Highland Regions Research Articles

Land use, management and climate effects on runoff and soil loss responses in the highlands of Ethiopia

Soil erosion by water is a major cause of land degradation in the highlands of Ethiopia and anywhere else in the world, but its magnitude and variability are rarely documented across land uses and climatological conditions. The purpose of this study was to examine runoff and soil loss responses under cropland (CL) and grazing land (GL) management practices in three climatic regions of the Ethiopian highlands: semi-arid (Mayleba), dry sub-humid (Gumara), and humid (Guder). We measured runoff and soil loss using runoff plots with and without soil and water conservation (SWC) measures (trenches, stone/soil bunds [embankments] with trenches on the upslope side, and exclosure) during the rainy season (July–September). The results revealed significant variation in runoff and soil loss amounts across land uses, SWC measures, and climatic regions. At Mayleba, seasonal runoff and soil loss in control plot were far higher from GL (280 mm, 26.5 t ha−1) than from CL (108 mm, 7.0 t ha−1) largely due to lack of protective vegetation cover and soil disruption because of intense grazing. In contrast, at Gumara and Guder, seasonal soil loss values were much higher from CL (21.4–71.2 t ha−1) than from GL (0.6–24.2 t ha−1) irrespective of runoff values. This was attributed to the excessive tillage/weeding operations involved in cultivation of teff (cereal crop) at Gumara and potato at Guder. Although SWC measures (practices) substantially reduced runoff and soil loss (decreased by 23%–86%) relative to control plot, seasonal soil loss under GL uses with trenches at Mayleba (12.6 t ha−1), CL with soil bunds and trenches at Gumara (22.1 t ha−1), and Guder (21.4 t ha−1) remained higher than the average tolerable soil loss rate (10 t ha−1 year−1) proposed for the Ethiopian highlands. This suggests that SWC measures should be carefully designed and evaluated specific to land use and climatic conditions. Overall, the results of this study can help improve SWC planning in regions where land use and climate impact on soil erosion vary across geographical areas, as they do in Ethiopia and anywhere else. However, further investigation is crucial with replication of measurements over years and locations to provide more accurate information on land use, management and climate controls on hydrological and soil erosion processes.

Fire regime of peatlands in the Angolan Highlands.

The Angolan Highlands region includes the Angolan miombo woodland ecoregion which supports miombo woodland, grasslands, subsistence agricultural land, and peatland deposits. Extensive fires, slash and burn agriculture, peat fuel extraction, and peatland drainage are among the anthropogenic practices that threaten these peatland deposits. Peat fires cause peatland degradation, release significant amounts of greenhouse gases, deteriorate air quality, and contribute towards climate change and biodiversity loss. This study presents an analysis of the fire regimes over the period 2001 to 2020 in an under-studied area of the Angolan Highlands. Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) fire and vegetation data were used in combination with a land use/land cover (LULC) classification map to calculate fire frequency, burn area, and fire regimes. The fire patterns within the study site are comparable to those found in African woodland savannas. Across the study site, 6976 km2 (11.31%) of the land surface area burned at least nine times from 2001 to 2020, occurring largely within in the river valley environment. Considering the different LULC classes, peatlands were calculated to (a) burn more frequently (average fire frequency from 2001 to 2020 = 9.12), (b) have the smallest proportion (4.11%) of area which remained unburnt over the fire archive, and (c) have the largest average proportion (45.65% or 746 km2) of burnt area per year. Peatland burning occurred predominantly during drier months from May to September. The results of this study highlight the strong influence of LULC on the fire frequency and distribution in the study area, requiring unique fire management strategies. As has been documented for boreal and tropical peatlands across the globe, we stress the importance of peatland conservation and protection; continued unsustainable management practices may lead to the loss of these important peatland deposits.

Allele-specific Expression Reveals Multiple Paths to Highland Adaptation in Maize.

Maize is a staple food of smallholder farmers living in highland regions up to 4,000 m above sea level worldwide. Mexican and South American highlands are two major highland maize growing regions, and population genetic data suggest the maize's adaptation to these regions occurred largely independently, providing a case study for convergent evolution. To better understand the mechanistic basis of highland adaptation, we crossed maize landraces from 108 highland and lowland sites of Mexico and South America with the inbred line B73 to produce F1 hybrids and grew them in both highland and lowland sites in Mexico. We identified thousands of genes with divergent expression between highland and lowland populations. Hundreds of these genes show patterns of convergent evolution between Mexico and South America. To dissect the genetic architecture of the divergent gene expression, we developed a novel allele-specific expression analysis pipeline to detect genes with divergent functional cis-regulatory variation between highland and lowland populations. We identified hundreds of genes with divergent cis-regulation between highland and lowland landrace alleles, with 20 in common between regions, further suggesting convergence in the genes underlying highland adaptation. Further analyses suggest multiple mechanisms contribute to this convergence in gene regulation. Although the vast majority of evolutionary changes associated with highland adaptation were region specific, our findings highlight an important role for convergence at the gene expression and gene regulation levels as well.

Impacts of climate disasters on women and food security in Bolivia

Throughout Bolivia, the vulnerability of women and men to the impact of climate disasters is unequal owing to regional and gender-related differences. Given the diversity of the Bolivian landscape, we analyze a scenario in which specific regional damage occurs in different economic sectors owing to adverse climatic events. Therefore, using a gendered macro–micro model, we present an ex-post analysis of climate disaster-induced damages to food security and women's food poverty that occurred between 2013 and 2014. The simulation reveals negative impacts on the Bolivian economy, particularly on agriculture. Food availability is reduced, food prices increase, and the household's economic capacity to access food decreases. Consequently, food insecurity and poverty worsen, with female-headed households bearing the brunt of the burden. Furthermore, the findings demonstrate a negative impact on employment and increased domestic burdens, particularly among women in the highlands. These results suggest the importance of gender mainstreaming in climate disaster analysis and prevention policies. • This study examines gender gaps and food security in a climate disaster context. • Local food availability is reduced resulting in increased agricultural imports. • Employment falls and domestic burdens increase, affecting welfare and food access. • Food poverty increases, with women in the highland region being the hardest hit. • Gender must be integrated into climate disaster analysis and prevention policies.

Yield Stability of East African Highland Cooking Banana ‘Matooke’ Hybrids

East African banana (Musa sp.) breeding efforts have focused mainly on enhancing ‘Matooke’ productivity through the development of high-yielding, pathogen-resistant cultivars with adequate stability to contribute to regional food security. Before a breeding program can recommend promising cultivars for release, they must pass the sensory screens; be evaluated in the target population environments; and the data analyzed for yield, adaptability, and stability. Twenty-four primary and secondary triploid hybrids [NARITA (N)] derived from ‘Matooke’ bananas, six triploid local ‘Matooke’ cultivars, and one exotic cultivar were evaluated for their yield, adaptability, and stability across the East African region at three highland sites in Uganda’s western and central regions, as well as at three sites in Tanzania’s northeastern and southern highlands regions, from 2016–19. A randomized complete block design with four replicates was used for multisite trials. The mixed-model restricted maximum likelihood/best linear unbiased prediction approach, along with additive main effect multiplicative interaction model biplots, were used to dissect and visualize genotype-by-environment patterns. Following the likelihood ratio test, both genotype and interaction effects were highly significant, confirming the influence of genotype and site heterogeneity for selecting specific and broadly adapted cultivars. N23 had the greatest yield across all sites associated with adaptability and stability, outperforming the overall mean yield of all genotypes by 34.2%. In Tanzania, N27 (second), N7 (third), N18 (fourth), N4 (fifth), N12 (sixth), and N13 (seventh); and in Uganda, N17 (second), N18 (third), N2 (fourth), N8 (fifth), N13 (sixth), N12 (seventh), N4 (eighth), and N24 (ninth) demonstrated good adaptability and stability, as well as high yield. Furthermore, the fungal pathogen Pseudocercospora fijiensis had no significant effect (P > 0.05) on yield, stability, and adaptability of the hybrids. As a result, they can be introduced into areas where black leaf streak constrains banana production significantly and threatens farmers’ livelihoods. The average site yield potential ranged from 9.7 to 24.3 t⋅ha–1 per year. The best discriminating sites for testing breeding clones were Lyamungo in Tanzania and Sendusu in Uganda. Hence, these testing sites are recommended as ideal examples of locations for selecting superior genotypes.

Microevolutionary mechanism of high-altitude adaptation in Tibetan chicken populations from an elevation gradient.

As an indigenous breed, the Tibetan chicken is found in highland regions and shows physiological adaptations to high altitude; however, the genetic changes that determine these adaptations remain elusive. We assumed that the microevolution of the Tibetan chicken occurred from lowland to highland regions with a continuous elevation range. In this study, we analyzed the genome of 188 chickens from lowland areas to the high-altitude regions of the Tibetan plateau with four altitudinal levels. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that Tibetan chickens are significantly different from other altitude chicken populations. Reconstruction of the demographic history showed that the migration and admixture events of the Tibetan chicken occurred at different times. The genome of the Tibetan chicken was also used to analyze positive selection pressure that is associated with high-altitude adaptation, revealing the well-known candidate gene that participates in oxygen binding (HBAD), as well as other novel potential genes (e.g., HRG and ANK2) that are related to blood coagulation and cardiovascular efficiency. Our study provides novel insights regarding the evolutionary history and microevolution mechanisms of the high-altitude adaptation in the Tibetan chicken.

Situation and the need of specialist surgeons working in provincial and district hospitals by ecological regions throughout Vietnam

Abstract Introduction: Surgical pathologies account for 28-32% of the global disease burden, however human resource in surgery (surgical workforce) is still not good enough. The study aimed to describe the current situation and the need of specialist surgeons for working in provincial and district hospitals by representation of ecological regions (ecoregions). Patients and methods: A cross-sectional study has conducted in 7 provinces/cities with 27 hospitals. Results: The current number of surgeons was mostly distributed for the Coastal and Southern Central regions accounted for 23.3%; in Red River Delta was 22.3%. The need for surgeons for the Central Coast and South-Central region (30.6%) was the highest, but its lowest in the Central Highlands region for 2025. The distribution of surgical workforce according to the hospital classification categories showed that the surgeons commonly work in provincial level (81.1%). The need for surgeons for provincial hospitals was the highest as 78.4%. Conclusion: The distribution of surgical workforce was unbalanced among ecoregions, especially there was a shortage of specialist surgeons such as neurosurgeons, cardiovascular and pediatric surgeons. It is recommended to support in-depth training in professional knowledge and skills and prioritize short-term, more practical types. Keywords: Human resource situation, human resource needs, demand for doctors, surgeons

Pyrethrum marc rates and intra-row spacing influence on selected soil chemical parameters and yield of bush bean (Phaseolus Vulgaris L.) grown on andosol under rainfed conditions

Bush bean is an important pulse crop that enriches the Rwandan diet and is a source of cash. This staple crop is widely grown in Rwanda. However, the improper spacing and inadequate application rates of organic inputs result in low yields. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of intra-row-spacing and pymarc application rate on selected soil chemical parameters and bush bean (Phaseolus Vulgaris L) yield on andosol under rainfed conditions. The experiment included five pymarc rates with four replications in a randomized complete block design: P0(No fertilizer), P1(250 kg ha-1 of NPK), P2(10 t ha-1 of pymarc + 250 Kg ha-1 of NPK), P3(15 t ha-1 of pymarc + 250 Kg ha-1 of NPK) and P4(20 t ha-1 of pymarc + 250 Kg ha-1 of NPK) and 3 spacing levels: S1(40 cm x 15 cm), S2(40 cm x 20 cm) and S3(40 cm x 30 cm). The results indicated that a significant difference was found between treatments and their interactions except for pH (p<0.05). Regarding pymarc treatments, P4 contained greater amounts of organic C(5.30 %), total N(0.30 %), available P(56.70 ppm), available K(81.30 mg dm-3), exchangeable Ca(12.61 Cmol Kg-1) and Mg(5.0 Cmol Kg-1) at harvesting compared to P0 and P1. According to plant spacing, S3 held higher amounts of OC(4.85 %), av. P(55.15 %), av. K(60.94 mg dm-3), exch. Ca(11.0 Cmol Kg-1) and exch. Mg(3.6 Cmol Kg-1) than S1. There was an interaction effect of pymarc and spacing on measured soil chemical properties except for soil pH. The correlation analysis between nutrients was positive, highly significant (p<0.01), and varied from moderate to strong (0.4<r<0.7 and r>0.7) except pH. The treatment with the highest bush bean yield was P2S1 with 3.03 t ha-1 and therefore it can be recommended to bush bean farmers of the volcanic highland region.

Radar Backscatter and Emissivity Models of Proposed Pyroclastic Density Current Deposits on Venus

AbstractMagellan synthetic aperture radar observations of Venus revealed a small number of deposits in the highland regions that were suggested to have formed from pyroclastic density currents. Studying these deposits is useful for understanding the nature of pyroclastic activity and eruptive history on Venus. The proposed pyroclastic deposits occupy the uppermost unit in local stratigraphy and are found near exceptionally high reflectivity (∼0.6) units in the highlands. Their radar properties include high copolarized backscatter (∼−8 to −15 dB) and moderate emissivity values (∼0.70–0.88) in the 12.6 cm wavelength Magellan data acquired at incidence angles between ∼15° and 45°. We aim to characterize the structure of these deposits by modeling the observed backscatter and emissivity as a function of different physical and dielectric properties and shallow subsurface stratigraphy. Three different physical scenarios focusing on three different scattering mechanisms—surface scattering, subsurface scattering from buried dielectric horizons, and volume scattering from buried, distributed scatterers—are considered. By comparing the model results to Magellan observations, we narrow down likely pyroclastic deposit structures. We show that the deposits are likely analogous to dense, welded ignimbrites with high surface roughness. We also investigate other possible but less likely scenarios of a thin, low‐density, low‐loss mantling pyroclastic deposit on top of high reflectivity units and a thick, low‐density, low‐loss deposit with ∼5–10 volume % of scatterers of sub‐wavelength size. Future multiwavelength, multipolarization radar observations from VERITAS and EnVision may enable unambiguous characterization of these deposits.

Ecology of testate amoebae in waterbodies of the Central Highlands and South-Central Coast provinces of Vietnam with the description of new species Difflugia quangtrani sp. nov.

This study provides new data on ecology of testate amoebae in the waterbodies of the Central Highlands and South-Central Coast regions of Vietnam. A total of 108 species and subspecies including six new records for Vietnam were identified. One new species Difflugia quangtrani sp. nov. was described. Difflugia, Arcella, and Centropyxis were the most species-rich genera, and Centropyxis aculeata was the most common species. The results of NMDS and ANOSIM analyses for the first time showed significant differences in composition of tropical freshwater testate amoeba communities within both various types of waterbodies (reservoir, river, and wetland) and biotopes (plankton and benthos). Average species richness per sample in different types of waterbodies was similar, while that of plankton was statistically higher than in benthos. The distance decay of similarity in tropical freshwater testate amoeba community of both plankton and benthos was observed for the first time indicating the importance of geographical distance in testacean species composition changes between samples. Redundancy analyses followed by the forward selection have determined elevation, pH, and dissolved oxygen as significant factors that affect tropical freshwater testacean community. More large-scale climatic and small-scale hydrological and hydrochemical variables should be included into further studies to find out most important factors determining structure of freshwater testacean assemblages.

The spatio-temporal dynamics of infant mortality in Ecuador from 2010 to 2019

The infant mortality rate (IMR) is still a key indicator in a middle-income country such as Ecuador where a slightly increase up to 11.75 deaths per thousand life births has been observed in 2019. The purpose of this study is to propose and apply a prioritization method that combines clusters detection (Local Indicators of Spatial Association, LISA) and a monotonic statistic depicting time trend over 10 years (Mann–Kendall) at municipal level. Annual national databases (2010 to 2019) of live births and general deaths are downloaded from National Institute of Statistics and Censuses (INEC). The results allow identifying a slight increase in the IMR at the national level from 9.85‰ in 2014 to 11.75‰ in 2019, neonatal mortality accounted for 60% of the IMR in the last year. The LISA analysis allowed observing that the high-high clusters are mainly concentrated in the central highlands. At the local level, Piñas, Cuenca, Ibarra and Babahoyo registered the highest growth trends (0.7,1). The combination of techniques made it possible to identify eight priority counties, half of them pertaining to the highlands region, two to the coastal region and two to the Amazon region. To keep infant mortality at a low level is necessary to prioritize critical areas where public allocation of funds should be concentrated and formulation of policies.

Aprovechamiento integral del “agrillo” (Rhus aromatica) como una alternativa de sustentabilidad regional

This paper is the result of the research carried out in the city of Arandas, Jalisco, in order to determine the potential of the "agrillo" plant fruit (Rhus aromatica) in the elaboration of different food products and their distribution; to know the physical and food characteristics that allow a better valuation of the fruit in the food industry; to identify its life cycle, as well as exploitation opportunities in the Jalisco Highlands Region and its potential market. The "agrillo" is a fruit that can be consumed in a variety of food products, has potential in herbalism and medicine, and even as refreshing drinks and liquors, if the corresponding care is taken for the processing of the fruit. The proposal for new agricultural products is a relevant aspect from the economic, political, and social point of view; for this reason, all existing alternatives must be examined to help the state's economy and regional sustainability. The method implemented in this research was of a qualitative nature, in which the characteristics of the "agrillo", the interrelation between them and other secondary aspects that include the uses and acceptance were studied. The results showed that it is a wild species, and its fruit is collected in the hills of the region in during early spring or early autumn, each plant has an annual harvest and the production process is slow; the uses of the plant are diverse, highlighting the areas of food, herbalism, medicinal and grazing; among the organoleptic properties is distinguished the taste of acid, pungent and harsh acidity in the sense of smell and taste. The "agrillo" is a fruit that has marketing potential for the characteristics and properties it contains, added to the expectations of the market, due to the product differentiation, its originality causes acceptance to both potential and non-potential customers, trusting that in the future they will be able to buy this fruit in the places of preference. In the economic aspect, the kiloram of "agrillo" reaches $250.00 to $300.00 Mexican pesos (12.50-15.00 USD), which can be considered as a sustainable alternative of production in the region, the Rhus plant is a support in the maintenance of the soil, its leaves serve as fertilizer and become organic fertilizer for the same plant.

Investigating assembly timing of Ediacaran Serra dos Órgãos batholith – Hints on prolonged magmatism at Ribeira belt, SE Brazil

The Pan-African/Brasiliano orogeny, result of the West-Gondwana assembly from the Neoproterozoic to Ordovician, had produced the Ribeira and Araçuaí belts at the edges of the São Francisco and Congo cratonic margins. In the central Ribeira belt, the docking of accretionary systems to the reworked continental margin of the São Francisco paleoplate culminated in a complex Ediacaran granite production event. Syn-to late-collisional I- and S-type granites and hybrid granitoids intruded the reworked margins and accreted continental masses, as well as the Tonian to Ediacaran juvenile magmatic arcs represented by the Serra da Prata and Rio Negro Complexes. The Serra dos Órgãos batholith is the main intrusion emplaced at the juvenile crust, forming an elongated NE-SW trending tabular body that crops out in the highland region of Rio de Janeiro State, Southeast Brazil. Geochemical and geochronological data in addition to field and petrological evidence was gathered to explore the assembly timing of the SOB granitic end-member. Zircon U–Pb SHRIMP and LA-ICP-MS geochronological data yield a prolonged emplacement timelapse for the studied granites and, along with published U–Pb ages of the SOB granodioritic end-member, enable the characterization of the Serra dos Órgãos as a composite batholith. The wide time interval of heat input inside intermediate crust is consistent with a prolonged, slow-cooling hot orogenic belt model for the Araçuaí-Ribeira Orogenic System.

Gut Microbiota Profiles in Dairy Cattle from Highland and Coastal Regions Using Shotgun Metagenomic Approach.

There is significant difference in milk production of highland and coastal regions in Indonesia of which the latter is critically low. The recent studies indicate a possibility of improving the milk yield and quality by manipulating the gut microbiota, for which profiling and abundance of gut microbiota in these divergent regions need to be addressed. The present study was the first of its kind to explore the dairy cattle gut microbiota diversity, abundance, and functional annotation of the two divergent Indonesian regions, the highland and coastal regions, by shotgun metagenomic approach. Unfavorable environmental conditions such as type of forage grass in coastal regions and high temperature remain a limiting factor; however, the improvement through manipulating the gut microbiota was not considered until recently to improve the quality and quantity of coastal region dairy cattle. The application of recent advance technologies can help achieve this goal on sustainable basis. The results show Bacteroidetes in higher abundance in coastal region (FPP) than in highland (Salatiga) while Firmicutes were higher in Salatiga. Furthermore, a collective physiology of the community was found by annotating the sequences against KEGG, eggNOG, and CAZy databases. To identify the role in pathways, an mPATH analysis was performed to have insight into the microbiota community in different metabolic pathways. The identified targets can be used as prebiotic and/or probiotic to improve the average milk yield of coastal region dairy cattle by manipulating the dairy feed with desired microbes.

Integrative Taxonomy Reveals a New Cryptic Species of <i>Xenopeltis</i> Gray, 1831 (Ophidia: Macrostomata: Pythonoidea: Xenopeltidae) from Central Highlands, Vietnam

Herein, we describe a new cryptic snake species of the genus Xenopeltis from Central Highlands of Vietnam: Kon Plông District, Kon Tum Province based both on morphological and molecular data. Xenopeltis intermedius sp. nov. is distinguished from the two known species by a combination of the following morphological characters. Xenopeltis intermedius sp. nov. differs from X. unicolor and X. hainanensis by the number of ventrals and subcaudals. The skull is less elongated than in X. unicolor and somewhat more elongate than in X. hainanensis. X. intermedius demonstrates differences in size, shape proportions and relief of the parietal bone and the number of teeth from X. hainanensis and X. unicolor. We provide a COI-based estimation of diversity of the genus Xenopeltis. Genetic divergence (p-distance) between Xenopeltis sp. nov. from Kon Tum Province, Central Highlands region of Vietnam, and two other congeners was 5.7% (for X. hainanensis) and 12.9% (for X. unicolor). The new species is currently known only from one locality from Central Highland and was recorded from 1500 to 2500 m a.s.l. in the evergreen polydominant forests in the mountainous regions of Kon Tum Province. This is the third species of Xenopeltis from Vietnam.

The meanings, changes, and challenges of the Grandmother’s house in Mosuo vernacular dwellings in Northwest Yunnan

This study investigates the Mosuo culture identity and transitions in the context of contemporary China. The Mosuo people are a small ethnic group who live in the highland regions close to the border with Tibet. At the center of values and architectural forms of Mosuo dwellings, the Grandmother’s house is explored in this study to see how identity is expressed through spatial organization, from houses, ornamentation, furniture, and furnishings to daily activities, life cycle events, and rituals. In April 2017, data was collected through ethnographical observations and interviews with 23 family members from five Mosuo households on their perceptions of the Grandmother’s house. Drawings were also used as a method to understand and analyze interior and architectural features of the Grandmother’s house. Elements of the Grandmother’s house that are meaningful and preserved include the female and male columns, low doors, hearths, Zambala, Guozhuang stone and Situo, the back room, and wood shingle roof. These elements constitute a “constant” in the construction of a Grandmother’s house and serve to promote the continuity and consistency inherent in traditional Mosuo dwelling, embodying Mosuo culture and values in the built form. The methods and findings presented in this paper aim to provide a comprehensive study/investigation of the Grandmother’s house and its spatial evolution, and to start a debate on the fate of this building.

A Photographic Essay on Landslides Across Southeastern New South Wales Triggered by the Rainfull Events of 2022

Eastern Australia has experienced a significant magnitude rainfall event of extended duration in the first 7 months of 2022. Across the east coast of New South Wales (NSW) a series of troughs and East Coast Lows occurred during a La Nina weather cycle bringing above average rainfall to the region. As this first half of 2022 La Nina event was drawing to a close the Indian Ocean Dipole entered a negative phase which coincided with another intense East Coast Low in early July 2022 impacting the Illawarra region of NSW. These events caused widespread flooding and significant landslide damage to road and rail infrastructure across the state networks and local government infrastructure across NSW. During this extended wet period in the first 7 months of 2022 more than 200 landslides have been recorded across the Illawarra, Southern Highlands and Blue Mountains regions of NSW whilst many more have occurred across the north coast region. This paper presents a brief and albeit preliminary summary of the rainfall and provides a series of photographs with very brief descriptions of some of these landslide events within southeastern NSW. The intent of the paper is to provide early guidance to AGS members of the nature and form of landslides that have occurred across the Illawarra region. This paper does not discuss the dual fatality resulting from the Wentworth Falls area rockfall of the 5th April.

Porcine Cysticercosis Sero-prevalence and Factors Associated with its Occurrence in Southern Highlands, Tanzania

Porcine cysticercosis is endemic in Tanzania, especially in the Southern Highlands, Central areas and Northern Highlands regions of the country. It is a condition that reduces pork quality and suitability for human consumption and hence affecting public health and the pig industry. The prevalence and possible associated factors for porcine cysticercosis occurrence were investigated to assist in the planning for sustainable control measures. This study was conducted in three wards of Iringa region, southern Tanzania. A blood sample was collected from 346 pigs in 88 households and analysed using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), to detect Taenia solium antigens (Ag). A questionnaire administered to farmers and an observational checklist tool assisted the researcher in collecting household information on pig management, sanitation and hygiene practices. On average, 22.3±3.44 per cent of pigs was seropositive for porcine cysticercosis in the three wards, and 53.4 per cent of the surveyed households had at least one seropositive pig. Statistically, porcine cysticercosis was associated with the scavenging pig rearing method (OR=2.426; p≤0.05) and poor quality pig housing (OR=1.75; p≤0.05). This means that scavenging pigs and those living in poor-quality pens had two times higher chances of being infected. Having more than half studied pig units with positive case(s) indicates limited inputs in pig feeding and sheltering thus exposing them to infection vulnerability. The poor-quality pens allowed pigs to escape and/or scavenge on T. solium eggs contaminated environment. Training and sensitising on improved pig management using locally available resources is essential. Also emphasising regular latrine use, hygiene and sanitation practices can support control.

Occurrence of the Fusarium incarnatum-equiseti Species Complex Causing Fusarium Head Blight of Wheat in Mexico.

Fusarium head blight (FHB) is one of the most important diseases affecting wheat production worldwide. In Mexico, Fusarium boothii and F. avenaceum are the dominant species causing FHB of wheat (Cerón-Bustamante et al. 2018). During the 2017 to 2019 surveys, FHB symptoms were observed in wheat fields in the Highlands region of Mexico. Symptomatic spike samples were collected from 19 wheat fields in five states (Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, Puebla, Estado de México, and Morelos). Fusarium-like colonies were consistently isolated on potato dextrose agar (PDA) and 95 monoconidial isolates were obtained. Morphological features of seven isolates were consistent with the description of the Fusarium incarnatum-equiseti species complex (Xia et al. 2019). On PDA, colonies exhibited white and fluffy aerial mycelia, with diffused pink pigment on the reverse side after 7 days of incubation at 25℃. On carnation leaf agar (CLA), macroconidia (n = 100) were hyaline, falcate, with 3 to 6 septa, measuring 25.2 to 43.1 × 2.8 to 5.1 μm, and foot-shaped basal cell. Chlamydospores were ellipsoidal or subglobose and produced in chains. These seven isolates were selected for multilocus phylogenetic analysis and pathogenicity tests. Isolates were deposited in the Culture Collection of Phytopathogenic Fungi of the Department of Agricultural Parasitology at the Chapingo Autonomous University under acc. nos. UACH428 to UACH434. For molecular identification, genomic DNA was extracted, and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, partial sequences of translation elongation factor 1-alpha (EF1-α) and the second largest subunit of RNA polymerase II (RPB2) genes were amplified, and sequenced with the primer sets ITS5/ITS4 (White et al. 1990), EF1-728F/EF1-986R (Carbone and Kohn 1999), and RBP2-5F/RPB2-7R (Liu et al. 1999), respectively. A phylogenetic tree, including published ITS, EF1-α, and RPB2 sequence data, was constructed for the Fusarium incarnatum-equiseti species complex (FIESC) based on Maximum Likelihood. Three species of the FIESC were identified into F. pernambucanum (five isolates), F. sulawesiense (one isolate), and F. clavum (one isolate). The sequences were deposited in GenBank with accession nos. OL347713 to OL347719 for ITS, OL365078 to OL365084 for EF1-α, and OL365072 to OL365077 for RPB2. The pathogenicity of the isolates was confirmed on wheat cv. Nana F2007 at the flowering stage in a glasshouse assay. The heads of 20 wheat plants were sprayed with a conidial suspension (1 × 105 spores/ml) of each isolate. Ten plants mock-inoculated with sterilized water served as the controls. All plants were placed in a moist chamber for 48 h. At 10 days after inoculation, typical FHB symptoms were visible on the inoculated plants, whereas the control plants remained asymptomatic. The pathogenicity test was repeated twice with similar results. The fungi were reisolated from the infected heads and found to be morphologically identical to the isolates used for inoculation, fulfilling Koch's postulates. Previously, three isolates of Fusarium sp. belonging to the FIESC, were associated with FHB of wheat in Mexico (Cerón-Bustamante et al. 2018); however, this is the first report of F. pernambucanum, F. sulawesiense, and F. clavum causing FHB of wheat in Mexico and worldwide (Farr and Rossman 2021). Further studies should be focused on determining the distribution, prevalence, and toxigenic potential of the isolates of the FIESC associated with wheat diseases in Mexico.

Spatio-temporal vegetation cover analysis to determine climate change in Papua New Guinea

PurposeThe climate change and related impacts are experienced around the world. There arise different triggering factors to climate change and impact. The purpose of this study is to figure out how changes in vegetation cover may or may not have an impact to climate change. The research will produce ideas for vegetation preservation and replant.Design/methodology/approachThe investigation was probed for 34 years’ time period starting from the year 1981 to 2015. After testing and checking for serial autocorrelation in the vegetation data series, Mann–Kendal nonparametric statistical evaluation was carried out to investigate vegetation cover trends. Sen’s method was deployed to investigate the magnitude of vegetation cover change in natural differential vegetation index (NDVI) unit per year. Furthermore, the ArcGIS spatial analysis tools were used for the calculation of mean NDVI distribution and also for carrying out the spatial investigation of trends at each specific location within the study region.FindingsThe yearly mean NDVI during the study period was observed to have a decreasing trend. The mean NDVI value ranges between 0.32 and 0.98 NDVI unit, and hence, this means from less or poor vegetated zones to higher or healthier vegetated zones. The mean NDVI value was seen decreasing toward the highlands regions. The NDVI-rainfall correlation was observed to be stronger than the NDVI-temperature correlation. The % area coverage of NDVI-rainfall positive correlation was higher than the negative correlation. The % area coverage of NDVI-temperature negative correlation was higher than the positive correlation within the study region. Rainfall is seen as a highly influencing climatic factor for vegetation growth than the temperature within the study region.Originality/valueThis study in this country is a new approach for climate change monitoring and planning for the survival of the people of Papua New Guinea, especially for the farmer and those who is living in the coastal area.