Individual Sites Research Articles

Role of systematic lymphadenectomy in patients with intermediate to high-risk early stage endometrial cancer.

To determine the clinical significance of systematic lymph node dissection (LND) and to better define the relevant extent of LND in intermediate- to high-risk early stage endometrial cancer (EC). Patients who received surgery as a primary treatment of histologically confirmed EC and preoperatively considered as uterus-confined early stage disease were included in the study population. The rates of lymph node metastasis (LNM) according to the risk groups and anatomic sites were assessed. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to evaluate risk factors for recurrence. A total of 804 patients were included in the study analysis. The rates of LNM were significantly different according to the risk group; 1.2% in low-risk, 20.1% in intermediate-risk, and 30.0% in high-risk group. When assessing the rates of LNM in individual anatomic sites, positive LNs were evenly distributed throughout the pelvic and para-aortic regions. In the intermediate to high-risk EC cases, the rates of para-aortic LNM below and above inferior mesenteric artery (IMA) were 11.1% and 12.5%, respectively. On multivariate analysis, LNM was the only independent risk factor for recurrence in the intermediate to high-risk EC (hazard ratio=2.63, 95% confidence interval=1.01-6.82, p=0.047). LNM was frequently observed in intermediate- and high-risk early stage EC and it served as an independent risk factor for recurrence. When considering the similar rates of LNM between below and above IMA, nodal assessment needs to be performed up to the infra-renal level, especially for the staging purpose in high-risk EC.

The threatened Gouldian finch preferentially forages in prescribed burnt savannas

Background The granivorous finches of Australia’s tropical savannas heavily rely on a sequence of perennial and annual grass seed production to feed throughout the year. An increase in late dry season wildfires has been suggested to detrimentally effect seed production sequence and has been attributed to poor physiological condition and a reduction in fitness of granivorous finches. Early dry season prescribed burning is an asset protection management strategy often implemented to reduce the incidence of late dry season wildfire, but has also been shown to improve the abundance and nutritional quality of grass seed Aims To assess whether the Gouldian finch (Chloebia gouldiae) preferentially used areas that were subject to early dry season prescribed burning over areas that were not burnt. Methods The creation of a landscape mosaic across the landscape with varying fire histories. Then the assessment of individual finch movement and site utilisation using VHF-radio telemetry transmitters, detected by an array of static receivers deployed across the landscape. Key results Finches significantly preferred to forage in areas burnt in the early season every 2–3 years. Conclusions The study demonstrates that early dry season prescribed burning creates preferred foraging habitat patches for Gouldian finches within savanna fire mosaics.

Lightning Protection of Buildings: Its Types, Solutions and Choice Options

Abstract Lightning safety in private and public buildings is a seriously evaluated issue that requires an appropriate and safe long-term solution to protect property from destruction during or due to the consequences of a lightning strike. Relatively easy-to-replace home appliances such as a TV-set or a vacuum cleaner, larger and more expensive appliances such as a heat pump, alarm system or antennas can be damaged from a lightning strike. The aim of the study is to explore the ways of lightning protection in buildings and to develop recommendations for its effective use. Lightning protection is part of a set of electrical assembly and fire protection measures of property, which are performed during construction or renovation of property and the installation thereof is determined by the regulatory framework of the Republic of Latvia. Over time, two types of lightning protection systems have been developed: the classic or passive lightning protection system, which, if hit by lightning, captures and drains the electrical charge generated by lightning to the ground, and the active lightning protection system, which attracts the electricity generated by lightning with energy generated by itself and then drains the charge to the ground. Consequently, both lightning protection systems can be considered to have their advantages and disadvantages, so it is necessary to assess the choice of the most appropriate protection system on a case-by-case basis, also taking into account the criteria such as the complexity of the building project, the size and accessibility of the protected area and the cost of each individual site.

Дистанционное слежение за орланами-белохвостами из Забайкалья, Россия: миграция, зимовка, летнее пребывание

Дистанционное слежение за орланами-белохвостами из Забайкалья, Россия: миграция, зимовка, летнее пребывание

Climate forcing of regional fire years in the upper Great Lakes Region, USA

Background Drivers of fire regimes vary among spatial scales, and fire history reconstructions are often limited to stand scales, making it difficult to partition effects of regional climate forcing versus individual site histories. Aims To evaluate regional-scale historical fire regimes over 350 years, we analysed an extensive fire-scar network, spanning 240 km across the upper Great Lakes Region in North America. Methods We estimated fire frequency, identified regionally widespread fire years (based on the fraction of fire-scarred tree samples, fire extent index (FEI), and synchronicity of fire years), and evaluated fire seasonality and climate–fire relationships. Key results Historically, fire frequency and seasonality were variable within and among Great Lakes’ ecoregions. Climate forcing at regional scales resulted in synchronised fires, primarily during the late growing season, which were ubiquitous across the upper Great Lakes Region. Regionally significant fire years included 1689, 1752, 1754, 1791, and 1891. Conclusions We found significant climate forcing of region-wide fire regimes in the upper Great Lakes Region. Implications Historically, reoccurring fires in the upper Great Lakes Region were instrumental for shaping and maintaining forest resilience. The climate conditions that helped promote widespread fire years historically may be consistent with anticipated climate–fire interactions due to climate change.

백제 地鎭具의 현황과 의미

This study analyzes the remains related to the ritual implements for the land-God identified in the Woongjin ~ Sabi period ruins of Baekje. Through this, the characteristics and changes of the types of the ritual implements for the land-God(地鎭具) were identified. In Baekje, ritual implements for the land-God are confirmed in both the building site and the tomb. The rituals of land-God were centered on the building site during the Hansung- Woongjin period. However, during the Sabi period, it is possible to see the rituals of land- God taking place by concentrating on individual building sites. The Sabi period ritual implements for the land-God is buried in a land adjacent to individual building sites, which is different from the ritual implements for the land-God held at the base or at the base of individual building sites during the Unified Silla and Joseon Dynasty. The rituals identified in the ancient tomb group are both rituals of land-God for the entire site of the ancient tomb group and individual tomb. The rituals for land-God for the entire ancient tomb group are mainly confirmed in the site formation layer for the construction of the ancient tomb group in Seokchon-dong, Hansung period, but after Woongjin period, the ritual for land-God is changed to take place around individual tombs. In other words, it can be inferred that after the tomb of King Muryeong during the Woongjin period, the rituals for land-God were changed through a special treat and contribution to the land god after burial, avoid disaster and protect the tomb by comforting the soul. It's a “Haeto(解土)” Baekje's the ritual implements for the land-God were made in the building site and ancient tombs. We can be distinguished from the scope and meaning of rituals during the Hansung- Woongjin period and Sabi period based on the excavated location of the rituals for land-God. The ritual implements for the land-God districts during the Hansung-Woongjin period were almost buried around the cemetery or the building site and have a strong meaning of contribution to the well-being and blessing of the whole. On the other hand, rituals for land-God are held by concentrating on individual building sites and tomb units, and prayed for the repelling evil spirits(辟邪) and repose of souls(鎭魂), Safety of the target structure through the ritual for land-God.

The prevalence and socio-demographic associations of household food insecurity in seven slum sites across Nigeria, Kenya, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. A cross-sectional study.

Although the proportion of people living in slums is increasing in low- and middle-income countries and food insecurity is considered a severe hazard for health, there is little research on this topic. This study investigated and compared the prevalence and socio-demographic associations of household food insecurity in seven slum settings across Nigeria, Kenya, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Data were taken from a cross-sectional, household-based, spatially referenced survey conducted between December 2018 and June 2020. Household characteristics and the extent and distribution of food insecurity across sites was established using descriptive statistics. Multivariable logistic regression of data in a pooled model including all slums (adjusting for slum site) and site-specific analyses were conducted. In total, a sample of 6,111 households were included. Forty-one per cent (2,671) of all households reported food insecurity, with varying levels between the different slums (9-69%). Household head working status and national wealth quintiles were consistently found to be associated with household food security in the pooled analysis (OR: 0·82; CI: 0·69-0·98 & OR: 0·65; CI: 0·57-0·75) and in the individual sites. Households which owned agricultural land (OR: 0·80; CI: 0·69-0·94) were less likely to report food insecurity. The association of the household head's migration status with food insecurity varied considerably between sites. We found a high prevalence of household food insecurity which varied across slum sites and household characteristics. Food security in slum settings needs context-specific interventions and further causal clarification.

Tree Diversity and Regeneration in Sacred Groves and Nature Reserves in Xishuangbanna, Southwest China

Holy Hills, sacred groves protected by ethnic minority Dai people, have garnered great interest for conservation in Xishuangbanna—a region containing some of the world's northernmost tropical rain forests and China's richest biodiversity, though much of it has been threatened by deforestation from rubber cultivation. As some of the only remaining forest fragments outside nature reserves, Holy Hills have been documented to contain rare species and ecosystems underrepresented in protected areas. Although previous studies provided some insight into fragmentation impacts, they lacked data to examine population structures. Accordingly, this study uses continuous metrics of tree regeneration for the first time in sacred groves, while also drawing on ethnographic understandings of socioecological contexts of human disturbance, to examine biodiversity and regeneration in three Holy Hills and two nature reserves. Contrary to expectations that smaller area and fragmentation effects would decrease biodiversity in Holy Hills, we found no significant difference in diversity between Holy Hills and nature reserves, though we detected marginally significantly less diversity in seedlings, and certain Holy Hills displayed a shift towards light-demanding species. Common and dominant species varied by site, speaking to the importance of inter-patch beta diversity captured among Holy Hills that can support the maintenance of a regional species pool. Our results also indicated considerable regeneration opportunity in Holy Hills, though individual site conditions and histories had a strong influence. We recommend collaborating with communities and local institutions not only to safeguard existing forest, but also to regenerate and restore fragments whose protection is bolstered with cultural meaning.

A data set for pollinator diversity and their interactions with plants in the Pacific Northwest.

Pollinator populations have declined substantially in recent years. The resulting loss in pollination services has both ecological and economic consequences, including reductions in plant diversity and crop production and lower food security. Data sets that identify pollinators and their plant hosts are of the utmost importance for the light can shed on the main causes of pollinator declines. Here we present a data set that contains 67,954 individual pollinator records. The data were collected across the Pacific Northwest, primarily focused in British Columbia (Canada), with 182 individual sites over 11 years, between 2005 and 2017. This data set comprises multiple studies that aimed to collect information on pollinator abundance, diversity, and their interactions with plants. Overall, the data set includes 937 morphospecies (of which 482 were identified to the species level) of pollinators across 105 families, including data for bees, wasps, butterflies, moths, and flies. We also present information on the interactions of these species, with 473 species of plants. The data set is being released for noncommercial use only. Credits should be given to this paper (i.e., proper citation).

Involvement of Soil Microorganisms in C, N and P Transformations and Phytotoxicity in Soil from Post-Industrial Areas Treated with Chemical Industry Waste

Soil degradation is an unavoidable phenomenon that poses a real threat, as it limits soil utility and reduces its resources. Early assessment of soil degradation can prevent its further deterioration. Various parameters of soil microbial activity may be helpful in this evaluation. Therefore, the purpose of the study was to assess the usefulness of microbiological (total abundance of oligotrophic bacteria and filamentous fungi), biochemical (soil respiration) and enzymatic (dehydrogenase, protease, acid and alkaline phosphatase activity and fluorescein hydrolytic activity) indicators, as well as phytotoxicity, in monitoring the condition of chemically degraded soils due to severe alkalization. The experimental material was soil collected in three sites located at different distances from the reservoir with liquid post-production waste. The analyzed indicators were correlated with the physical and chemical properties of the soil in three variants at the level of sampling sites, soil profile and seasonal variability. All analyzed parameters showed significant changes in the level of their activity at individual sampling sites. The location closest to the waste reservoir was characterized by the lowest values of the discussed activities and the highest phytotoxicity. Individual activities also showed changes depending on the season and soil layer. Considering the usefulness in monitoring changes in soils exposed to chemical degradation, total bacterial and fungal counts, as well as acid and alkaline phosphatase activities and fluorescein hydrolytic activity proved to be the most sensitive indicators.

Army ant males lose seasonality at a site on the equator

AbstractArmy ants are keystone predators in the tropics and subtropics. During reproduction, males fly between colonies to mate with unmated, wingless queens. The males of most species are attracted to lights, and thus their presence and the timing of reproduction can be monitored using light traps. Previous studies examined the seasonality of army ant male reproduction and its relationship to climate factors at individual sites, but less is known about variation among sites. We examined army ant male flight seasonality at three sites: (1) La Selva Biological Station in Costa Rica, a site with weak temperature seasonality and moderate rainfall and day length seasonality, (2) Yasuní National Park, Ecuador, a site with no temperature or day length seasonality and very weak rainfall seasonality, and (3) the state of Paraná in southern Brazil, a site with very strong temperature, rainfall, and day length seasonality. Army ants showed strong seasonality at the La Selva and Paraná sites, and very weak to no seasonality at the Yasuní site. At La Selva and Paraná, flight times varied among species, but were very predictable from year to year, which suggests day length or temperature as predictable cues rather than rainfall. Lack of seasonal cues near the equator may be a challenge for army ant species that need to synchronize colony reproduction, and thus may have conservation implications for minimum population sizes needed to ensure stable populations.Abstract in Spanish is available with online material.

Coal and Coal Byproducts as Potential Sources of Rare Earth Elements (REE) in Indiana

The purpose of this study is to evaluate coal and coal byproducts (coal waste, coal ash, and acid mine drainage) in Indiana as potential sources of rare earth elements (REE). On a whole-rock basis, most Indiana coal samples have REE content below 100 ppm, and only some samples of the Brazil and Staunton Formations (Lower and Upper Block and Viking B coals) reach 100 ppm. Because REE concentrations vary between locations and within individual coal beds, and the correlations of coals within the Brazil and Staunton Formations are often uncertain, a better understanding of the stratigraphy of these formations is needed to identify the most promising REE horizons. Owing to a long history of coal mining, Indiana has numerous coal preparation plants and associated coarse-and fine-grained coal refuse (known, respectively, as gobs and slurry ponds). This paper reviews the available data on locations and volumes of these deposits. The total extent of slurry pond deposits was estimated at 2,765 acres, and the total volume estimates ranged from 94,000,000 to 136,000,000 cubic yards. No estimates are available for gob deposits in Indiana. To our knowledge, no REE data are available for coal preparation plant waste in Indiana, except for minimal data from coal slurry in Warrick County. Water streams from abandoned coal mines and coal processing (acid mine drainage, AMD) could also be a source of REE or other critical minerals; we review available data from AMD sites. Indiana, having many coal-fired power plants, has accumulated a large quantity of coal ash during its mining history. Our estimates indicate that coal ash deposits occupy ~2,184 acres, storing ~52,566,153 m3 of ash. Volume estimates for individual coal ash sites come from various sources and present our best estimates at this time. To our knowledge, no REE data are available on coal ash in Indiana. Such data would be of great value because coal ash deposits could be an important resource for REE, other critical minerals, or other high-value carbon products.

CZEXWED: The unified Czech extreme weather database

A crucial step in developing a strategy against natural hazards is the analysis of weather extremes in the past. Due to the multiplication of their impacts when occurring in a larger area, we strongly recommend not evaluating the extremes only at individual sites but assessing regional extreme weather events. The presented Czech Extreme Weather Database (CZEXWED) comprises six types of extreme events, namely, heat waves, cold waves, air temperature drops, windstorms, heavy precipitation events, and heavy snowfalls. To date, it covers the period 1961–2020. To minimize methodological differences in the process of evaluating various types of extreme weather events including compound events, we employed the weather extremity index (WEI), a universal indicator based on the evaluation of return periods of relevant variables. Each event is characterized not only by the WEI value but also by its spatial extent and duration.Heat and cold waves in Czechia generally reach higher WEI values than other types of extreme weather because they usually affect larger areas. The number and extremity of heat waves are increasing significantly, while the opposite may be true for cold waves and windstorms. Air temperature drops defined by declines in daily maximum air temperature are frequent in the warm half-year, but three of four top events occurred in January. Windstorms and heavy precipitation events prevailed in the cold and warm half-years, respectively, but weaker events of these types also occurred during the opposite season. A comparison of CZEXWED with event lists from the wider Central European region shows that Czech and Central European extreme events correspond well with each other.

Theoretical Tools to Quantify Stochastic Fluctuations in Single-Molecule Catalysis by Enzymes and Nanoparticles.

Single-molecule microscopic techniques allow the counting of successive turnover events and the study of the time-dependent fluctuations of the catalytic activities of individual enzymes and different sites on a single heterogeneous nanocatalyst. It is important to establish theoretical methods to obtain the statistical measurements of such stochastic fluctuations that provide insight into the catalytic mechanism. In this review, we discuss a few theoretical frameworks for evaluating the first passage time distribution functions using a self-consistent pathway approach and chemical master equations, to establish a connection with experimental observables. The measurable probability distribution functions and their moments depend on the molecular details of the reaction and provide a way to quantify the molecular mechanisms of the reaction process. The statistical measurements of these fluctuations should provide insight into the enzymatic mechanism.

Vegetation optimality explains the convergence of catchments on the Budyko curve

Abstract. The Budyko framework puts the long-term mean annual evapotranspiration (ET) of a catchment in relation to its maximum possible value determined by the conservation of mass (ET cannot exceed mean annual precipitation) and energy (ET can not exceed mean annual net radiation) in the absence of significant storage contributions. Most catchments plot relatively close to this physical limit, which allowed the development of an empirical equation (often referred to as the Budyko curve) for estimating mean annual evaporation and runoff from observed net radiation and precipitation. Parametric forms of the curve often use a shape parameter, n, that is seen as a catchment characteristic. However, a satisfying explanation for the convergence and self-organization of catchments around such an empirical curve is still lacking. In this study, we explore if vegetation optimality can explain the convergence of catchments along a Budyko curve and in how far can n be seen as a catchment characteristic. The Vegetation Optimality Model (VOM) optimizes vegetation properties and behavior (e.g., rooting depths, vegetation cover, stomatal control) to maximize the difference between the total carbon taken up from the atmosphere and the carbon used for maintenance of plant tissues involved in its uptake, i.e., the long-term net carbon profit (NCP). This optimization is entirely independent of observed ET and hence the VOM does not require calibration for predicting ET. In a first step, the VOM was fully optimized for the observed atmospheric forcing at five flux tower sites along the North Australian Tropical Transect, as well as 36 additional locations near the transect and six Australian catchments. In addition, the VOM was run without vegetation for all sites, meaning that all precipitation was partitioned into soil evaporation and runoff. For comparison, three conceptual hydrological models (TUWmodel, GR4J, and FLEX) were calibrated for the Australian catchments using the observed precipitation and runoff. Subsequently, we emulated step changes in climate by multiplying precipitation (P) by factors ranging between 0.2 and 2 before running the VOM and hydrological models without changing the vegetation properties or model parameters, emulating invariant catchment characteristics under a changed climate. In a last step, the VOM was re-optimized for the different P amounts, allowing vegetation to adapt to the new situation. Eventually, Budyko curves were fit by adapting the parameter n to the model results. This was carried out for both multiple sites simultaneously and for each individual study site, thereby assuming that n is a site-specific characteristic. The optimized VOM runs tracked relatively close to a Budyko curve with a realistic n value and close to observations, whereas the runs without vegetation led to significantly lower evaporative fractions and unrealistically low n values compared with literature. When fitting n to individual catchments, changes in P led to changes in n (increasing n for decreasing P) in all model runs (including the three conceptual models) except if the VOM was re-optimized for each change in P, which brought the value of n back close to its value for the unperturbed P in each catchment. For the re-optimized VOM runs, the variation in n between catchments was greater than within each catchment in response to multiplications of P with a factor 0.2 to 2. These findings suggest that optimality may explain the self-organization of catchments in Budyko space, and that the accompanying parameter n does not remain constant for constant catchment and vegetation conditions as hypothesized in the literature, but in fact emerges through the adaptation of vegetation to climatic conditions in a given hydrological setting. Moreover, the results suggest that n might initially increase in response to suddenly reduced P, and only slowly returns to its original, catchment-specific value, as vegetation re-adjusts to the new climate over decades and centuries. This may constitute a new basis for the evaluation and prediction of catchment responses to climatic shifts.

Evaluation of Methods to Detect Shifts in Directional Selection at the Genome Scale.

Identifying the footprints of selection in coding sequences can inform about the importance and function of individual sites. Analyses of the ratio of nonsynonymous to synonymous substitutions (dN/dS) have been widely used to pinpoint changes in the intensity of selection, but cannot distinguish them from changes in the direction of selection, that is, changes in the fitness of specific amino acids at a given position. A few methods that rely on amino-acid profiles to detect changes in directional selection have been designed, but their performances have not been well characterized. In this paper, we investigate the performance of six of these methods. We evaluate them on simulations along empirical phylogenies in which transition events have been annotated and compare their ability to detect sites that have undergone changes in the direction or intensity of selection to that of a widely used dN/dS approach, codeml's branch-site model A. We show that all methods have reduced performance in the presence of biased gene conversion but not CpG hypermutability. The best profile method, Pelican, a new implementation of Tamuri AU, Hay AJ, Goldstein RA. (2009. Identifying changes in selective constraints: host shifts in influenza. PLoS Comput Biol. 5(11):e1000564), performs as well as codeml in a range of conditions except for detecting relaxations of selection, and performs better when tree length increases, or in the presence of persistent positive selection. It is fast, enabling genome-scale searches for site-wise changes in the direction of selection associated with phenotypic changes.

Accuracy of five ground heat flux empirical simulation methods in the surface-energy-balance-based remote-sensing evapotranspiration models

Abstract. Based on the assessment from 230 flux site observations, intra-day and daytime ground heat flux (G) accounted for 19.2 % and 28.8 % of the corresponding net radiation, respectively. This indicates that G plays an important role in remote-sensing (RS) energy-balance-based evapotranspiration (ET) models. The G empirical estimation methods have been evaluated at many individual sites, while there have been relatively few multi-site evaluation studies. The accuracy of the five empirical G simulation methods in the surface-energy-balance-based RS–ET models was evaluated using half-hourly observations. The linear coefficient (LC) method and the two methods embedded with the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) were able to accurately simulate a half-hourly G series at most sites. The mean and median Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) values of all sites were generally higher than 0.50 in each half-hour period. The accuracy of each method varied significantly at different sites and at half-hour intervals. The highest accuracy was exhibited during 06:00–07:00 LST (all times hereafter are LST), followed by the period of 17:00–18:00. There were 92 % (211/230) sites with an NSE of the LC method greater than 0.50 at 06:30. It showed a slightly higher accuracy during nighttime periods than during daytime periods. The lowest accuracy was observed during the period of 10:00–15:30. The sites with an NSE exceeding 0.50 only accounted for 51 % (118/230) and 43 % (100/230) at 10:30 and 13:30, respectively. The accuracy of the model was generally higher in Northern Hemisphere sites than in Southern Hemisphere sites. In general, the highest and lowest accuracies were observed at the high- and low-latitude sites, respectively. The performance of the LC method and the methods embedded with NDVI were generally satisfactory at the Eurasian and North American sites, with the NSE values of most sites exceeding 0.70. Conversely, it exhibited relatively poor performance at the African, South American, and Oceanian sites, especially the African sites. Both the temporal and spatial distributions of the accuracy of the G simulation were positively correlated with the correlation between G and the net radiation. Although the G simulation methods accurately simulated the G series at most sites and time periods, their performance was poor at some sites and time periods. The application of RS ET datasets covering these sites requires caution. Further improvement of G simulations at these sites and time periods is recommended for the RS ET modelers. In addition, variable parameters are recommended in empirical methods of G simulation to improve accuracy. Instead of the Rn, finding another variable that has a physical connection and strong correlation with G might be a more efficient solution for the improvement, since the weak correlation between G and Rn is the main reason for the poor performance at these regions.

Botanical Assessments of High-Quality Southern Shrub-Carr and Hardwood Swamp Wetlands in the Undeveloped Lowell Regional Greenspace, Kent County, Michigan

The 2019–2023 Masterplan for Kent County Parks includes the future development of acquired properties that have been designated as the Lowell Regional Greenspace (528 acres), occupying nearly the entirety of Section 22 of Lowell Charter Township in Kent County, Michigan. Four wetlands located in the same drainage basin along Karen Creek in the Lowell Regional Greenspace were inventoried for floristic quality assessments during the summers of 2016, 2018, 2019, and 2021. One of the wetlands was forested and determined to be a southern hardwood swamp community type. The other three wetlands are best classified as shrub-carr communities. In the southern hardwood swamp, we recorded 94 species, of which 87 (92%) are native. A total of 321 species were documented in the three shrub-carrs wetlands combined. The number of species in each shrub-carr site, ranging from 172 to 238, is roughly twice that for the southern hardwood swamp site. Two of the species documented are listed as Special Concern in Michigan, and two are new county records for Kent County, Michigan. A non-metric multidimensional scaling model (NMDS) was run to spatially compare similarities and differences among the sites. The Sørensen Index of Similarity, which was employed to further discern differences between pairs of individual sites, was also useful for assigning plant community types as described by the Michigan Natural Features Inventory (2016). The Floristic Quality Assessments indicate that all four of the wetlands are floristically important statewide; furthermore, the three shrub-carr communities have exceptional conservation value. We discovered that the three shrub-carr sites have a high degree of similarity in their species assemblages, whereas the southern hardwood swamp was markedly different. The high richness and significant floristic quality of the shrub-carr sites highlight the conservation value of these often-overlooked habitats. This study underscores the importance of preserving even small tracts of persisting remnant natural habitats. Our research should be of use to Kent County Parks as they approach development of the Lowell Regional Greenspace into a multiple-use recreational space, as well as to those interested in learning more about how to assess and compare habitat quality of remnant natural areas.

Legacy effects in radial tree growth are rarely significant after accounting for biological memory

Abstract Drought legacies in radial tree growth are an important feature of variability in biomass accumulation and are widely used to characterize forest resilience to climate change. Defined as a deviation from normal growth, the statistical significance of legacy effects depends on the definition of “normal”—expected growth under average conditions—which has not received sufficient scrutiny. We re‐examined legacy effect analyses using the International Tree‐Ring Data Bank (ITRDB) and then produced synthetic tree‐ring data to disentangle four key variables influencing the magnitude of legacy effects. We hypothesized that legacy effects (i) are mainly influenced by the auto‐correlation of the radial growth time series (phi), (ii) depend on climate‐growth cross‐correlation (rho), (iii) are directly proportional to the inherent variability of the growth time series (standard deviation, SD), and (iv) scale with the chosen extreme event threshold. Using a data simulation approach, we were able to reproduce observed lag patterns, demonstrating that legacy effects are a direct outcome of ubiquitous biological memory. We found that stronger legacy effects for conifers compared to angiosperms is a consequence of their higher auto‐correlation, and that the detectability of legacy effects following rare drought events at individual sites is compromised by strong background stochasticity. Synthesis. We propose two pathways forward to improve the assessment and interpretation of legacy effects: First, we highlight the need to account for auto‐correlated residuals of climate‐growth regression models a posteriori, thereby retrospectively adjusting expectations for “normal” growth variability. Alternatively, we recommend including lagged climate variables in regression models a priori. By doing so, the magnitude of detected legacy effects is greatly reduced and biological memory is directly attributed to antecedent climatic drivers. We argue that future analyses should focus on understanding the functional reasons for how and why key statistical parameters describing this biological memory differ across species and sites. These two pathways should also stimulate improved process‐based representation of vegetation carbon dynamics in mechanistic models.

Limited conservation in cross-species comparison of GLK transcription factor binding suggested wide-spread cistrome divergence.

Non-coding cis-regulatory variants in animal genomes are an important driving force in the evolution of transcription regulation and phenotype diversity. However, cistrome dynamics in plants remain largely underexplored. Here, we compare the binding of GOLDEN2-LIKE (GLK) transcription factors in tomato, tobacco, Arabidopsis, maize and rice. Although the function of GLKs is conserved, most of their binding sites are species-specific. Conserved binding sites are often found near photosynthetic genes dependent on GLK for expression, but sites near non-differentially expressed genes in the glk mutant are nevertheless under purifying selection. The binding sites' regulatory potential can be predicted by machine learning model using quantitative genome features and TF co-binding information. Our study show that genome cis-variation caused wide-spread TF binding divergence, and most of the TF binding sites are genetically redundant. This poses a major challenge for interpreting the effect of individual sites and highlights the importance of quantitatively measuring TF occupancy.