Clear Areas Research Articles

Restorative dynamics of pine phytocenoses in clearcut areas in the floodplain terraces of the Moscow River

Initial stages of restoration dynamics of phytocoenoses are of a special interest. Ecological conditions change crucially after timber harvesting. The exploration of two clearcut areas in the Moscow River valley in 3-5 years after felling allowed us to detect the direction of phytocoenosis dynamics. Scotch pine ( Pinus sylvestris L.) losses the competition with deciduous species in both sites constituting less than 50 % of regeneration. The largest number of individuals of Pinus sylvestris L. at the research sites, they have a three-year age: clear cut area No. 1 - 55 % and clear cut area No. 2 - 47 %. An intensive height increment of prevailing tree species was registered. In the site No. 1, an annual increase in height increment was registered indicating favourable growth conditions, while in the site No. 2, the 4-centimeter reduction of height increment was observed in the last year. The soil vegetation cover is an important ecological factor regulating the restoration dynamics of phytocoenoses on clearcut areas. To estimate the restoration dynamics of soil cover vegetation, 45 geobotanical descriptions were made. Totally 102 species of vascular plants referred to 72 genera were found on clearcut areas. The families with the highest frequency were Asteraceae - 12,7 %, Apiaceae - 10,8 %, and Poaceae - 8,8 %. A noticeable presence of Poaceae in the vegetation cover limits successful reforestation. The percentage of the most widespread ecologo-coenotic groups is 45% of the total number of registered species for meadow herbs, 16 % for tall herbs, 11 % for nemoral species, and 9% for forbs. Summary average projective coverage of herbage is 65-75 %. Under the conditions of reed-grass - herbal type of clearcut areas, Scotch pine is suppressed by both deciduous species and herbal vegetation, which makes the perspectives of its predomination in the future stand doubtful.

Experiment on evacuation behavior: Applying the sector grid model to a clear area

Researching personnel evacuation is crucial for preventing and reducing emergencies. In this study, the movement and retention laws relating to personnel in building bottlenecks are derived from research on safe evacuation from building bottlenecks and personnel evacuation tests. Accordingly, a fan-grid partitioning method is proposed for building bottlenecks. Because the personnel distribution in the area is fan-shaped, a dynamic grid-division method is proposed and applied to the safe evacuation simulation model. Additionally, a dislocation arrangement is utilized for the front and rear grids, and the experimental analysis reveals that the time step in the safety evacuation simulation. Moreover, a grid partition model is proposed, and the evacuation parameters of the evacuation area bottleneck are characterized via the human flow rate sequence. The Visual Basic language can be utilized in the safe evacuation simulation algorithm for building bottleneck, which has great significance in guiding research on the safe evacuation of personnel during fire hazards.

УЧЕТ ПРИРОДООХРАННЫХ ФАКТОРОВ ПРИ РАСПРЕДЕЛЕНИИ НАГРУЗКИ МЕЖДУ ЭЛЕКТРОСТАНЦИЯМИ ЭНЕРГОСИСТЕМЫ, СОДЕРЖАЩЕЙ ГИДРОЭЛЕКТРОСТАНЦИИ

When distributing the load between power plants of the energy system, it is important to consider environmental factors from the stage of hydropower resource development in the region. In established power systems, one can reduce emissions by redistributing generation capacities between hydroelectric and thermal power plants, thus mitigating the harmful emissions from thermal power plants. The distribution of hydroelectric power plants across the region in a cascading manner will decrease the voltage class of power transmission. This, in turn, will reduce the area of clearings, ultimately minimizing the hazardous impact on the ecology of the area. It's essential to consider that certain parts of the energy system may require more than the compliance of maximum permissible concentrations as damage to both nature and economy can still arise. To investigate the potential for reducing emissions, an economic-mathematical model with a two-criteria target function is suggested. This model can be converted into a linear programming problem, which can enable the assessment of the extent to which emissions can be reduced through reallocating power system capacity. In allocating capacity between thermal power plants in the area, preference must be given to plants that use more eco-friendly fuels. In general, adhering to a specific regime can result in a 10-15% decrease in harmful emissions.

Enumeration of Bacteriophages by Plaque Assay.

Enumeration of bacteriophages by plaque assay requires the mixing of host-specific bacteria with a lytic bacteriophage of interest in a soft agar overlay (top agar) to prevent the spread of viral infection in the medium; the mixture is then spread on a solid bottom agar. An infection of a single lytic phage particle with a bacterium results in the lysis of the host bacterium and the release of new phage progeny. The new phage progeny released from each bacterium will infect/lyse neighboring bacteria to form a "plaque," which is a clear visible area (that can be counted) with the naked eye. If phages are not present in the mixture, the host bacterium will form a "lawn" in the soft agar overlay and grow to a stationary phase.

Study on Characteristics, Influencing Factors and Health Benefits of Atmospheric Multi-Pollutants in Southern Xinjiang

In recent years, air pollution in Xinjiang, the core region of the Silk Road Economic Belt, has become increasingly severe, posing a more significant threat to human health. This paper selects the tropospheric ozone, nitrogen dioxide, and formaldehyde datasets under OMI remote-sensing monitoring and the PM2.5 dataset in China High Air Pollutants (CHAP) for 2018–2021. The spatial and temporal distribution of multi-pollutants, the spatial autocorrelation of Moran’s I index pollutants, and the correlation between pollutants in the warm period were studied in southern Xinjiang. Meanwhile, the geographical and temporal weighted regression (GTWR) model was used for influencing factor analysis, and the BenMap-CE model was used for health benefit analysis. The results showed that the spatial distribution of ozone concentration values in southern Xinjiang shows a decreasing distribution pattern from the east–central region to the western and southern regions. The spatial distribution of formaldehyde concentration values is opposite to that of ozone. There is a clear high-value area in the ozone concentration value in April–September. The NO2 column concentration values were in the range of 0.55~1.09 × 1015 molec/cm2 in most parts of southern Xinjiang. The area of high concentration values is located in the northeast of the study area; PM2.5 concentration values are higher in the middle area of southern Xinjiang. The spatial autocorrelation characteristics showed that the spatial aggregation of O3 and NO2 displayed a slow increasing trend year by year. The spatial aggregation of HCHO and PM2.5 fluctuated slightly in four years. The overall trend of HCHO is slowly decreasing, while PM2.5 is fluctuating and increasing. In the GTWR model analysis, overall, the atmospheric pressure has a strong influence on all pollutants. The effect of NO2 on O3 was higher than that of HCHO among the four pollutants. The correlation between O3 and PM2.5 was as high as −0.7872. The BenMap-CE health benefits assessment concluded that the number of premature deaths caused by ozone pollution was much higher than that of premature deaths caused by PM2.5. The highest number of premature deaths for both pollutants occurred in Kashgar.

Reducing the time of non-technical inspection of an territory possibly contaminated with explosive objects

A “combined” method of practical research has been developed as part of a non-technical survey of a territory likely contaminated with explosive objects, which will reduce the time of such survey and reduce the risk of injury to personnel of pyrotechnic units due to the absence of physical contact of personnel with the likely contaminated territory. A mathematical model of a “combined” method for practical research of a supposedly contaminated territory with explosive objects during non-technical inspection has been developed. The mathematical model was obtained from the results of collecting indirect evidence, where the status of an explosive object is not determined. A control algorithm for implementing the “combined” proposed method has been developed, which takes into account the area of the suspicious dangerous territory, which is examined by one non-technical survey group based on the collection of direct and indirect evidence. In addition, when constructing the algorithm, indicators such as the number of groups, the level and type of their equipment were taken into account. The algorithm consists of 12 blocks located at 7 hierarchical levels and connected by direct and feedback connections. When determining the area to be cleared of explosive objects, the area of the territory that has received confirmation of the status of a dangerous zone and the area of the territory of a confirmed dangerous zone are taken into account when checking indirect evidence of a possibly contaminated territory by excluding this territory from the total area of a possibly contaminated territory. The implementation of the proposed method (due to visualization of the area in a 3-D projection with the determination of the exact geographical coordinates of local and general zones of the dangerous territory) will reduce the time of non-technical inspection by 3.9 times, as well as reduce the time of complete demining and clearing land from explosive objects, increase the level of security for civilians in cleared areas.

Impact of hospice enrollment timing on overall survival and quality of life indicators in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC).

243 Background: This study aimed to examine the effects of hospice enrollment timing on survival and end-of-life quality of life indicators for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) patients. Methods: A retrospective chart review of 152 patients with biopsy-proven PDAC from August 2009 to December 2022 at a single center was conducted. Patients were categorized based on hospice enrollment timing: Early-Hospice (EH) (≥ 60 days before death), Late-hospice (LH) (< 60 days), and No Hospice (NH). Parameters assessed included overall survival (OS), palliative care service interaction, treatment lines, time from last chemotherapy treatment to death, hospital utilization after last chemotherapy treatment, documentation of advance care directives (ACD), and place of death. Statistical analysis was performed using Chi-squared test with Yates' continuity correction and Kruskal-Wallis test. The time-to-event endpoint was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Results: Analysis of 152 patients showed that hospice enrollment timing did not significantly influence OS in PDAC patients (p=0.6). Median OS for EH (n=10), LH (n=84), and NH (n=58) groups were 10.1 months, 15.7 months, and 12.5 months, respectively. Subgroup analysis of patients with unresectable tumors at diagnosis (EH [n=7], LH [n=61], and NH [n=40]) showed no statistically significant difference in survival (9.19 vs. 12.22 vs. 9.08, p=0.08). The time from first interaction with the Palliative Care team to death was not different between groups. However, patients in EH had a notably longer median duration between their last chemotherapy session and death compared to LH and NH (201 vs. 43 vs. 31.5 days, p<0.01), as well as fewer days hospitalized after the last chemotherapy session (0.5 vs. 5 vs 8 days, p=0.02). Hospice enrollees had a substantially higher rate of documented ACD, and were far more likely to die at home. Conclusions: Although the timing of hospice enrollment did not significantly impact overall survival in PDAC patients, it played a significant role in influencing end-of-life quality of life indicators. Interaction with the palliative care team did not vary across groups, implying that hospice referral by oncology is acceptable and effective. However, documentation of ACDs for non-hospice enrollees was very low, a clear area for improvement.[Table: see text]

Legalitas Hukum Internasional Tentang Pengakuan Negara–Negara Terhadap Konflik China Dan Taiwan

Introduction: The state sovereignty dispute between China and Taiwan Hostility also occurs between the authorities of China and Taiwan, which are the 23rd province of China but are administratively separated, which talks about the legality of international legal recognition.Purposes of the Research: This study aims to examine the status of Taiwan in the sovereignty of the State of China, as well as the legality of international law on the recognition of countries in the conflict between China and Taiwan.Methods of the Research: This research is a normative juridical research by means of research conducted by collecting primary, secondary, tertiary data obtained by using a literature study. The data that has been collected is analyzed qualitatively, the descriptions of which are arranged systematically based on discipline, legal science to achieve clarity on the issues to be discussed.Results of the Research: The status of Taiwan in the sovereignty of the State of China is the status quo where Taiwan does not have international sovereignty, is not de facto independent, Taiwan is a country because it already has a clear population, territory, area and government. However, de jure Taiwan has not yet been recognized as a country by the international community and the United Nations. The legality of international law in the case of China and Taiwan is a collection of laws which mostly consist of principles and rules that must be obeyed by countries. for that there must be a permanent recognition to be one of the concepts that determine the criteria of a state in international law which is contained in three opposing theories, namely Constitutive Theory, Declarative Theory, and Middle Way Theory. In this theory clearly get the legality of the problems that occur between China and Taiwan.

Reconstructing and identifying historic land use in northeastern United States using anthropogenic landforms and deep learning

The northeastern U.S. experienced land use/land cover (LULC) changes over the last 300 years, including widespread deforestation during the 17th and 19th centuries, followed by reforestation in the 20th century. Reconstructing the extent of historic land use is crucial to understanding longer term impacts of anthropogenic activity. However, LULC datasets around the globe are typically only available for the last 50 years. This study aims to reconstruct the spatial distribution of cleared land with area estimation at two time periods based on stone walls using light detection and ranging (lidar), historic aerial photography, and deep learning. The two time periods are (1) the peak of agricultural activity period (mid-19th century) and (2) early-20th century. We utilized deep learning methods for (1) mapping the distribution of stone walls from lidar derivatives and 1934 aerial photography and (2) mapping historic land use from pre-satellite era aerial photography. The results of area estimation demonstrate strong consistency with the area indicated in the census record for both time periods. Notably, the incorporation of stone walls from 1934 orthomosaic plays a key role in significantly increasing the agreement of cleared area in the mid-19th century, as it compensated for the absence of walls that have been removed. By adding new historical time intervals of cleared land with our method, it allows for investigating the duration of land used for agricultural activities and the spatial pattern of LULC transition over the last 300 years.

Benefits and trade-offs of optimizing global land use for food, water, and carbon

Current large-scale patterns of land use reflect history, local traditions, and production costs, much more so than they reflect biophysical potential or global supply and demand for food and freshwater, or-more recently-climate change mitigation. We quantified alternative land-use allocations that consider trade-offs for these demands by combining a dynamic vegetation model and an optimization algorithm to determine Pareto-optimal land-use allocations under changing climate conditions in 2090-2099 and alternatively in 2033-2042. These form the outer bounds of the option space for global land-use transformation. Results show a potential to increase all three indicators (+83% in crop production, +8% in available runoff, and +3% in carbon storage globally) compared to the current land-use configuration, with clear land-use priority areas: Tropical and boreal forests were preserved, crops were produced in temperate regions, and pastures were preferentially allocated in semiarid grasslands and savannas. Transformations toward optimal land-use patterns would imply extensive reconfigurations and changes in land management, but the required annual land-use changes were nevertheless of similar magnitude as those suggested by established land-use change scenarios. The optimization results clearly show that large benefits could be achieved when land use is reconsidered under a "global supply" perspective with a regional focus that differs across the world's regions in order to achieve the supply of key ecosystem services under the emerging global pressures.

Isolation and Screening of Amilolytic Bacteria Isolate from Cassava (Manihot utilissima)

Amylase is an enzyme capable of hydrolyzing starch into simpler sugars. The use of amylase enzymes is urgently needed in various industrial fields, therefore the search for sources of amylase enzyme producers continues to be carried out for sources of amylase enzyme producers. Each industrial field has specific requirements for amylase enzymes. This study aims to isolate bacteria capable of producing amylase enzyme and to determine the amylase activity of bacteria isolated from cassava (Manihot utilissima) when incubated at different temperatures (room temperature and 30℃) and pH levels (7, 8, 9, and 10). The research involved bacterial isolation, testing the amylase activity of the isolated amylolytic bacteria at varying pH and temperatures, and characterizing the amylolytic bacteria. The amylolytic bacterial activity was qualitatively measured based on the clear zone's area formed around the colony. From this study 5 isolates showing amylolytic activity were obtained. The amylolytic activity index varied among the isolates, ranging from 0.12 to 0.59. The highest amylolytic activity index (0.59) was performed by S4 isolate on pH 10 medium incubated at 30℃. Microscopic and gram staining analysis suggest that two isolates were gram-negative coccus bacteria and three of them were gram-positive coccobaccilus bacteria.

Influence of Implant Adjacent Teeth on the Accuracy of Digital Impression.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of adjacent teeth patterns on the accuracy of digital scans of parallel and divergent implants for three-unit prostheses. A maxillary typodont model with implants in the locations of the first premolars and first molars was used to develop three clinical scenarios for three-unit prostheses: (S1) Partially edentulous arch with missing first premolars and first molars only; (S2) partially edentulous arch with missing first premolars, second premolars and first molars; and (S3) partially edentulous arch with missing canines, first premolars, second premolars, first molars, and second molars. On one side, the implants were parallel, and for the other side, the implants had a 15-degree buccolingual angle. With the aid of scan bodies, 10 digital impressions were taken for each scenario and for each side. To evaluate the accuracy, a reverse engineering software was used to measure trueness, precision, and interimplant distance. The best trueness for parallel implants was observed for S2 (30.0 µm), followed by S3 (67.3 µm) and S1 (74.8 µm) (p < 0.001). Likewise, S2 had the best precision for parallel implants (31.3 µm) followed by S3 (38.0 µm) and S1 (70.3 µm) (p < 0.001). For the divergent implants, S2 exhibited the best trueness (23.1 µm), followed by S3 (48.2 µm) and S1 (59.4 µm) (p = 0.007). Similarly, the S2 had the best precision (12.3 µm) followed by S3 (62.1 µm) and S1 (66.9 µm) (p < 0.001). The S2 had the least interimplant distance deviation followed by S1 and S3. The difference was significant for parallel implants (p = 0.03), but insignificant for divergent implants (p = 0.15). Regardless of the presenting scenario, digital implant impressions for three-unit prostheses appear to be clinically accurate. A clear interimplant area between scan bodies enhanced the accuracy of digital impressions. This observation can be attributed to more accessible axial surface scanning of the scan body.

National study of NAFLD management identifies variation in delivery of care in the UK between 2019 to 2022

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is associated with liver and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Recently published NAFLD Quality Standards include 11 key performance indicators (KPIs) of good clinical care. This national study, endorsed by British Association for the Study of the Liver (BASL) and British Society of Gastroenterology (BSG), aimed to benchmark NAFLD care in UK hospitals against these KPIs. This study included all new patients with NAFLD reviewed in the outpatient clinic in the months of March 2019 and March 2022. Participating UK hospitals self-registered for the study through BASL/BSG. KPI outcomes were compared using Fisher's exact or Chi-square tests. Data from 776 patients with NAFLD attending 34 hospitals (England [25], Scotland [four], Wales [three], Northern Ireland [two]) were collected. A total of 85.3% of hospitals reported established local liver disease assessment pathways, yet only 27.9% of patients with suspected NAFLD had non-invasive fibrosis assessment documented at the point of referral to secondary care. In secondary care, 79.1% of patients had fibrosis assessment. Assessment of cardiometabolic risk factors including obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and smoking were conducted in 73.2%, 33.0%, 19.3%, and 54.9% of all patients, respectively. There was limited documentation of diet (35.7%) and exercise advice (55.1%). Excluding those on statins, only 9.1% of patients with NAFLD at increased cardiovascular risk (T2DM and/or QRISK-3 >10%) had documented discussion of statin treatment. Significant KPI improvements from 2019 to 2022 were evident in use of non-invasive fibrosis assessment before secondary care referral, statin recommendations, and diet and exercise recommendations. This national study identified substantial variation in NAFLD management in the UK with clear areas for improvement, particularly fibrosis risk assessment before secondary care referral and management of associated cardiometabolic risk factors. This study identified significant variation in the management of NAFLD in the UK. Only 27.9% of patients with suspected NAFLD had non-invasive fibrosis assessment performed to identify those at greater risk of advanced liver disease before specialist referral. Greater emphasis is needed on the management of associated cardiometabolic risk factors in individuals with NAFLD. Hospitals with multidisciplinary NAFLD service provision had higher rates of fibrosis evaluation and assessment and management of cardiometabolic risk than hospitals without multidisciplinary services. Further work is needed to align guideline recommendations and real-world practice in NAFLD care.

Occupation of artificial roosts by long-tailed bats (Chalinolobus tuberculatus) in Hamilton City, New Zealand

ABSTRACT Deforestation, increasing urban development and associated infrastructure have resulted in widespread loss of roosting habitat for New Zealand’s long-tailed bat (Chalinolobus tuberculatus, pekapeka-tou-roa). As a result, artificial roosts are increasingly proposed as a short to medium-term mitigation measure, despite the absence of specific protocols for the installation, maintenance, and suitability for New Zealand bats. As of 2021, more than 110 artificial roosts had been installed in urban parks within Hamilton City, New Zealand. To determine their uptake and suitability for long-tailed bats, 74 Kent style roosts of varying ages were monitored for 1 year, with 24 (32%) roosts observed occupied by long-tailed bats. Occupation was generally infrequent, with no clear seasonal pattern or specific areas of occupation. However, two older roosts were consistently occupied, with numbers notably increasing during the summer maternity season. Distance to stand edge was the only factor that could be used to predict occupation, with logistic regression indicating that long-tailed bats may prefer roosts in less exposed areas with stable microclimates, within tree stands or sheltered landscape features. Future artificial roost installations should site roosts away from the stand edge in sheltered locations, ideally near natural or already occupied roosts to facilitate discovery and uptake.

Influence of university campus spatial morphology on outdoor thermal environment: A case study from Eastern China

Outdoor thermal comfort is crucial for creating sustainable and livable urban spaces. Studying the distribution and impact factors of the thermal environment can provide theoretical support for improving the thermal environment and spatial planning. This study investigates the influence of well-defined boundary spaces on outdoor thermal comfort and proposes design measures to improve spatial thermal comfort. High-resolution data obtained from unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is integrated into outdoor microclimate simulations to enhance the accuracy and precision of the models. The Physiological Equivalent Temperature (PET) index is employed as an evaluation indicator, considering the categorization of PET values into different comfort levels. Additionally, the axial evaluation method is introduced to assess thermal comfort more accurately, reflecting the perceived thermal comfort by individuals. Through a case study in a mixed-use and clear boundary area, the research identifies the variables that influence outdoor thermal comfort and provides design guidelines to enhance spatial thermal comfort. The correlations between the spatial morphology index and PET were analyzed by multiple regression. The findings contribute to the understanding of outdoor thermal comfort in complex urban environments and offer valuable insights for the design and planning of comfortable and sustainable outdoor spaces.

Transformation of Brazil's biomes: The dynamics and fate of agriculture and pasture expansion into native vegetation

Land use and cover change (LUCC) in Brazil encompass a complex interplay of diverse factors across different biomes. Understanding these dynamics is crucial for informed decision-making and sustainable land management. In this study, we comprehensively analyzed LUCC patterns and drivers using 30 m resolution MapBiomas Collection 6.0 data (1985–2020). By mapping deforestation of primary and secondary natural vegetation, natural vegetation regeneration, and transitions between pasture, soybean, agriculture, and irrigation, we shed light on the intricate nature of LUCC in Brazil. Our findings highlight significant and increasing trends of deforestation in primary vegetation in the country. Simultaneously, the Atlantic Forest, Caatinga, Pampa, and other regions of the Cerrado have experienced intensification processes. Notably, the pasture area in Brazil reached its peak in 2006 and has since witnessed a gradual replacement by soybean and other crops. While pasture-driven deforestation persists in most biomes, the net pasture area has only increased in the Amazon and Pantanal, decreasing in other biomes due to the conversion of pasturelands to intensive cropping in other regions. Our analysis further reveals that primary and secondary vegetation deforestation accounts for a substantial portion of overall forest loss, with 72 % and 17 %, respectively. Of the cleared areas, 48 % were in pasture, 9 % in soybean cultivation, and 16 % in other agricultural uses in 2020. Additionally, we observed a lower rate of deforestation in the Atlantic Forest, a biome that has been significantly influenced by anthropogenic activities since 1986. This holistic quantification of LUCC dynamics provides a solid foundation for understanding the impacts of these changes on local to continental-scale land-atmosphere interactions. By unraveling the complex nature of LUCC in Brazil, this study aims to contribute to the development of effective strategies for sustainable land management and decision-making processes.

Improving climate and biodiversity outcomes through restoration of forest integrity.

Targeting degraded areas in forested landscapes for restoration could deliver rapid climate mitigation and biodiversity conservation, improve resilience of forested lands to future climate change, and potentially reduce the trade-offs between nature recovery and agriculture. Although the importance of forest restoration for climate mitigation is acknowledged, current estimates of its climate mitigation potential may be underestimated because they focus predominantly on reforesting cleared areas. We built on recent analyses of forest integrity and unrealized forest biomass potential to examine the potential for restoring the integrity of degraded forests. There are over 1.5 billion ha of forestsworldwide that retain 50-80% oftheirpotential biomass. Prioritizing restoration in these areas could deliver rapid biodiversity and climate mitigation benefits, relative to restoring forest on cleared land. We applied a spatial planning approach to demonstrate how restoration interventions can be targeted to support the conservation of high-integrity forest, a potential pathway to the delivery of the 30×30 goal of the Convention on Biodiversity's Global Biodiversity Framework.

Sedimentary Genesis and Model Analysis of Shale Lithofacies in Jiyang Depression

Based on core observation, rock thin sections, logging data, and testing data, taking the shale of the upper submember of the 4th Member to the lower submember of the 3rd Member of Paleogene Shahejie Formation in Jiyang Depression of Bohai Bay Basin as an example, we determine the lithofacies division scheme, divide the main lithofacies types, analyze the sedimentary origin and development location of different shale lithofacies, establish the continental lake basin sedimentary model, determine the types and enrichment areas of favorable lithofacies, and provide guidance for the exploration and development of Shale oil. The results show that: (1) According to the mineral composition, sedimentary structure, and organic matter abundance, the division scheme of shale lithofacies in the study area is proposed, and the shale lithofacies of the study area was mainly divided into 17 types. (2) Based on the lithologic changes, the lacustrine sedimentary shale area was divided into muddy water area, transition area, and clear water area. (3) Under the background of locally uplifted slope paleogeomorphology, considering the combined effects of climate, topography, hydrodynamic, mechanical, and chemical differentiation of sediments and biological habits, the sedimentary model of shale was established. (4) Organic-rich shale was mainly deposited between the clear water area and the end of the muddy water area, with the characteristics of water, brackish water, strong reduction, and water stratification, and was mainly enriched in the low-lying parts of paleotopography.

EKSISTENSI MASYARAKAT HUKUM ADAT SAKAI TERHADAP TANAH ULAYAT YANG TERDAPAT PADA KAWASAN HUTAN TANAM INDUSTRI

The existence of the indigenous people of the Sakai Tribe has met the requirements to be recognized as stipulated in Article 67 paragraph (1) of Law no. 41 of 1999 concerning Forestry, namely that the community is still in the form of an association (rechsgemeenschap), there are institutions in the form of customary rulers, there is a clear customary law area, there are legal institutions and instruments, especially customary courts, which are still adhered to and still collect forest products. in the surrounding forest area to meet the needs of daily life. Confirmation of the existence and elimination of customary law communities based on Article 67 paragraph (2) is stipulated by a Regional Regulation. However, until now there is no local regulation that regulates the existence of the indigenous peoples of the Sakai Tribe, thus creating legal uncertainty. Settlement of land boundary disputes between customary law communities and PT. Arara Abadi was resolved through litigation, in this case through the Bengkalis District Court as stated in the decision number 89/Pid.B/LH/2020/PN.Bls. In addition, dispute resolution outside the non-litigation legal route (mediation) has also been carried out in resolving border disputes between the Sakai Tribe customary law community and PT. Eternal Arra. Dispute resolution is carried out by deliberation by involving the inner group with PT. Arara is Eternal and there is usually peace&#x0D; Keywords: Existence, Sakai Tribe, Industrial Planting Forest.

Dune ecosystems along the central Caribbean coast of Colombia: Evolution, human influences, and conservation challenges

The need for effective coastal dune management holds prominence due to its crucial role in preserving these unique and diverse ecosystems. Dunes have become a focal point in coastal management which reflects their extensive use of coastal areas. This study presents the first assessment of 19 dune systems along an 83 km reach on the Central Caribbean coast of Colombia. These dune systems are classified into four groups: i) Nebkha, ii) Foredunes, iii) Foredune and Blowout, and iv) Foredune, Blowout, and Transgressive dunes; each with unique characteristics and distribution patterns. Vegetation analysis identified 37 species, dominated by herbaceous forms. Four species were found to be new records for the Atlántico Department. Recent analysis of the evolution of these dune systems (1954–2022) revealed both accretion and erosion processes, with a dominant erosion trend in the more recent years. Anthropogenic interventions were minimal in most dune systems, but some exhibited varying levels of human-made structures. Litter was assessed across four grades (A-D), with no dune systems reaching Grade A, and most dunes exhibiting elevated to high-extreme levels of litter (Grades C and D). Coastal dunes are threatened by urbanization, sand mining, litter, invasive species, and beach driving, and lack of clear landward back-dune areas for migration due to sea-level rise and climate change. The results provide valuable information for coastal managers and planners to make informed decisions and conserve these unique ecosystems.