Eastern Mountains Research Articles

A New Timber Species of Amanoa (Phyllanthaceae; Phyllanthoideae) Endemic to Colombia’s Montane Forests and Critically Endangered, with an Updated Key for the Species of the Genus

Amanoa tolimensis, a critically endangered new timber tree species from Andean forests of Colombia is described, illustrated, and its distinctive morphological structures are displayed through a Lankester plate. A. tolimensis is recorded so far in montane forests over sandy-clay soils of “Bosque de Galilea” Regional Natural Park, an area located on the western flank of the eastern mountain range of Tolima department. This new species belongs to a small group within the genus characterized by the presence of an androphore, and presents morphological similarities with A. almenrindae. The latter, is a shrub to small tree from black water periodically flooded forests and savannas of Rio Negro basin of Brazil, Colombia and Venezuela. This new species is a tree 24 m tall, with branches and inflorescence lenticellate, with a ferruginuous tomentum, presenting differences in shape and size in leaves, petioles, pedicels, sepals, ovary, and the pistillate flowers are pedicellate. Additionally, habitat, phytogeographical information, a distribution map, and data about its conservation status are included. An updated identification key for the neotropical species of Amanoa is also provided. This new species represents the first report of this genus in Colombian Andes, and the first endemism of this genus for the country. Amanoa tolimensis is under pressure from logging in some areas of the park, and urgent protection of the species is needed.

Aroma Identification and Traceability of the Core Sub-Producing Area in the Helan Mountain Eastern Foothills Using Two-Dimensional Gas Chromatography and Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry and Chemometrics.

The combination of volatile compounds endows wines with unique aromatic characteristics and is closely related to their geographical origins. In the pursuit of origin identification and the subdivision of homogeneous production areas, clarifying the characteristics of production areas is of great significance for improving wine quality and commercial value. In this study, GC×GC-TOFMS technology was used to analyze the aroma characteristics of "Cabernet Sauvignon" wines from 26 wineries in the Helan (HL), Yinchuan (YC), Yongning (YN), Qingtongxia (QTX), and Hongsibu (HSP) sub-producing areas in the eastern foothills of Helan Mountain in Ningxia, China. The results indicate a gradual increase in relative humidity from the southern part of Ningxia, with the YN sub-region showing optimal fruit development and the QTX region having the highest maturity. A total of 184 volatile compounds were identified, with 36 compounds with an OAV > 1, crucial for the aroma profiles of primarily fermentation-derived alcohols and esters. An aromatic vector analysis revealed that "floral" and "fruity" notes are the primary characteristics of Cabernet Sauvignon wines from the Helan Mountain East region, with lower maturity aiding in the retention of these aromas. By constructing a reliable OPLS-DA model, it was determined that 15 substances (VIP > 1) played a crucial role in identifying production areas, among which phenylethyl alcohol and isoamyl alcohol were the main contributors. In addition, a Pearson correlation analysis showed a negative correlation between sunlight duration during the growing season and benzyl alcohol accumulation, while a significant positive correlation was observed during the ripening period. Due to the critical role of phenyl ethanol in identifying producing areas, this further demonstrates that sunshine conditions may be a key factor contributing to the differences in wine flavor across regions. This study offers a theoretical foundation for understanding the relationship between climatic factors and flavor characteristics, addressing the issue of wine homogenization in small production areas, clarifying typical style characteristics, and establishing a traceability technology system based on characteristic aroma.

Can Satellite or Reanalysis Precipitation Products Depict the Location and Intensity of Rainfall at Flash Flood Scale Over the Eastern Mountainous Area of the Tibetan Plateau?

AbstractThis study conducted evaluation and analysis on various precipitation products over the eastern Tibetan Plateau (ETP), including four sets of satellite precipitation data (i.e., IMERG_Uncal, IMERG_Cal, GSMaP_MVK, GSMaP_Gauge) and one set of model reanalysis data (i.e., ERA5‐land, hereafter ERA5‐L). We evaluated the spatial‐temporal distribution of their quality at an hourly temporal scale and 0.1° spatial scale, with a special focus on capturing different types of precipitation. The results show that: (a) GSMaP_Gauge exhibits the highest correlation with ground‐based gauges, while IMERG_Uncal and IMERG_Cal perform best in the estimation of the amount of precipitation. Satellite products generally perform better during summer while ERA5‐L sometimes outperforms satellite products in spring and autumn. (b) The evaluation results for different precipitation types reveal that all the QPE products face significant challenges in accurately describing convective precipitation. They tend to underestimate convective precipitation and fail to properly capture the intensity and location of heavy precipitation. (c) In heavy convective precipitation cases, the evaluated QPE products show various issues in accurately capturing the intensity and spatiotemporal variation of precipitation. Almost all QPE products underestimate maximum precipitation (both hourly precipitation and accumulated precipitation) and small‐scale (about 50 km or less) spatial variability of precipitation. IMERG_Uncal, IMERG_Cal, and GSMaP_MVK perform better than other products in heavy convective precipitation cases. This study provides new insights into the quality of QPE products in different types of precipitation. The analysis of the quality of these QPE products serves as a valuable indicator of their potential applications, particularly in flash flood simulations, while also underscoring the critical need for improving precipitation product quality.

Social and economic importance of new bamboo species established in three municipalities of the North Eastern Mountain range of Puebla, Mexico

The study was conducted in three municipalities of Puebia, Mexico. The objectives were to identify the species of bamboo in the North Eastern region of Puebla, know the climatic conditions and agronomic systems where it grows, characterize the socioeconomic situation of the producers, and identify the contribution to the family economy. A review of the history of cultivation in Mexico was carried out at the National Herbarium of Mexico (MEXU). For the collection of information, it was considered that the bamboo system was within the local agricultural system and selection of municipalities was based on the productive relationship of the crop and the introduction of species in the area. Sixty-four surveys were done of bamboo producers through the questionnaire with social, economic, and productive variables related to the bamboo production system. In the Puebla’s North Eastern Mountain range there are two new species of bamboo, Bambusa oldhamii and Guadua angustifolia, both with different characteristics of uses and established in two production systems, the commercial and family system. At present they have a low commercialization of some bamboo derivatives and little use as food. The region is considered one of extreme proverty. The two species have a high potential for environmental adaptation agronomically they are developed as a single crop in backyards and used in various commercial activities. The lack of use of the crop in the region and its rapid natural expansion due to the environmental conditions for its growth, induces the tendency to consider it as an undesirable plant

Laetiporus (Laetiporaceae, Basidiomycota) in tropical Africa is represented by a single Afromontane lineage and four species, including Laetiporus discolor, Laetiporus oboensis, sp. nov., Laetiporus tenuiculus, sp. nov., and Laetiporus sp. 1

ABSTRACT The tropical African Laetiporus species are revised, based on morphological, ecological, distribution, and phylogenetic data. Laetiporus discolor, originally described from insular Mauritius, is accepted for the species spanning over the African eastern mountain ranges. Laetiporus oboensis and Laetiporus tenuiculus are described as new from the African equatorial insular São Tomé, based on phylogenetic, morphological, and distribution data. Laetiporus oboensis is characterized by compound basidiomes, with densely imbricated pilei in pale orange tint, a lobed margin, 3–4 pores/mm, and basidiospores averaging 4.8 × 3.7 μm. Laetiporus tenuiculus has mostly solitary, small, thin basidiomes, with pale flesh to pale orange pileus, an incised margin, 4–5 pores/mm, and basidiospores averaging 5.4 × 4.2 µm. A fourth species, known from two isolates from Ethiopian highlands, but for which voucher specimens were not available for description, is uncertain. These four species form an African endemic lineage, whose distribution is Afromountainous.

Long‐term trends in mountain groundwater levels across Canada and the United States

AbstractMountains have a critical role in freshwater supply for downstream populations. As the climate changes, groundwater stored in mountains may help buffer the impacts to declining water resources caused by decreased snowpack and glacier recession. However, given the scarcity of groundwater observation wells in mountain regions, it remains unclear how mountain groundwater is being impacted by climate change across ecoregions. This study quantifies temporal trends in mountain groundwater levels and explores how various climatic, physiographic and anthropogenic factors affect these trends. We compiled data from 171 public groundwater observation wells within mountain regions across Canada and the United States, for which at least 20 years of monthly data is available. The Mann‐Kendall test for monotonic trend revealed that 54% of these wells have statistically significant temporal trends (p < 0.05) over the period of record, of which 69% were negative and therefore indicating overall declining groundwater storage. Wells in the western mountain ranges showed stronger trends (both positive and negative) than the eastern mountain ranges, and higher elevation wells showed fewer negative trends than the low elevation (<400 m asl) wells (p < 0.05). Correlation, Kruskal‐Wallis tests, stepwise multiple linear regression and random forest regression were used to identify factors controlling groundwater trends. Statistical analysis revealed that lower‐elevation mountain regions with higher average annual temperatures and lower average annual precipitation have the greatest declines in groundwater storage under climate change. Trends in temperature and precipitation, and ecoregion were also important predictors on groundwater level trends, highlighting geographic differences in how mountain wells are responding to climate change. Furthermore, sedimentary bedrock aquifers showed markedly more negative trends than crystalline bedrock aquifers. The findings demonstrate that the impact of climate change on mountain water resources extends to the subsurface, with important implications for global water resources.

Seismic response investigation of prestressed anchor cable supporting rock slope with weak interlayer in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, China

Earthquake-induced rock landslides in the eastern mountains of the Tibetan Plateau, especially landslides with weak interlayers pose a significant threat to major construction projects. Prestressed anchor cable is one of the main reinforcement methods of rock slopes. This paper combines shaking table model tests and numerical simulation to study the reinforcement effect and dynamic response characteristics of prestressed anchor cables applied to rock slopes with weak interlayers under strong earthquakes. The research results show that prestressed anchor cables can effectively reinforce slopes with weak interlayers. A small cable inclination, a small spacing and a high prestress are recommended in the seismic reinforcement design of prestressed anchor cable. In addition, the characteristics of slope progressive damage and prestress loss under the earthquake are found by the shaking table test. The results have been applied in hazard prevention and control of rock slopes on the Chengdu-Lanzhou Railway at the eastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

Mapping Characteristics in Vaccinium uliginosum Populations Predicted Using Filtered Machine Learning Modeling

Bog bilberry (Vaccinium uliginosum L.) is considered a highly valued non-wood forest product (NWFP) species with edible and medicinal uses in East Asia. It grows in the northeastern forests of China, where stand attributes and structure jointly determine its population characteristics and individuals’ growth. Mapping the regional distributions of its population characteristics can be beneficial in the management of its natural resources, and this mapping should be predicted using machine learning modeling to obtain accurate results. In this study, a total of 60 stands were randomly chosen and screened to investigate natural bog bilberry populations in the eastern mountains of Heilongjiang and Jilin provinces in northeastern China. Individual height, canopy cover area, and fresh weight all increased in stands at higher latitudes, and shoot height was also higher in the eastern stands. The rootstock grove density showed a polynomial quadratic distribution pattern along increasing topographical gradients, resulting in a minimum density of 0.43–0.52 groves m−2 in stands in the southern part (44.3016° N, 129.4558° E) of Heilongjiang. Multivariate linear regression indicated that the bog bilberry density was depressed by host forest tree species diversity; this was assessed using both the Simpson and Shannon–Wiener indices, which also showed polynomial quadratic distribution patterns (with a modeling minimum of 0.27 and a maximum of 1.21, respectively) in response to the increase in latitude. Structural equation models identified positive contributions of tree diameter at breast height and latitude to shoot height and a negative contribution of longitude to the bog bilberry canopy area. Random forest modeling indicated that dense populations with heavy individuals were distributed in eastern Heilongjiang, and large-canopy individuals were distributed in Mudanjiang and Tonghua. In conclusion, bog bilberry populations showed better attributes in northeastern stands where host forest trees had low species diversity, but the dominant species had strong trunks.

Machine learning detection of fog top over eastern Taiwan mountains from Himawari-8 satellite true-color images

During the cold season, fog frequently blankets the eastern Taiwan mountains areas, a region known for the montane cloud forest (MCF). The mountain fogs play crucial roles in supporting local biodiversity. However, it remains challenging to identify the appropriate temporal and spatial variation of the mountain fogs due to limited ground observations in the complex terrain. To address this issue, this study combines machine learning and satellite remote sensing to provide continuous, terrain-unlimited temporal and spatial detection of fog occurrence over complex topography. From the nadir view of the satellite, the mountain fog top can form a clear edge closely following the topographical features to represent the maximum height of the fog-occurring area. This provides the opportunity to detect the top edges of mountain fog from satellite true-color images by applying the U-net machine learning technique. The training data consists of the three visible bands observed at 8 a.m. local time (LT) from the Himawari-8 satellite between the years 2019–2021, with the fog edges in the cases of fog occurrence serving as the training labels. The model performance is evaluated using true-color images at the same and different LTs. The result shows that the model can capture the climatology of the fog edge hotspots at specific elevations, with an accuracy of nearly 89% for predicting cases of fog occurrence at the same LT and over 70% for different LTs. These fog edge hotspots are highly consistent with the known locations of the MCF from past field surveys. The current results provide valuable guidance on identifying potential fog-prone ecosystems. Notably, the current model uses relatively simple input data, indicating the flexibility of the data source from other satellite observations and the potential application to other regions with topographical-related fog and low cloud.

Precipitation Variations in the Central Qilian Mountains since the 7th Century and Regional Differences: Evidence from Tree-Ring Data

The Qilian Mountains, located in northwest China and serving as a crucial water recharge area, have exhibited significant regional differences in precipitation patterns in recent decades. However, the limited temporal coverage of instrumental data has hindered a deep understanding of hydroclimate variations and regional differences. Further investigation into their long-term spatial and temporal precipitation characteristics is urgently needed. In this study, a new tree-ring-width chronology spanning 1743 years was established in the central Qilian Mountains using Qilian juniper (Juniperus przewalskii Kom.) samples. Significant correlations were found between the tree-ring indices and precipitation during both the growing and pre-growing seasons. Based on these correlations, annual precipitation from August of the previous year to July of the current year was reconstructed. The reconstruction model successfully explains 34.5% of the variation in precipitation during the calibration period. The analysis of the reconstructed series reveals notable interannual to multi-decadal dry–wet variability during the period from 614 AD to 2016 AD. The mid- to late-15th century emerges as the longest-lasting dry period, while the last decade stands out as the wettest. Comparative analysis with other precipitation reconstructions in the eastern and western Qilian Mountains reveals that regional drought events tend to be more pronounced and enduring. Low-frequency fluctuations on decadal to century scales show distinct wet and dry periods in the 12th–18th centuries in both the eastern and western parts of the Qilian Mountains, with weaker fluctuations in subsequent centuries. However, the central part of the Qilian Mountains exhibits opposite trends, possibly due to the complex interactions of multiple circulation systems.

Hegemoni Kekuasaan Pada Novel “Si Putih” Karya Tere Liye (Teori Gramsci)

This study aims to examine the form of hegemony of power contained in the novel "Si Putih" by Tere Liye. This research uses Gramsci's Hegemony theory. The research method used is descriptive qualitative with a literary research approach with literature study data collection techniques, reading techniques and note-taking techniques. The data source of this research comes from the novel "Si Putih" by Tere Liye published in 2021 by Gramedia Pustaka Utama in the form of phrases, sentences or paragraphs contained in the novel. The results of this study describe the form of hegemony of power in the story towards the end of the novel "Si Putih" in one of the characters, namely the King of Mount Timur. The form of hegemony of power he exercised was to subjugate the Animal Controller to submit under his rule. In addition, the Eastern Mountain King's form of hegemony is shown by utilizing the power he has, by releasing the virus to modern cities so that his goal of revenge is achieved.

Application of machine learning in the assessment of landslide susceptibility: A case study of mountainous eastern Mediterranean region, Syria

Landslide is a considerable geomorphological risk in terrain systems worldwide. Advanced techniques present a unique tool for predicting landslide susceptibility with unbiased and precise outputs. However, the application of this tool to analyze landslide susceptibility in the eastern Mediterranean landscape is still not sufficiently understood. This study aimed to assess the implementation of three machine learning (ML) algorithms, i.e., support vector machine (SVM), random forest (RF) and extreme gradient boost (XGBoost), in landslide susceptibility mapping in the mountainous area of western Syria. In this regard, 200 landslide events were inventoried from historical data, aerial images and conducted fieldworks. Sixteen triggering factors were selected according to the literature and geographical features (Monsoon period). The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) outcomes revealed that the RF achieved better performance with an area under curve (AUC) of 0.96, pursued by XGBoost and SVM with AUC of 0.94 and 0.90, respectively. This assessment presents an essential understanding of the effective implementation of ML in landslide assessment in the mountainous region of the eastern Mediterranean. We emphasized, hence, that the RF algorithm has the most robust performance of landslide susceptibility prediction in the western Syria. Moreover, the outputs of this study will provide local decision-makers with insights to produce regional management strategies for the landslide, especially after the Syrian war phase.

Relationship between leaf vein traits of three dominant Quercus species and ecological factors in the Qinling Mountains, China.

We investigated the inter- and intra-species differences of leaf vein traits of three dominant Quercus species, Q. wutaishanica, Q. aliena var. acutiserrata, and Q. variabilis of Niubeiling (subtropical humid climate) and Taohuagou (warm temperate semi-humid climate), located in the eastern and western Qinling Mountains. The nine examined leaf vein traits included primary leaf vein width, secondary leaf vein width, mean fine vein width, primary vein density, fine vein density, vein areole diameter, areole density, 3D fine vein surface area, and fine vein volume. We further elucidated the influencing mechanisms and regulatory pathways of biotic and abiotic factors on leaf vein traits. The results showed that species identity had significant effects on eight out of nine leaf vein traits except 3D fine vein surface area, while habitat had significant effects on primary leaf vein width, secondary leaf vein width, vein areole diameter, fine vein density, and areole density. Altitude had significant effects on primary vein density, mean fine vein width, vein areole diameter, fine vein density and areole density. Habitat, tree species identity, and altitude had significantly interactive effects on primary leaf vein density, 3D fine vein surface area, and fine vein volume. There were significant differences in primary leaf vein width, mean fine vein width, areole density, 3D fine vein surface area, fine vein volume, primary vein density of Q. wutaishanica between the two studied habitats, but the differences were only found in secondary leaf vein width and areole density of Q. aliena var. acutiserrata and Q. variabilis. The examined leaf vein traits were influenced both by biotic and abiotic factors, with varying effect sizes. Among the biotic factors, petiole length, leaf length and width ratio had strong effect on leaf vein traits. Among the abiotic factors, climatic and soil factors had high effect size on vein traits, with the former being higher than the latter. Leaf vein traits were affected directly by biotic factors, but indirectly by abiotic factors (soil and climatic factors) via regulating biotic factors (leaf stoichiometry and leaf phenotypic traits).

Climate change impacts on regional fire weather in heterogeneous landscapes of central Europe

Abstract. Wildfires have reached an unprecedented scale in the Northern Hemisphere. The summers of 2022 and 2023 demonstrated the destructive power of wildfires, especially in North America and southern Europe. Global warming leads to changes in fire danger. Specifically, fire seasons are assumed to become more extreme and will extend to more temperate regions in northern latitudes in the future. However, the extent to which the seasonality and severity of fire danger in regions of central Europe will change in the future remains to be investigated. Multiple studies claim that natural variability and model uncertainty hide the trend of increasing fire danger in multi-model climate simulations for future potentially fire-prone areas. Such a trend might be isolated with single-model initial-condition large ensembles (SMILEs), which help scientists to distinguish the forced response from natural variability. So far, the SMILE framework has only been applied for fire danger estimation on a global scale. To date, only a few dynamically downscaled regional SMILEs exist, although they enhance the spatial representation of climatic patterns on a regional or local scale. In this study, we use a regional SMILE of the Canadian Regional Climate Model version 5 Large Ensemble (CRCM5-LE) over a region in central Europe under the RCP8.5 (Representative Concentration Pathway) scenario from 1980 to 2099 to analyze changes in fire danger in an area that is currently not fire prone. We use the Canadian Forest Fire Weather Index (FWI) as a fire danger indicator. The study area covers four heterogeneous landscapes, namely the Alps, the Alpine Foreland, the lowlands of the South German Escarpment, and the Eastern Mountain Ranges of the Bavarian Forest. We demonstrate that the CRCM5-LE is a dataset suitable for disentangling climate trends from natural variability in a multi-variate fire danger metric. Our results show the strongest increases in the median (50th) and extreme (90th) quantiles of the FWI in the northern parts (South German Escarpment and Eastern Mountain Ranges) of the study area in the summer months of July and August. There, high fire danger becomes the median condition by the end of the century, and levels of high fire danger occur earlier in the fire season. The southern parts (Alps and Alpine Foreland) are less strongly affected by changes in fire danger than the northern parts. However, these regions reach their time of emergence (TOE) in the early 2040s because of very low current fire danger. In the northern parts, the climate change trend exceeds natural variability only in the late 2040s. We find that today's 100-year FWI event will occur every 30 years by 2050 and every 10 years by the end of the century. Our results highlight the potential for severe future fire events in central Europe, which is currently not very fire prone, and demonstrate the need for fire management even in regions with a temperate climate.

Mountain masses as a determinant to genetic structure of char distributed in the Chugoku region, Japan

A mountain mass from which multiple river basins originate is a possible determinant of genetic structure of freshwater fishes. In this study, subspecies composition and genetic structure were examined for Japanese white-spotted char comprising of two subspecies, Salvelinus leucomaenis imbrius (Jordan and McGregor), “Gogi,” and S. l. pluvius (Hilgendorf), “Nikkoiwana,” collected in the 19 river basins originating from 6 mountain masses in the Chugoku Region, Japan, based on mitochondrial DNA sequences. In the western mountain masses, only Gogi was collected, while in the eastern mountain mass, only Nikkoiwana was collected. A total of 27 haplotypes were detected, among which only seven were shared by two subspecies and three were detected only in Nikkoiwana whereas 17 were detected only in Gogi. As many as 11 haplotypes were distributed only in the Oyorogi Mountain mass in the middle region. In the network, one group was exclusively constructed by the samples from the Oyorogi Mountain mass. Furthermore, in a tree of river basins based on average genetic distance of char, the Gono River basin originating from the Asa Mountain mass, situated in the western region, participated in a clade constructed by the rivers originating from the westernmost Sukegatake and the adjacent Asa Mountain masses, whereas the Gono River basin originating from the Oyorogi Mountain mass participated in a different clade constructed by the rivers originating from the Oyorogi to the easternmost Hyonosen Mountain masses. These results suggest that a mountain mass is a determinative factor to subspecies composition and genetic structure of char, with an implication of invasion of fish taking advantage of some geological events or conditions.

Modification of the Rothermel model parameters – the rate of surface fire spread of Pinus koraiensis needles under no-wind and various slope conditions

Background The prediction accuracy for the rate of surface fire spread varies in different regions; thus, increasing the prediction accuracy for local fuel types to reduce the destructive consequences of fire is critically needed. Aims The objective of this study is to improve the Rothermel model’s accuracy in predicting the ROS for surface fuel burning in planted forests of Pinus koraiensis in the eastern mountains of north-east China. Methods Fuel beds with various fuel loads and moisture content was constructed on a laboratory burning bed, 276 combustion experiments were performed under multiple slope conditions, and the ROS data from the combustion experiments were used to modify the related parameters in the Rothermel model. Results The surface fire spread rate in Pinus koraiensis plantations was directly predicted using the Rothermel model but had significant errors. The Rothermel model after modification predicted the following: MRE = 25.09%, MAE = 0.46 m min−1, and R2 = 0.80. Conclusion The prediction accuracy of the Rothermel model was greatly enhanced through parameter tuning based on in-lab combustion experiments Implications This study provides a method for the local application of the Rothermel model in China and helps with forest fire fighting and management in China.

Asynchronous variations of mercury accumulation since the last deglaciation in the eastern and western Nanling mountains in South China

There are differences in the response of long-term mercury (Hg) deposition to climate change, so it is necessary to clarify the influencing factors of Hg deposition in different locations. The Dahu and Daping Swamps are located in the eastern and western parts of the Nanling Mountains in South China, respectively. They are asynchronous variations of Hg deposition reflected by the two swamps since the last deglaciation. Based on the comprehensive comparative analysis of physical, chemical, and biological proxies, it is indicated that Hg deposition changes in the Dahu and Daping mainly record the changes in Hg content in the catchment input from organic matter. The differences in organic matter sources, core surrounding environment, Hg sources and atmospheric sedimentation contribution are reasons associated with the catchment environment for the observed differences in swamp Hg deposition and the response to climate. In cold/dry periods, Hg adsorption by terrestrial organic matter in Dahu Swamp were more significant, while in warm/humid periods, Hg adsorption by endogenous organic matter in Daping Swamp and wet deposition of nearby Hg sources, were the main climate-related processes for their asynchronous response. In addition, Dahu and Daping Swamps show similarities and differences in their Hg deposition variations. In both swamps, multi-millennial (∼1000−2200yr) and multi-centennial cycles (∼300–500yr) were observed and may be related to the harmonic period of the Earth's precession cycle and the solar activity cycle. This study helps to understand the differences in response between sedimentary Hg and climate, and to understand the regional and global proxies used to record climate and environmental changes.

Screening and Molecular Characterization of Antibacterial Secondary Metabolite Producing Actinomycetes from Soils of Eastern Mountain Regions of Nepal

Antibacterial secondary metabolite is a bioactive compound like antibiotic that can be considered a substance, produced by one microorganism, which in low concentration inhibits the growth of other microorganisms. Actinomycetes, slow-growing gram-positive bacteria, are the major sources of bioactive compounds. This study aimed to screen and identify antibacterial secondary metabolite-producing actinomycetes by sequencing the 16S rRNA method (molecular identification) from the soils of the mountain region of eastern Nepal. Starch casein agar (SCA) medium was used for the isolation of actinomycetes which were confirmed by primary screening and secondary screening. Identification of presumptive genera was done based on macroscopic, microscopic, and biochemical characteristics and confirmed by sequencing their 16S rRNA genes. The antibacterial compound was produced by culturing the potential isolate in starch casein broth. Using organic solvents such as ethyl acetate, n-butanol, chloroform, dichloromethane, and methanol, the chemical was recovered from the fermented broth. TLC performed the antibacterial substance characterization. Only 9 (13.6%) of the 66 actinomycetes isolates showed antibacterial activity against test microorganisms. Only one of the nine isolates, M3, had antibacterial activity in primary screening against gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) and gram-negative (Escherichia coli, Salmonella Typhi, Shigella spp., and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) test bacteria. M3 was chosen for secondary screening due to its strong antibacterial activity. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of crude antibacterial substances was found to be 2.5 mg/mL against test organisms. According to the TLC chromatogram, the isolate produced only one compound with an Rf value of 0.81, completely distinct from the spot formed by gentamicin (standard), which had an Rf value of 0.89. The isolates were considered Streptomyces spp., a distinct taxonomic group based on characterization by macroscopic, microscopic, biochemical, physiological, and molecular techniques. This study concluded that Mountain regions are the reservoir of antibiotic- producing actinomycetes. Streptomyces is the most common genus.

Informing climate adaptation strategies using ecological simulation models and spatial decision support tools

IntroductionForest landscapes offer resources and ecosystem services that are vital to the social, economic, and cultural well-being of human communities, but managing for these provisions can require socially and ecologically relevant trade-offs. We designed a spatial decision support model to reveal trade-offs and synergies between ecosystem services in a large eastern Cascade Mountain landscape in Washington State, USA.MethodsWe used process-based forest landscape (LANDIS-II) and hydrology (DHSVM) models to compare outcomes associated with 100 years of simulated forest and wildfire dynamics for two management scenarios, Wildfire only and Wildfire + Treatments. We then examined the strength and spatial distribution of potential treatment effects and trends in a set of resources and ecosystem services over the simulation period.ResultsWe found that wildfire area burned increased over time, but some impacts could be mitigated by adaptation treatments. Treatment benefits were not limited to treated areas. Interestingly, we observed neighborhood benefits where fire spread and severity were reduced not only in treated patches but in adjacent patches and landscapes as well, creating potential synergies among some resource benefits and services. Ordinations provided further evidence for two main kinds of outcomes. Positive ecological effects of treatments were greatest in upper elevation moist and cold forests, while positive benefits to human communities were aligned with drier, low- and mid-elevation forests closer to the wildland urban interface.DiscussionOur results contribute to improved understanding of synergies and tradeoffs linked to adaptation and restoration efforts in fire-prone forests and can be used to inform management aimed at rebuilding resilient, climate-adapted landscapes.

The first record of the order Plecoptera (Insecta) from Iraq.

Faunistic studies of stoneflies (Plecoptera) in Iraq are almost nonexistent. This article records the order Plecoptera in Iraq for the first time, based on adult specimens of three species: Leuctra fusca (Linnaeus, 1758), Protonemura bacurianica Zhiltzova, 1957 and Pontoperla cf. teberdinica (Balinsky, 1950), belonging to three different families: Leuctridae, Nemouridae, and Chloroperlidae, respectively. The specimens were collected from the eastern and northeastern mountain streams of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region in November 2020 and May 2022.