East Aspects Research Articles

Effect of elevation and aspect on carbon stock of bamboo stands (Bambusa nutans subsp. Cupulata) outside the forest area in Eastern Nepal

Bamboo has emerged as a promising option for climate change mitigation due to its rapid growth, versatility, and renewability. However, in Nepal, there exists a substantial knowledge gap on carbon (C) stock and the influence of aspect and elevation on C stock of bamboo species, particularly in areas outside forests where bamboo is dominant. Therefore, this research was conducted to quantify C stock and aspect-elevation influence on the C stock of Bambusa nutans subsp. cupulata outside the forest area. For this study, three elevation zones (0–400 m, 400–800 m, 800–1200 m) and two aspects (East and West) were considered. A total of 30 square plots having a 100 m2 area were established utilizing purposive sampling due to the scattered distribution of bamboo. Non-destructive methods were applied to measure bamboo culm diameters, while composite soil samples were systematically collected from 30 cm depth using soil augers and core samplers. Clump density (400 ha⁻¹), culm density (42,480 ha⁻¹) and culm diameter (6.82 ± 0.41 cm) were highest at middle elevations (p < 0.05), with no significant difference due to aspect (p > 0.05). The total mean C stock potential of B. nutans was 148.73 ± 3.43 Mg ha⁻¹. Our results indicated a significant difference in C stock among elevation zones, with middle elevation zones (161.77 ± 6.74 Mg ha-1) exhibiting notably higher C stock compared to both lower (150.26 ± 2.69 Mg ha-1) and higher (134.17 ± 4.26 Mg ha-1) elevation zones. Furthermore, East aspect was found to have significantly (p < 0.05) higher soil organic C stock (18.52 ± 1.32 Mg ha-1) compared to West aspect (11.4 ± 1.01 Mg ha-1). Further research is needed to explore other complex environmental interactions with C stock potential for better climate change strategies. Incorporating bamboo C into Nepal's REDD+ initiative can be crucial for optimizing opportunities to earn C credits.

Population ecology and habitat suitability modelling of an endangered and endemic medicinal plant Meconopsis aculeata Royle under projected climate change in the Himalaya

The Himalayan region is home to the endangered and endemic medicinal plant, Meconopsis aculeata. Habitat degradation due to overexploitation and unscientific collection of the species in recent years has caused the restricted distribution range of species across its range. Therefore, the present study was conducted in the Hindu Kush Himalayan region (4.5 million km2 area) to study population ecology and identify suitable habitats for the habitat distribution modelling under projected climate change to monitor and restore the dwindling populations. Ten sites/populations (20 × 20 m plot) of M. aculeata have been studied. East aspect (5 sites) and rocky habitat (04 sites) represented the maximum number of sites. The density of M. aculeata has a significant negative correlation with slope and available potassium in soil. The MaxEnt algorithm, species occurrence data and environmental variables were used in the current study. CMIP6 project's MIROC6 and BCC-CSM2-MR climate change models were used to identify the potential distribution area for the future under the SSP245 and SSP370 scenarios for the period 2081–2100. The results showed the satisfactory quality of models based on the True-Skill-Statistic (0.838 ±0.149), Area-Under-Curve values (0.958±0.038), and the Receiver-Operating-Characteristic curves. MaxEnt predicted that 1,78,993 km2 (4.10 %) area is favourable for the occurrence of the species. The precipitation of the driest quarter, precipitation of the coldest quarter and elevation were the most influential variables for habitat suitability prediction. The distribution area with an increase in greenhouse gases shows a decrease in the period 2081–2100 in both SSPs and GCMs. The study predicted highly suitable areas that would play a vital role in in situ conservation and improving the status of species. The predicted distribution maps of the species would help policymakers and decision-makers in developing suitable management plans, which will ultimately help in the conservation of species.

Soil fungal communities varied across aspects of restored grassland in former mining areas of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

To determine whether different aspects lead to a heterogeneous distribution of soil fungi, we investigated artificially established alpine grasslands in the Muli mining area in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Employing high-throughput sequencing techniques, we analyzed the composition, diversity, and function of soil fungal communities across various aspects (flat, East-facing, South-facing, West-facing, North-facing). We also examined their relationships with environmental factors. Soil fungal communities of restored alpine grasslands differed significantly across aspects in terms of the dominant phyla, classes and species level. Compared with No aspect, the Shannon index of fungi respectively decreased by 2.99%, 19.32%, 19.37% and 10.56% for East aspect, South aspect, West aspect and North aspect, respectively, and the Chao1 index of fungi respectively decreased by-2.44%, 35.50%, 42.15% and 3.21%, respectively. A total of 22 different types of fungi were identified in the study area. Predictive analysis, based on PICRUSt2, indicated that the primary functions of the fungal communities across different aspects were aerobic respiration I (cytochrome c) and aerobic respiration II (cytochrome c). Among the environmental variables, total phosphorus (P) and total nitrogen (N) were the principal factors influencing the fungal community composition.In conclusion, aspect plays a significant role in shaping the composition of fungal communities and also affects their overall diversity.

Improvement in the delineation of alpine treeline in Uttarakhand using spaceborne light detection and ranging data

Advanced remote sensing technologies, such as light detection and ranging (LiDAR), offer significant potential to mapping the alpine treeline ecotone (ATE) based on its actual definition (tree height ≥ 3 m) and contribute to the generation of baseline data for future change detection investigations. We propose an approach for combining LiDAR-derived absolute tree height data with elevation data to delineate the ATE in Uttarakhand, India. The approach was implemented using observations from the recently launched Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation system and validated with field measurements. The LiDAR-derived treeline was compared with the traditional normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) treeline. The treeline derived from LiDAR was found to have root mean square error of ∼60 m with respect to the ground verified treeline location. The NDVI treeline was overestimated in comparison to the LiDAR treeline by an average surface distance of 290, 232, 257, and 237 m in the south, north, west, and east aspects, respectively. It is observed that the overestimation was higher at the lowest and highest elevation zones. We prove that LiDAR-based treeline mapping is an efficient method to delineate alpine treelines at a landscape scale.

From Komedie Stambul to Toneel: Theatre Arts Development in Batavia, 1891-1942

Performing arts became a popular entertainment form among groups in the colonial era. People who enjoy performing arts were always craving for something new, and in turn, performing troupes were trying to create new innovations for their performances. In the late 19th century, a theatre group Komedie Stamboel was established in Surabaya. This group soon became popular because their uniqueness: the hybridity of their dramaturgies and stories which combined the West and East aspects. Their popularity resulted in a tour across Java, one of tour destinations was Batavia. When they were in Batavia, many of Komedie Stamboel’s performances were influenced by Indische culture and Indo people. By implementing the historical method, this article find the role of the Indo people and the influence of the Indische culture in Batavia’s development of theatre arts. The increasing popularity of Komedie Stamboel resulted in imitators, both professional and amateur, with the majority of their performers consisted of Indo [hybrid] and Pribumi [local; indigenous]. Komedie Stamboel also developed into a theatrical genre known as komedie stambul. In the 20th century, a theatre form known as Toneel Melajoe emerged as a continuity of the Komedie Stambul with new additions. Other theatrical genre known as Indische Toneel, a colonial theatre created by playwrights of Dutch totok and Indo descent that often held in theatres in Batavia. They had komedie stambul influences and Indische culture references on them.

Effects of aspect on phenology of Larix gmelinii forest in Northeast China

The response of vegetation phenology to global climate change is one of the main forms in terrestrial ecosystem change, the study of vegetation phenology is an important complement to the understanding of how global climate change affects ecosystems in multiple dimensions. We selected the distribution area of Larix gmelinii in The Greater Khingan Mountains as a case area by eliminating the heterogeneity of vegetation types, with the support of Google Earth Engine platform, we studied the effects of different aspects and land surface temperature (LST) on remote sensing phenology (RSP) that is defined as start of growing season (SOS), end of growing season (EOS) and length of growing season (LOS) respectively in the study area through Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) changes. The results showed that SOS advanced in different aspects during the study period, and the advance amplitude of SOS on the east and west aspect was greater than that on the south and north. Except for the east aspect, EOS showed a slight postponed, and LOS was prolonged on all aspects. The latitude difference between 51° and 53° N had no significant effect on L. gmelinii in different aspects. LST had an obviously direct effect on the RSP of L. gmelinii in different aspects, and the effect of LST on SOS and LOS was significantly greater than that on EOS. The effect of LST on SOS and LOS was significant in April and spring. The main contributor to the increase of LOS was the advance of SOS, while the postponed of EOS has a relatively small contribution to LOS. Due to the redistribution of meteorological factor by aspect, the spatial and temporal heterogeneity of RSP tends to be complex, so determining the same aspect is one of the main ways to reduce the phenological heterogeneity in the study of vegetation RSP.

Distribution Of Phenacoccus Solenopsis Infesting Okra Plants: Evidence for Improving a Pest Scouting Method.

Understanding insect behavior is a prerequisite for establishing pest scouting tools for determining possible damage and implementing control measures for the cotton mealybug, Phenacoccus solenopsis (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) on okra plants. Field trials were conducted to estimate the distribution modalities of P. solenopsis on plants in different cardinal directions, plant strata, leaf surfaces, and field depth (spaces from field boundaries), in a private okra field (Balady cultivar) at Esna district, Luxor Governorate during two consecutive seasons (2021 and 2022). Results revealed that P. solenopsis attacked okra plants, were observed from the first week of March through the end of July during each season, and occurred on all okra field directions in all plant levels and on leaf surfaces, on all the dates of weekly inspections. During the two seasons, there were highly significant differences in population, as well as infestation percentages in various cardinal directions, and very significant changes between the various stratums of plant and on leaf surfaces, as well as between the various distances from field boarders. P. solenopsis favors the lower leaf surface of the top stratum of the plant, in the south and east aspects, where its population was constantly abundant throughout the season, and pests more highly attacked okra plants distant from the farm borders than close plants over each season. The current information can be used to help design mealybug monitoring and control programs on okra plants.

Dynamics of physico -chemical properties of soil in response to hilly aspects in community forest, Rampur Palpa

This research was objectively conducted to assess physico-chemical properties of soil among aspects. Total 64 soil samples were collected from 0 to 10 and 10-20 cm depths from North East, South East, North West and South West aspects. The physical and chemical properties of soil were analyzed in the lab. Average moisture content was found highest at North East aspect (39.46±1.11%) at 0-10 cm depth and 37.52±0.96 % at the depth of 10-20 cm. Nitrogen content was the highest 0.378±0.03% at 0-10 cm depth and 0.362±0.04 % at 10-20 cm depth in North East aspect. The amount of Potassium in the forest was found highest at North East aspect with the mean ±SE value of 523.76±75 kg/ha at 0-10 cm depth and 418.92±28.09 kg/ha at 10-20 cm depth. Phosphorus content was found to be highest again at North East aspect which has the mean±SE value of 28.202±2.22 kg/ha at 0-10 cm depth and 25.89±2.51 kg/ha at 10-20 cm depth, Similarly, organic carbon content was found highest again at North East aspect with mean±SE value of 2.18±0.06 % at 0-10 cm depth and 2.031±0.05 % at 10-20 cm depth. Elucidating pH content, the highest value was found at North West aspect with mean value of 6.32±0.19 at 0-10 cm depth and 6.02±0.21 at 10-20 cm depth respectively. Value of C:N at North Eastern aspect was recorded 5.80 at 0-10 cm depth and 5.55 at 10-20 cm depth. The study will be useful for researcher for the further work in soil science.

How do snow cover fraction change and respond to climate in Altai Mountains of China?

AbstractInvestigating the spatial and temporal changes in snow cover over mountain areas is significant for understanding the impact of regional climate variability. In this study, using cloud‐removed snow cover data, which are generated based on Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) daily snow cover products, the spatiotemporal changes of snow cover fraction (SCF) and its relationship with temperature and precipitation changes from 2002 to 2020 were examined over Altai Mountains, China. The results demonstrate that the distribution and changes of SCF are highly spatiotemporally heterogeneous. Within a year, the maximum SCF occurs in January at 98.6%, and the minimum appears in July at 8.7%. The annual‐mean SCF shows an increasing trend at 0.09%·annum−1, owing to the significantly increasing SCF in the snow accumulation period at 0.5%·annum−1 and the decreasing SCF in the snow melting period at −0.2%·annum−1. The SCF distribution, as well as its interannual change, is greatly influenced by elevation. During the snow cover period, a positive linear correlation between SCF and elevation is found at 0.02%·m−1 (p &lt; .01). The annual‐mean SCF decreases in the area below 1,200 m, whereas it increases in the area above 1,200 m. Accordingly, the elevation‐dependent SCF results in various SCF distributions on different slopes and watersheds. The SCF shows an apparent pattern in different aspects, with similar SCFs between the north and east aspects and between the west and south aspects but a difference between the northeast aspects and the westsouth aspects. The SCF is negatively correlated with air temperature (r = −0.74, p &lt; 0.01) and positively correlated with precipitation (r = 0.74, p &lt; 0.01). In addition, temperature shows a significant and larger correlation with SCF in both the snow accumulation and melting periods, indicating the major factor of temperature for the changes in SCF.

TWINSPAN CLASSIFICATION OF VEGETATION FROM NORTH EAST ASPECT OF LOWER TANAWAL ABBOTTABAD, PAKISTAN

The main objective of this research study was to explore the vegetation of Lower Tanawal, Pakistan from North East aspect. The ordination techniques TWINSPAN, DCA and CCA were used to classify the data. TWINSPAN classified 157 plant species and 20 stands into four plant communities. Four plant communities Dodonaea-Ziziphus-Oxalis, Pinus–Olea–Micromeria, Debregessia-Mentha-Isodon, and Pinus-Punica-Isodon community were noted. This study provides first information about the vegetation of Lower Tanawal, Abbottabad Pakistan from North East aspect.

Tree structure and diversity of a Humid Mountain Forest in the protected natural area La Martinica, Veracruz, Mexico

Tree structure and diversity at the protected natural area La Martinica, Veracruz, México. Introduction: The Humid Mountain Forest (HMF) has the largest number of plants per unit area, which vegetation grows in heterogeneous environmental conditions and has a high variation flora, physiognomy and structural. The conservation of the HMF is important due to the biodiversity it harbors and the environmental regulation services it provides. Objective: This work evaluated the effect of the direction of sun exposure (aspect) of the terrain and the density of the forest canopy (canopy opening type) on the structure and tree diversity in La Martinica Protected Natural Area, in Veracruz, Mexico. Methods: stratified sampling was performed in four aspects of the terrain and two canopy density conditions. In total, 25 20 x 25 m sampling units were considered (subdivided into 10 x 5 m units), in which the normal diameter (ND), total height and the largest and smallest diameters of the crown of the individuals with a ND ≥10 cm were registered. The diversity was estimated by means of rarefaction curves and the structure was analyzed through the importance value index and the forest value index. Results: We recorded 37 species belonging to 30 genera and 24 families, Zenithal and South aspects had the highest floristic similarity. Greater diversity was observed in the North aspect and in the Closed canopy. The tree species with the highest structural values were different between aspects and canopy types; Carpinus tropicalis presented the highest values in the Zenithal aspect, Lippia myriocephala in the East and South aspects, and Liquidambar styraciflua in the North. In both types of canopy Lippia myriocephala obtained the highest values in the Importance Value Index (IVI) and only Forest Value Index (FVI) in the Open canopy; Carpinus tropicalis reached a higher FVI in the Closed canopy. Conclusions: The tree structure was different in the four aspects studied, as well as in the two conditions of the canopy. The greatest difference in species composition and diversity was observed between the North and East aspects, of these, the North presented the highest richness values, equally frequent species and dominant species.&#x0D;

Use of Sentinel-2 Satellite Data for Windthrows Monitoring and Delimiting: The Case of “Vaia” Storm in Friuli Venezia Giulia Region (North-Eastern Italy)

On the 29th of October 2018, a storm named “Vaia” hit North-Eastern Italy, causing the loss of 8 million m3 of standing trees and creating serious damage to the forested areas, with many economic and ecological implications. This event brought up the necessity of a standard procedure for windthrow detection and monitoring based on satellite data as an alternative to foresters’ fieldwork. The proposed methodology was applied in Carnic Alps (Friuli Venezia Giulia, NE Italy) in natural stands dominated by Picea abies and Abies alba. We used images from the Sentinel-2 mission: 1) to test vegetation indices performance in monitoring the vegetation dynamics in the short period after the storm, and 2) to create a windthrow map for the whole Friuli Venezia Giulia region. Results showed that windthrows in forests have a significant influence on visible and short-wave infrared (SWIR) spectral bands of Sentinel-2, both in the short and the long-term timeframes. NDWI8A and NDWI were the best indices for windthrow detection (R2 = 0.80 and 0.77, respectively) and NDVI, PSRI, SAVI and GNDVI had an overall good performance in spotting wind-damaged areas (R2 = 0.60–0.76). Moreover, these indices allowed to monitor post-Vaia forest die-off and showed a dynamic recovery process in cleaned sites. The NDWI8A index, employed in the vegetation index differencing (VID) change detection technique, delimited damaged areas comparable to the estimations provided by Regional Forest System (2545 ha and 3183 ha, respectively). Damaged forests detected by NDWI8A VID ranged from 500 m to 1500 m a.s.l., mainly covering steep slopes in the south and east aspects (42% and 25%, respectively). Our results suggested that the NDWI8A VID method may be a cost-effective and accurate way to produce windthrow maps, which could limit the risks associated with fieldwork and may provide a valuable tool to plan tree removal interventions in a more efficient way.

Species dispersal along rivers and streams may have variable importance to metapopulation structure

The ability to prioritize habitats that have spatially varied contributions to species persistence can produce synergistic benefits for regional conservation efforts. However, conservation in spatially diverse landscape-networks requires considering dispersal asymmetry in the context of ecological connectivity and metapopulation persistence. By developing an approach based on metapopulation theory, this study prioritized the importance of habitat (as determined by the habitat quality and spatial position in networks) on metapopulation structure in mountainous streams. As a case study, we examined dispersal via overland and instream networks in a riverine mayfly Rhithrogena sp. cf. japonica in a mountain range of Southwest China. Compared to flow velocity, water depth, and instream nutrient-levels, water temperature was a key factor in determining local habitat suitability for R. sp. cf. japonica. Higher water temperature was linked to poor habitat suitability. Instream pathways were the main dispersal corridors compared with overland movement between tributaries for this mayfly. In basins on the east aspect of this mountain range, either monotonically increasing (i.e., never decreasing) or unimodal (i.e., with a single peak) patterns demonstrated the importance of riverine habitats that occur along elevational gradients. However, the importance of habitat appeared to show no definite patterns with elevation on the west aspect. In terms of metapopulation structure, local quality of habitat contributed more to the regional importance of habitat than its spatial position in the networks. The framework presented highlights that the importance of riverine habitats may be quite variable in species having directional dispersal networks across the fluvial landscape in mountainous areas. Results from this framework can serve as the basis to apply a mechanistic understanding to managing and protecting native populations through regional restoration actions.

Topography Significantly influences the Growth Dynamics of Moso Bamboo Along a 10-year Chrono Sequence Following Afforestation

ABSTRACT Topography plays a critical role in the growth, development, and carbon accumulation of Moso bamboo. However, it is still unknown whether the effects of topography on the newly sprouted culms, the diameter at breast height (DBH) and the carbon stocks of newly sprouted culms (called carbon stocks below) vary temporally following Moso bamboo afforestation. In this study, thirty-one 20 × 20 m long-term sample plots were established and the DBH, age, height, and coordination of every newly sprouted culm were measured from 2009 to 2018. Four Moso bamboo expansion periods (rhizome expansion period, early period, middle period, and stable period) were divided according to the patterns of change of newly sprouted culms. Structural equation modeling and univariate analysis were combined to assess the dynamic effects of topographic factors (slope, aspect, slope position, and topographic complexity) and the effect of single topographic factors and their interactions on the carbon stocks during the four expansion periods. The result showed that the leading topographic factors influencing DBH, newly sprouted culms and carbon stocks were depended on the expansion period. Furthermore, the effective degree of leading topographic factor, aspect, decreased from the early period to a stable period. The four topographic factors studied here did not influence carbon stocks and newly sprouted culms during the stable period. The optimal interactions between carbon stocks and slope position and aspect (an east aspect of lower and upper slope positions) were relatively larger than those of a single aspect (east aspect), and significantly decreased in a stable period. Low topographic complexity was beneficial to the carbon accumulation under abrupt slopes but middle topographic complexity was needed under steeper slopes (steep and dangerous slope). Overall, this study offers a greater understanding of the effect of topography on Moso bamboo growth and provides a scientific basis for the selection of suitable afforestation locations for forest management.

Metacommunity Structures of Macroinvertebrates and Diatoms in High Mountain Streams, Yunnan, China

The metacommunity concept has received increasing interest in the past two decades. However, there has been limited research examining metacommunity structure of communities in high mountain streams. These ecosystems are often physically constrained and can display large environmental gradients within a relatively small spatial extent. Here, we examined metacommunity structures of stream organisms in a high mountain region, which is part of the Hengduan Mountains region in the Southwest China. Macroinvertebrates and diatoms were collected from six streams in two opposite aspects of the same mountain with different connectivity between streams. On the west aspect, streams are tributaries of a river (i.e. river-connected) while streams flow into a lake (i.e. lake-connected) on the east aspect. We used Elements of Metacommunity Structure analysis to explore the metacommunity structuring of these two biological models. We also compared the contribution of dispersal and environmental filtering in structuring metacommunities by looking at Euclidean, network, topographic, and environmental distances. Communities of diatoms and macroinvertebrates were structured with clear turnover on both aspects. Further, diatom communities exhibited Clementsian structure on both aspects. Macroinvertebrates exhibited different metacommunity structures on the river-connected aspect (Quasi-Clementsian) and lake-connected aspect (Clementsian). Our results indicated that on the lake-connected aspect, environmental filtering had a stronger association with community dissimilarity than on the river-connected aspect for both macroinvertebrate and diatom communities. Diatom communities were more influenced by environmental filtering on the east aspect with weakened network connectivity compared with those on the west aspect. Our results also emphasized the potential effects of biotic interactions between macroinvertebrates and diatoms on shaping community structures of one other. Given that high mountain streams are scarcely examined, our study provides substantial elements to further understand metacommunity structure and highlights the necessity of future research to reveal the underlying mechanisms of community structuring in these remote ecosystems.

Diurnal Pine Bark Structure Dynamics Affect Properties Relevant to Firebrand Generation

Firebrands are an important agent of wildfire spread and structure fire ignitions at the wildland urban interface. Bark flake morphology has been highlighted as an important yet poorly characterized factor in firebrand generation, transport, deposition, and ignition of unburned material. Using pine species where bark flakes are the documented source of embers, we conducted experiments to investigate how bark structure changes in response to diurnal drying. Over a three-day period in a longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) stand in Florida, we recorded changes in temperature, moisture content, and structure of bark across different facing aspects of mature pine trees to examine the effects of varying solar exposure on bark moisture. We further compared results to bark drying in a pitch pine (Pinus rigida Mill.) plantation in New Jersey. Under all conditions, bark peeled and lifted away from the tree trunk over the study periods. Tree bole aspect and the time of day interacted to significantly affect bark peeling. General temperature increases and moisture content decreases were significantly different between east and west aspects in pitch pine, and with time of day and aspect in longleaf pine. These results illustrate that bark moisture and flakiness is highly dynamic on short time scales, driven largely by solar exposure. These diurnal changes likely influence the probability of firebrand production during fire events via controls on moisture (ignition) and peeling (lofting).

Early Evidence of Shifts in Alpine Summit Vegetation: A Case Study From Kashmir Himalaya.

Under the contemporary climate change, the Himalaya is reported to be warming at a much higher rate than the global average. However, little is known about the alpine vegetation responses to recent climate change in the rapidly warming Himalaya. Here we studied vegetation dynamics on alpine summits in Kashmir Himalaya in relation to in situ measured microclimate. The summits, representing an elevation gradient from treeline to nival zone (3530–3740 m), were first surveyed in 2014 and then re-surveyed in 2018. The initial survey showed that the species richness, vegetation cover and soil temperature decreased with increasing elevation. Species richness and soil temperature differed significantly among slopes, with east and south slopes showing higher values than north and west slopes. The re-survey showed that species richness increased on the lower three summits but decreased on the highest summit (nival zone) and also revealed a substantial increase in the cover of dominant shrubs, graminoids, and forbs. The nestedness-resultant dissimilarity, rather than species turnover, contributed more to the magnitude of β-diversity among the summits. High temporal species turnover was found on south and east aspects, while high nestedness was recorded along north and west aspects. Thermophilization was more pronounced on the lower two summits and along the northern aspects. Our study provides crucial scientific data on climate change impacts on the alpine vegetation of Kashmir Himalaya. This information will fill global knowledge gaps from the developing world.

Population ecology and niche modelling of endangered Arnebia euchroma in Himachal Pradesh, India-An approach for conservation

For the restoration and rehabilitation of a species, comprehensive information on the ecological elements and potential habitats are essentially required to the conservationists. This has necessitated initiating studies on habitat and population ecology of the threatened species. Keeping this in view, population ecology and niche modelling of endangered Arnebia euchroma in Himachal Pradesh was studied. Total 49 populations of A. euchroma were studied between 3325-4587m amsl in the Lahaul and Spiti and Kinnaur districts of Himachal Pradesh. Most of the populations (25) were found in steep slope and fall in east, north, north-east, north-west, south, south-east, south-west and west aspects. Maximum populations (11) were represented in the east aspect, followed by north and west (9 each) and northeast and northwest (6 each) aspects. Among the populations, richness of shrubs ranged from 1–7 and herbs 4–36; total shrubs density 2–119 Ind 100 m−2; total herbs density 460–7055 Ind 100 m−2; Concentration of dominance for shrubs 0.26–1 and herbs 0.05–0.37 and Species diversity (H’) for shrubs 0.0–1.56 and herbs 1.26–3.29. Biological features, aspects, slope and pressure contributed to the critical population status of the A. euchroma. The particular geographical distribution (2022 km2) under semi-arid conditions of the species indicated its habitat specificity. The present investigation revealed that A. euchroma populations showed fragmented pattern of distribution in the cold desert ecosystem. Therefore, re-introduction of A. euchroma in highly suitable habitat i.e., north-western gentle dry slope with high pH (alkaline soils) and low total nitrogen, moisture, carbon and organic matter is suggested.

Elevation, aspect, and local environment jointly determine diatom and macroinvertebrate diversity in the Cangshan Mountain, Southwest China

Abstract Freshwater ecosystems in high-mountain regions are subject to emerging threats such as global warming and expanding human activities. Stream diatoms and macroinvertebrates form an essential component of freshwater ecosystems in high-mountain regions. Although these organisms are sensitive to environmental changes, knowledge regarding their elevational diversity patterns remains limited. Opposite aspects (e.g., north vs south; west vs east) usually receive different amounts of solar radiation and precipitation, leading to distinct in-stream characteristics such as discharge, flow regime, and water temperature. Despite the suggested strong influence of aspect on biodiversity patterns in mountains, its effect on stream diatoms and macroinvertebrates has been largely overlooked. The aims of our study were to 1) investigate whether macroinvertebrate and diatom taxon richness follows the same pattern along an elevational gradient; 2) test the effect of aspect on the elevational diversity (i.e., taxon richness and assemblage dissimilarity) patterns of macroinvertebrate and diatom assemblages; and 3) examine the relative importance of elevation, aspect, and the local environment (e.g., in-stream physicochemical variables) in shaping macroinvertebrate and diatom assemblages. We investigated macroinvertebrate and diatom assemblages in six nearly parallel streams (three streams on the east aspect and three on the west) in the Hengduan Mountains region. We found that the taxon richness of both macroinvertebrates and diatoms showed a monotonic increase with elevation (1623–2905 m a.s.l.) when aspect was not accounted for. When aspect was taken into consideration, macroinvertebrate taxon richness still showed a monotonically increasing elevational pattern on both the east and west aspects, but with significantly different model slopes, while a monotonical pattern for diatoms only remained on the west aspect. In addition, taxon richness of macroinvertebrates may also follow a potential unimodal pattern. The distance-decay relationships followed the same patterns as taxon richness, suggesting that the influence of aspect on diatom and macroinvertebrate assemblages was not negligible. Our results suggested that the diversity of both diatoms and macroinvertebrates was jointly determined by elevation, aspect and local environment. Compared to macroinvertebrates, the diatom assemblages were more strongly influenced by the local environment. To gain a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms driving elevational patterns of stream biodiversity in high-mountain regions, comparative studies that involve multiple organisms, streams, and mountains across a large elevational range are needed.

EFFECT OF ASPECTS AND ELEVATIONS IN THE QUALITATIVE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE VEGETATION COVER GROWING IN THE ASPECTS ON ASHAWA RESORT AT NORTHERN IRAQ

This study was conducted during spring of 2010 at Ashawa resort of Duhok governorate to identify the value of the vegetation cover according to the qualitative characters(ash, organic matter, ether extract, crude protein, crude fibers, soluble carbohydrate, calcium, potassium and phosphorus) percentages of understory vegetation and canopy cover common between aspects surrounding Ashawa resort with two elevations, The study found that there are significant differences between species, aspects and elevations for Grasses and herbs. Lathyrus sativa was significantly superior compared with other species,the east aspect was significantly superior in (potassium, crud protein and ash) percentage, the north aspect was significantly superior in (phosphorus , calcium and carbohydrate) percentage,the first level was significantly superior in (phosphorus, potassium, crud protein and ether extract) percentage, compared with the second level. As for trees and shrubs Cotoneaster racemiflorous shrubswere significantly superiorover other species for ash, carbohydrate, potassium and phosphorus percentage while it did not recorded any significancy with Quercus aegilops for ether extract. Percentage, but Q. infectoria was significantly superiorover cotoneaster racemiflorous shrubsin crude protein percentage, There were no significantly differences between both elevations levels in ether extract., crude protein, potassium and calcium percentage, while there were significantly differences between those elevations in ash, organic matter, crude fibers, soluble carbohydrate and phosphorus percentages.