Distribution Map Research Articles

A new cryptic species in Behria (Asparagaceae, Brodiaeoideae), from the Baja California peninsula, Mexico

Behria is a genus of petaloid geophytes endemic to the Cape Region of Baja California Sur, Mexico. It belongs to the Milla clade within the subfamily Brodiaeoideae of the Asparagaceae family. Currently, Behria tenuiflora is the only recognized species within this genus. In our methodological approach, we considered two distinct floral morphotypes: Group A consists of populations found at lowland elevations (10–150 m), while Group B comprises plants growing at mid to high elevations (400–2060 m). The aim of our study was to investigate whether there are discernible morphological differences and correlations with climate variables between Behria Group A and Group B. To address this, we measured nine quantitative characters for 94 plants from seven populations of Behria tenuiflora. Our findings revealed statistically significant differences (P < 0.05) in pedicel length, perianth length, perianth base diameter, and perianth aperture diameter of the analyzed Behria groups. Based on these results, we propose the recognition of Behria leonis as a new species. Additionally, we provide a morphological key for distinguishing Behria and Bessera genera, along with illustrations, a distribution map, and photographs.

Taraxacum sect. Erythrosperma (Asteraceae, Cichorioideae) in Slovakia IV. Distribution of T. erythrospermum and synonymisation of T. slovacum

The group of lesser dandelions (Taraxacum sect. Erythrosperma) is represented by more than 215 species growing in mostly xerothermic habitats throughout Europe. The only known species with sexual reproduction in this section is the diploid T. erythrospermum. It occurs in southern parts of Europe and reaches its northern limit in central Europe. In this study, we aimed at a detailed mapping of the species distribution in Slovakia in order to understand the spatial distribution at its northern range limits. We found that it is the most common xerothermous species in Slovakia, growing on various substrates such as limestone, dolomite, travertine, volcanic rocks and sands, while it is less common on brown soils and ruderal biotopes. It is a characteristic species of the class Festuco-Brometea with an altitudinal range extending from 120 to 650 m above sea level. We delimited the northern distribution and documented its highest occurrence at approximately ca 1500 m a.s.l. Two taxa, T. slovacum and T. punctatum, were described from the territory of Slovakia and we discuss their relationships to T. erythrospermum, with which T. slovacum is synonymised here for the first time. We also present new data on the genome size of T. erythrospermum in Slovakia, which range from 1.529 to 1.604 pg with a mean of 1.554 pg (± 0.024 SD), and provide chorological data on a remarkable morphological variant with grey-coloured achenes.

Hypoxys (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Pentatomidae: Edessinae): new species and updated identification keys for the species

ABSTRACT The genus Hypoxys Amyot & Serville, 1843 was recently revalidated and reviewed. Hypoxys is the second most numerous genus in Edessinae, with around 50 species described so far. Here, 12 new species of Hypoxys, distributed in three species groups, are described: H. quadridens group (H. afasciatus sp. nov. H. ambiguus sp. nov. H. variegatus sp. nov.), H. oxyacanthus group (H. bimaculatus sp. nov. H. stenospilus sp. nov.) and H. balteatus group (H. caienensis sp. nov. H. colombianus sp. nov. H. montanus sp. nov. H. oblongus sp. nov. H. splendidus sp. nov. H. tapirapensis sp. nov. H. tucumensis sp. nov.). Diagnoses for the species, distributional maps, and updated identification keys for the species groups of Hypoxys are provided. The female paratypes of H. breddini Mendonça, Nunes & Fernandes, 2021 are transferred to H. venustus Mendonça, Nunes & Fernandes, 2021. The geographical distribution of H. venustus is expanded. http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:B1036FED-8D5B-4169-ACC3-52FCC2206D78

High-density, highly sensitive sensor array of spiky carbon nanospheres for strain field mapping

While accurate mapping of strain distribution is crucial for assessing stress concentration and estimating fatigue life in engineering applications, conventional strain sensor arrays face a great challenge in balancing sensitivity and sensing density for effective strain mapping. In this study, we present a Fowler-Nordheim tunneling effect of monodispersed spiky carbon nanosphere array on polydimethylsiloxane as strain sensor arrays to achieve a sensitivity up to 70,000, a sensing density of 100 pixel cm−2, and logarithmic linearity over 99% within a wide strain range of 0% to 60%. The highly ordered assembly of spiky carbon nanospheres in each unit also ensures high inter-unit consistency (standard deviation ≤3.82%). Furthermore, this sensor array can conformally cover diverse surfaces, enabling accurate acquisition of strain distributions. The sensing array offers a convenient approach for mapping strain fields in various applications such as flexible electronics, soft robotics, biomechanics, and structure health monitoring.

Geographic information system-based determination of priority monitoring areas for hazardous air pollutants in an industrial city.

Industrial cities are hotspots for many hazardous air pollutants (HAPs), which are detrimental to human health. We devised an identification method to determine priority HAP monitoring areas using a comprehensive approach involving monitoring, modeling, and demographics. The methodology to identify the priority HAP monitoring area consists of two parts: (1) mapping the spatial distribution of selected categories relevant to the target pollutant and (2) integrating the distribution maps of various categories and subsequent scoring. The identification method was applied in Ulsan, the largest industrial city in South Korea, to identify priority HAP monitoring areas. Four categories related to HAPs were used in the method: (1) concentrations of HAPs, (2) amount of HAP emissions, (3) the contribution of industrial activities, and (4) population density in the city. This method can be used to select priority HAP monitoring areas for intensive monitoring campaigns, cohort studies, and epidemiological studies.

To the knowledge of the subgenus Phrator Semenov, 1922 of the genus Omophron Latreille, 1802 (Coleoptera: Carabidae)

The species of the subgenus Phrator Semenov, 1922 are reviewed, with six species now recognized. One species is downgraded to subspecies: O. multiguttatum depressum Klug, 1853 stat. nov. Some new synonymies are proposed Omophron variegatum boiteli Alluaud, 1935 syn. n. = Omophron variegatum sardoum Reitter, 1907 syn. n. = Omophron variegatum seurati Alluaud, 1935 syn. n. = Omophron (Phrator) variegatum Olivier, 1812; Omophron (Phrator) ethiopiensis Valainis, 2016 syn. nov. = O. multiguttatum (s.str) Chaudoir, 1850; and Omophron (Phrator) alluaudi Dupuis, 1913 syn. n. = O. vittulatum Fairmaire, 1894. The variability of all the treated species is discussed. A key to the species, together with new distributional data, maps of distribution, illustrations of the habitus and of the most important features are provided.

Updated geographic distributions for Texas reptiles

As is the case for many taxa in the Anthropocene, reptile conservation is challenged by an assortment of human-mediated factors. Distributional data for reptile species can be highly useful for informing conservation action. For example, species occurrence data can be used to model suitable habitat as well as quantify contraction, expansion, or shift in the distribution of a species. Texas, USA has a rich reptile fauna including one crocodilian, 32 testudine, 55 lacertilian, and 82 serpent species. However, literature pertaining to the distribution of these species has not been synthesized for over a decade. The goals of our study were to visually summarize all published distributional data for reptile species in the state with updated distribution maps; to tabulate all novel and historic distribution data that is absent from the last statewide synthesis; and to characterize any taxonomic, geographic, or temporal trends of distribution record reporting that have occurred in the state over the last decade. We discovered a total of 659 records that supplement the maps provided in the last statewide synthesis, 40% of which were found in published materials that predate that synthesis. Regarding distributional records published over the last decade, there was no apparent temporal trend – record reporting across years appeared to be stochastic. The number of records published for reptile families generally followed patterns of species richness, although several families had fewer or more records than would be expected. These results might be due to several factors including species biology, variable rates of potential range spread or contraction, and variable research attention (historically and contemporarily). Spatially, we found hot spots of record reporting in the southern, western, and northern portions of the state. We suspect these represent either a contemporary geographic bias of research attention, historically poor range characterization for reptile species occupying these regions, or a combination of both. We also found cold spots of record reporting in the northwestern portion of the Panhandle. These are likely due to natural patterns of reptile diversity as well as geographically biased research attention. Future work to be conducted on reptile distributions in Texas should include a thorough synthesis and revisiting of the voucher specimen data associated with these records.

Taxonomic revision of Mozambique dung beetle species in the genus Diastellopalpus van Lansberge, 1886 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae)

Recently, there has been growing attention paid to the Mozambican dung beetle fauna, including the description of several new species. In this paper, we revise the taxonomy of species recorded from Mozambique in the genus Diastellopalpus van Lansberge, 1886, including the description of Diastellopalpus scholtzi Daniel, Strümpher, Josso & Davis, new species. We also report a new country record for Diastellopalpus neavei (d’Orbigny, 1914). Moreover, Diastellopalpus orbignyi Péringuey, 1904 is removed from subjective synonymy with Diastellopalpus infernalis van Lansberge, 1887 and proposed as a valid species. Currently, Mozambique encompasses five valid species of the genus Diastellopalpus, namely: Diastellopalpus infernalis van Lansberge, 1887, D. quinquedens Bates, 1888, D. neavei, D. orbignyi and D. scholtzi, new species. We redescribe the former four species and include an examination of the types of their junior synonyms. Furthermore, we diagnose, illustrate, and provide a distribution map for all five species and compare them to the morphologically most similar species in the genus. We designate lectotypes for the following species-group taxa: Diastellopalpus nyassicus Kolbe, 1901, D. orbignyi, D. quinquedens Bates, 1888, Onthophagus ponderosus Péringuey, 1896, and O. tridepressus d’Orbigny, 1902. Finally, we provide an updated identification key for the species of Diastellopalpus recorded from Mozambique.

New species and records of Anthelephila praetor species-group (Coleoptera: Anthicidae) from China

Three new species of the genus Anthelephila Hope, 1833 are described: A. androgyna n. sp. (Hainan), A. junpolis n. sp. (Hainan) and A. tricolorata n. sp. (Yunnan). New distributional records of A. celer (Kejval, 1999) from Yunnan are added, known records distribution map of A. praetor informal species-group is provided.

A new species and a new record of Urytalpa Edwards, 1929 (Diptera: Keroplatidae) from China

One new species and a new record of Urytalpa (Diptera: Keroplatidae: Keroplatinae), U. leigongshana sp. n. and U. yoshidai Uesugi, are described in this paper, which were collected from Guizhou and Sichuan, China. The molecular identification and morphological description of U. leigongshana are provided, together with the adult images of these two species. Furthermore, this paper also offers a worldwide distribution map and a checklist of this genus.

An integrated approach for sewage diversion: Case of the Huayuan mine, Hunan Province, China

Environment protection is a core priority for many governments in this century. Most environmental problems have diverse causes: emission of greenhouse gases from fossil fuels, resource depletion, or intense mining activities such as the Huayuan manganese mine. The positioning of mining factories and water treatment stations impacts the surrounding groundwater reservoir. As the mine expands, the environmental impact also increases, and the previous plan based on monitoring wastewater leakage has become inappropriate. Therefore, to solve this issue, a new study is required to understand the lateral resistivity distribution underground and to define a new station location for water treatment and divert the sewage to that station. In this study, the audio-frequency magnetotelluric method is used. Surveys of two long lines that cross the mining area to its boundaries are carried out. Data are robustly processed and inverted. Based on the inverted models, in addition to the geologic information, drilling inspections, and solid waste distributions map, the integrated interpretation develops two sites on the top of impermeable layers, which constitute a buffer point between the unsafe (high concentration of pollutants) and the safe zones in the northwestern part of the mine. From the resistivity distribution combined with the water quality analysis, a relationship between the fault structures reveals an interconnected conductive zone (CZ) in the southeastern part. As the main channels for water circulating underground, these CZs delineate the main groundwater reservoir with a clastic aquifer layer. However, close to factories, the water from faults contains solid wastes, thereby making the groundwater in that zone nonpotable, unlike the safety zone located in the northwestern part. This workflow can become a field guide to improve the environment of mines and the deployment of hydrogeologic drilling in a safe area.

Geographical distribution of nitrate pollution and its risk assessment using GIS and Monte Carlo simulation in drinking water in urban areas of Fars province-Iran during 2017-2021.

Pollution of water resources with nitrate is currently one of the major challenges at the global level. In order to make macro-policy decisions in water safety plans, it is necessary to carry out nitrate risk assessment in underground water, which has not been done in Fars province for all urban areas. In the current study, 9494 drinking water samples were collected in four seasons in 32 urban areas of Fars province in Iran, between 2017 and 2021 to investigate the non-carcinogenic health risk assessment. Geographical distribution maps of hazard quotient were drawn using geographical information system software. The results showed that the maximum amount of nitrate in water samples in 4% of the samples in 2021, 2.5% of the samples in 2020 and 3% of the samples in 2019 were more than the standard declared by World Health Organization guidelines (50mg/L). In these cases, the maximum amount of nitrate was reported between 82 and 123mg/L. The HQ values for infants did not exceed 1 in any year, but for children (44% ± 10.8), teenagers (10.8% ± 8.4), and adults (3.2% ± 1.7) exceeded 1 in cities, years, and seasons, indicating that three age groups in the studied area are at noticeably significant non-carcinogenic risk. The results of the Monte Carlo simulation showed that the average value of non-carcinogenic risk was less than 1 for all age groups. Moreover, the maximum HQ values (95%) were higher than 1 for both children and teenager, indicating a significant non-carcinogenic risk for the two age groups.

Urban inundation mapping by coupling 1D − 2D models and model comparison

Urban inundation mapping is important for early warning, management, and drainage network planning. Urban flood simulations typically utilize a 1D model focused on pipe nodes, whereas 2D simulations are required over a land area. In this paper, our focus is on their coupling, so that a dynamic 1D-2D model is obtained. We couple the Storm Water Management Model (SWMM), a widely utilized urban drainage model, with 2D models to simulate urban inundation. The 1D-2D coupled inundation model uses the 1D model output, which represents the overflow volume of sparsely distributed pipe nodes. After coupling, surface inundation distribution maps are obtained. We developed a physically-based 2D overflow diffusion model (2D-DM) and compared it with two geostatistical models: Ordinary co-kriging (OCK) and Regression Kriging (RK). The study area is the central area of Haining City in China, where a severe storm occurred on August 3, 2018. The 2D-DM performed best (RMSE = 0.232), followed by RK (RMSE = 0.286), and OCK (RMSE = 0.361), but did not provide uncertainty measures, in contrast to the geostatistical models. We conclude that 1D-2D coupling was done successfully, with the different 2D models showing different qualities. To enhance urban inundation mapping, it is suggested to couple the 1D model with both physical and statistically based 2D models for a more comprehensive assessment of potential inundation areas and depths.

Oscillatory instability of magneto-convection during the melting of non-Newtonian ferromagnetic nano-enhanced phase change materials at low Rayleigh number

This work complements mechanism of the oscillatory instability of magneto-convection in the process of melting heat transfer controlled by magnetic field at low Rayleigh number (Ra), aiming to provide a theoretical basis for improving the stability of energy storage system and melting manufacturing process. A latent heat storage cavity unit exposed in uniform magnetic field is designed to reveal the magnetic-controlled heat transfer in solid–liquid phase change process. The volume average method is used to describe porous media composite nano-enhanced phase change materials in latent heat unit. Special attentions are paid to the key parameters of Magnetic number (Mn) and Ra, and coupling flow heat transfer mechanism of magnetic force and natural convection effect is numerically studied. The evolution stages of different flow patterns are divided according to the Kelvin force, vorticity, velocity, flow field and isotherm distributions of characteristic points. Main results show that the magnetic field-modulated phase change process at low Ra can be divided into three stages, of which the second stage is characterized by periodic oscillations. Increasing Mn at fixed Ra accelerates the second stage of oscillatory convection heat transfer coming earlier and promotes melting. When Mn increase to 5 × 106, the full melting time is reduced to the greatest extent, resulting in 11.6 % reduction in heat storage but 17.4 % increase in heat storage efficiency. Three mechanisms of magnetic forced convection coupled with natural convection are found during the increase of Ra: synergistic (Ra < 2 × 103), antagonistic (2 × 103≤ Ra < 1 × 104), and natural convection-dominated (Ra = 1 × 104). Finally, the mode distribution map of Ra-Mn regulation is obtained, in which the unstable transformation mechanism of steady-state, periodic oscillation and chaotic oscillation heat transfer in the melting process under the control of magnetic field is described.

Boea cavernarum Zich &amp; B.Gray (Gesneriaceae), a remarkable new species from north Queensland, Australia

Boea cavernarum, restricted to near limestone crevices and caves in NE Queensland, is described. Images of whole plants, flowers, fruit and leaf indumentum, a distribution map, and a key to all species of Boea in Australia are provided. Thirteen species are now recognised in Boea.

Rediscover of the Iranian endemic alpine Arenaria bulica after 139 years and note of the related species (Caryophyllaceae)

The Zagros Mountain range is one of the biodiversity centers with the highest percent of endemic species in Iran. There are several peaks with more than 4000 m high in Zagros hosting many rare alpine species. Arenaria is one of the morphological complicated genera with a large number of species and endemism in SW-Asia with an high species concentration in Turkey and Iran. By recollecting the rare and endemic species of Arenaria bulica from locus classicus after 139 years and examining the herbarium specimens, it was found that the two species, A. minutissima and A. semiromica can be considered as its synonyms. A detailed description, original photos, habitat, distribution map, phytogeography, conservation status, seed micromorphology and growth form have been provided and discussed.

Mapping Quaking Aspen Using Seasonal Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 Composite Imagery across the Southern Rockies, USA

Quaking aspen is an important deciduous tree species across interior western U.S. forests. Existing maps of aspen distribution are based on Landsat imagery and often miss small stands (&lt;0.09 ha or 30 m2), which rapidly regrow when managed or following disturbance. In this study, we present methods for deriving a new regional map of aspen forests using one year of Sentinel-1 (S1) and Sentinel-2 (S2) imagery in Google Earth Engine. Using observed annual phenology of aspen across the Southern Rockies and leveraging the frequent temporal resolution of S1 and S2, ecologically relevant seasonal imagery composites were developed. We derived spectral indices and radar textural features targeting the canopy structure, moisture, and chlorophyll content. Using spatial block cross-validation and Random Forests, we assessed the accuracy of different scenarios and selected the best-performing set of features for classification. Comparisons were then made with existing landcover products across the study region. The resulting map improves on existing products in both accuracy (0.93 average F1-score) and detection of smaller forest patches. These methods enable accurate mapping at spatial and temporal scales relevant to forest management for one of the most widely distributed tree species in North America.

Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) Spectroscopy and Simple Algorithm Analysis for Rapid and Non-Destructive Assessment of Cotton Fiber Maturity and Crystallinity for Plant Mapping

Information on boll distribution within a cotton plant is critical to evaluate the adaptation and response of cotton plants to environmental and biotic stress in cotton production. Cotton researchers have applied available conventional fiber measurements, such as the high volume instrument (HVI) and advanced fiber information system (AFIS), to map the location and the timing of boll development and distribution within plants and further to determine within-plant variability of cotton fiber properties. Both HVI and AFIS require numerous cotton bolls combined for the measurement. As an alternative approach, attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared (ATR FT-IR) spectroscopy was proposed to measure fiber maturity (MIR) and crystallinity (CIIR) of a sample as little as 0.5 mg lint. Extending fiber maturity and crystallinity measurement into a single boll for node-by-node mapping, FT-IR method might be advantageous due to less sampling amount compared with HVI and AFIS methods. Results showed that FT-IR technique enabled the evaluation of fiber MIR and CIIR at a boll level, which resulted in average MIR and CIIR values highly correlated with HVI micronaire (MIC) and AFIS maturity ratio (M). Hence, FT-IR technique possesses a good potential for a rapid and non-destructive node-by-node mapping of cotton boll maturity and crystallinity distribution.

New species and records of Hygrodromicus Tronquet, 1981 and Paratrichodromeus Zerche, 1992 from the Middle Asia, the Himalayan Region and China (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Omaliinae: Anthophagini)

Taxonomic, diagnostic and faunistic data for eight species of Hygrodromicus Tronquet, 1981 and three species of Paratrichodromeus Zerche, 1992 (Omaliinae: Anthophagini) from the Middle Asia, the Himalayan Region and China are presented. Three species are (re-) described and illustrated: H. klapperichi Coiffait, 1982 (Afghanistan), H. latilobatus sp. n. (central Nepal), and P. angustilobatus sp. n. (Afghanistan). A new synonymy is established: H. coriaceus (Cameron, 1924) = Geodromicus palpalis Coiffait, 1977 syn. n. Habitus of the paratype of Geodromicus palpalis Coiffait, 1977, H. reitteri (Scheerpeltz, 1933), H. wrasei Zerche, 1992 and all species of the genus Paratrichodromeus are illustrated. A distribution map for species of the genus Paratrichodromeus is given. Hygrodromicus reitteri (Scheerpeltz, 1933) is recorded from Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan for the first time.

Estimation of Maize Residue Cover Using Remote Sensing Based on Adaptive Threshold Segmentation and CatBoost Algorithm

Maize residue cover (MRC) is an important parameter to quantify the degree of crop residue cover in the field and its spatial distribution characteristics. It is also a key indicator of conservation tillage. Rapid and accurate estimation of maize residue cover (MRC) and spatial mapping are of great significance to increasing soil organic carbon, reducing wind and water erosion, and maintaining soil and water. Currently, the estimation of maize residue cover in large areas suffers from low modeling accuracy and poor working efficiency. Therefore, how to improve the accuracy and efficiency of maize residue cover estimation has become a research hotspot. In this study, adaptive threshold segmentation (Yen) and the CatBoost algorithm are integrated and fused to construct a residue coverage estimation method based on multispectral remote sensing images. The maize planting areas in and around Sihe Town in Jilin Province, China, were selected as typical experimental regions, and the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) was employed to capture maize residue cover images of sample plots within the area. The Yen algorithm was applied to calculate and analyze maize residue cover. The successive projections algorithm (SPA) was used to extract spectral feature indices from Sentinel-2A multispectral images. Subsequently, the CatBoost algorithm was used to construct a maize residue cover estimation model based on spectral feature indices, thereby plotting the spatial distribution map of maize residue cover in the experimental area. The results show that the image segmentation based on the Yen algorithm outperforms traditional segmentation methods, with the highest Dice coefficient reaching 81.71%, effectively improving the accuracy of maize residue cover recognition in sample plots. By combining the spectral index calculation with the SPA algorithm, the spectral features of the images are effectively extracted, and the spectral feature indices such as NDTI and STI are determined. These indices are significantly correlated with maize residue cover. The accuracy of the maize residue cover estimation model built using the CatBoost model surpasses that of traditional machine learning models, with a maximum determination coefficient (R2) of 0.83 in the validation set. The maize residue cover estimation model constructed based on the Yen and CatBoost algorithms effectively enhances the accuracy and reliability of estimating maize residue cover in large areas using multispectral imagery, providing accurate and reliable data support and services for precision agriculture and conservation tillage.