High Alpine Research Articles

Pollen limitation and context‐dependent alleviating mechanisms in a co‐flowering alpine grassland community

The consequences of community metrics (e.g. co‐flowering diversity and floral density) and plant traits (e.g. pollinator dependency and trait similarity) on pollen limitation (PL) may depend on pollinator‐mediated competitive or facilitative interactions among plants in co‐flowering communities, which could vary with community contexts (i.e. different altitude communities) and under human disturbances (e.g. livestock grazing). However, the mechanisms to alleviate PL under different contexts, considering pollinator‐mediated interactions among neighboring plants are unclear. We investigated PL under grazing versus ungrazing conditions in low versus high altitude alpine meadows on the Tibetan Plateau to uncover the underlying mechanisms mediating PL associated with livestock grazing. We found that PL is prevalent in alpine grasslands, irrespective of community contexts. Grazing exclusion decreased PL in the two sites but in different ways. At the high‐altitude site, PL was reduced by the exclusion of grazers through increased trait similarity (suggesting facilitation). While PL was reduced by decreased trait similarity (suggesting competition avoidance) under grazing exclusion at the low‐altitude site. Our results provide a mechanistic understanding of PL in co‐flowering alpine grassland communities under distinct human disturbances at different altitudes, emphasizing the role of pollinator‐mediated interactions among plants on plant reproductive success.

A functional metagenomics study of soil carbon and nitrogen degradation networks and limiting factors on the Tibetan plateau.

The Three-River Source Nature Reserve is located in the core area of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, with the alpine swamp, meadow and steppe as the main ecosystem types. However, the microbial communities in these alpine ecosystems, and their carbon and nitrogen degrading metabolic networks and limiting factors remain unclear. We sequenced the diversity of bacteria and fungi in alpine swamps, meadows, steppes, and their degraded and artificially restored ecosystems and analyzed soil environmental conditions. The results indicated that moisture content had a greater influence on soil microbial community structure compared to degradation and restoration. Proteobacteria dominated in high moisture alpine swamps and alpine meadows, while Actinobacteria dominated in low moisture alpine steppes and artificial grasslands. A metabolic network analysis of carbon and nitrogen degradation and transformation using metagenomic sequencing revealed that plateau microorganisms lacked comprehensive and efficient enzyme systems to degrade organic carbon, nitrogen, and other biological macromolecules, so that the short-term degradation of alpine vegetation had no effect on the basic composition of soil microbial community. Correlation analysis found that nitrogen fixation was strong in meadows with high moisture content, and their key nitrogen-fixing enzymes were significantly related to Sphingomonas. Denitrification metabolism was enhanced in water-deficient habitats, and the key enzyme, nitrous oxide reductase, was significantly related to Phycicoccus and accelerated the loss of nitrogen. Furthermore, Bacillus contained a large number of amylases (GH13 and GH15) and proteases (S8, S11, S26, and M24) which may promote the efficient degradation of organic carbon and nitrogen in artificially restored grasslands. This study illustrated the irrecoverability of meadow degradation and offered fundamental information for altering microbial communities to restore alpine ecosystems.

Weekly high-resolution multi-spectral and thermal uncrewed-aerial-system mapping of an alpine catchment during summer snowmelt, Niwot Ridge, Colorado

Abstract. Alpine ecosystems are experiencing rapid change as a result of warming temperatures and changes in the quantity, timing and phase of precipitation. This in turn impacts patterns and processes of ecohydrologic connectivity, vegetation productivity and water provision to downstream regions. The fine-scale heterogeneous nature of these environments makes them challenging areas to measure with traditional instrumentation and spatiotemporally coarse satellite imagery. This paper describes the data collection, processing, accuracy assessment and availability of a series of approximately weekly-interval uncrewed-aerial-system (UAS) surveys flown over the Niwot Ridge Long Term Ecological Research site during the 2017 summer-snowmelt season. Visible, near-infrared and thermal-infrared imagery was collected. This unique series of 5–25 cm resolution multi-spectral and thermal orthomosaics provides a unique snapshot of seasonal transitions in a high alpine catchment. Weekly radiometrically calibrated normalised difference vegetation index maps can be used to track vegetation health at the pixel scale through time. Thermal imagery can be used to map the movement of snowmelt across and within the near sub-surface as well as identify locations where groundwater is discharging to the surface. A 10 cm resolution digital surface model and dense point cloud (146 points m−2) are also provided for topographic analysis of the snow-free surface. These datasets augment ongoing data collection within this heavily studied and important alpine site; they are made publicly available to facilitate wider use by the research community. Datasets and related metadata can be accessed through the Environmental Data Initiative Data Portal, https://doi.org/10.6073/pasta/dadd5c2e4a65c781c2371643f7ff9dc4 (Wigmore, 2022a), https://doi.org/10.6073/pasta/073a5a67ddba08ba3a24fe85c5154da7 (Wigmore, 2022c), https://doi.org/10.6073/pasta/a4f57c82ad274aa2640e0a79649290ca (Wigmore and Niwot Ridge LTER, 2021a), https://doi.org/10.6073/pasta/444a7923deebc4b660436e76ffa3130c (Wigmore and Niwot Ridge LTER, 2021b), https://doi.org/10.6073/pasta/1289b3b41a46284d2a1c42f1b08b3807 (Wigmore and Niwot Ridge LTER, 2022a), https://doi.org/10.6073/pasta/70518d55a8d6ec95f04f2d8a0920b7b8 (Wigmore and Niwot Ridge LTER, 2022b). A summary of the available datasets can be found in the data availability section below.

Hydrodynamics of a high Alpine catchment characterized by four natural tracers

Abstract. Hydrological processes in high-elevation catchments are strongly influenced by alternating snow accumulation and melt in addition to summer rainfall. Although diverse water sources and flow paths that generate streamflow in the world's water towers emerge from these two driving inputs, a detailed process understanding remains poor. We measured a combination of natural tracers of water at a high frequency, including stable isotope compositions, electrical conductivity (EC), and water and soil temperature to characterize hydrological processes in a snow-dominated Alpine catchment and to understand the diversity of streamflow sources and flow paths. Stable isotope composition of the sampled water revealed the prominence of snowmelt year-round (even during winter baseflow), and a strong flushing of the entire system with snowmelt at the start of the main melt period, sometimes referred to as the freshet, led to a reset, or return to baseline, of the isotopic values in most sampled water. Soil temperature measurements help identify snow-free periods and indicate sub-snowpack local flow, for example, in the case of rain-on-snow events. Water temperature measurements in springs can indicate flow path depth. EC measurements reflect the magnitude of subsurface exchange and allow for the separation of subsurface snowmelt contribution to streamflow from the contribution of stored groundwater. These insights into the details of streamflow generation in such a dynamic environment were only made possible due to intense, year-round water sampling. The sampled tracers are revealed to complement each other in important ways particularly because they were sampled during winter and spring, both snow-covered periods, the importance of which is a key implication of this work.

South American mountain ecosystems and global change – a case study for integrating theory and field observations for land surface modelling and ecosystem management

ABSTRACT Background Plot-based monitoring has yielded much information on the taxonomic diversity and carbon (C) storage in tropical lowland forests of the Amazon basin. This has resulted in an improved understanding of the relationship between lowland forest biomass dynamics and global change drivers, such as climate change and atmospheric CO2 concentration. Much less attention has been paid to the mountain ecosystems of South America that comprise montane forests and alpine vegetation (páramo, puna, high Andean grasslands, wetlands, and alpine heath). This vegetation complex provides a variety of ecosystem services and forms a natural laboratory along various physiographic, geological and evolutionary history/biogeography, and land use history gradients. Aims Here, we review existing empirical understanding and model-based approaches to quantify the contribution of mountain ecosystems to ecosystem service provision in the rapidly changing socioecological setting of the South American mountains. The objective of this paper is to outline a broad road map for the implementation of mountain vegetation into dynamic global vegetation models (DGVM) for use in Earth System Models (ESM), based on our current understanding of their structure and function and of their responsiveness to global change drivers. We also identify treeline processes, critical in mountain ecosystems, as key missing elements in DGVMs/ESMs, and thus explore in addition a treeline model. Methods Stocktaking of the availability of empirical data was undertaken from eight research sites along the Andes and in south-eastern Brazil. Out of eight sites, two (one each in Venezuela and Brazil) had some climate, ecological and ecophysiological data potentially suitable to parametrise a DGVM. Tree biomass data were available for six sites. A preliminary assessment of the Joint UK Land Environment Simulator (JULES) DGVM was made to identify gaps in available data and their impacts on model parametrisation and calibration. Additionally, the potential climate-determined elevation of the treeline was modelled to check the DGVM for its ability to identify the transition between the montane forest and alpine vegetation. Results Outcomes of the evaluation of the JULES land surface model identified the following key processes in montane forests: temperature-related decrease in net primary production, respiration, and allocation to above-ground biomass and increase in soil C stocks with elevation. There was a variable agreement between simulated biomass and those derived from field measurements via allometric equations. Conclusions We identified major gaps between data availability and the needs for process-based modelling of South American mountain vegetation and its dynamics in DGVMs. To bridge this gap, we propose a transdisciplinary network, composed of members of the theoretical/modelling and empirical scientific communities, to study the natural dynamics of mountain ecosystems and their responses to global change drivers locally, regionally and at the continental scale, within a social-ecological system framework. The work presented here forms the basis for the design of data collection from field measurements and instrumental monitoring stations to parametrise and verify DGVMs. The network is designed to collaborate with and complement existing long-term research initiatives in the region and will adopt existing standard field protocols. Complementary protocols will ensure compatibility between field data collection and data needed for process-based and empirical models.

Survey of haemosporidian parasite infections in an endangered high alpine bird

The Brown-capped Rosy-Finch is an endangered high alpine specialist that breeds on cliffs in the Rocky Mountains of North America. We know little about the parasites that infect these birds but filling this knowledge gap is important for understanding their population decline. The aim of this study was to survey haemosporidian parasite infections in Brown-capped Rosy-Finches. We sampled 104 Brown-capped Rosy-Finches during their breeding season at six sampling sites spanning the Colorado Rocky Mountains where they are nearly endemic. We used nested PCR methods to screen birds for parasite infections, and Sanger sequencing data were used to identify parasite lineages. Four of the sampling sites had birds with infections. Females were more often infected than males (prevalence = 15.6% and 9.7%, respectively). We observed twice as many infected birds sampled in July compared to birds sampled in June (prevalence = 12.5% and 6.25%, respectively). The percent of infected birds by sampling site ranged from 0 to over 20%. In total we identified eight different genetic lineages of haemosporidian parasites infecting Brown-capped Rosy-Finches—seven were in the genus Leucocytozoon, and one was in the genus Haemoproteus. Network analysis clearly separates Haemoproteus from Leucocytozoon, with Leucocytozoon lineages comprising two major clusters. Based on reports made to the MalAvi database, all lineages in Cluster 1 have the same reported insect vector, Simulium silvestre. We report that Brown-capped Rosy-Finches experience infections with haemosporidian parasites and that the percentage of infected birds differed markedly between sampling sites. We hypothesize that vector ecology and associated variation in climate at sampling sites explain our observations.

Snow depth estimation at country-scale with high spatial and temporal resolution

Monitoring snow depth is important for applications such as hydrology, energy planning, ecology, and safety evaluation for outdoor winter activities. Most methods able to estimate snow depth for large regions can only do so in a spatial resolution of up to 1 km ground sampling distance (GSD). This limits their usage in high alpine areas, where this resolution fails to capture local snow distribution patterns caused by the pronounced topographical features. In this work we use a recurrent convolutional neural network to estimate snow depth at high spatial resolution (10 m GSD), weekly, and at large scale based on satellite data sources and elevation maps, without the need for measurement stations on the ground. The proposed method achieves unprecedented results for large-scale, high-resolution snow depth mapping. The resulting maps are evaluated over a period of three years against high-fidelity snow depth maps obtained with airborne photogrammetry. Finally, we also produce well-calibrated uncertainty estimates for every individual snow depth estimate via a probabilistic regression framework.

Establishing a record of extreme debris flow events in a high Alpine catchment since the end of the Little Ice Age using lichenometric dating

ABSTRACT Establishing a record of large debris flow events in high Alpine areas prior to the availability of high resolution remote sensing data can be very challenging. In this study, we investigate the debris flow activity in two tributary valleys of the Horlachtal catchment in Tyrol, Austria between the end of the Little Ice Age at about 1850 and the first available area wide aerial images from 1947. To accomplish this, we calculated a local lichenometric calibration curve using the long axis diameters of the five largest Rhizocarpon lichen thalli at 51 different reference locations. Because of the interval-censored dating of most of the reference sites, we established a bootstrapping approach within the calibration curve calculation process. With the help of the lichenometric calibration data, we were able to date 47 old debris flow deposits in the study area. The results indicate no increasing or decreasing trends in frequencies of extreme debris flow events. In addition, the results point to a very local character of debris flow triggering precipitation events, as we can detect major differences in neighbouring valleys. Lichenometric derived datings also provide temporal informations about the end of debris flow activity at some sites in the study area and thus can contribute to a better understanding of debris flow systems.

The Glaciated Slopes of the High Alpine Mountains: Holocene Evolution and Impacts of the Current Climate Crisis

The Glaciated Slopes of the High Alpine Mountains: Holocene Evolution and Impacts of the Current Climate Crisis

Technical note: Evaluating a geographical information system (GIS)-based approach for determining topographic shielding factors in cosmic-ray exposure dating

Abstract. Cosmic-ray exposure (CRE) dating of boulders on terminal moraines has become a well-established technique to reconstruct glacier chronologies. If topographic obstructions are present in the surroundings of sampling sites, CRE ages need to be corrected for topographic shielding. In recent years, geographical information system (GIS)-based approaches have been developed to compute shielding factors with elevation data, particularly two toolboxes for the ESRI ArcGIS software. So far, the output of the most recent toolbox (Li, 2018) has only been validated with a limited number of field-data-based shielding factors. Additionally, it has not been systematically evaluated how the spatial resolution of the input elevation data affects the output of the toolbox and whether a correction for vegetation leads to considerably more precise shielding factors. This paper addresses these issues by assessing the output of the toolbox with an extensive set of field-data-based shielding factors. Commonly used elevation data with different spatial resolutions were tested as input. To assess the impact of the different methods on CRE ages, ages of boulders with different 10Be concentrations at sites with varying topography and 10Be production rates were first recalculated with GIS-based shielding factors and then with field-data-based shielding factors. For sampling sites in forested low mountainous areas and in high Alpine settings, the shielding factors were independent of the spatial resolution of the input elevation data. Vegetation-corrected elevation data allowed more precise shielding factors to be computed for sites in a forested low mountainous area. In most cases, recalculating CRE ages of the same sampling sites with different shielding factors led to age shifts between 0 % and 2 %. Only one age changed by 5 %. It is shown that the use of elevation data with a very high resolution requires precise x and y coordinates of sampling sites and that there is otherwise a risk that small-scale objects in the vicinity of sampling sites will be misinterpreted as topographic barriers. Overall, the toolbox provides an interesting avenue for the determination of shielding factors. Together with the guidelines presented here, it should be more widely used.

Factors influencing informal trail conditions: Implications for management and research in Urban-Proximate parks and protected areas

With growing urban populations in close proximity to natural environments, recreation resource managers in parks and protected areas (PPAs) are increasingly confronted with challenges such as high levels of visitation and severe resource impacts. Additionally, urban-proximate PPAs, particularly informal trails in these areas, have received little research attention relative to more remote PPAs and formal trails. The formation of informal trail networks in urban-proximate PPAs can lead to extensive resource impacts such as loss of vegetation cover and soil erosion. Use-related, environmental, and managerial factors have been found to influence trail conditions and degradation on formal trails. We use a well-established rapid assessment field protocol and GIS-derived calculations to analyze informal trail conditions, and the factors influencing those conditions in a high alpine urban-proximate PPA. We find informal trail networks are extensive and that informal trails are influenced by use-related, environmental, and managerial factors in a similar fashion as formal trails. Additionally, results from predictor effect plots allow us to derive valuable management implications focused on where to concentrate use and minimize environmental impacts. Our study concludes with implications to further advance research related to informal trails, such as the need for sound sampling designs and the potential of trail research as a basis for further analysis on environmental susceptibility.

Genome Size in the Arenaria ciliata Species Complex (Caryophyllaceae), with Special Focus on A. ciliata subsp. bernensis, a Narrow Endemic of the Swiss Northern Alps.

The genus Arenaria (Caryophyllaceae) comprises approximately 300 species worldwide; however, to date, just six of these taxa have been investigated in terms of their genome size. The main subject of the present study is the A. ciliata species complex, with special focus on A. ciliata subsp. bernensis, an endemic plant occurring in the Swiss Northern Alps. Altogether, 16 populations and 77 individuals of the A. ciliata complex have been sampled and their genome sizes were estimated using flow cytometry, including A. ciliata subsp. bernensis, A. ciliata s.str., A. multicaulis, and A. gothica. The Arenaria ciliata subsp. bernensis shows the highest 2c-value of 6.91 pg of DNA, while A. gothica showed 2c = 3.69 pg, A. ciliata s.str. 2c = 1.71 pg, and A. multicaulis 2c = 1.57 pg. These results confirm the very high ploidy level of A. ciliata subsp. bernensis (2n = 20x = 200) compared to other taxa in the complex, as detected by our chromosome counting and previously documented by earlier work. The genome size and, thus, also the ploidy level, is stable across the whole distribution area of this taxon. The present study delivers additional support for the taxonomic distinctiveness of the high alpine endemic A. ciliata subsp. bernensis, which strongly aligns with other differences in morphology, phylogeny, phenology, ecology, and plant communities, described previously. In affirming these differences, further support now exists to re-consider the species status of this taxon. Upgrading to full species rank would significantly improve the conservation prospects for this taxon, as, because of its precise ecological adaptation to alpine summit habitats, the A. ciliata subsp. bernensis faces acute threats from accelerated climate warming.

A New Methodology for Rockfall Hazard Assessment in Rocky Slopes

This article presents an approach to rockfall hazard assessment for rocky slopes based on a previously published rockfall hazard methodology. The original method is appropriate to high alpine rocky slopes exposed to large scale deformations. It evaluates the parameters related to the geomechanical characterization of rock mass, indications of activity, external influences and event intensity. The original methodology was modified to consider different contexts, including geological, climatic and social environments. Parameters related to external influences were modified; the geometry and characteristics of the slope and the catchment area were introduced. The original methodology and the new proposal were applied to two urban slopes and one railway slope in order to test and compare the methods. The original proposal could not represent the rockfall conditions of these slopes. The new proposal was validated using two mine slopes, whose conditions of stability are known. The results of the analyses with the urban slope and the railway slope were coherent with the situation observed at the field. The validation in the mine slopes showed that this approach is applicable in several situations, being able to determine how hazardous a slope is in relation to rockfall events.

Oribatida in New Zealand alpine environments

New Zealand’s soil biota is diverse and unusual, and has high levels of species endemism. Soil microarthropods are the major (and least studied) part of NZ land fauna, yet changes in their biodiversity are often difficult to quantify, because the baseline data are lacking. Data on alpine fauna and flora are a priority in preserving NZ biological heritage, as they are vulnerable to range contraction and higher-altitude displacement due to climate warming. In this presentation we briefly summarize the gaps and challenges in our knowledge of NZ alpine invertebrate biodiversity. The patterns in diversity and community structure of soil Oribatida in the alpine zone vs. upland forests are discussed using spatially-explicit data from several alpine regions of the South Island. Focusing on environmental and spatial analysis, we answer several questions: 1) is alpine plant diversity a significant driver for oribatid species diversity in the high alpine, and if not, what is? 2) Did limited dispersal and habitat fragmentation during Pliocene mountain building and Pleistocene glaciation produce regionally unique alpine communities, or is the alpine fauna a generic depauperate fragment of communities below treeline? 3) What is the scale of species turnover patterns across the alpine landscape? There is also an interesting opportunity to compare oribatid communities of alpine New Zealand with those bearing similar ecophysiological challenges in the Northern Hemisphere.

Areal contraction, upward shift and habitat fragmentation in the cold-adapted ground beetle Nebria germarii Heer, 1837 in the Brenta Dolomites, Italy

Changes in the spatial distribution of cold-adapted species appear to be influenced by macro- and microclimatic parameters. A growing body of evidence shows that alpine taxa are highly sensitive to climate changes. Global warming drives many cold-adapted species northwards and upwards, as conditions in their current habitats become more favorable for thermophilic and xerophilic taxa. We investigated changes in the spatio-temporal distribution of the cold-adapted beetle, Nebria germarii Heer, 1837 (Coleoptera: Carabidae), in the Brenta Dolomites (Italian Alps) by comparing historical data from collections with data from recent surveys. Our purpose was to verify whether this species has experienced an altitudinal shift of its lower distributional limit, and hence a shrinking of its spatial distribution, as other authors have suggested for other massifs of the Dolomites. Over 90 years, the lower range limit of this species has shifted ca. 350 m upward, its areal distribution has been halved and fragmented, and it is now extinct in the high alpine grasslands because of climate driven changes. The upward shift seemed to have accelerated in the last decades, suggesting even more attention is required on the topic. Similar changes are, according to recent literature, documented in many other taxa, and might lead to local or global extinction of specialist taxa, especially endemics in mountain areas. Intensified research on this topic is essential to monitor, understand, and hopefully mitigate, the loss of biodiversity in the Alpine ecosystems. We encourage others to use our findings as a starting point for further research on the model species, Nebria germarii, and similar taxa.

Kinematics and geomorphological changes of a destabilising rock glacier captured from close-range sensing techniques (Tsarmine rock glacier, Western Swiss Alps)

Accurately assessing landform evolution and quantifying rapid environmental changes are gaining importance in the context of monitoring techniques in alpine environments. In the European Alps, glaciers and rock glaciers are among the most characteristic cryospheric components bearing long and systematic monitoring periods. The acceleration in rock glacier velocities and the onset of destabilization processes, mainly since 1990, have raised several concerns due to the potential effects on the high alpine natural and anthropic environments. This study presents a combination of uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) and terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) surveys for monitoring the current changes on the quickly accelerating, destabilised Tsarmine rock glacier in the Arolla Valley, Western Swiss Alps, delivering a considerable volume of debris to a steep torrential gully. High-resolution digital elevation models (DEMs) and orthomosaics are derived from UAV image series combined with structure from motion (SfM) photogrammetry techniques. Multitemporal orthomosaics are employed for measuring spatially continuous rock glacier kinematics using image matching algorithms. Superficial displacements are evaluated with simultaneousin-situdifferential global navigation satellite system (GNSS) measurements. Elevation and volume changes are computed from TLS and UAV-derived DEMs at similar periods. Between June 2017 and September 2019, both datasets showed a similar elevation change pattern and surface thinning rates of 0.15 ± 0.04 and 0.16 ± 0.03 m yr−1, respectively. Downward of a rupture zone developing about 150 m above the front, the rock glacier doubled its overall velocity during the study period, from around 5 m yr−1between October 2016 and June 2017 to more than 10 m yr−1between June and September 2019. The kinematic information reveals striking differences in the velocity between the lower and upper rock glacier sections. The monitoring approach based on close-sensing techniques provides accurate surface velocity and volume change information, allowing an enhanced description of the current rock glacier dynamics and its surface expression.

The Transboundary Approach to Landscape Geointerpretation: Challenges in Interpretive Planning and Geoconservation

The paper introduces the transboundary approach for landscape geointerpretation using a karst landscape (NW Dinaric Karst) as an example. It proposes geointerpretation that focuses on attractive geoheritage themes that are unique to a karst landscape, such as “duality” of the landscape (surface and underground landscape), geodiversity and geohistory of explorations. Four representative karst landscape types are presented in two neighbouring countries, Slovenia (SI) and Croatia (HR): low karst (Karst Plateau/SI), contact karst (UNESCO site Škocjan Caves/ SI), high alpine glacial karst (Gorski Kotar/HR) and coastal karst (Island of Krk/HR). The transboundary geointerpretation approach is based on an interpretive planning process, which was conducted through participatory workshops with local people and stakeholders and resulted in one interpretive master plan and four permanent exhibition plans. The key phenomena and themes for permanent exhibition plans were identified and used as the basis for the establishment of off-site karst interpretive centres and on-site polygons. The karst heritage was interpreted by using Freeman Tilden’s basic principles of interpretation. The presented approach and the interpretive infrastructure provide a good basis for further geoconservation projects, as well as for geopark designation. Its transferability and further geotourism applications are discussed.

Numbers of Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris) are increasing at high alpine and arctic breeding sites in Norway

Cover photo: Female Horned Lark Eremophila alpestris. Photo: Terje Lislevand. Strong declines in number of breeding Horned Larks Eremophila alpestris were reported from several Fennoscandian breeding grounds in the 1960s and 1970s. Counts from the species’ high alpine breeding grounds at Hardangervidda, southern Norway in the early 1980s and the first couple of decades in the 2000s, and from its arctic breeding grounds in the Varanger region, northern Norway in the period 1996-2021, show a reversal of the trend. The increase in numbers is suggested to have resulted primarily from recovery of nonbreeding habitat after cessation of extensive building of embankments to prevent flooding in the German Wadden Sea area, which is the main wintering area of Fennoscandian Horned Larks.

Developmental Transcriptome Analysis of Red-Spotted Apollo Butterfly, Parnassius bremeri.

Parnassius bremeri (P. bremeri), a member of the genus Snow Apollo in the swallowtail family (Papilionidae), is a high alpine butterfly that lives in Russia, Korea, and China. It is an endangered wildlife (Class I) in South Korea and is a globally endangered species. The lack of transcriptomic and genomic resources of P. bremeri significantly hinders the study of its population genetics and conservation. The detailed information of the developmental stage-specific gene expression patterns of P. bremeri is of great demand for its conservation. However, the molecular mechanism underlying the metamorphic development of P. bremeri is still unknown. In the present study, the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) across the metamorphic developmental stages were compared using high-throughput transcriptome sequencing. We identified a total of 72,161 DEGs from eight comparisons. GO enrichment analysis showed that a range of DEGs were responsible for cuticle development and the melanin biosynthetic pathway during larval development. Pathway analysis suggested that the signaling pathways, such as the Wnt signaling pathway, hedgehog signaling pathway and Notch signaling pathway, are regulated during the developmental stages of P. bremeri. Furthermore, sensory receptors were also activated, especially during the larval to adult transition stage. Collectively, the results of this study provide a preliminary foundation and understanding of the molecular mechanism in their transcriptomes for further research on the metamorphic development of P. bremeri.

Description of the female of Platycheirus altomontis Merlin & Nielsen in Nielsen, 2004 (Diptera, Syrphidae) with notes on the occurrence and hilltopping behaviour of rare French montane and Alpine Syrphidae

A focused search in very high (2500–3200 m asl) Alpine mountain tops in France resulted in the discovery of the very rare Alpine-endemic syrphid Platycheirus altomontis Merlin & Nielsen in Nielsen, 2004, including its hitherto unknown female. A description of the female is given and further complemented with behavioural observations of this species with special reference to hilltopping. Additional records and behavioural observations are provided for rare and new species for the French fauna from the montane and Alpine habitat with focus on species of high altitude (>2750 m) and hilltopping behaviour. The species Rohdendorfia alpina Sack 1938 is new to France and was observed in large numbers at scree slopes above 2750 m and males were found sitting at hilltops up to 3200 m. Hilltopping behaviour of Syrphidae was observed over the whole altitudinal range visited, and multiple species engaged in this behaviour even at above 3000 m. Hilltopping appears to be more common in some genera (e.g. Parasyrphus and Pipizella) than in others and may be linked to specific phenotypes in some species. The latter was observed for the species Cheilosia melanura (Becker, 1894) of which at high hilltops much smaller males were found than at lower altitudes.