Low Degree Of Connectivity Research Articles

An individual‐based model trained on multiple data sources estimates population connectivity and facilitates aggregation of harvest management units

Abstract Management boundaries are often delimited by political and social factors, whereas animal movements are affected by ecological and geophysical constraints. Thus, understanding connectivity among distinct management units is of considerable importance, particularly for harvested species, where quotas set in ignorance of connectivity may fail to meet management goals. We constructed an individual‐based model (IBM) to better understand wild turkey movements at large scales, benefiting from multiple data sources that are often available for harvested species. We built an IBM from spring seasonal movements of wild turkey, using data from ringed, radio‐, and GPS‐marked turkeys captured in Maine, USA. Our IBM accommodated variation in individual turkey response to landscape connectivity metrics and identified emergent migratory connectivity dynamics among harvest management regions. We calculated a low degree of connectivity among wildlife management districts (WMD) which, in combination with the substantial number of boundary crossings observed, indicated a more diffuse distribution of turkeys among WMDs. Synthesis and applications: Estimates of turkeys moving between districts provided a clear delineation of where immigration was strongest, identifying which WMDs should be managed as singular population units. This approach has widespread utility for any species or system where harvest management decisions are made at finer spatial scales than the movement dynamics affecting population processes.

. Comparison of sorption properties of zoocompost in relation to Cd2+, Zn2+, Cu2+ ions

The study of relationships between zoocompost containing humic acids and metal ions is of great importance not only for predicting the redistribution of humic compounds and heavy metals in the environment, but also for developing methods for controlling the processes of migration of pollutants in natural environments, creating new materials for protecting the environment and remediating soils contaminated with heavy metal ions. The article compares the sorption capacity of zoocompost cultivated by the Black Lionfly fly, containing humic acids and to Zn2+, Cd2+, Cu2+ ions. It was established that with an increase in the dose of zoocompost, the concentration of heavy metal ions in the solution decreases and the cleaning efficiency reaches 94.6% for Cd2+, 75.2% for Zn2+ and 70.4% for Cu2+. A comparison of the stability constants of complex ions of cadmium, zinc and copper showed that more stable metal-humic acid complexes are formed by Cd2+ and Zn2+, while Cu2+ is characterized by a lower degree of connectivity. The obtained sorption isotherms and values of the sorption capacity of zoocompost for Cd2+ (0.490 mmol/g), Zn2+ (0.225 mmol/g) and Cu2+ (0.145 mmol/g) indicate the specific interaction between the heavy metal ions and functional groups of humic acids included in the composition of zoocompost, and also confirm the theoretical series of stability of chelates Cd < Zn < Cu.

The main agroecological structure, a methodology for the collective analysis of the Mediterranean agroecological landscape of San Clemente, Region del Maule, Chile

The simplification of the landscape as a consequence of the decrease in biodiversity and the adoption of monoculture production systems has led to a significant decrease in the provision of ecosystem services in the territory. The conversion of agroecosystems requires the adoption of agroecological techniques, which aim to design the agroecosystem as an integrated part of a vegetation matrix of the landscape, interconnecting the different production systems with the agricultural landscape. In order to measure the degree of connectivity of agroecosystems with the landscape, we used the Main Agroecological Structure (MAS) method, which was applied to 36 small agroecosystems of vegetable, livestock and fruit producers, which generally presented a low degree of connectivity. This allows us to evaluate the potential of these systems for agroecological transition, since being present in a moderately complex agricultural landscape gives important advantages over a more simplified system, allowing these producers to dispense with the use of many energy subsidies. This evaluation allows a first approximation to the quantification of the landscape matrix and will allow a comparison between agroecosystems or an evaluation of the evolution of the MAS over time. It is necessary to complement the MAS by quantifying the ecosystem services that may be associated with it.

Effective elastic properties of loosely connected fibrous bio-inspired materials

Understanding the mechanics of networks has become critical with the rapid development of advanced technologies that produce metamaterials with unique structures and properties. Architectured materials with random fibrous network microstructure may mimic the extracellular matrix (ECM), the low-connected microenvironment of biological cells. Elastic properties of ECM and artificial scaffolds influence the cells' interaction and state. However, experimental determination of these properties requires significant resources, whereas complex network topology complicates their prediction from theoretical analysis.In this work, we propose a way to determine the effective elastic properties of the fibrous hyperelastic material with a low degree of connectivity. A two-dimensional representative volume element (RVE) with a loosed fiber connectivity (C = 3.5) was quasi-statically subjected to uniaxial and equibiaxial tensions. The resulting material properties of fiber RVE were used as a reference for the continuum model simulations. Thus, the effective moduli of elasticity in two orthogonal directions for discrete fibrous and continuum models were evaluated and compared. Final results show that the model exhibits intense deformation and anisotropic properties appear starting from small deformations. Despite the highly non-linear behavior of the system, the Ogden model accurately described the system's behavior at the macro level.

Direct Application of 3-Maleimido-PROXYL for Proving Hypoalbuminemia in Cases of SARS-CoV-2 Infection: The Potential Diagnostic Method of Determining Albumin Instability and Oxidized Protein Level in Severe COVID-19.

Oxidative stress and the albumin oxidized form can lead to hypoalbuminemia, which is a predisposing factor for reduced treatment effectiveness and an increased mortality rate in severe COVID-19 patients. The aim of the study is to evaluate the application of free radical 3-Maleimido-PROXYL and SDSL-EPR spectroscopy in the in vitro determination of ox/red HSA in serum samples from patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Venous blood was collected from patients intubated (pO2 < 90%) with a positive PCR test for SARS-CoV-2 and controls. At the 120th minute after the incubation of the serum samples from both groups with the 3-Maleimido-PROXYL, the EPR measurement was started. The high levels of free radicals were determined through the nitroxide radical TEMPOL, which probably led to increased oxidation of HSA and hypoalbuminemia in severe COVID-19. The double-integrated spectra of 3-Maleimido-PROXYL radical showed a low degree of connectivity due to high levels of oxidized albumin in COVID-19 patients. The low concentrations of reduced albumin in serum samples partially inhibit spin-label rotation, with Amax values and ΔH0 spectral parameters comparable to those of 3-Maleimido-PROXYL/DMSO. Based on the obtained results, we suggest that the stable nitroxide radical 3-Maleimido-PROXYL can be successfully used as a marker to study oxidized albumin levels in COVID-19.

Integrating rock physics and sequence stratigraphy for characterization of deep-offshore turbidite sand system

Definition and understanding deep water depositional environment is essential, especially in exploration and development phase. This study is aimed at improving characterization and environment of deposition assessment of deepwater turbidite sands systems as a way of evaluating reservoir geometry and quality in “NOJA” field, deep-offshore Niger Delta. The data used for the analysis comprise 3D full angle stack seismic, biofacies and logs from five wells. Seismic sequence analysis using reflection termination patterns were used for the mapping of depositional sequences. The sequences have internal reflection geometries ranging from parallel, subparallel and chaotic. Seismic structural maps gave insight into rock deformation and hydrocarbon potential of the field. The probable structure responsible for the trapping of oil and gas was a faulted anticlinal structure. Amplitude maps of the two stratigraphic surfaces gave insight into sand and shale distributions and possible environment of sediment deposition. Rock physics concepts were utilised to evaluate reservoir continuity, diagenetic and environment of deposition effects influencing reservoir properties. Two reservoirs (R1 and R2) of interest occurred at a depth interval of 2398–2461 m. Reservoir (R1) has average volume of shale of 22%, effective porosity 20%, hydrocarbon saturation 53%, and permeability 556 mD. Reservoir (R2) has average volume of shale of 10%, effective porosity 26%, hydrocarbon saturation 79%, and permeability 1044 mD. Environment of sediment deposition of the reservoirs was weakly confined with distributary channel complexes. Reservoir (R1) had low degree of connectivity (loosely amalgamated turbidite sand system) and reservoir (R2) possessed high degree of connectivity (highly amalgamated turbidite sand system). Rock physics templates of constant, contact and friable showed that the reservoir sands were poorly cemented to unconsolidated. These models indicated that the reservoir sands were both influenced by depositional and depth related diagenetic effects.

Connectedness within the Statistics Classroom

Background Statistics courses are a necessary component of undergraduate education, but psychology majors often have negative associations with statistics. One way to promote learning within classrooms is to promote classroom connectedness, but few studies have examined classroom connectedness using a social network paradigm. Objective The purpose of this study was to examine the degree of connectivity within the lab component of a statistics course, and test if the networks were associated with psychological constructs related to academic success, specifically, grit and resilience. Method Using descriptive network analysis and exponential random graph models (ERGMs), we examined the level of connectedness in statistics labs and whether or not students were likely to connect with each other based on sharing similar levels of grit and resilience. Results Results suggested an overall low degree of connectivity within each lab. However, in the most well-connected lab, students were more likely to connect with other students who had a dissimilar level of grit, but a similar level of resilience. Conclusion There is high variability between different student networks, although all networks were sparse. Future research could further examine the connection between student connectedness, grit and/or resilience, and how these could connect to student outcomes. Teaching implications fostering classroom connectedness could improve student learning outcomes.

Population sizing of cellular evolutionary algorithms

Abstract Cellular evolutionary algorithms (cEAs) are a particular type of EAs in which a communication structure is imposed to the population and mating restricted to topographically nearby individuals. In general, these algorithms have longer takeover times than panmictic EAs and previous investigations argue that they are more efficient in escaping local optima of multimodal and deceptive functions. However, most of those studies are not primarily concerned with population size, despite being one of the design decisions with a greater impact in the accuracy and convergence speed of population-based metaheuristics. In this paper, optimal population size for cEAs structured by regular and random graphs with different degree is estimated. Selecto-recombinative cEAs and standard cEAs with mutation and different types of crossover were tested on a class of functions with tunable degrees of difficulty. Results and statistical tests demonstrate the importance of setting an appropriate population size. Event Takeover Values (ETV) were also studied and previous assumptions on their distribution were not confirmed: although ETV distributions of panmictic EAs are heavy-tailed, log-log plots of complementary cumulative distribution functions display no linearity. Furthermore, statistical tests on ETVs generated by several instances of the problems conclude that power law models cannot be favored over log-normal. On the other hand, results confirm that cEAs impose deviations to distribution tails and that large ETVs are less probable when the population is structured by graphs with low connectivity degree. Finally, results suggest that for panmictic EAs the ETVs’ upper bounds are approximately equal to the optimal population size.

Potential connectivity between marine protected areas in the Mesoamerican Reef for two species of virtual fish larvae: Lutjanus analis and Epinephelus striatus

The potential connectivity network of marine protected areas (MPAs) with spawning aggregations sites in the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef system (MBRS) was examined through simulated dispersal of two study cases, Lutjanus analis and Epinephelus striatus larvae. The analysis was based on a particle tracking model incorporating four years of daily horizontal surface currents from the global scale HYCOM 1/12°. We carried out two approaches, the first one used the period of larval duration (PLD) and the second the time of flexion of the notochord as the limit time of dispersion of the particles. Additionally, peak spawning seasons (December-Febraury for E. striatus and March-July for L. analis), lunar phases and georeferenced spawning aggregations sites were considered for releasing the virtual larvae. Our findings suggest that in general, the network of MPAs of the MBRS are well connected, however, the connectivity network structure presented variations in the relative role of each MPA, and their played role will depend on the specie reproductive period, the oceanographic conditions and the assumed biological approximation (such as PLD or flexion). Our analysis suggested a regionalization of the MBRS. A southern region (Bacalar Chico, Roatan and Sapodilla) with low degree of connectivity, moderate self-recruitment rate, and low values of betweenness centrality. A second southern region (Turneff Island, Lighthouse Atoll, Glover Reef Atoll and Gladen Spit) with high rate of self-recruitment (up to 20%) that could be related to self-recruitment due to retention mechanism of the Honduras Gyre, with high values of source of larvae, function as bridges that connect the south zone with the north of the system. A third region (Mahahual and Xcalak) showing sink of larvae, low larval arrival rate but self-recruitment, low values of betweenness centrality area influenced by slow and variable currents and the presence of a southward flow. And a fourth region (Chinchorro, Sian Ka’an, Puerto Morelos and Cozumel) with moderate fast current speed (Yucatan Current), low self-recruitment, larval sink, bridge with the Gulf of Mexico and Florida.

Potential Breast Anticancer Drug Targets Revealed by Differential Gene Regulatory Network Analysis and Molecular Docking: Neoadjuvant Docetaxel Drug as a Case Study.

Understanding gene-gene interaction and its causal relationship to protein-protein interaction is a viable route for understanding drug action at the genetic level, which is largely hindered by inability to robustly map gene regulatory networks. Here, we use biological prior knowledge of family-to-family gene interactions available in the KEGG database to reveal individual gene-to-gene interaction networks that underlie the gene expression profiles of 2 cell line data sets, sensitive and resistive to neoadjuvant docetaxel breast anticancer drug. Comparison of the topology of the 2 networks revealed that the resistant network is highly connected with 2 large domains of connectivity: one in which the RAF1 and MAP2K2 genes form hubs of connectivity and another in which the RAS gene is highly connected. On the contrary, the sensitive network is highly disrupted with a lower degree of connectivity. We investigated the interactions of the neoadjuvant docetaxel drug with the protein chains encoded by gene-gene interactions that underlie the disruption of the sensitive network topology using protein-protein and drug-protein docking techniques. We found that the sensitive network is likely to be disrupted by interaction of the neoadjuvant docetaxel drug with the DAXX and FGR1 proteins, which is consistent with the observed accumulation of cytoplasmic DAXX and overexpression of FGR1 precursors in cancer cell lines. This indicates that the DAXX and FGR1 proteins could be potential targets for the neoadjuvant docetaxel drug. The work, therefore, provides a new route for understanding the effect of the drug mode of action from the viewpoint of the change in the topology of gene-gene regulatory networks and provides a new avenue for bridging the gap between gene-gene interactions and protein-protein interactions which could have deep implications on mainstream drug development protocols.

Disordered configurations of the Glauber model in two-dimensional networks

We analyze the ordering efficiency and the structure of disordered configurations for the zero-temperature Glauber model on Watts-Strogatz networks obtained by rewiring 2D regular square lattices. In the small-world regime, the dynamics fails to reach the ordered state in the thermodynamic limit. Due to the interplay of the perturbed regular topology and the energy neutral stochastic state transitions, the stationary state consists of two intertwined domains, manifested as multiclustered states on the original lattice. Moreover, for intermediate rewiring probabilities, one finds an additional source of disorder due to the low connectivity degree, which gives rise to small isolated droplets of spins. We also examine the ordering process in paradigmatic two-layer networks with heterogeneous rewiring probabilities. Comparing the cases of a multiplex network and the corresponding network with random inter-layer connectivity, we demonstrate that the character of the final state qualitatively depends on the type of inter-layer connections.

No apparent gain from continuing migration for more than 3000\xa0kilometres: willow warblers breeding in Denmark winter across the entire northern Savannah as revealed by geolocators

BackgroundFor most Afro-Palearctic migrants, particularly small songbirds, spatiotemporal migration schedules and migratory connectivity remain poorly understood. We mapped migration from breeding through winter of one of the smallest Afro-Palearctic migrants, the willow warbler Phylloscopus trochilus, using geolocators (n = 15).ResultsBirds migrated from North European breeding grounds to West Africa via the Iberian Peninsula following a narrow corridor along the West Coast of Africa. Birds then dispersed across the northern Savannah with termination of migration highly variable among individuals. The termination of migration appeared not to be related to timing, current and previous years’ vegetation conditions or biometrics. During winter, most birds moved southwards to improved vegetation.ConclusionThe willow warblers showed a large, unexpected longitudinal spread in winter sites of more than 3000 km between individuals breeding within a 500 m range resulting in a low degree of connectivity. The large wintering area may well be related to generalist behaviour in the species. Our findings contribute to understanding the link between breeding and wintering ecology in long-distance migratory birds.

Dispersal corridors for plant species in the Poyang Lake Basin of southeast China identified by integration of phylogeographic and geospatial data.

Measuring the dispersal of wildlife through landscapes is notoriously difficult. Recently, the categorical least cost path algorithm that integrates population genetic data with species distribution models has been applied to reveal population connectivity. In this study, we use this method to identify the possible dispersal corridors of five plant species (Castanopsis tibetana, Schima superba, Cyclocarya paliurus, Sargentodoxa cuneata, Eomecon chionantha) in the Poyang Lake Basin (PLB, largely coinciding with Jiangxi Province), China, in the late Quaternary. The results showed that the strongest population connectivity for the five species occurred in the Wuyi Mountains and the Yu Mountains of the eastern PLB (East Corridor) during the late Quaternary. In the western PLB, populations of the five species were connected by the Luoxiao Mountains and the Jiuling Mountains (West Corridor) but with a lower degree of connectivity. There were some minor connections between the eastern and the western populations across the Gannan Hills. When the corridors of five species were overlaid, the East Corridor and the West Corridor were mostly shared by multiple species. These results indicate that plant species in the PLB could have responded to the Quaternary climate changes by moving along the East Corridor and the West Corridor. Given that dispersal corridors have seldom been considered in the governmental strategies of biodiversity conservation in the PLB, preserving and restoring natural vegetation along these corridors should be prioritized to mitigate the effects of anthropogenic climate change by facilitating migration of plant species and other biota.

Glass transition temperatures and structures of multicomponent borate glasses: Influence of modifier cation field strengths

Glass transition temperatures, Tg, are determined for a series of multicomponent borate glasses with composition xPbO·(33.33−x)Na2O·yAl2O3·1.3ySiO2·(66.67−2.3y)B2O3, (where x and y take values from 0 up to 13.5mol%, and from 0 up to 5.3mol%, respectively). For this purpose, differential scanning calorimetry is used while the structure of these glasses containing two kinds of modifier oxides — Na2O and PbO, is investigated by infrared spectroscopy. A detailed analysis of the infrared spectra reveals that at constant total content of the glass-forming oxides (B2O3, SiO2 and Al2O3) in the glasses investigated, the borate network progressively depolymerizes when Na2O is substituted for PbO. This substitution favors the destruction of the more rigid structural units and the formation at their expense of units with a lower degree of connectivity. The macroscopic manifestation of these structural changes is the steep decrease in the glass transition temperature of the glasses investigated at increasing PbO concentration. This tendency for depolymerization of the borate network is explained by the influence of the Pb2+-cations possessing substantially higher ionic field strength as compared to that of the Na+-cations.

Measuring the food microstructure by two-point cluster function

The clustering of pores of three types of bread was studied by measuring the two point cluster function, C2(r). The ability of this function in describing the connectivity among the structure elements of bread was proved by comparing the C2(r) of a “reference” and a “reconstructed” bread image having the same porosity fraction and lineal path distribution function, L(r). The two point cluster function of the void phase of two commercial, “Pan Brioscè” and “Pancarrè”, and a non commercial, “White”, bread enabled to highlight significant differences of their topological properties. “White” bread was characterized from more homogeneous pores with a lower degree of connectivity while the “Pancarrè” samples exhibited voids highly connected producing pores bigger in size and with a shape extremely complex. Furthermore, for the first time it was proved as the microstructure information of the two point cluster function allows discriminating the 90% of the total variace of bread samples.

Implications of the financial crisis on the soundness of the banking system in the Republic of Moldova

The extent of recent financial crisis implications on economies differs from country to country. The effects of the crisis events in developed countries differ from the ef fects in developing countries. The banking systems are now more vulnerable to shocks and to contagion than ever before due to the globalization of banking ac tivity. In recent years, the Moldovan banking system has demonstrated a high degree of resilience to the global financial crisis. The local banking system has a low degree of connectivity to the European and world banking systems due to a very limited presence of international banks in the market. This has meant that there has been no direct contagion during the last financial crises. The effects of the crises in Moldova were felt indirectly by the banks, through the channel of remittances and foreign trade , which have diminished substantially as a result of the economic decline in Europe, particularly in 2009. This article aims to verify whether a systemic crisis was recorded within the domestic banking sector during recent years and to establish the conditions which could be classified as a full-fledged crisis episode in the case of the Republic of Moldova. In addition, the implications of the recent financial crisis on the soundness of Moldova’s banking system are identified.

Diffusion tensor imaging detects microstructural reorganization in the brain associated with chronic irritable bowel syndrome

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common gastrointestinal disorder characterized by recurring abdominal pain associated with alterations in bowel habits. We hypothesized that patients with chronic visceral pain associated with IBS may have microstructural differences in the brain compared with healthy control subjects (HCs), indicative of long-term neural reorganization of chronic pain pathways and regions associated with sensory integration. In the current study we performed population-based voxel-wise diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) comparisons and probabilistic tractography in a large sample of phenotyped patients with IBS (n=33) and in HCs (n=93). Patients had lower fractional anisotropy (FA) in thalamic regions, the basal ganglia (BG) and sensory/motor association/integration regions as well as higher FA in frontal lobe regions and the corpus callosum. In addition, patients had reduced mean diffusivity (MD) within the globus pallidus (GP) and higher MD in the thalamus, internal capsule, and coronal radiata projecting to sensory/motor regions, suggestive of differential changes in axon/dendritic density in these regions. Sex differences in FA and MD were also observed in the patients but not in HCs. Probabilistic tractography in patients confirmed a higher degree of connectivity between the thalamus and prefrontal cortex, as well as between the medial dorsal thalamic nuclei and anterior cingulate cortex, and a lower degree of connectivity between the GP and thalamus. Together, these results support the hypothesis that patients with chronically recurring visceral pain from IBS have long-term microstructural changes within the brain, particularly in regions associated with integration of sensory information and corticothalamic modulation.

Rise and fall of a wolf population: genetic diversity and structure during recovery, rapid expansion and drastic decline

The grey wolves (Canis lupus) of Finland have had a varied history, with a period of rapid population expansion after the mid-1990s followed by a decline with a current census size of about 140 wolves. Here, we investigate the impact of unstable population size and connectivity on genetic diversity and structure in a long-term genetic study of 298 Finnish wolves born in 1995-2009 and genotyped for 17 microsatellite loci. During the initial recovery and prior to population expansion, genetic diversity was high (1995-1997: LD-N(e) =67.2; H(o) =0.749; H(e) =0.709) despite a small census size and low number of breeders (N(c) <100; N(b) <10) likely reflecting the status of the Russian source population. Surprisingly, observed heterozygosity decreased significantly during the study period (t=-2.643, P=0.021) despite population expansion, likely a result of an increase in inbreeding (F(IS) =0.108 in 2007-2009) owing to a low degree of connectivity with adjacent Russian wolf population (m=0.016-0.090; F(ST) =0.086, P<0.001) and population crash after 2006. However, population growth had a temporary positive impact on N(e) and number of family lines. This study shows that even strong population growth alone might not be adequate to retain genetic diversity, especially when accompanied with low amount of subsequent gene flow and population decline.

The Early (tweet-ing) Bird Spreads the Worm: An Assessment of Twitter for Malware Propagation

Social Networks have rapidly become one of the most used Internet based applications. The structure and ease of information dissemination provides an opportunity for adversaries to use it for their own malicious purpose. In this paper we investigate a popular social network – Twitter as a malware propagation medium. We present a basic model for Twitter-based malware propagation using epidemic theory. Our analysis shows that even with a low degree of connectivity and a low probability of clicking links, Twitter and its structure can be exploited to infect many nodes.

Structural organization of process zones in upland watersheds of central Nevada and its influence on basin connectivity, dynamics, and wet meadow complexes

The drainage network within upland watersheds in central Nevada can be subdivided into distinct zones each dominated by a unique set of processes on the basis of valley form, the geological materials that comprise the valley floor, and the presence or absence of surficial channels. On hillslopes, the type and structure (frequency, length, and spatial arrangement) of these process zones is related to the lithology and weathering characteristics of the underlying bedrock. Process zones dominated by sediment accumulation, storage, and groundwater recharge are associated with less resistant rocks that weather into abundant but relatively small particles. Sediment transport and runoff-dominated zones are associated with resistant, sparsely fractured rocks that produce limited but larger clasts. The type and structure of process zones along axial valleys depend on the characteristics of the process zones on the hillslopes. Numerous sediment storage-dominated reaches leads to a relatively high number of unincised fans located at the mouth of tributaries along the axial valleys and to frequent and lengthy unincised valley segments, both of which disconnect large sections of the drainage basin from channelized flows. In contrast, a relatively high density of transport-dominated process zones leads downstream to the incision of side-valley fans and axial valley deposits as well as a high degree of basin connectivity (defined by the integration of surficial channels). Connectivity also is related to the lithology of the underlying bedrock, with higher degrees of connectivity being associated with volcanic rocks that presumably yield high rates of runoff. Lower levels of connectivity are associated most frequently with extensively fractured, locally permeable sedimentary and metamorphic rock assemblages. Thus, basins underlain by volcanic rocks appear to be more sensitive to incision and produce more dynamic channels in terms of the rate of channel/valley modification than those underlain by other lithologies. Considerable attention has been devoted in recent years to the management of wet meadow ecosystems that serve as important riparian habitats within upland basins of central Nevada. The data presented here show that, within basins characterized by a high degree of connectivity, areas of wet meadow are minimal. Where they do exist in these basins, they tend to be severely degraded by incision or gully erosion and will be difficult to manage given the dynamic nature of the axial channel processes. Wet meadows within basins that exhibit a low degree of connectivity and high sediment storage-to-transport ratios on hillslopes will likely be more responsive to management activities because of the reduced threats of channel incision and, presumably, a larger supply of groundwater flow to the meadows created by an extensive network of recharge sites. Importantly, human activities that lead to an increase in basin connectivity can negatively impact downstream meadows through a decrease in groundwater recharge and an increase in stream dynamics, in spite of the fact that these activities may be physically separated from the wet meadow areas.