Highland Regions Research Articles

An elevational shift facilitated the Mesoamerican diversification of Azure-hooded Jays (Cyanolyca cucullata) during the Great American Biotic Interchange.

The Great American Biotic Interchange (GABI) was a key biogeographic event in the history of the Americas. The rising of the Panamanian land bridge ended the isolation of South America and ushered in a period of dispersal, mass extinction, and new community assemblages, which sparked competition, adaptation, and speciation. Diversification across many bird groups, and the elevational zonation of others, ties back to events triggered by the GABI. But the exact timing of these events is still being revealed, with recent studies suggesting a much earlier time window for faunal exchange, perhaps as early as 20 million years ago (Mya). Using a time-calibrated phylogenetic tree, we show that the jay genus Cyanolyca is emblematic of bird dispersal trends, with an early, pre-land bridge dispersal from Mesoamerica to South America 6.3-7.3 Mya, followed by a back-colonization of C. cucullata to Mesoamerica 2.3-4.8 Mya, likely after the land bridge was complete. As Cyanolyca species came into contact in Mesoamerica, they avoided competition due to a prior shift to lower elevation in the ancestor of C. cucullata. This shift allowed C. cucullata to integrate itself into the Mesoamerican highland avifauna, which our time-calibrated phylogeny suggests was already populated by higher-elevation, congeneric dwarf-jays (C. argentigula, C. pumilo, C. mirabilis, and C. nanus). The outcome of these events and fortuitous elevational zonation was that C. cucullata could continue colonizing new highland areas farther north during the Pleistocene. Resultingly, four C. cucullata lineages became isolated in allopatric, highland regions from Panama to Mexico, diverging in genetics, morphology, plumage, and vocalizations. At least two of these lineages are best described as species (C. mitrata and C. cucullata). Continued study will further document the influence of the GABI and help clarify how dispersal and vicariance shaped modern-day species assemblages in the Americas.

Understanding the Challenges of Hydrological Analysis at Bridge Collapse Sites

There is a crucial need for modeling hydrological extremes in order to optimize hydraulic system safety. It is often perceived that the best-fitted distribution accurately captures the intricacies of the hydrological extremes, particularly for the least disturbed watersheds. Thirty collapse sites with the least disturbed watersheds within the Appalachian Highland region in the U.S. are identified and used to test this perception. Goodness-of-fit tests, time series analysis, and comparison of predictor variables are carried out to find out the best-fitted distribution, identify trends and seasonal variation, and assess site variability. The study results are found to be inconclusive and sometimes contradictory; sometimes even complex distribution models do not provide better results. For most sites, the historic peak flow data are best-fitted with multiple distributions, including heavy and light tails. For monthly flow data, seasonal variation and trend cannot be categorized since no definitive, distinct tendency can be identified. When comparing sites best-fitted with a single distribution to sites best-fitted with multiple distributions, significant differences in certain geospatial characteristics are identified. However, these characteristics at the watershed scale are claimed to be less important in predicting the behavior of a flood event. All of these results capture the difficulties and inconsistencies in interpreting the results of hydrologic analysis, potentially reducing the robustness of the hydrologic tools used in the design and risk assessment of bridges.

Imagined futures in the context of the energy transition: A case study from the Central Highlands Region of Queensland, Australia

There is a growing recognition that global efforts to decarbonise energy systems pose significant risks to communities with local economies dominated by fossil fuel industries. Proactive and inclusive energy transition planning, sometimes referred to as a “just transition”, can mitigate some of these risks. However, recent studies in Australia have shown that the polarised discourse produced by the political “climate wars” continues to inhibit conversations about the future in some coal producing regions. This case study explores how social group identity dynamics affect local perceptions of the future in Blackwater, a metallurgical coal mining town in Queensland's Bowen Basin. Analysis of interviews suggest that community members see the local coal mining industry changing but not ending within the next two decades, and as such, conversations about the future of coal are neither highly relevant nor polarised. However, a risk remains that premature conversations about a local energy transition that are led by certain outgroups could reignite limiting “conflict ruts”. This paper draws on insights from social psychology and energy transition literature to outline steps that regional development planning processes can begin to integrate when considering the long-term future of communities with dominant fossil fuel industries. This approach focuses on sustaining local security and identity in place by addressing information asymmetries, building a broader “tent” of trusted actors in regional communities, and expanding the range of possibilities that can be imagined for the community's future.

Deforestation and Its Effect on Surface Albedo and Weather Patterns

Deforestation is an important environmental problem and a key promoter of regional climate change through modifying the surface albedo. The objective of this research was to characterize the impact of deforestation and land use changes on surface albedo (α) and climate patterns in a tropical highland region of Mexico, between the years 2014 and 2021. The main land cover types are coniferous forests (CF), oak and gallery woodlands (OGW), and annual agriculture (AA), which represent more than 88% of the regional territory. We used 2014 and 2021 Landsat 8 OLI images with topographic and atmospheric correction in order to develop an inventory of albedo values for each land cover type in both time scenarios. Albedo images were generated by using the equation proposed by Liang in 2001, which is based on the reflectance of the bands 2, 3, 4, 5, and 7. Differences in albedo values were calculated between the years 2014 and 2021, and those differences were correlated with variations in climate parameters, for which we used climate data derived from the WRF model. In addition, the different land use changes found were classified in terms of triggers for increasing or decreasing surface albedo. We used the Mann–Whitney U Test to compare the 2021 − 2014 climatic deviations in two samples: Sample A, which included sites without albedo change in 2021; and Sample B, including sites with albedo change in 2021. Results showed that between 2014 and 2021, at least 38 events of land use change or deforestation occurred, with albedo increments between 1 and 11%, which triggered an average increment of 2.16% (p < 0.01; Mann–Whitney U Test) of the regional surface albedo in comparison to the 2014 scenario. In this period, the albedo for CF, OGW, and AA also increased significantly (p < 0.001; Mann–Whitney U Test) by +79, +12, and +9%, respectively. In addition, the regional albedo increment was found to be significant and negatively correlated (p < 0.01 Spearman’s coefficient) with relative humidity (RH), maximum temperature (Tmax), and minimum temperature (Tmin), and correlated (p < 0.01) positively with diurnal temperature range (DTR). The Mann–Whitney U Test revealed that 2021 climatic variations in Sample B sites are statistically different (p < 0.05) to 2021 climatic variations in Sample A sites, which demonstrates that albedo changes are linked to a decrease in minimum temperature and relative humidity and an increase in DTR. Conversion of CF and OGW into AA, perennial agriculture (PA), or grassland (GR) always yielded an albedo increment, whilst the conversion of AA to irrigation agriculture (IA) or PA triggered a decrease in albedo, and finally, the pass from GR or AA to protected agriculture (PA) caused albedo to increase or decrease, depending on the greenhouse covers materials. Reducing deforestation of CF and OGW, conversion of AA or GR into PA, and selecting adequate greenhouse covers could help to mitigate regional climate change.

Life history changes in the eastern collared lizard in response to varying demographic phases and management policies

AbstractBy 1980 eastern collared lizards (Crotaphutus collaris collaris) had experienced massive local extinction on glades (open, rocky areas imbedded in a woodland matrix) in the Ozarks, a highland region in central North America. Lizards were translocated to the Peck Ranch Conservation Area in Missouri on three restored glades starting in 1984, and went through three demographic phases: (1) an isolate phase with initial growth followed by decline in population size and no colonization of nearby glades; (2) a colonizing phase of high dispersal and population growth that started with the onset of prescribed woodland burning, and (3) a stable metapopulation phase. We used mark/recapture information on over 1500 lizards with high sample coverage to estimate life history parameters. Life history was homogeneous within each phase, but differed significantly between phases. Changes occurred in less than a generation, indicating plasticity in life history. The isolate phase was characterized by low juvenile survivorship, high adult survivorship, long generation times, an old age structure, and almost no dispersal. The colonization phase had increased yearling survival, decreased adult survival, shorter generation times, a younger age structure, and much dispersal. The stable metapopulation phase was intermediate between these two extremes. These transitions indicated trade‐offs among different life history parameters. These plastic life history attributes show that species cannot be regarded as static units, resulting in not a life history, but rather a set of feasible life histories. Ignoring this set of feasible life histories can result in poor conservation decisions.

Food Insecurity, Diet Quality, and Hypertension Risk in Rural Nicaragua

Background Individuals within rural Nicaragua have demonstrated elevated risk for hypertension (HTN); however, research examining socio-economic and dietary risk factors is limited. Therefore, the objective of this study was to examine the relationship between food security, dietary patterns, and HTN risk in rural Nicaragua. Methods This cross-sectional study included adult participants recruited from volunteer-led health clinics in the mountainous region of the Central Highlands in the state of Matagalpa, Nicaragua, in March 2018. Data collection included an oral survey focusing on household socio-demographics, food security, dietary patterns, and anthropometric and blood pressure measurements. Results A total of 123 men and women aged 18 years and up participated in the study (85% of whom were female). Participants were 32.2(± 15.7) years old on average. Food insecurity risk was high, with 78.4% of households identified as severely food insecure. The most commonly consumed daily foods included beans (88%), corn tortillas (84%), and rice (80%). The mean BMI was 26.2 kg/m2 (± 3.9), with 45 percent of participants were identified as overweight and 17.4% as obese. Sixty-three percent exhibited elevated blood pressure, and independent t-test results demonstrated food insecurity was marginally associated with blood pressure (p=0.077) and geographic location (p= 0.060) but not weight status (p=0.97). No significant associations were identified via regression analysis Conclusions Participants from rural Nicaragua reported a lack of dietary variety which contrasts dietary patterns recommended for optimal blood pressure control and a lack of healthful food access as demonstrated by elevated food insecurity and related HTN. This study highlights the link between nutrition, socio-economic risks, and health disparities, as well as the need to for future research around healthful food access and hypertension.

Anopheles diversity, biting behaviour and transmission potential in forest and farm environments of Gia Lai province, Vietnam

BackgroundDespite recent reductions in Vietnam, malaria transmission persists in some areas in forests and farmlands where a high density of Anopheles mosquitoes relative to other environments occurs. To inform effective malaria control measures, it is important to understand vector bionomics and the malaria transmission role of Anopheles spp. in the highland regions of Vietnam. This study was conducted to quantify the abundance, composition and biting behaviour of the Anopheles mosquito population, and the proportion of Plasmodium spp. infected mosquitoes collected from forest and agricultural farm sites in Gia Lai province, Vietnam.MethodsForest and agricultural farm sites in Gia Lai province were selected for mosquito collections (total eight sites). Mosquito collection was performed by Human-baited Double Net Trap (HDNT), animal-baited traps (ABT) using cattle, and CDC light traps. Captured mosquitoes were identified morphologically, and salivary glands of Anopheles mosquitoes were examined for sporozoites using microscopy. Plasmodium infection was determined by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), and identification of blood meal type was determined by PCR and diffuse serum agglutination assay.ResultsA total of 1815 Anopheles mosquitoes belonging to 19 species were collected by ABT (n = 1169), HDNT (n = 471) and CDC light trap (n = 175). Anopheles abundance and diversity varied by district and environment. Capture by HDNT of Anopheles of vectorial concern was observed between early evening and early morning. Plasmodium vivax infection was determined by PCR in two Anopheles dirus specimens captured by HDNT in forest sites. Blood from a range of hosts could, including human blood, could be detected in species considered primary and secondary vectors An. dirus, and Anopheles aconitus, and Anopheles maculatus, respectively.ConclusionsA low number of Anopheles spp. considered primary vectors of concern and very low numbers of Plasmodium spp. infected Anopheles mosquitoes were captured at the end of the rainy season in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. However, capture species of vectorial concern by HDNT throughout the early to late evening demonstrates that use of additional personal protective measures could supplement current preventative measures, such as bed nets to prevent exposure to vectors of concern in this region.

Lyme Disease General Practice Sentinel Scheme.

Lyme Disease (LD) is a multisystem zoonosis with uncertain epidemiology. It may be increasing in rural hotspots. GP datasets are weakened by coding and definitions. Public and climate concerns have raised awareness of LD. Improving diagnostic coding, UK Lyme Disease incidence and distribution. Behavioural risk factors for public health policy. Education modules for 35 general practices from Orkney to Southampton.Remote installation of software providing decision support, case definitions, pictures, coding, prescribing guidelines. Questionnaire on tick exposure and removal methods. Anonymous data extraction.Data on tick bite body location, age, place of exposure, attachment time, removal methods, leisure pursuits and occupation to guide public health policy.GP data capture and coding from hospital, A&E and OOH (out of hours) records.Erythema Migrans (EM) is a clinical diagnosis without serological testing. Rash photographs establish a data bank of disease expression in age groups, ethnicity, and skin types. There were 69 cases reported in the pilot period (September to December 2021), 52% diagnosed EM following a definite tick bite. Tick attachment time showed a majority > 24 hours, with home tweezers, fingernails often used for removal, with both associated with higher disease transmission.Analysis of pilot data suggested a Lyme Disease incidence of 94/100 000 with the inclusion of EM. This compares to a serologically confirmed incidence of 38.2/100 000 in 2019 in Highland Region. Early data suggests that the Lyme Disease General Practice Sentinel Scheme has improved case ascertainment, epidemiology, and risk factor understanding.

Assessment of availability, readiness, and challenges for scaling-up hypertension management services at primary healthcare facilities, Central Highland region, Vietnam, 2020

IntroductionVietnam aims for 95% of commune health stations (CHSs) to have functional hypertension management programs by 2025. However, limited resources may impede the Central Highland region health system from achieving this goal. We assessed the availability and readiness of hypertension management services at CHSs in the Central Highland region and identified challenges to facilitate evidence-based planning.MethodsWe used a mixed-methods cross-sectional design to assess hypertension management services using WHO’s service availability and readiness assessment (SARA) tools in all 579 CHSs in the region, combined with twenty in-depth interviews of hypertension program focal points at communal, district, and provincial levels in all four provinces. We descriptively analyzed quantitative data and thematically analyzed qualitative data.ResultsHypertension management services were available at 65% of CHSs, and the readiness of the services was 62%. The urban areas had higher availability and readiness indices in most domains (basic amenities, basic equipment, and essential medicines) compared to rural areas, except for staff and training. The qualitative results showed a lack of trained staff and ambiguity in national hypertension treatment guidelines, insufficient essential medicines supply mechanism, and low priority and funding limitations for the hypertension program.ConclusionThe overall availability and readiness for hypertension diagnosis and management service at CHSs in the Central Highland region were low, reflecting inadequate capacity of the primary healthcare facilities. Some measures to strengthen hypertension programs in the region might include increased financial support, ensuring a sufficient supply of basic medicines, and providing more specific treatment guidelines.

Negotiated Cartographies in the Relaciones Geográficas de Indias: The Descripción de la provincia de Yauyos Toda (1586)

Abstract In the sixteenth century, the Spanish Crown moved to compile a comprehensive knowledge of its European and American landholdings to materialize the idea of a unified and civilized empire. Peninsular officials sent questionnaires to the Americas, including a request for “paintings” of the urban and natural landscape, without much detail on the project’s guidelines. The varied responses sent back to Spain are known as the Relaciones Geográficas de Indias. This essay investigates the cultural negotiations and potential for Indigenous representations of “depth of place” embedded in one such painting from the Peruvian highland region of Yauyos and Huarochirí. By analyzing colonial-period sources and using spatial modeling, this research underscores the different portrayals of space coexisting on the map. By comparing the painting with contemporary colonial sources, this article examines ongoing negotiations of natural and urban landscapes and an emerging view that synthesized different readings of the same landscape in a period of colonial dislocation and reinvention.

Richness and Elevation Patterns of a Stonefly (Insecta, Plecoptera) Community of a Southern Appalachian Mountains Watershed, USA

Protected areas are relatively free of human disturbance, are especially common in montane regions, and provide opportunities to study native fauna and flora. Stoneflies are model organisms to assess present and future environmental changes. While stoneflies inhabit cold lakes and a wide size range of lotic systems, diversity is greatest in streams draining mountain landscapes. This study addressed seasonal and elevation patterns of a stonefly fauna inhabiting a protected landscape draining the eastern flank of Mount Mitchell, the highest point of the Appalachian Mountains, USA. In total, 58 species were collected with estimated richness values ranging from 63 to 65. Species determinations were assisted with an integrative molecular approach using the mitochondrial barcode gene. Sampling during spring yielded the most species seasonally. Although certain species were only found at lower or higher sites, several were collected from across a broad range of elevations. Roughly 1/3 (21 = 36%) of the fauna present is known only from the southern Appalachian Highlands region, including one species described as new during this study. The assemblage reported here, however, did not closely align with other Appalachian fauna. Overall, well-structured faunal research continues to be important in light of continuing habitat modifications and climate change.

ANALISIS KESIAPAN TENAGA KERJA UNTUK PENGEMBANGAN WILAYAH KABUPATEN JAYAWIJAYA

Jayawijaya as the parent regency in the Central Highlands Region of Papua Province, is the economic center as well as a buffer for the 6 new divisions in the Lapago customary area. This is because the flow of goods and services mobilization that enters the central mountainous region (La Pago) only uses airplanes and the location of the airport is in Wamena City, Jayawijaya Regency. Jayawijaya as the parent regency in the central mountainous region of Papua province, is an economic center as well as a buffer for the 6 expansion districts in the Lapago customary area. This is because the flow of goods and services mobilization that enters the central mountainous region (Lapago) only uses airplanes and the location of the airport is in Wamena, Jayawijaya Regency. regulation. The existence of a policy regulation of the Special Autonomy Law provides opportunities for the Balinese people to get opportunities, both in the fields of education, health and community economic empowerment, and infrastructure. The high unemployment rate in Jayawijaya Regency is due to the low level of Human Resources (HR) in the context of absorbing local workers by the local job market in Jayawijaya district. So Regional Development is essential to increase competitiveness between regions, increase economic growth, reduce inequality between regions, and advance people's lives. Strategic and quality regional development is the hope of Jayawijaya Regency. In this regard, the Government is required to prepare Human Resources (HR) who have competitiveness in the Global Job Market. To prepare human resources to have competitiveness, this can be done, among others, through job training that is carried out in a structured, systematic, and professional manner so that output is produced as expected, namely a competent workforce.

PROMOTING THE STRENGTH OF THE GREAT UNITY BLOC OF ETHNIC MINORITIES TO PARTICIPATE IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS IN A SUSTAINABLE AND COMPREHENSIVE MANNER IN THE CURRENT INTEGRATION CONTEXT

The Central Highlands is an important strategic region in terms of socio-economic, national defense and security, foreign affairs and ecological environment of our country. The rapid and sustainable development of the Central Highlands region is one of the major undertakings of the Party, State, National Assembly and Government, at the same time to be an important task of the whole country in the current integration context, first of all, the provinces in the region. In particular, especially the construction and development of the Central Highlands region, it is necessary to harmoniously combine economic, socio-cultural development, protection of natural resources and environment in general and ethnic minority areas in particular… This is the basis and premise for making an important contribution to the successful implementation of political tasks, socio-economic development, building a strong Party and political system, maintaining political stability, promoting the great national unity bloc, social order and safety in the Central Highlands provinces in the current integration context.

Surface‐driven amplification of Madden–Julian oscillation circulation anomalies across East Africa and its influence on the Turkana jet

AbstractIn semi‐arid environments, rainfall‐driven soil moisture fluctuations exert a strong influence on surface turbulent fluxes. Intraseasonal rainfall variability can therefore impact low‐level atmospheric temperatures and influence regional circulations. Using satellite observations and an atmospheric reanalysis, we investigate whether rainfall variability induced by the Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO) triggers land–atmosphere feedbacks across East Africa.We identify that surface fluxes during the East African wet seasons (March–May and October–December) are sensitive to MJO‐induced precipitation variations across low‐lying regions of South Sudan and highland regions of Uganda and southwest Kenya. For example, during MJO phases 6 to 8, when rainfall is suppressed, surface temperatures and sensible heat fluxes increase, whilst evapotranspiration decreases. Spatial variations in the surface flux response to rainfall variability feed back onto the atmosphere through amplifying MJO‐associated pressure anomalies. During dry MJO events for instance, surface warming across the exit region of the Turkana channel increases the low‐tropospheric along‐channel pressure gradient and intensifies the Turkana jet. We conclude that average surface‐driven temperature fluctuations during a single day are responsible for approximately 12% of MJO‐associated variability of the Turkana jet speed. However, we expect that the accumulation of heat over multiple days to the west of the East African Highlands further amplifies anomalies in the pressure gradient and jet intensity. Modelling experiments are required to quantify the accumulated impact of the surface forcing. Surface‐driven Turkana jet variations influence the East African moisture budget and affect the intensity and inland propagation of coastal convection. Not only is this the first study to investigate the importance of intraseasonal land–atmosphere feedbacks across East Africa, but it is also the first to show that Turkana jet characteristics are partly driven by surface conditions. This work motivates an investigation into whether subseasonal forecast models fully harness the predictability from surface‐induced jet variations.

Sociocultural and Behavioral Features of Anticipated COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance in Papua New Guinea: Protocol for a Mixed Methods Study.

COVID-19 was characterized by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a pandemic in 2020. Papua New Guinea (PNG) has remained on high alert ever since, and its National Control Centre continues to coordinate national preparedness and response measures, guided by its Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan for COVID-19. As part of the WHO and the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization's COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) program, PNG received several shipments of COVID-19 vaccine doses. A nationwide vaccine rollout for COVID-19 was initiated in PNG in May 2021. Despite the availability of vaccines and the capacity of health systems to vaccinate frontline workers and community members, including high-risk groups, there are still critical issues related to vaccine safety, confidence, and acceptance to ensure the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccination campaign. Evidence from studies on COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and demand in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) suggests that sociocultural characteristics of the community and the behaviors of different vaccine stakeholders, including vaccine recipients, vaccine providers, and policymakers, determine the effectiveness of vaccination interventions or strategies. This study will examine sociocultural determinants of anticipated acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine in urban and rural areas of different regions in PNG and health care providers' views on vaccine acceptance. The study design uses a mixed methods approach in PNG's coastal and highlands regions. The first research activity will use a qualitative methodology with an epistemological foundation based on constructivism. This design elicits and listens to community members' accounts of ways culture is a rich resource that provides meaning to the COVID-19 pandemic; the design also measures adherence to niupela pasin ("new normal" in Tok Pidgin) and vaccination acceptance. The second activity will be a cross-sectional survey to assess the distribution of features of vaccine acceptance, priorities, and practices. The third activity will be in-depth interviews of health care providers actively involved in either COVID-19 clinical management or public health-related pandemic control activities. The project proposal has been reviewed and approved by the Medical Research Advisory Committee of Papua New Guinea. Qualitative data collection started in December 2022, and the survey will begin in May 2023. The findings will be disseminated to the participating communities later this year, followed by publication. The proposed research on community views and experiences concerning sociocultural and behavioral features of acceptance of the vaccine will provide a better understanding of communication and education needs for vaccine action for COVID-19 control in PNG and other LMICs. The research also considers the influence of health care providers' and policy makers' roles in the awareness and use of the COVID-19 vaccine. PRR1-10.2196/44664.

Genomic evaluation of native Walleye in the Appalachian region and the effects of stocking

AbstractObjectiveCreate a quicker and more accurate genetic assignment tool for Walleye Sander vitreus broodstock in the Eastern Highlands region and to quantify genetic diversity of four Walleye populations using next‐generation sequencing.MethodsTo determine the impacts of stocking nonnative Great Lakes strain Walleye on local populations, three Appalachian populations were sampled: two native populations (Rockcastle River, Kentucky, and New River, Virginia) and one population founded from the Great Lakes strain (Tygart Lake, West Virginia). Walleye from Lake Erie were used as a reference for the Great Lakes strain. Utilization of a genotype‐by‐sequencing approach supported genome‐wide estimates of genetic diversity, population structure, and creation of two single‐nucleotide polymorphism assays that can be used to rapidly identify Great Lakes‐strain, native Eastern Highland‐strain, and F1 hybrid Walleye.ResultResults indicate that the four populations we evaluated were genetically distinct from one another and that each population contains varying degrees of genetic differentiation relative to its source population. The stocked Tygart Lake population displayed lower genetic diversity in metrics such as nucleotide diversity (0.172 vs. 0.184), private alleles (4057 vs. 7623), and observed heterozygosity (0.163 vs. 0.204), likely indicative of genetic drift stemming from a founder effect. The two native populations displayed varying levels of genetic diversity. The New River population was found to have a higher ancestry of the Great Lakes strain in their genome than the Rockcastle River population, reflecting the known admixture of New River Walleye following historic stocking of Great Lakes‐derived Walleye. Our results also identified a pure native Eastern Highlands strain population that can be used for future augmentation and restoration of Eastern Highlands Walleye.ConclusionOur results provide a diagnostic single‐nucleotide polymorphism assay to quickly identify Great Lake strain, Eastern Highland strain, and their F1 hybrid for future management efforts and provide key population genetic insights to managers to enhance best management practices.

Protected Areas Conserved Forests from Fire and Deforestation in Vietnam’s Central Highlands from 2001 to 2020

As a tropical nation with ~40% forested land area and 290 protected areas in the Indo-Burma Biodiversity Hotspot, Vietnam holds an important part of global forests. Despite a complex history of multiple colonial rules, war, rapid economic development and societal growth, Vietnam was one of a few Southeast Asian countries to reverse deforestation trends and sustain net forest cover gain since the 1990s. However, a considerable amount of Vietnam’s forest gain has been from plantation forestry, as Vietnam’s policies have promoted economic development. In the Central Highlands region of Vietnam, widespread forest degradation and deforestation has occurred recently in some areas due to plantation forestry and other factors, including fire-linked deforestation, but protected areas here have been largely effective in their conservation goals. We studied deforestation, wildfires, and the contribution of fire-linked deforestation from 2001 to 2020 in an area near the Da Lat Plateau of the Central Highlands of Vietnam. We stratified our study area to distinguish legally protected areas and those in the surrounding landscape matrix without formal protection. Using satellite-derived data, we investigated four questions: (1) Have regional deforestation trends continued in parts of the Central Highlands from 2001 to 2020? (2) Based on remotely sensed fire detections, how has fire affected the Central Highlands and what proportion of deforestation is spatiotemporally linked to fire? (3) Were annual deforestation and burned area lower in protected areas relative to the surrounding land matrix? (4) Was the proportion of fire-linked deforestation lower in protected areas than in the matrix? To answer these questions, we integrated the Global Forest Change and FIRED VIETNAM datasets. We found that 3794 fires burned 8.7% of the total study area and 13.6% of the area became deforested between 2001 and 2020. While nearly half of fires were linked to deforestation, fire-linked deforestation accounted for only a small part of forest loss. Across the entire study area, 54% of fire-linked deforestation occurred in natural forests and 46% was in plantation forests. Fire ignitions in the study area were strongly linked to the regional dry season, November to March, and instrumental climate data from 1971 to 2020 showed statistically significant increasing trends in minimum, mean, and maximum temperatures. However, the total area burned did not have a significant increasing trend. Regional trends in deforestation continued in Vietnam’s Central Highlands from 2001 to 2020, and nearly half of all detected fires can be spatially and temporally linked to forest loss. However, protected areas in the region effectively conserved forests relative to the surrounding landscape.

Object-based mapping and classification features for tropical highlands using on Sentinel-1, Sentinel-2, and GEDI canopy height data - A case study of the Muringato catchment, Kenya

Tropical highlands remain a challenging target for remote sensing due to their high heterogeneity of the landscape and frequent cloud cover, causing a shortage of high-quality and reliable comprehensive data on land use and land cover on a local or regional scale. These, however, are urgently needed by local stakeholders and decisionmakers. This applies for example to the Muringato sub-catchment in Nyeri County, Kenya, where acute water problems have been identified to be usually directly related to specific land use and land cover. This article contributes to the understanding of tropical highlands from a remote sensing perspective by examining Sentinel-1, Sentinel-2 and Global Forest Canopy Height Model data from the Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation, all provided by the Google Earth Engine. To do so, we assess classifiers derived from these datasets for different land cover types, analyzing the performance of promising candidates identified in the literature, using 2,800 samples extracted from high-resolution image data across Nyeri County. We also propose an object-based classification strategy based on sequential masking. This strategy is adapted to very heterogeneous landscapes by refining image objects after re-evaluating their homogeneity. Small buildings, which constitute a significant part of the settlement structure in the area, are particularly difficult to detect. To improve the recognition of these objects we additionally consider the local contrast of the relevant classifier to identify potential candidates. Evaluating our sample data, we found that especially optical indices like the Sentinel Water Index, the Enhanced Normalized Difference Impervious Surfaces Index or specific Sentinel-2 bands combined with canopy height data are promising for water, built-up or tree cover detection. With these findings, our proposed object-based classification approach is applied to the Muringato sub-catchment as a representative example of the Kenyan tropical highland region. We achieve a classification accuracy of approximately 88% in the Muringato sub-catchment, outperforming existing products available for the study area. The knowledge gained in the study will also be used for future remote sensing-based monitoring of the region.

UK Space Energy Initiative: Environmental Impact Assessment Scoping Review of an Offshore Rectenna in Scotland

This paper will present the results of an environmental impact assessment scoping report which was conducted to gain a professional scoping opinion on the development of a hypothetical offshore rectenna site located in the Highlands and Islands local authority region to enable space-based solar power to the UK. The construction, operational and decommissioning phases of the development will be discussed throughout the paper with a specific focus on environmental impacts. Different levels of UK and Scottish policy and legislation will be used to highlight the requirements and contribution of the development towards sustainable development. Furthermore, it will allow for a deeper understanding of how the development can aid the 78% UK emission reduction target by 2035 and the UK net-zero target by 2050. Policy covered in this scoping report includes Space Policy, Renewable Energy Policy, Climate Change Policy, Research Policy, Conservation Policy and Planning Policy. Overall, this scoping report has been prepared to address likely significant impacts that the proposed rectenna site might have on the environment. Keywords: Space Solar Power, Environmental Impact Assessment, Energy Systems, Sustainable Development, Environmental Governance

EIL based on research creation-projects that facilitate English learning and intercultural revitalization for Ecuadorian communities through the arts

UAProyectKids is an EFL community outreach action research project based on the creation of artistic and pedagogical material for learning the English language from Ecuador’s local intercultural experiences. It was implemented at an art’s public university in Guayaquil, Ecuador, where students from different artistic careers take English classes in order to graduate with a B1 level, but also to engage in transdisciplinary practice and creation with this foreign language. A collaborative methodological approach was used to determine how students should create these pedagogical resources while practicing their English in the process of creation throughout the semester. Results were measured by formative examinations and other instruments to record students’ perceptions on project based learning and collaborative sessions from the pedagogical innovation strategy.
 Furthermore, inter institutional cooperation and feedback enabled students to improve the quality of their projects, which included final products such as vocabulary flashcards, illustrated tales, audio books, and animated short films. Moreover, organized field trips to different communities and schools in the coastal and highland regions of Ecuador were able to guarantee the replication of the creative model for practicing English from relevant intercultural contexts that were worked with community members and children. This article is a must-read for any teacher or researcher interested in knowing about project-based learning experiences and its applications in the EFL field. It is also intended for institutions seeking to implement pedagogical innovations that help students awaken their collaborative learning by paying it forward to other learning communities.