Combined Field Work Research Articles

Assessing the Effects of Alluvial Transport in the Kizilirmak River on Dams with Local, Photogrammetric and Remote Sensing Methods

Naturally transported sand, clay, and gravel-like blocks by rivers cause a decrease in water flow and flow velocity. Additionally, uncontrolled disposal of waste materials into the riverbed increases adverse effects and endangers natural life. Over time, the alluvium generated by natural and external factors in river and creek beds leads to flood risks that pose a significant threat to life and property. These sediments, known as alluvium, accumulate in favorable locations in valleys and form alluvial beds with spread movement to broader areas. In Turkey, interventions in river branches and creek beds, as well as insufficient preventive measures, have kept floods a hot topic. To eliminate these issues, it is crucial for every organization to take comprehensive measures and increase environmental awareness by addressing similar areas in large projections. The Kızılırmak River, originating from the Kızıldag slopes in the İmranlı district of Sivas province and passing through the Çorum province before reaching the Black Sea at Bafra Cape, also harbors alluvial risks and adverse effects. It holds significant importance for energy production with 12 dams and hydroelectric power plants (HES) on the river. Additionally, the Pirinçli Hydroelectric Power Plant, with a transmission structure of 13,756 meters between Dodurga district of Çorum province and Güvercinlik and Kumbaba Villages, plays a vital role in electricity production in the region. The Pirinçli HES is located downstream of the Obruk Dam constructed by the State Hydraulic Works (D.S.I.) on the Kızılırmak River. It is known that a significant portion of the sediment accumulation between Güvercinlik Dam and Kumbaba Dam occurred before the construction of the Obruk Dam. Hence, preventing risks that could lead to environmental adversities is of paramount importance. In this study, a combined fieldwork was conducted using different methods to determine the areas where sediments accumulated and the alluvial material being transported cuts off the flow velocity of the Kızılırmak River and causes accumulations between the Güvercinlik Dam and Kumbaba Dam. For this purpose, terrestrial measurements, photogrammetric and remote sensing methods were combined and evaluated together to ensure the integrity of the obtained data.

Student Engagement and Educational Benefits of Web GIS-Based Projects

The evolution of geographic information systems (GIS) based on the internet (Web GIS) created new opportunities for the use of GIS technology in education. In the present study a learning environment was developed which incorporates the project-based learning (PBL) methodology based on Web GIS technology. In this context, 3 research projects (GIS based projects) were designed and implemented. Project 1 and 2 combined fieldwork and GIS, and the topic was related to local community issues. Project 3 was an internal project since it was conducted only in the computer lab with data collected from the internet. In order to investigate the effectiveness of this learning environment in students' engagement, a quasi-experimental study was conducted on 58 senior high school students. A pre-test was conducted in advance and a post-test upon concluding all three projects. The results reveal the pedagogical value of the aforementioned learning environment, since it provides multiple pedagogical benefits, having a positive effect on students' engagement.

“Almost Soviet Father”: An Experience of Microhistorical Research of Rural Confessional History in 1940s—1970s

The problem of the possibility of a fruitful study of the rural parish history of the Soviet period through microhistorical analysis is raised. For discussion, the experience of researching the fate of a small Old Believer community is proposed. Both archival documents and interview materials are used. The purpose of the publication is to show some factors of the reproduction of traditional religious culture on the Soviet collective farm of the 1940s—1970s and at the same time demonstrate the heuristic potential of combined archival and field work. The author focuses on the figure of a priest who managed to restore and strengthen his parish, despite the previous dispossession and destruction of the prayer house. The cohesion of the community, outstanding personal qualities, as well as the ability of believers to practically harmonize Christian and Soviet values became the conditions for his success is shown in the article. The adoption of Soviet cultural norms, excluding atheism, is considered in the work as the most important factor in the survival of the Old Believer community. The expediency of verifying the data of official Soviet documentation by referring to oral history is demonstrated in the study. It is pointed out that in the materials of the USSR civil servants devoted to confessional phenomena, strict facts could be combined with false interpretations.

From Fossil to Active Hydrothermal Outflow in the Back‐Arc of the Central Apennines (Zannone Island, Italy)

AbstractPost‐orogenic back‐arc magmatism is accompanied by hydrothermal ore deposits and mineralizations derived from mantle and crustal sources. We investigate Zannone Island (ZI), back‐arc Tyrrhenian basin, Italy, to define the source(s) of mineralizing hydrothermal fluids and their relationships with the regional petrological‐tectonic setting. On ZI, early Miocene thrusting was overprinted by late Miocene post‐orogenic extension and related hydrothermal alteration. Since active submarine hydrothermal outflow is reported close to the island, Zannone provides an ideal site to determine the P‐T‐X evolution of the long‐lived hydrothermal system. We combined field work with microstructural analyses on syn‐tectonic quartz veins and carbonate mineralizations, X‐ray diffraction analysis, microthermometry and element mapping of fluid inclusions (FIs), C, O, and clumped isotopes, and analyses of noble gases (He‐Ne‐Ar) and CO2 content in FIs. Our results document the evolution of a fluid system of magmatic origin with increasing mixing of meteoric fluids. Magmatic fluids were responsible for quartz veins precipitation at ∼125 to 150 MPa and ∼300°C–350°C. With the onset of extensional faulting, magmatic fluids progressively interacted with carbonate rocks and mixed with meteoric fluids, leading to (a) host rock alteration with associated carbonate and minor ore mineral precipitation, (b) progressive fluid neutralization, (c) cooling of the hydrothermal system (from ∼320°C to ∼86°C), and (d) embrittlement and fracturing of the host rocks. Both quartz and carbonate mineralizations show noble gases values lower than those from the adjacent active volcanic areas and submarine hydrothermal systems, indicating that the fossil‐to‐active hydrothermal history is associated with the emplacement of multiple magmatic intrusions.

Identification, characterization, and paleoclimatic implication of Early Cretaceous (Aptian-Albian) paleosol succession in Zhangye Danxia National Geopark, northwestern China

Paleosols are useful evidence of paleoclimates and paleoenvironments independent of fossils. Zhangye Danxia National Geopark of Gansu Province (northwestern China) has been protected for its stunning varicolored badlands of Early Cretaceous (Aptian-Albian) claystones. However, the paleoclimates and paleoenvironments forming such unique succession are currently not well understood. The widespread pedogenic features, for example root traces and soil horizons, indicate different paleosols, which provides clues of associated paleoclimates and paleoenvironments. In the present study, combining field work and soil micromorphology, we recognized, classified, and interpreted 155 sequential paleosol profiles of 14 different pedotypes (soil types) in the 755-m-thick section. These pedotypes have modern analogues in South Asia, indicating hotter and more humid paleoclimate than at present in Zhangye. Systematic analysis of soil units based on comparison to their modern analogues allows reconstruction of paleoenvironments in eleven humidity stages. Variation in waterlogging of the paleosols based on the ratio of Hm / Gt agreed well with regional and global paleoclimatic records, confirming its utility in paleoclimate reconstruction during Aptian and Albian. The identification and characterization of the paleosol succession provides a significant base for detailed paleoclimatic reconstruction during this period.

Large differences in bacterial community composition of nearby shallow lakes surrounded by Nothofagus pumilio forest in Patagonia (Argentina)

Abstract Freshwater ecosystems are integrated in a terrestrial landscape, receiving continuously soil and plant-derived material. In Patagonia, the deciduous beech Nothofagus pumilio constitutes an important source of organic matter for aquatic environments. Here, I attempted to analyze bacterial communities, including genetic diversity and metabolic functioning, in four nearby lakes located under a N. pumilio forest (Chall-Huaco Mountain, Argentina). I combined fieldwork and experiments to assess physicochemical characteristics, bacterial community composition (BCC) and Carbon (C)-consumption. Physicochemical variables analyzed with NMDS showed a clear segregation of all the studied lakes. Similarly, BCC differed among lakes, maintaining its differences regardless of the seasons. Variables that significantly affected bacterial community structuring were dissolved P concentration and protein-like DOM component. The number of specialist operational taxonomic units was higher than that of generalists, but the latter doubled specialists in number of sequences. The last suggests that generalists may be responsible for the differences in BCC among lakes, and species sorting appears to be the main mechanism structuring the metacommunity. These results showed that even at a small geographic scale distinctive bacterial communities can be developed in lakes under the influence of N. pumilio forest.

Beach ridge evolution during the Holocene Climatic Optimum at Río de la Plata estuary, Argentina: Former answers for future questions?

The Holocene shows rapid climatic changes associated with alternating intervals of glacier advances and retreats. The coastal regions, where beach ridges constitute common preserved landforms, are highly sensitive to register such changes and bring light into past littoral environments. Excellent marine Argentinean Holocene deposits associated with the last climate optimum are preserved at the Río de la Plata estuary (Argentina). In this beach ridge, fourteen detailed sedimentary logs were studied in order to generate an palaeoenvironmental model. The analysis of major hierarchy surfaces of the ridge was performed combined field work and Virtual-Outcrop analysis. The ridge presents internal clinoforms that subdivide it into eleven clinothems. The first two clinothems correspond to the development of a sand ridge as a response to the erosion and reworking of previous aeolian Late Pleistocene sediments. Subsequently, a bioclastic ridge was amalgamated with the sand ridge (clinothems III to XI). Simultaneously, in a landward position, a lagoon and washover deposits were developed. Finally, after the stabilization of the beach ridge the continuous sea level fall generated the actual coastal plain deposits. Six 14C ages were obtained at the base of selected clinothems, dated between 5,240 ± 110 cal BP and 3,900 ± 90 cal BP; meaning that in 1,340 years the beach prograded 290 m. Stable isotope analyses (δ13C and δ18O) allowed to infer that the temperature during the evolution of the ridge has two maximum values of 22.5 °C and a minimum of 18.5 °C. The salinity range between 32.53‰ and 33.16‰, showing short variability. The sudden change in the composition of the ridge, from sandy to carbonate sediments, may be interpreted as a combined result of an increase of carbonate productivity along with a decrease of siliciclastic supply at the coast. This stage would have been developed approximately around 5ka B.P., in coincidence with the Holocene Climatic Optimum (as recorded in Argentina) when propitious climatic conditions may have led to the proliferation of large communities of warm and warm temperate benthic organisms. We stress that, the strong activity of the Brazilian current during the Mid-Holocene thermal maximum enabled excellent conditions for the development of a carbonate warm beach similar to that occurring at tropical and subtropical areas nowadays. This study provides an example of the strong changes occurred in coastal environments as a result of climate change, particularly in the context of global warming episodes which characterized interglacial periods of the Late Quaternary in eastern South America.

Can long-term beach erosion be solved with soft management measures? Case study of the protected Jandía beaches

Land uses have long modified aeolian sedimentary dynamics as has occurred in the Jandía isthmus (Fuerteventura, Canary Islands, Spain), where changes in vegetation cover, the reduction of sediment available for transport and the building of barriers to sediment transport have induced beach erosion. In the last 62 years the beach area has experienced a reduction of 800,000 m2. The aim of this paper is to analyse the current situation (in terms of sediment availability, longshore drift and the distribution of protected plant species) in order to make soft management proposals to respond to the current erosive situation. Based on a methodology that combines field work, coastline digitalization and longshore drift calculations, it is found that each year the system loses about 96,000 m3 of sediment which needs to be replaced in order to stop erosion. Four possible ways to manage the system are discussed: passive non-intervention management to allow the ecosystem to evolve and adapt to the new conditions; remobilization of the sedimentary deposits of the isthmus that feed the beaches; beach nourishment from other areas of the system or from outside the system, and; mechanical recirculation of the sands. The viability of each management system is analyzed, particularly with regard to long-term sustainability, as well as its compliance or otherwise with the protection measures that are in place. Paradoxically, the only measures that can alleviate the problem in the long term are incompatible with the current protective measures. In other words, the isthmus and the Sotavento beaches in Jandía are an example of an ecosystem in which the restrictions imposed as a result of its protected status, that do not take into account the tendences of the ecosystem, in fact constitute an obstacle to its conservation and do not allow the adoption of measures that could slow down the degradation process and, ultimately, impede its disappearance.

Geomorphological Approach to Cliff Instability in Volcanic Slopes: A Case Study from the Gulf of Naples (Southern Italy)

This paper deals with the problem of cliff stability and proposes a geomorphological zonation of a cliff using a sector of the Posillipo promontory (named the Coroglio-Trentaremi sea cliff, Italy), in the Campi Flegrei coastal area, as a case study. A detailed geological and geomorphological analysis was carried out, by combining field work with analysis of detailed scale topographic maps, orthophoto, and stratigraphical data from deep boreholes. Field and borehole data, together with structural data collected in seven different stations along the cliff, allowed us to derive six geological cross-sections and to reconstruct the complex stratigraphical and structural setting of the cliff. Geomorphological analysis focused on the detection of the main geomorphological factors predisposing to cliff instability. We selected the most significant factors and divided them into two groups: factors influencing landslide intensity and factors influencing cliff instability. Then, by means of a heuristic approach, we constructed a matrix that was used to derive a map showing the geomorphological zonation of the sea cliff. This map may enable to development of a reliable scenario of cliff instability and consequent retreat, which may be useful either to plan intervention works in the most critical areas or to organize prevention plans aimed at risk mitigation.

The effect of pre-existing structures on the Moosfluh landslide and its lateral propagation (Great Aletsch Glacier, Switzerland)

The retreat of the Great Aletsch Glacier is accompanied by a series of slope failures in solid bedrock, which are heavily influenced by the presence of pre-existing deformation structures. Since the 1880's, the Great Aletsch Glacier has shortened by more than 3 km and decreased about 400 m in thickness. As a reaction to the loss of the stabilizing effect of the ice, one of the largest active deep-seated landslides in the European Alps with an affected surface area of about 1.5 km2, called Moosfluh landslide, is evolving. In this study, a multimethod approach combining field work, remote sensing techniques and microseismic monitoring is used to assess the effect of pre-existing structures on the landslide deformation processes.The landslide evolution from 2008 to 2018 could be reconstructed with high spatial resolution. Surface deformation analysis reveals the concentration of high deformation in narrow zones, allowing to directly link pre-existing tectonic and exhumation structures with landslide deformation processes. Toppling as the main gravity-driven process is enabled by reactivation of NE-SW striking, steeply SE dipping Alpine Handegg phase shear zones. Differences in the lateral detachment processes are attributed to shear zone bridges in the NE as well as fractures and shear zones similarly oriented to Alpine Oberaarb phase shear zones in the SW. At the landslide toe, a transition from toppling to sliding mechanism due to the formation of a continuous basal detachment surface can be observed, which is favored by the presence of exfoliation joints. The dramatic acceleration of the Moosfluh landslide in autumn 2016 is directly related to an increase in glacier height loss rate, which implies that glacier retreat is the main trigger of the landslide. A temporal stabilization of the landslide is recorded after 2017, most probably caused by the self-stabilizing properties of flexural toppling. However, microseismic data records a lateral propagation of the landslide, following the retreating Great Aletsch Glacier.

The Value Assessment and Planning of Industrial Mining Heritage as a Tourism Attraction: The Case of Las Médulas Cultural Space

This article analyzes the heritage construction process or “heritagization” of Las Médulas gold mines, a prime example of how Spain’s mining heritage has been reused for tourism purposes. Based on a methodology combined documentary analysis and fieldwork, informal interviews with territorial actors and surveys targeting residents, this study addresses the complexities of integrating this cultural landscape into a tourism development strategy and analyzes the support and impacts perceived by the local population. The information gathered in this research is intended to facilitate the development of adequate planning and generate recommendations to mitigate the debate that has surrounded Las Médulas and confronted its stakeholders for years. The results show that the existence of multiple agents and institutions acting on the destination leads to problems of management and collaboration. In addition, the local population’s lack of involvement and awareness is also hindering integral tourism planning. There are a number of positive impacts mainly related to the increase in the tourist value of the image of the area and its historical and cultural heritage, as well as the consequences of financial management for tourism, which also help to predict the levels of support of residents to the tourist development of Las Médulas.

Constraining landslide timing in a data-scarce context: from recent to very old processes in the tropical environment of the North Tanganyika-Kivu Rift region

Understanding when landslides occur and how they evolve is fundamental to grasp the dynamics of the landscapes and anticipate the dangers they can offer up. However, knowledge on the timing of the landslides remains overlooked in large parts of the world. This is particularly the case in low-capacity regions, where infrastructures are weak or absent and data scarcity is the norm. The tropics stand out as such regions, despite being affected by high and increasing landslide impacts. There, persistent cloud cover, rapid natural vegetation regeneration, cultivation practices and high weathering rates further challenge the harvest of timing information. Based on a synthesis of our recent work, we present new findings on the characterisation of the timing of the landslides in the North Tanganyika-Kivu Rift region, a tropical environment with very low capacity and high population density. Our aim is also to highlight the methodological approaches and research strategies that we adopt to investigate such slope processes in a large region lacking baseline studies. From an inventory of more than 9000 landslides with various timing accuracy (from daily to thousands of years), we identify causes and triggers of the slope instabilities in a context of important human-induced landscape changes. This is achieved through a holistic approach that combines field work, satellite remote sensing, historical photograph processing and geomorphic marker understanding. The role of the needs of the local stakeholders in the setting up of the research strategy is also highlighted, and research perspectives are discussed.

The effects of long-term saline groundwater pumping for desalination on the fresh–saline water interface: Field observations and numerical modeling

This study tests for the first time the long-term effects of pumping saline groundwater (SGW) as feed for a desalination plant on a coastal aquifer. Field measurements combined with 3D modeling of the hydrological conditions were conducted to examine the effects of SGW pumping on the aquifer system. The plant is next to the city of Almeria (South East Spain) and has been operating since 2006. It uses multiple beach wells along the shore to draw SGW from beneath the fresh–saline water interface (FSI) of the Andarax coastal aquifer. The long-term impact of the intensive pumping on the aquifer was assessed by electrical conductivity profiles in three observation wells during 12 years of pumping. The FSI deepened with continuous pumping, reaching a decrease of ~50 m in the observation well closest to the pumping wells. A calibrated three-dimensional numerical model of the Andarax aquifer replicates the freshening of the aquifer due to the continuous pumping, resulting in a salinity decrease of ~16% in the vicinity of the wells. The salinity decrease stabilizes at 17%, and the model predicts no further significant decrease in salinity for additional 20 years. Submarine groundwater discharge is lowered due to the SGW pumping and ~19,000,000 m3 of freshwater has not lost to the sea during the 12 years of pumping with a rate of ~1,100,000 m3 yr−1 after 6 years of pumping. After pumping cessation, hydrostatic equilibrium would take about 20 years to recover. This work presents the complex dynamics of the FSI due to the SGW pumping for desalination in the first real long-term scenario. It shows by combining field work and numerical modeling, a significant freshening of the aquifer by pumping SGW, emphasizing an additional advantage and the effectiveness of this use as a negative hydraulic barrier against seawater intrusion.

A New Lineage of Cryptococcus gattii (VGV) Discovered in the Central Zambezian Miombo Woodlands.

We discovered a new lineage of the globally important fungal pathogen Cryptococcus gattii on the basis of analysis of six isolates collected from three locations spanning the Central Miombo Woodlands of Zambia, Africa. All isolates were from environments (middens and tree holes) that are associated with a small mammal, the African hyrax. Phylogenetic and population genetic analyses confirmed that these isolates form a distinct, deeply divergent lineage, which we name VGV. VGV comprises two subclades (A and B) that are capable of causing mild lung infection with negligible neurotropism in mice. Comparing the VGV genome to previously identified lineages of C. gattii revealed a unique suite of genes together with gene loss and inversion events. However, standard URA5 restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis could not distinguish between VGV and VGIV isolates. We therefore developed a new URA5 RFLP method that can reliably identify the newly described lineage. Our work highlights how sampling understudied ecological regions alongside genomic and functional characterization can broaden our understanding of the evolution and ecology of major global pathogens.IMPORTANCECryptococcus gattii is an environmental pathogen that causes severe systemic infection in immunocompetent individuals more often than in immunocompromised humans. Over the past 2 decades, researchers have shown that C. gattii falls within four genetically distinct major lineages. By combining field work from an understudied ecological region (the Central Miombo Woodlands of Zambia, Africa), genome sequencing and assemblies, phylogenetic and population genetic analyses, and phenotypic characterization (morphology, histopathological, drug-sensitivity, survival experiments), we discovered a hitherto unknown lineage, which we name VGV (variety gattii five). The discovery of a new lineage from an understudied ecological region has far-reaching implications for the study and understanding of fungal pathogens and diseases they cause.

On geoacoustic inversions, sediment acoustics, and deep ocean ambient noise

During the period of 2005–2011, three topics in acoustical oceanography were actively investigated in the Buckingham Lab which combined field, lab, and theoretical work. Geoacoustic inversions in the low frequency (<500 Hz) band were carried out using the noise generated by a light aircraft off the coast of La Jolla, California, and during the MAKAI experiment in Kauai, Hawaii. The inversion relied on a comparison of data to an analytical model of a moving airborne source over a two-layer shallow water waveguide. In an effort to investigate the link between grain roughness and porosity to support the development of a theory of acoustic propagation in sediments, a statistical model for the two-dimensional shape of sand grains was developed from the digitized outlines of grains from a dozen locations, including deserts, beaches, and seabeds. Lastly, a family of autonomous free-falling ambient noise profilers known as Deep Sound, were designed, manufactured, and deployed, returning measurements of ambient noise from below the critical (or reciprocal) depth in the deep ocean. Field experiments were carried out in the San Diego trough, the Philippine Sea, the Tonga Trench, and the Sirena Deep and Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench.

Conducting ethnography in primary care

Qualitative research enjoys a rich history in family medicine and medicine more broadly (1,2). The term ‘qualitative research’ refers to a particular approach to research that comprises many differing methodologies, each with its own set of disciplinary commitments, epistemological interests and methods (3). Ethnography is among the most well known of these and combines field work and observations with interviews, a strategy that makes it unique and allows for the study of groups in their natural environments. Among other possibilities, it therefore offers the opportunity to observe phenomena that may be difficult for participants to describe in interview situations because it is a taken for granted aspect of their experiences. In this article, we provide a brief introduction to ethnography. We then discuss key methodological issues that are of particular relevance in understanding how to undertake this approach, focusing on issues related to ‘insider/outsider’; debates about authorial voice; time commitment; and evaluation. This article is not intended as a ‘how-to’ but does include some excellent references regarding how to properly conduct ethnographic research.

Will I stay or will I go? Plant species‐specific response and tolerance to high land‐use intensity in temperate grassland ecosystems

AbstractAimIntensification of land use strongly impacts plant communities by causing shifts in taxonomic and functional composition. Mechanisms of land use‐induced biodiversity losses have been described for temperate grasslands, but a quantitative assessment of species‐specific occurrence optima and maximum tolerance (niche breadth) to land‐use intensity (LUI) in Central European grasslands is still lacking.LocationTemperate, managed permanent grasslands in three regions of Germany.MethodsWe combined extensive field work with a null model–randomization approach, defined a “habitat niche” for each plant species based on occurrence and abundance across 150 grassland sites differing in LUI (i.e., amount of fertilizer, mowing/grazing intensity and a compound index of these), and assessed their realized niche breadth (tolerance). Underlying mechanisms driving species’ responses to LUI were assessed by relating plant functional traits, Ellenberg indicator values (EIV), Grime's ecological strategies (CSR) and Briemle utilization numbers.ResultsOut of 151 plant species, 34% responded negatively, whereas 10% responded positively to high LUI. This pattern was mainly driven by species’ response to fertilization and mowing frequency; grazing intensity response was less pronounced. Positively reacting species, displaying broader niches, were associated with competition‐related functional traits, high EIV for nutrient supply and moisture and high mowing tolerance under spatiotemporally variable conditions. Negatively responding species, displaying relatively narrow niches confined to spatiotemporally homogeneous low LUI sites, were associated with a nutrient‐retentive strategy, under nutrient‐poor, base‐rich soil conditions.ConclusionOur analyses of individual species’ reactions clearly demonstrate that species responding negatively to high LUI display little tolerance towards intensive fertilization and mowing, leading to plant diversity loss; whereas grazing partly thwarts these effects by creating new habitat niches and promoting ruderal species. Our approach can be applied to other habitat types and biogeographical regions in order to quantify local specific response or tolerance, adding to existing knowledge about local vegetation dynamics.

La dinámica del paisaje en la Sierra del Aramo (Macizo Central Asturiano): procesos naturales y antrópicos

Se analizan los procesos naturales y antrópicos que intervienen en la dinámica del paisaje de la Sierra del Aramo, en especial la dinámica de laderas y el calentamiento atmosférico, así como el despoblamiento y los cambios de usos del suelo en los medios de montaña. La metodología ha combinado el trabajo de campo, la fotointerpretación de imágenes aéreas, el análisis de datos climáticos, fuentes demográficas y agrarias. El despoblamiento y el abandono de las actividades tradicionales explican la disminución de los pastizales. No obstante, la intensidad de los aludes de nieve actuales interfiere en buena medida en la recuperación de los bosques. En efecto, 3,7 km2 de la Sierra del Aramo se hallan deforestados por la recurrencia de tales avalanchas. Se muestra, por tanto, la relevancia de los aludes de nieve en la dinámica del paisaje de las montañas medias en las latitudes templadas.

Challenges in higher education and the role of Muslim cultures and civilisations in developing a new paradigm in education

This paper explores the challenges modern Muslim scholars face when acquiring and producing knowledge and when thinking about what they can borrow and revive from the educational approaches of Muslim scholars of the Middle Ages in order to come up with a new paradigm of learning in education. Some of these challenges are the gaps between secular and religious education, marginalisation of various types of learning and the dominance of one mode of learning - especially the dominance of western-based epistemology and ethical principles in education, struggling to choose between competing and often contradictory paradigms, not knowing much about one’s own cultural and civilizational legacy and what it could offer to resolve these issues, etc. Some scholars started researching these challenges, yet it is very rare that a combined library research and field work is conducted to examine such issues. In this research, drawing on the analysis of relevant literature and qualitative interviews conducted with prominent scholars, we aim to shed light on some of these challenges and provide solutions to them. The seriousness of these challenges and searching for ways to resolve them compels us to look back and critically examine what educational approaches were used by Muslim scholars and pedagogues in the Middle Ages and what happened to those approaches in the modern times. Critical examination of such legacy is very important so that we avoid the temptation of just regurgitating those achievements in terms of Muslims’ world view about education and epistemology in the past and creatively revive those according to the needs of modern times.

DNA barcoding data release for Coleoptera from the Gunung Halimun canopy fogging workpackage of the Indonesian Biodiversity Information System (IndoBioSys) project.

We present the results of a DNA barcoding pipeline that was established as part of the German-Indonesian IndobioSys project - Indonesian Biodiversity Information System. Our data release provides the first large-scale diversity assessment of Indonesian coleoptera obtained by canopy fogging. The project combined extensive fieldwork with databasing, DNA barcode based species delineation and the release of results in collaboration with Indonesian counterparts, aimed at supporting further analyses of the data. Canopy fogging on 28 trees was undertaken at two different sites, Cikaniki and Gunung Botol, in the south-eastern area of the Gunung Halimun-Salak National Park in West Java, Indonesia. In total, 7,447 specimens of Coleoptera were processed, of which 3,836 specimens produced DNA barcode sequences that were longer than 300 bp. A total of 3,750 specimens were assigned a Barcode Index Number (BIN), including 2,013 specimens from Cikaniki and 1,737 specimens from Gunung Botol. The 747 BINs, that were obtained, represented 39 families of Coleoptera. The distribution of specimens with BINs per tree was quite heterogeneous in both sites even in terms of the abundance of specimens or diversity of BINs. The specimen distribution per taxon was heterogeneous as well. Some 416 specimens could not be identified to family level, corresponding to 72 BINs that lack a family level identification. The data have shown a large heterogeneity in terms of abundance and distribution of BINs between sites, trees and families of Coleoptera. From the total of 747 BINs that were recovered, 421 (56%) are exclusive from a single tree. Although the two study sites were in close proximity and separated by a distance of only about five kilometres, the number of shared BINs between sites is low, with 81 of the 747 BINs. With this data release, we expect to shed some light on the largely hidden diversity in the canopy of tropical forests in Indonesia and elsewhere.