the existing stratigraphical schemes of the Toukoshan Formation and the so far rarely used Lungkang Formation. The latter is recommended as the stratigraphical term for the refined subdivision of the uppermost part of late Quaternary sediments in the Miaoli Tableland.

Interaction between Atlantic cyclones and Eurasian atmospheric blocking drives wintertime warm extremes in the high Arctic

Abstract. Atmospheric blocking can influence Arctic weather by diverting the mean westerly flow and steering cyclones polewards, bringing warm, moist air to high latitudes. Recent studies have shown that diabatic heating processes in the ascending warm conveyor belt branch of extratropical cyclones are relevant to blocking dynamics. This leads to the question of the extent to which diabatic heating associated with mid-latitude cyclones may influence high-latitude blocking and drive Arctic warm events. In this study we investigate the dynamics behind 50 extreme warm events of wintertime high-Arctic temperature anomalies during 1979–2016. Classifying the warm events based on blocking occurrence within three selected sectors, we find that 30 of these events are associated with a block over the Urals, featuring negative upper-level potential vorticity (PV) anomalies over central Siberia north of the Ural Mountains. Lagrangian back-trajectory calculations show that almost 60 % of the air parcels making up these negative PV anomalies experience lifting and diabatic heating (median 11 K) in the 6 d prior to the block. Further, almost 70 % of the heated trajectories undergo maximum heating in a compact region of the mid-latitude North Atlantic, temporally taking place between 6 and 1 d before arriving in the blocking region. We also find anomalously high cyclone activity (on average five cyclones within this 5 d heating window) within a sector northwest of the main heating domain. In addition, 10 of the 50 warm events are associated with blocking over Scandinavia. Around 60 % of the 6 d back trajectories started from these blocks experience diabatic heating, of which 60 % undergo maximum heating over the North Atlantic but generally closer to the time of arrival in the block and further upstream relative to heated trajectories associated with Ural blocking. This study suggests that, in addition to the ability of blocks to guide cyclones northwards, Atlantic cyclones play a significant role in the dynamics of high-latitude blocking by providing low-PV air via moist-diabatic processes. This emphasizes the importance of the mutual interactions between mid-latitude cyclones and Eurasian blocking for wintertime Arctic warm extremes.

Wild edible plants of the Central Mountains in Argentina. Comparing subregions to understand the complexity of local botanical knowledge

Abstract This work evaluates similarities and differences in the processing and consumption of wild flora in three subregions of Central Argentina. It aims to both deepen the knowledge of present local food culture and to contribute to the interpretation of the archaeobotanical data previously generated in the area. Open and semi-structured interviews were conducted in each subregion and the cultural importance index was calculated for each mentioned plant. A total of 45 species and 24 practices were listed and, while 42% of the taxa were common to the subregions, 33% of the species ( e.g., Ximenia americana in the north) and 25% of the practices ( e.g., “milanesa” in the west) were mentioned exclusively in one of them. These particularities were attributed to both ecological ( i.e. plant availability) and socio-cultural factors ( i.e. presence of neo-rural settlers). Our results enhanced our understanding of the local botanical knowledge of the entire mountain area, increasing the understanding of the region as a biocultural system and contributing to the conservation of the area. Moreover, the comparison between the taxa mentioned in the present and those listed in previous archaeobotanical studies in the area, showed that 78% of the wild taxa recovered from archaeological sites are mentioned in the present ( e.g., Lithraea molleoides). Consequently, the present results about food processing are a basis for future studies of the human-plant relationship in the central mountains of Argentina over time.

Human–carnivore conflict management in the central High Atlas mountains of Morocco

Human–carnivore conflict management in the central High Atlas mountains of Morocco

Revision and phylogenetics of the Neotropical sheet weaving spider genus

The Mounded Posterior Median Eyes (MPME) clade is a group of linyphiid spiders characterized by having posterior median eyes (PME) on a mound. The species diversity of this lineage, especially in the Neotropical region, is still largely unknown. In this study, we tackled one of the MPME groups, the genus Diplothyron Millidge, 1991. We have studied numerous specimens from both museums and freshly collected specimens to monograph Diplothyron. We also compiled both morphological and behavioral data from Diplothyron and representatives of higher-level lineages within Linyphiidae and several potential MPME groups to infer the phylogenetic relationships. We redescribed the type species, Diplothyron fuscus Millidge, 1991 and described the previously unknown male, and six new species: Diplothyron ballesterosi sp. nov., D. dianae sp. nov., D. monteverde sp. nov., D. nubilosus sp. nov., D. sandrae sp. nov. and D. solitarius sp. nov. We also transferred the following species from Linyphia to Diplothyron based on the study of the type material: D. chiapasia (Gertsch & Davies, 1946) comb. nov., D. linguatulus (F.O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1902) comb. nov., D. nigritus (F.O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1902) comb. nov., D. simplicatus (F.O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1902) comb. nov. and D. trifalcatus (F.O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1902) comb. nov. Diplothyron species are mainly found in the cloud forests of Central and South America, with the distribution stretching from the Colombian Andes to the Mexican Sierra Madre across the Central American mountain chains. We also provide a detailed morphological comparison between Diplothyron and closely related genera in the MPME clade, focusing on the genital morphology, including identification keys to both the MPME genera and species of Diplothyron. Our cladistic analyses recovered Diplothyron as a monophyletic group placed within the MPME clade. A newly circumscribed lineage now includes the genera Diplothyron, Dubiaranea Mello-Leitão, 1943; Linyphia Latreille, 1804; Lomaita Bryant, 1948; Microlinyphia Gerhardt, 1928; Neriene Blackwall, 1833; Notiohyphantes Millidge, 1985; Novafrontina Millidge, 1991 and Pityohyphantes Simon, 1929.

基于生态安全格局的粤港澳地区陆域空间生态保护修复重点区域识别

区域和景观尺度的生态保护修复应以保障生态安全、促进生态过程实现为目标。将生态安全格局构建、生态连通性修复方法引入国土空间生态修复识别领域, 以粤港澳大湾区外延范围——粤港澳地区为研究区, 基于生态系统服务重要性和敏感性评价、最小阻力模型、电路理论模型, 识别了生态源地、生态廊道及障碍点、生态夹点、生态敏感区, 提供了一种中尺度的国土空间生态保护修复重点区域识别研究案例。结果表示：(1)研究区生态源地总面积5.27万km², 潜在生态廊道138条, 共同构成了环绕粤港澳大湾区的环形生态屏障, 但局部区域仍存在一定的保护空缺。(2)研究区生态障碍点、生态夹点面积分别为442.7、9.1 km², 对其进行针对性修复可显著改善生态连通性。(3)研究区生态敏感区共4302.48 km², 青云山、九连山、起微山等重要生态源地内存在部分生态退化区域, 对其进行修复可防范生态风险、提升生态功能。未来应通过空间规划途径对重要源地和生态廊道加强保护监管, 对生态节点、生态敏感区、生态退化区进行分区分类修复。研究结果可为未来粤港澳地区生态保护修复工作提供科学参考。;Ecological restoration in regional and landscape scale should aim to improve ecological connectivity and promote the realization of ecological processes. This paper introduces the ecological security pattern and the restoration of ecological connectivity into the field of ecological restoration identification. Taking the extended area of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao region as the research area, based on the evaluation of the importance of ecological functions and ecological sensitivity, the minimum cumulative resistance model (MCR) and circuit theory model, the ecological source, ecological corridors, barriers, and ecological pinch points are identified, providing a meso-scale research case on the identification of key areas of land and space ecological restoration. The results indicate (1) The total area of ecological sources in the study area is 52700 km², which are mainly distributed in the main mountain ranges of northern, western and eastern Guangdong, and the central and eastern mountains of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Lantau Island and Hong Kong Island. The ecological sources and ecological corridors together form a circular ecological barrier surrounding the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, but there are still protection vacancies in some areas. (2) The areas of ecological barriers and ecological pinch points in the study area are 442.7 and 9.1 km² respectively. The targeted restoration of them can significantly improve ecological connectivity. (3) The ecological sensitive areas is 4302.48 km². There are some ecological degraded areas in important ecological sources such as Qingyun Mountain, Jiulian Mountain and Qiwei Mountain. Restoration of these areas can prevent ecological risks and improve ecological functions. In the future, ecological protection and restoration should strengthen the protection and supervision of important sources and ecological corridors through spatial planning, and carry out zoning and classification restoration of ecological nodes, ecological sensitive areas, and ecological degraded areas. The research results can provide a scientific reference for future ecological protection and restoration work in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao.

HeatReady schools: A novel approach to enhance adaptive capacity to heat through school community experiences, risks, and perceptions

The current landscape of heat safety culture in schools has received little attention in the literature. HeatReady Schools are those that are increasingly able to identify, prepare for, mitigate, track, and respond to the negative impacts of schoolground heat. This study set out to 1) improve our understanding of heat perceptions, reactions and actions, and heat safety recommendations of key stakeholders, and 2) identify themes from expert stakeholder responses to gauge the effectiveness of their heat preparedness levels in their current school environment. These objectives are focused on school heat readiness and child heat vulnerability in Phoenix, Arizona, USA. An exploratory sequential mixed-methods case study approach was used. Methods focused on acquiring new insight into heat perceptions at elementary schools through semi-structured interviews using thematic analysis and a repeatable Delphi panel approach. Participants included public health professionals and school community members in Central City South (CCS) and South Mountain Village (SMV) in Phoenix, Arizona. Findings demonstrate that 1) heat safety resources are available but not fully utilized within the schools, 2) expert opinions support extreme heat readiness plans accounting for site-specific needs, particularly education, and 3) students are negatively impacted by extreme heat, whether direct or indirect, both inside and outside the classroom. Thirty final recommendations were developed as important school “HeatReady” actions that can be applied or adapted for other school contexts and/or climate regions. Future work will apply these recommendations in a HeatReady School Growth Tool that schools can tailor to their individual needs for heat safety, risk management, and adaptive capacity.

Long-Term Changes in Soil Composition in Unmanaged Central European Mountain Spruce Forests after Decreased Acidic Deposition and a Bark Beetle Outbreak

Long-Term Changes in Soil Composition in Unmanaged Central European Mountain Spruce Forests after Decreased Acidic Deposition and a Bark Beetle Outbreak