Distribution Map Research Articles

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.

Guadua guzmanii (Poaceae: Bambusoideae: Bambuseae: Guaduinae): A new woody bamboo species endemic to Jalisco, Mexico

Guadua comprises 35 described species, seven of which are distributed in Mexico. Since 1976, a specimen corresponding to the genus Guadua was collected, which could not be correctly assigned to any described taxon. In the present study, a new species of Guadua endemic to the state of Jalisco is described based on vegetative characters. Herbarium specimens were reviewed, field collections made, and specialist literature consulted. A comparison with similar specimens was conducted. The degree of threat was determined following the criteria of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Guadua guzmanii, endemic to the El Tamarindo peninsula, municipality of La Huerta, Jalisco, is described. We include a morphological key for the species of the genus Guadua in Mexico, an illustration, photographs, and a distribution map. According to the IUCN criteria, the species is classified as Critically Endangered due to its restricted geographical distribution. With the description of Guadua guzmanii, the number of native Guadua species in Mexico increases to eight. Additionally, the number of woody bamboos in Mexico increases to 60, with 43 species endemic to Mexico and four endemic to Jalisco, included: Chusquea contrerasii, Chusquea guzmanii, Rhipidocladum singuliflorum, and Guadua guzmanii.

First records of the subgenus Eurhipidia from Japan, with two new species (Diptera, Limoniidae, Rhipidia )

Species of Rhipidia (Eurhipidia) Alexander, 1965 are found in Japan for the first time. Two new species, R. (E.) honshuensissp. nov. from Honshu (Palaearctic Region) and R. (E.) okinawensissp. nov. from Nansei Islands (Oriental Region) are described. The images of the habitus, wings, and terminalia, distribution maps, and a key to the species are provided.

Advanced risk assessment framework for land subsidence impacts on transmission towers in salt lake region

To ensure the continuous transmission of clean energy for electricity, transmission towers often traverse geologically challenging terrains. This is particularly evident in the Salt Lake region, where the convergence of unique geological attributes and environmental stressors leads to recurrent land subsidence incidents, jeopardizing the integrity of power lines. In light of the prohibitive costs associated with indiscriminate remedial actions, precision in risk assessment and management is imperative to streamline these interventions. The objective of this study is to propose an accurate and effective framework for assessing the risk of land subsidence for power transmission towers. To achieve this, by utilizing the Small Baseline Subset Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (SBAS-InSAR) technology and cross-validation from field investigations, representative sample disaster datasets of surface deformation points of transmission towers are obtained in the first. Two optimization approaches for susceptibility modeling were employed to further enhance the susceptibility model for land subsidence and obtain high-precision susceptibility results along the transmission towers. Then, combined on-site damage investigation with SBAS-InSAR technology to conduct subsidence vulnerability analysis of transmission towers. Finally, the ultimate outcome of this process was the development of a risk assessment matrix based on spatial probability (susceptibility) and damage scales (vulnerability), aimed at more accurately assessing land subsidence risk. This framework could identify the spatial distribution of subsidence susceptibility in transmission towers exposed to potential damage, which could be followed by a more detailed transmission tower-based vulnerability and risk assessment. The method has been successfully applied in the Salt Lake area, and the susceptibility results based on the Grey Wolf Optimization-Random Forest (GW0-RF) model have shown the best modeling effect, and the area under of receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) = 0.95. The vulnerability results show that 105 towers have been most severely damaged by land subsidence The risk distribution map shows that the central part of the Salt Lake area is the core zone for future land subsidence risk management. A total of 101 towers are in the high and very high risk level. The insights garnered from this investigation furnish a comprehensive understanding of the risk landscape for transmission towers, underpinning future-focused design, planning, and management strategies.

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.

Alpha-taxonomy underestimates the diversity in Jacquemontia (Convolvulaceae): a new hypothesis for Jacquemontia evolvuloides complex based on morphological, anatomical, and morphometric analyses

Interpreting plant morphological variability makes species delimitation a challenge. Jacquemontia evolvuloides and its relatives have been the target of different taxonomic classifications, either as multiple species and subspecies/varieties or as a single polymorphic species. Here we applied univariate and multivariate morphometric analyses, using both macro- and micromorphological characters of 22 populations comprising this species complex. Our analysis revealed six morphotypes with clear discontinuities in both macro- and micromorphological characters. One morphotype corresponds to J. evolvuloides, two correspond to previously named species, putted under a synonym, here re-established (J. agrestis and J. decumbens) and three morphotypes correspond to new species, described here. We present a complete taxonomic treatment of J. evolvuloides and related species, with descriptions, distribution maps, photographs, and illustrations, that indicate new synonyms.

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.

Seasonal Monitoring Method for TN and TP Based on Airborne Hyperspectral Remote Sensing Images

Airborne sensing images harness the combined advantages of hyperspectral and high spatial resolution, offering precise monitoring methods for local-scale water quality parameters in small water bodies. This study employs airborne hyperspectral remote sensing image data to explore remote sensing estimation methods for total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) concentrations in Lake Dianshan, Yuandang, as well as its main inflow and outflow rivers. Our findings reveal the following: (1) Spectral bands between 700 and 750 nm show the highest correlation with TN and TP concentrations during the summer and autumn seasons. Spectral reflectance bands exhibit greater sensitivity to TN and TP concentrations compared to the winter and spring seasons. (2) Seasonal models developed using the Catboost method demonstrate significantly higher accuracy than other machine learning (ML) models. On the test set, the root mean square errors (RMSEs) are 0.6 mg/L for TN and 0.05 mg/L for TP concentrations, with average absolute percentage errors (MAPEs) of 23.77% and 25.14%, respectively. (3) Spatial distribution maps of the retrieved TN and TP concentrations indicate their dependence on exogenous inputs and close association with algal blooms. Higher TN and TP concentrations are observed near the inlet (Jishui Port), with reductions near the outlet (Lanlu Port), particularly for the TP concentration. Areas with intense algal blooms near shorelines generally exhibit higher TN and TP concentrations. This study offers valuable insights for processing small water bodies using airborne hyperspectral remote sensing images and provides reliable remote sensing techniques for lake water quality monitoring and management.

Addition to the review of the genus Wroughtonia Cameron, 1899 (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Helconinae) from Vietnam: Description of two new species

In the present study, the genus Wroughtonia Cameron from Vietnam is revised with two new species described and illustrated, viz. Wroughtonia phiaoaca Long, sp. nov. and W. robustifemur Long, sp. nov.. Comparative morphological characters of the new Wroughtonia species are discussed. An in-country distribution map of the known Vietnamese species of Wroughtonia is also provided.

New host record of &lt;i&gt;Psyllaphycus diaphorinae&lt;/i&gt; Hayat, 1972 from Pakistan

The encyrtid wasp, Psyllaphycus diaphorinae Hayat, was reared from nymphs of Euphyllura olivina (Costa, 1839), an olive psyllid on the cultivated olive in district Rawalpindi and Chakwal. Present study discovered new host association for P. diaphorinae, which was previously reported in association with Diaphorina citri, an Asian citrus psyllid from India and Faisalabad city of Pakistan. Distribution map with new additional localities for parasitoid along with host (psyllid) is provided with digital images.