Geographical Traits Research Articles

Review of the physical and chemical properties of seagrass soils

Seagrasses are a polyphyletic group of angiosperms that colonized marine environments more than 30 million years ago and currently inhabit coastal soft and rocky substrates in all continents except Antarctica. Due to their evolution from terrestrial plants, seagrasses have belowground organs that interact with the substrate, transforming it through chemo-physical processes analogous to terrestrial soil formation. Although seagrass substrates provide valuable ecosystem services including carbon and coastal stabilization, they have been largely regarded as sediments by marine scientists and neglected in soil science research. However, over the last decades, the increasing interest in carbon accumulation by seagrasses has generated multiple data on seagrass soil physical and chemical characteristics. Here, we review clay and silt content (<0.063 mm particle size), redox potential, pH, carbonate content, organic carbon or organic matter contents, dry bulk density, porosity and color of seagrass soils worldwide, summarizing data typically used for soil description, and looking for generalities in soil characteristics across seagrass habitats. The data gathered was biased towards temperate species and high-income countries, while data about color, porosity, redox potential and pH was scarce. Soil characteristics did not show significant differences among seagrass bioregions. Most seagrass substrates showed sandy textures, whereas one of the most sampled genera, Posidonia, was not present in muddy substrates. The soil Corg content was significantly higher in meadows formed by persistent species (mean ± SD; 1.76 ± 2.17 %) than in meadows formed by species with opportunistic and colonizing life-strategies (1.52 ± 2.24 and 0.76 ± 0.95 %, respectively), while mud content was significantly higher in meadows formed by opportunistic and colonizing species (27.87 ± 29.58 and 21.23 ± 21.77 %, respectively) than in those formed by persistent species (11.83 ± 14.45 %). Redox potential was significantly lower in intertidal than in subtidal meadows, although caution is needed when interpreting these differences due to methodological limitations. This review provides an overview of current knowledge on seagrass soil characteristics, while identifying knowledge gaps in seagrass soil science, including geographical, species diversity and soil physico-chemical traits that limit our capacity to characterize and classify seagrass soils worldwide.

Determinants of excess mortality during the COVID-19 pandemic in 18 countries of the CMOR consortium

Abstract Many countries suffered excess all-cause mortality during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to identify factors associated with excess mortality rates (EMR) in partaking countries during 2020. Weekly all-cause death counts for 2015-2020 were extracted from national databases for Australia, Austria, Brazil, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, France, Georgia, Israel, Italy, Mauritius, Norway, Peru, Slovenia, Sweden, USA, Ukraine and UK. EMR per 100,000 population were gauged using a 5-year mean baseline. Separate OLS multiple linear regressions explored pre-pandemic country profiles including healthcare system, geographic, socio-economic and population factors. Feature selection methods detected the main factors contributing to 2020 EMR. The health system model showed that an extra nurse per 1,000 and a 1% increase in Healthcare Access and Quality Index reduces EMR by 41.7% (p = 0.019) and 0.48% (p = 0.034). The model was statistically significant (R^2=0.415,p=0.018). Although the geographical model suggested that a 1% increase in neighbouring countries increased EMR by 0.42% (p = 0.078), population density and the model itself were statistically insignificant (p &amp;gt; 0.05). The socio-economic and population model indicated a 1% increase in service employed (% of employed) and investment (% GDP) was linked with a 43.4% (p = 0.01) and 43.7% (p = 0.01) fall in EMR. The model was significant (R^2=0.488, p = 0.007). Death registration quality and population share over 70 years, improved model performance (R^2=0.632), but neither approached nominal significance. EMR during the COVID-19 pandemic benefited from higher ratios of nurses to population and able and prompt healthcare. The geographic traits were trivial in explaining EMR variation. Higher ratios of service employed, and investment (% of GDP) were linked to lower EMR. These results help to inform policies now and in future pandemics to strengthen resilience against EMR. Key messages • This study identified which pre-pandemic factors affected EMR in partaking countries, adding to a growing body of work on the COVID-19 pandemic. • Higher ratios of nurses to population, able and prompt healthcare, higher % employed, and investment (% of GDP) were linked to lower EMR.

개경과 한경의 행정체제와 영역 편제의 특징

Goryeo had a multi-centered perception of the world, with Buddhism at its primary core. Its Capital city, Gae’gyeong(開京), can be described as a Buddhist city. Joseon was a dynasty that aspired to become a Confucian state, so Han’gyeong(漢京) can be regarded as a Confucian city. Then again, both cities featured basically similar geographic traits, and positions of major structures and buildings were not that different from each other. This is because Joseon’s Han’gyeong was originally the Nam’gyeong(南京, Southern capital) city of the Goryeo dynasty.BR So, in both these cities the Goryeo order still remained. We can see that from Goryeo’s Gae’gyeong capital and its ‘Gaeseong-bu’ authorities, and Joseon’s Han’gyeong capital and its ‘Hanseong-bu’ authorities, as well as the “Five-Bu” system including the Bang and Ri counties that existed in both Goryeo and Joseon periods. Below are some characteristics.BR First, while Goryeo had sometimes two Capital cities(Yang’gyeong-je, 兩京制), and sometimes even three, in most cases Gae’gyeong and Seo’gyeong were the two primary pillars of such system. The Joseon government also -in its early days- operated both the new capital Han’gyeong and the old capital Gaeseong as official Capitals at the same time, as a convention inherited from the Goryeo period.BR Second, the Gae’gyeong Capital of Goryeo, and the Gyeong’gi region in the Goryeo period, were under stronger supervision of the Central government, than the Han’gyeong capital and the Joseon Gyeong’gi region ever were. This was due to Goryeo’s own needs to suppress and control powerful local regions and the factions living there.BR Third, the relationship between Hanseong-bu and Gaeseong-bu authorities (in the early Joseon period) resembled the relationship that existed between Gaeseong-bu and Seo’gyeong Yusu-gwan during the Goryeo period. But of course there were differences. In the Joseon period, both Hanseong-bu and Gaeseong-bu offices were manned by central governmental officials, and enjoyed virtually the same rank, but Hanseong-bu’s authority was clearly superior to that of Gaeseong-bu.BR Fourth, both Gae’gyeong and Han’gyeong cities had five Bu sectors, and several Bang(坊) counties, 35 in Gae’gyeong, and 52 in Han’gyeong. Han’gyeong was much smaller than Gae’gyeong, but had more Bang counties. Meanwhile, the Ri counties’ role as an administrative unit significantly diminished in Joseon.BR Fifth, there seems to have been a historical relationship between the Four Gyo areas[Sagyo, 四郊] of the Gae’gyeong capital, and the space that existed inside a 10-ri radius of the Han’gyeong capital walls(Seongjeo Shibri, 城底十里). The boundaries formed by the 4 Gyo areas of Goryeo were established initially 10 ri-units away from the Naseong(羅城) Wall, but that line later further regressed to 20 ri-units from the Wall. Buk’gyo(北郊) was at the farthest. This feature seems to have at least partially inspired the formation of Joseon dynasty’s Seongjeo Shibri.BR As we can see, the Goryeo dynasty, which enjoyed plurality in the people’s religious lives, with Buddhism firmly at its center, and the Joseon dynasty, which observed a unitary order based on Neo-Confucianism, tried to instill their own aspirations into the running of their own respective capital spaces. Their aspirations were different from each other, and as a result Gae’gyeong and Han’gyeong capitals came to feature ideological differences.

Amount of bird suitable areas under climate change is modulated by morphological, ecological and geographical traits

Biodiversity is already experiencing the effects of climate change through range expansion, retraction, or relocation, potentializing negative effects of other threats. Future projections already indicate richness reduction and composition modifications of bird communities due to global warming, which may disrupt the provision of key ecological services to ecosystem maintenance. Here, we systematically review the effect of morphological, ecological, and geographical traits on the amount of future suitable area for birds worldwide. Specifically, we tested whether body mass, diet, habitat type, movement pattern, range size, and biogeographic realm affect birds' suitable area. Our search returned 75 studies that modeled the effects of climate change on 1,991 bird species. Our analyses included 1,661 species belonging to 128 families, representing 83% of the total, for which we were able to acquire all the six traits. The proportion of birds' suitable area was affected by range size, body mass, habitat type, and biogeographic realm, while diet and movement pattern showed lower relative importance and were not included in our final model. Contrary to expectations, the proportion of birds' suitable area was negatively related to range size, which may be explained by higher climatic stability predicted in certain areas that harbor species with restricted distribution. In contrast, we observed that birds presenting higher body mass will show an increase of the proportion of suitable area in the future. This is expected due to the high exposure of smaller birds to environmental changes and their difficulty to keep thermoregulation. Our results also indicated a low proportion of suitable area to forest-dependent birds, which is in accordance with their higher vulnerability due to specific requirements for reproduction and feeding. Finally, the proportion of suitable area was low for birds from Oceania, which is expected since the region encompasses small islands isolated from continents, preventing their species from reaching new suitable areas. Our study highlights that different traits should be considered when assessing extinction risk of species based on future projections, helping to improve bird conservation, especially the most vulnerable to climate change.

Consumer adoption intention toward FinTech services in a bank-based financial system in Vietnam

PurposeThis study aims to identify the key factors driving consumer adoption attention toward FinTech services in a bank-based financial system to lay a firm ground for further policy recommendations to promote the dual development of FinTech and the banking industry in Vietnam as well as other emerging economies similar banking system.Design/methodology/approachA technology acceptance model with a data set of 387 observations collected from a thorough research design is used and proceeded with probit regression.FindingsThe paper finds that existing bank users are holding a high intention to approach FinTech services regardless of involved costs and time, suggesting a traditional banking system to open up the collaboration channel with FinTech firms in prospective business areas. The findings also reveal an interestingly important position of consumers’ latent needs in inclining consumers to use FinTech services in Vietnam.Research limitations/implicationsIn this study, the variable measurement is not comprehensive as the authors use a single question for each variable. Second, most of the respondents reside in two big cities of the country, which are currently witnessing the rising presence of FinTech companies. So, if the future penetration of FinTech firms reaches out of these big cities, a better research sample with a diversified geographic trait should be considered.Practical implicationsThis study’s findings draw out valuable recommendations to bankers and especially policymakers to stimulate the future penetration of FinTech firms along with assuring and strengthening the important position of the banking sector in the economy.Originality/valueThis paper’s novelty lies in several aspects. First, this study provides a broad view of the market potentials for FinTech firms from the demand side on a wide range of FinTech services rather than focusing only on payment services as presented in previous studies. Besides, the paper also discovers a new factor attributing to the adoption intention of the FinTech end-users, the users’ latent needs. Third, these empirical results carry a considerable contribution to the limited literature on this topic in Vietnam. And, most importantly, this study’s findings significantly prove the noticeable contribution of consumers’ preference to the indisputable development of FinTech. This afterwards helps to shape viable governmental regulations to facilitate effective market penetration strategies of FinTech in accordance with nurturing the future strategic development of a bank-based financial system under the emergence of FinTech. Of which, the authors call for clear and official moves of the governmental bodies in facilitating the collaboration between FinTech and the banking system coupled with enhancing measures of customer protection in the financial field in Vietnam. The findings and the regulatory implications for our country could be a vital source and replicated for other emerging economies’ cases with similar traits of the financial system.

The Geographical Analysis for Distribution and Dimension of Rural Settlement in Pshdar District

Rural residential dimensions is one of the important residential subjects in geography that pays attention to distributing, arranging and organizing rural residential dimensions according to the geographical traits. Moreover, it changed according to the number of rural residents which can be rooted back to both, the geographical and human factors. Thus, smallness and largeness of the rural dimensions means allowing and preventing them from opportunities. In other words, most of the time, a humanistic and natural factor is the reason of giving the identity of largeness and smallness to a place. S0, pshdar area is one of the places that has faced this change a lot. &#x0D; The aim of this study is demonstrating those changes that pshdar district has faced in the side of residential dimensions and also to find out the effects of this change on the improvements of the rural residents. However, this is to take a stability on the rural residents with the urban ones and on the urban ones with the pshdar district.&#x0D; The methodology of this study is the regional, analytical and comparative method. Also, geographical information system (GIS) has been adopted and some other equations are used to analyze the data related to the population residents of the district.

The Brand–Land Identity of Etna Volcano Valley Wines: A Policy Delphi Study

This is the first study on the brand–land link for quality wines with a strong identity produced in extreme territories using the Policy Delphi methodology. The objective of this study is to assess the existence of a relationship between the wine brand and the territory of origin for wines produced in the Etna valley in Sicily (southern Italy). Awareness among producers and stakeholders of the recognizability of local wines by the market was investigated. Moreover, the forecasts/reliability, issues/importance, options/feasibility, and goals/desirability of development factors for wines with a brand–land link in the Etna valley were analyzed. The results were used to design a model of the value chain for wines with a brand–land identity which is generalizable to other wine regions. In this study, the policy Delphi method was adapted, consolidated, and improved for marketing studies in the agri-food sector. This adapted method can be replicated in other studies focusing on similar contexts. The findings provide insights into the characteristics (type and category) of development factors that add value to Etna Rosso DOC wine and provide interesting food for thought for wine-producing companies in other wine-growing areas with unique pedoclimatic characteristics that determine a strong brand–land link between wine and its territory or origin. Practical implications encompass new elements for winemakers, as well as for local decision-makers and stakeholders, for the formulation of more effective communication strategies and territorial revitalization strategies to enhance the competitiveness and appreciation of wines with strong geographical identity traits. To highlight these elements, a new theoretical model was designed that includes the experience of the territory and the product in the value chain of iconic wines.

Investigating the impact of adding new airline routes on air transportation resilience in China

When building new airports various strategies for initiating new air routes prominently affect the overall system performance. From a perspective of disruption management, however, very little is known regarding the impacts of different strategies exerted to the resilience of airline networks in a multi-layer system configuration. In this paper, we established a multi-layer China airline network (CAN) using route data from 46 airlines in mainland China and proposed four optimization strategies for adding new routes based on service-oriented perspectives. The geographical traits of the multi-layer CAN was first explored and, taking the Daxing International Airport (a new-built airport in Beijing, China) as a demonstrative example, we then conducted both qualitative and quantitative analyses to investigate the impact of the proposed strategies and their effectiveness of improving network resilience. It is revealed that those strategies have heterogeneous effects on the network performance in terms of meeting passenger demands and balancing overall connectivity at a national strategic level, and the overall resilience of the CAN could be significantly improved under the selected strategy by 59.8% on average. Based on the findings, several managerial and policy implications are put forward and discussed. This paper sheds new lights on resilience-building strategies for service carriers and airport managers and is also of value to regional governments for offering incentives for expanding connections to new destinations.

DarkCideS 1.0, a global database for bats in karsts and caves

Understanding biodiversity patterns as well as drivers of population declines, and range losses provides crucial baselines for monitoring and conservation. However, the information needed to evaluate such trends remains unstandardised and sparsely available for many taxonomic groups and habitats, including the cave-dwelling bats and cave ecosystems. We developed the DarkCideS 1.0 (https://darkcides.org/), a global database of bat caves and species synthesised from publicly available information and datasets. The DarkCideS 1.0 is by far the largest database for cave-dwelling bats, which contains information for geographical location, ecological status, species traits, and parasites and hyperparasites for 679 bat species are known to occur in caves or use caves in part of their life histories. The database currently contains 6746 georeferenced occurrences for 402 cave-dwelling bat species from 2002 cave sites in 46 countries and 12 terrestrial biomes. The database has been developed to be collaborative and open-access, allowing continuous data-sharing among the community of bat researchers and conservation biologists to advance bat research and comparative monitoring and prioritisation for conservation.

Altérité lexicale dans les parlers francophones : figure de l’étranger

Relationships with others raise issues of identity and characterize individuals in their behavior with others. These identity issues, which are specific to each society, are sources of the discourse of otherness. In the French-speaking space which, by its essence and in the light of historical facts, reflects otherness, this discourse is reflected in the terms and lexies of topolectal varieties of French. Based on an onomasiological approach, going from definition to words to discover how otherness is presented, this research aims to identify and present the lexical aspect of the discourse of others in a lexicographical corpus from all over the French-speaking world. In other words, this article studies the topolectal speaking of French to find terms used to evoke otherness. Terms such as “French”, “European”, “foreign”, “white” were the object of a first observation given that they constitute the reverses of a discourse of domination in the dichotomy colonizer-colonized against with “aboriginal” “negro” and “black”. Through illustrated examples, we demonstrate that different aspects such as physical, geographic, and identity traits are vehicles of this discourse which, axiologically, mainly present the pejorative values attributed to the other. Also, it would seem that colonial memory helps to nourish this vision of the other who stands out from the speakers, whose speech is studied, by his foreign origin.

The Roman-Period Road Network in Southern Moab: A Geographic and Historical Enquiry

ABSTRACT In recent years, a well-preserved Roman-period road network was explored in southern Moab, descending the steep topographic gradient from the Moabite plateau to the south-eastern Dead Sea region. This network comprises three paved roads—Kathrabba, Kuniyeh and Zoar Ascents—installed according to Roman principles of road construction, sharing features such as minimal width of 4 m, kerbstones and retaining walls, built steps and paved sections. All roads were forced to overcome vertical height differences of 1200–1500 m over a short distance as well as high sub-vertical segments of Nubian sandstone cliffs and massive plutonic rock outcrops. The starting point for all roads was in the southernmost part of Moab, in the vicinity of the modern village of Mu’tah, and they led to three different points along the eastern coast of the southern basin of the Dead Sea. The article explores the geographic and structural traits of the newly discovered road system and delves into its historical context and significance. We argue that this meticulous, labour-intensive enterprise was most probably associated with the decades following the Roman annexation of Nabataea in 106 ce, and more specifically with the suppression of the Bar Kokhba Revolt, during which Jewish communities on both sides of the Dead Sea revolted against Roman rule.

Fourteen New, Endemic Species of Shrew (Genus Crocidura) from Sulawesi Reveal a Spectacular Island Radiation

After nearly a decade of field inventories in which we preserved voucher specimens of the small terrestrial mammals of Sulawesi, we combined qualitative and quantitative analyses of morphological traits with molecular phylogenetics to better understand the diversity of shrews (Soricidae: Crocidura) on the island. We examined the morphology of 1368 specimens and obtained extensive molecular data from many of them, including mitochondrial DNA sequences from 851 specimens, up to five nuclear exons from 657 specimens, and thousands of ultraconserved elements from 90 specimens. By iteratively testing species limits using distinct character datasets and appropriate taxon sampling, we found clear, mostly consistent evidence for the existence of 21 species of shrews on Sulawesi, only seven of which were previously recognized. We divide these 21 species into five morphogroups, provide emended diagnoses of the seven previously named species, and describe 14 new species. The Long-Tailed Group contains Crocidura caudipilosa, C. elongata, C. microelongata, new species, and C. quasielongata, new species; the Rhoditis Group contains C. rhoditis, C. pseudorhoditis, new species, C. australis, new species, and C. pallida, new species; the Small-Bodied Group contains C. lea, C. levicula, C. baletei, new species, C. mediocris, new species, C. parva, new species, and C. tenebrosa, new species; the Thick-Tailed Group contains C. brevicauda, new species and C. caudicrassa, new species; and the Ordinary Group contains C. musseri, C. nigripes, C. normalis, new species, C. ordinaria, new species, and C. solita, new species. Documenting these endemic species reveals a local radiation (20 of the 21 species are members of an endemic clade) in which elevational gradients played a prominent role in either promoting speciation, or at a minimum, fostering the cooccurrence of phenotypically similar species. As now understood, the species-level diversity of Crocidura on Sulawesi is nearly three times the known diversity of any other insular shrew fauna. This study highlights the fact that if we wish to understand the true extent of biodiversity on Earth, large-scale, vouchered organismal inventories followed up with thorough examinations of genetic, morphological, and geographic traits are sorely needed in montane tropical regions, even for purportedly well-studied groups such as mammals.

Supply chain agility in third-party logistics providers: its relationship with institutional and cultural geographical traits in a developing country

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between geographical traits consisting of institutional traits and cultural traits, and supply chain agility in third-party logistics providers.Design/methodology/approachA theoretical model was developed and assessed through a structured questionnaire survey using cross-sectional data from 170 third-party logistics providers registered in Uganda. To validate the suggested model, data were analysed using exploratory factor analysis, correlations and regressions.FindingsCorrelation results revealed that all institutional and cultural geographical traits in the model, i.e. infrastructural frameworks, regulatory frameworks, organisational culture and national culture are positively and significantly associated with supply chain agility. However, a further analysis using regression revealed that regulatory framework and organisational culture are the only significant predictors of supply chain agility and together, all the four traits account for 28.1% variance in supply chain agility.Research limitations/implicationsThis study applies the institutional theoretical framework to provide an empirical understanding of the role of institutional and cultural factors in supply chain management practice. Furthermore, it confirms and expands on the existing theories about supply chain agility.Practical implicationsThe findings provide firm ground for managerial decisions regarding emphasis on external factors in building firms' supply chain agility. Managers should scan the macro-environment and make conscious firm decisions regarding institutions and culture in certain geographical locations. The host countries should also be aware of their role in building firms' supply chain agility.Originality/valueDistinctive from the literature on antecedents of supply chain agility, which predominantly focuses on the firm and supply chain capabilities, this study utilises the paradigm of institutional fit to empirically show how managers in a developing country wishing to build supply chain agility should not only focus on their supply chains and internal operations, but go beyond and consider geographical traits when making firm location and/or operational decisions for certain geographical contexts in order to achieve fit.

Characteristics of the naturalized flora of Southern Africa largely reflect the non‐random introduction of alien species for cultivation

Biological invasions are one of the most defining features of the Anthropocene. Most studies on biological invasions focus on the later stages of the invasion process, that is after species have already become naturalized. It is frequently overlooked, however, that patterns in origin, phylogeny and traits of naturalized alien species might largely reflect which species have been introduced in the first place. Here, we quantify and assess such introduction biases by analyzing 5317 plant species introduced for cultivation (i.e. primarily as ornamental garden plants) in the 10 countries composing Southern Africa. We show that this cultivated alien flora represents a non‐random subset of the global flora and that this bias at the introduction stage largely contributes to patterns in geographic origin, phylogenetic composition and traits of the naturalized flora. For example, while species from Australasia are, compared to the global flora, disproportionally overrepresented in the naturalized cultivated flora of Southern Africa, this pattern is driven by their higher likelihood of introduction for cultivation. The same is true for the overrepresentation of free‐standing woody species in the naturalized cultivated flora. The strong phylogenetic clustering of the naturalized cultivated flora is also, to a large extent, driven by introduction bias. Although functional traits explained little variation in naturalization success of cultivated plants, naturalization success was more likely for plants with intermediate seed mass and height and high specific leaf area. Thus, despite strong biases in which species have been introduced to Southern Africa, there are significant patterns in the species characteristics related to naturalization probability. Our quantification of introduction biases demonstrates that they are huge, and that accounting for it is important to avoid over‐ or under‐emphasizing the characteristics of successfully naturalized alien plants.

A new species of Homonota (Squamata: Gekkota: Phyllodactylidae) from Paraguay

The 12 recognized species of the genus Homonota are geographically restricted to central and southern South America in Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Bolivia, and Paraguay. The phylogenetic relationships within the genus are well known where three groups are identified, each of them containing four species: the whitii group (Homonota darwinii, H. williamsii, H. whitii, and H. andicola), the borellii group (H. borellii, H. taragui, H. rupicola, and H. uruguayensis) and the horrida group (H. horrida, H. underwoodi, H. septentrionalis, and H. marthae). During fieldwork in Paraguay, we found a specimen of Homonota with unique morphological and geographical traits. Thus, we performed a comparative morphological analysis against specimens housed in different Paraguayan collections. Additionally, we performed a DNA analysis of our specimen to assess its relationships within the genus. Results suggest that this specimen represents a new species of the Homonota horrida group based on molecular and morphological evidence. The new species is characterized by a robust body, 10 longitudinal rows of strongly keeled scales separated by one or two granular scales, square-shaped mental scales, small postmental scales, one or two rows of rectangular scales in the upper eye scales, rostral scale divided, edge of auditory meatus serrated posteriorly, and black and brown background coloration with one white vertebral line and seven white transverse bands. The new species is restricted to Paraguarí Department, characterized by herbaceous grasslands with rocky outcrops.

The Bamboo Rhizome Evolution in China Is Driven by Geographical Isolation and Trait Differentiation

Plant endemic species are the result of continuous evolution under the combined action of long-term climatic and geological conditions. There are 534 bamboo species in China, and 371 endemic species account for about 70% of all bamboo species. However, little is known about the differences in the rhizome evolution rate between endemic and non-endemic bamboos. Here, we collected morphological traits (height and leaf length) and environmental variables (including climate, space, and soil) of all 534 Chinese bamboo species to determine the relative contribution of environmental factors and traits of bamboo rhizome evolution with different endemism by structural equation modeling. We found that endemic bamboo had a higher speciation rate than non-endemic bamboo. The distribution centers of sympodial bamboos are mainly located in the mountain range of southwest China, while amphipodial and monopodial bamboos are distributed with higher latitude farther east in China. The height of non-endemic sympodial and monopodial bamboos was significantly higher than endemic sympodial and monopodial bamboos. The leaf length of non-endemic sympodial bamboos was significantly higher than endemic sympodial bamboo, while the leaf length of non-endemic amphipodial bamboo was significantly lower than endemic amphipodial bamboo. Environmental factors and traits explain 47% of the evolutionary variation of non-endemic bamboo species, while they explain 17% of that of endemic bamboo species. Longitude, latitude, and leaf length were the critical factors in the rhizome evolution of non-endemic bamboo, while longitude and height were the critical factors in the rhizome evolution of endemic bamboo. Our results imply that for higher species formation rates, endemic bamboo should be more concerned than non-endemic bamboo in the process of bamboo rhizome evolution. It will likely appear that new non-endemic bamboo species have a short leaf length in higher latitude and farther east in China (the lower Yangtze plain), as well as new endemic bamboo species with a low height farther east in China (the Wuyi Mountains). Meanwhile, ancient non-endemic bamboo with a long leaf length in Yunnan Province and ancient endemic bamboo with a high height in the Hengduan Mountains may be more likely to become extinct. Our findings highlight the importance of understanding the difference in the rhizome evolution of endemic and non-endemic bamboos, which provides new insights into the conservation of Chinese bamboo biodiversity.

The composition, geography, biology and assembly of the coastal flora of the Cape Floristic Region.

The Cape Floristic Region (CFR) is globally recognized as a hotspot of plant diversity and endemism. Much of this diversity stems from radiations associated with infertile acid sands derived from sandstones of the geologically ancient Cape Fold Belt. These ancient montane floras acted as the source for most subsequent radiations on the Cape lowlands during the Oligocene (on silcretes) and Mio–Pliocene (on shales). The geomorphic evolution of the CFR during the Plio–Pleistocene led to the first large-scale occurrence of calcareous substrata (coastal dunes and calcarenites) along the Cape coast, providing novel habitats for plant colonization and ensuing evolution of the Cape coastal flora—the most recent diversification event in the Cape. Few studies have investigated the CFR’s dune and calcarenite floras, and fewer still have done so in an evolutionary context. Here, we present a unified flora of these coastal calcareous habitats of the CFR and analyze the taxonomic, biological and geographical traits of its component species to gain insights into its assembly. The Cape coastal flora, comprising 1,365 species, is taxonomically dominated by the Asteraceae, Fabaceae and Iridaceae, with Erica, Aspalathus and Agathosma being the most speciose genera. In terms of growth-form mix, there is a roughly equal split between herbaceous and woody species, the former dominated by geophytes and forbs, the latter by dwarf and low shrubs. Species associated with the Fynbos biome constitute the bulk of the flora, while the Subtropical Thicket and Wetland biomes also house a substantial number of species. The Cape coastal flora is a distinctly southern African assemblage, with 61% of species belonging to southern African lineages (including 35% of species with Cape affinity) and 59% being endemic to the CFR. Unique among floras from the Cape and coastal Mediterranean-climate regions is the relatively high proportion of species associated with tropical lineages, several of which are restricted to calcareous substrata of the CFR. The endemic, calcicolous component of the flora, constituting 40% of species, represents 6% of the Cape’s regional plant diversity—high tallies compared to other biodiversity hotspots. Most coastal-flora endemics emerged during the Plio–Pleistocene as a product of ecological speciation upon the colonization of calcareous substrata, with the calcifugous fynbos floras of montane acid substrata being the most significant source of this diversification, especially on the typically shallow soils of calcarenite landscapes. On the other hand, renosterveld floras, associated with edaphically benign soils that are widespread on the CFR lowlands, have not been a major source of lineages to the coastal flora. Our findings suggest that, over and above the strong pH gradient that exists on calcareous substrata, soil depth and texture may act as important edaphic filters to incorporating lineages from floras on juxtaposed substrata in the CFR.

A geographic framework for assessing neolocalism: the case of Texas cider production

ABSTRACT The purpose of this research is to propose a new conceptual framework intended to offer scholars a tool for assessing the geographic qualities among the myriad expressions of neolocalism reflected by craft food producers. Our objectives were to determine the extent to which Texas craft cider producers employ neolocal traits in the identity and marketing of their products and place; to examine how and under what conditions does the role of neolocalism and the traits employed in Texas craft cider production vary by location, reflecting local sites and situations; and to discover whether geographic, relational, or value-based traits hold greater influence when employing neolocalism in Texas craft cider. Incorporating geographic, relational, and values of proximity along with identified neolocal traits, we created a visual representation of neolocal engagement, the neolocal product model. The model visually demonstrates how Texas craft cider producers’ ability to conscientiously create a locally embedded product imbued with neolocal traits is affected by how the producers situate themselves within a local food network, reflect local resources and values, and present their cidery within a chosen landscape.

Plant adaptability in karst regions.

Karst ecosystems are formed by dissolution of soluble rocks, usually with conspicuous landscape features, such as sharp peaks, steep slopes and deep valleys. The plants in karst regions develop special adaptability. Here, we reviewed the research progresses on plant adaptability in karst regions, including drought, high temperature and light, high-calcium stresses responses and the strategies of water utilization for plants, soil nutrients impact, human interference and geographical traits on karst plants. Drought, high temperature and light change their physiological and morphological structures to adapt to karst environments. High-calcium and soil nutrients can transfer surplus nutrients to special parts of plants to avoid damage of high nutrient concentration. Therefore, karst plants can make better use of limited water. Human interference also affects geographical distribution of karst plants and their growing environment. All of these aspects may be analyzed to provide guidance and suggestions for related research on plant adaptability mechanisms.

Geographic patterns of seed trait variation in an invasive species: how much can close populations differ?

Seeds play a major role in plant species persistence and expansion, and therefore they are essential when modeling species dynamics. However, homogeneity in seed traits is generally assumed, underestimating intraspecific trait variability across the geographic space, which might bias species success models. The aim of this study was to evaluate the existence and consequences of interpopulation variability in seed traits of the invasive species Carpobrotus edulis at different geographical scales. We measured seed production, morphology, vigour and longevity of nine populations of C. edulis along the Catalan coast (NE Spain) from three differentiated zones with a human presence gradient. Geographic distances between populations were contrasted against individual and multivariate trait distances to explore trait variation along the territory, evaluating the role of bioclimatic variables and human density of the different zones. The analysis revealed high interpopulation variability that was not explained by geographic distance, as regardless of the little distance between some populations (< 0.5 km), significant differences were found in several seed traits. Seed production, germination, and persistence traits showed the strongest spatial variability up to 6000% of percent trait variability between populations, leading to differentiated C. edulis soil seed bank dynamics at small distances, which may demand differentiated strategies for a cost-effective species management. Seed trait variability was influenced by human density but also bioclimatic conditions, suggesting a potential impact of increased anthropogenic pressure and climate shifts. Geographic interpopulation trait variation should be included in ecological models and will be important for assessing species responses to environmental heterogeneity and change.