Lowland Regions Research Articles

Food consumption patterns and child stunting in the lowland region

Stunting in children under five is a public health problem in Indonesia, especially in lowland areas related to food consumption patterns. This study aims to determine the relationship between food consumption patterns and the incidence of toddler stunting in lowland areas in the Province of South Kalimantan, Indonesia. This type of research is quantitative descriptive, and the sample study amounted to 166 toddlers 12-59 months. The instrument used was a threaded form of the expected food pattern score (DDP) and a 24-hour food recall to determine the diversity of food consumption for toddlers. To determine the relationship between food consumption patterns and stunting, Chi-Square analysis (α = 0.05) was used. The results showed that the average actual energy of under five was quite diverse, with a DDP score of 76.4. The average energy consumed by toddlers at 1296.4 kcal/cap/day. The highest food groups consumed by toddlers are grains at 740.3 kcal/cap/day, and the lowest oily seeds fruit food group at 7.8 kcal/cap/day. Based on the analysis of Chi-Square shows the results of 21.715 and p-value = 0.000 (α = 0.05), then α > p-value indicates a link between food consumption patterns in toddlers with the incidence of stunting in toddlers in lowlands.

Whole-genome resequencing reveals complex effects of geographical-palaeoclimatic interactions on diversification of moustache toads in East Asia.

Geographical features and palaeoclimatic fluctuations are two classical evolutionary forces that shape genetic diversification within species. Fine-grained analysis of the mechanisms involved through population demographic processes, however, remains limited. Taking advantage of two recently published reference genomes, we resequenced the genomes and examined the evolutionary history of the moustache toads, a group endemic to East Asia where complex topography and fluctuating palaeoclimate are known to have had profound impacts on organisms. Moustache toads probably originated in southeast Yunnan, China, and diversified towards the northwestern of Yunnan, as well as central and eastern China. Further exploration based on three widespread species (Leptobrachium ailaonicum, L. boringii and L. liui) using demographic modelling and species distribution models revealed that mountains and river valleys in East Asia not only functioned as geographical barriers, but also provided dispersal corridors and facilitated continuous migration or post-glacial secondary contact among moustache toad populations. Furthermore, periodic oscillation of effective population sizes accompanying fluctuations of historical temperature and population contraction at the Last Glacial Maximum support the widespread impact of climatic changes of the Pleistocene on species diversification in East Asia. This impact was moderate for populations of L. ailaonicum and L. boringii in the southwestern mountains but severe for populations of L. liui in the eastern lowland regions of continental East Asia, which is supported by different degrees of change of their effective population sizes. Our findings reveal mechanisms underlying genetic diversification among moustache toads, and highlight the power of genomic data and demographic modelling for examining complex historical population-level processes and for understanding how geographical and palaeoclimatic factors interactively shape current intraspecific diversity.

Unravelling the Chemotaxonomic Identity of "White" and "Black" Oregano (Origanum vulgare) in Northern Greece.

The two types of oregano used by the inhabitants of the villages of Μount Belles (GR1260001), the "white" oregano with white flowers and "black" oregano with purple flowers, were studied. The two oregano types were collected from five localities along an altitudinal gradient from 217 m up to 1299 m. "White" oregano, was found in the three lowland regions (up to 752 m) where the Pannonian-Balkanic turkey oak-sessile oak forest habitat (code 91M0) dominates. The "black" oregano was collected from the two higher altitudes, at 1177 m and 1299 m, where the Asperulo-Fagetum beech forest habitat (9130) occurs. Measurements of the density and size of peltate glandular hairs (sessile glands) on calyces, bracts, and leaves suggest that "white" oregano is distinguished by its conspicuous - apparently larger - glands. These differences were reflected in the total essential oil content, with the "white" oregano being much richer (up to 4.3 mL/100 g dry weight) than the "black" (up to 0.6%). Striking differences have also been found in the volatile fraction of their essential oil composition. The "white" oregano oils were characterized by the high content of carvacrol (up to 92.6% of identified peaks, by Headspace GC-MS). On the other hand, the two "black" oregano oils have a different aromatic profile, first reported from Greece, with main components including the sesquiterpenes β-caryophyllene, D-germacrene, δ-cadinene and β-bisabolene. The results so far indicate that "white" and "black" oregano, Origanum vulgare subsp. hirtum and subsp. vulgare respectively, can be clearly distinguished either by their morphological (glandular) differences or by chemical (essential oil) composition.

Systematic Review and Cranial Osteology of Petersius with Redescription of P. conserialis (Teleostei: Alestidae) from the Rufiji and Ruvu Rivers of Tanzania

We review the systematics of the monotypic alestid genus Petersius and provide a taxonomic redescription of P. conserialis from eastern Tanzania. Morphological investigation includes direct observation and examination of radiographed and µCT-scanned data from type and non-type specimens. We delimit the taxon's geographic distribution along the lowland regions of the Rufiji and Ruvu river basins in Tanzania and provide information on ecology, sexual dimorphism, and ontogenetic variation. Petersius is herein diagnosed by the possession of a unique cuspidation patterning of the inner-row premaxillary dentition and a distinctively shaped anterodorsal margin of the supraoccipital crest. It shares with some species of Phenacogrammus a sigmoid-shaped process on the dorsal margin of the second infraorbital, a feature lacking in other alestid taxa. Additional features of potential utility for ongoing investigation of relationships among alestid genera include the possession of contralateral premaxillae separated by the anteromedial process of the mesethmoid and without interdigitations connecting the medial surfaces of the premaxillae; four, occasionally five or six, small outer-row premaxillary teeth implanted alternately with those of the inner row; a dentary lacking a pair of conical inner-row teeth proximal to the symphysis; a dorsal posttemporal fossa that is smaller than the ventral fossa; a median third posttemporal fossa located entirely within the epioccipital; a truncate dorsomedial cranial fontanel; and a complete circumorbital series forming an uninterrupted ring around the orbit in adult specimens.

Changes in surface water dynamics across northwestern Canada are influenced by wildfire and permafrost thaw

The abundance and distribution of surface water at high latitudes is shifting rapidly in response to both climate change and permafrost thaw. In particular, the expansion and drainage of lakes and ponds is widespread but spatially variable, and more research is needed to understand factors driving these processes. In this study we used medium resolution (30 m) remote sensing data to analyse changes in lake area in permafrost-rich lowland regions across northwestern Canada. First, we used the Global Surface Water Dataset developed by the GLAD research group to map the absolute area of different land–water transitions across a 1.4 million km2 study domain. Next, we selected six regional study areas representing a range of climatic, geologic and hydrologic conditions. Within these regional study areas, we used the Landsat satellite archive to map annual trends in the area of 27 755 lakes between 1985 and 2020. We trained a random forests model to classify lakes exhibiting significant increasing or decreasing trends in area, and assessed the relative importance of climate, disturbance and environmental variables in determining the direction of change. Our analysis shows that significant increases in lake area were 5.6 times more frequent than decreases during the study period. Wildfire and ground ice abundance were the most important predictors of the direction of change. Greater ground ice content was associated with regions that experienced increases in lake area, while wildfire was associated with regions that experienced decreases in lake area. The effects of climate, including trends in mean annual temperature and total annual precipitation were smaller than disturbance and environmental factors, indicating that climate has likely had indirect effects on lake area changes over our period of study.

Geoenvironmental conditioning of landsliding in river valleys of lowland regions and its significance in landslide susceptibility assessment: A case study in the Lower Vistula Valley, Northern Poland

This paper presents an attempt to analyse landslide susceptibility of the Vistula River Valley in lowland Poland within young morainic areas. Although morphological and geological conditions of Northern European Lowland areas are different from those of mountainous and hilly areas, both of which are highly prone to mass movements, the frequency of landslides may also be very high on the slopes of large, entrenched river valleys. The frequency ratio (FR) and predictor rate (PR) methods were chosen to calculate the landslide susceptibility index (LSI) for entire landslides and detachment zones. Quantitative evaluation of the susceptibility model was performed by calculating area under the curve (AUC) for success rate curves (SRCs) and prediction rate curves (PRCs). To assign LSI values to individual classes the equal areas and the natural breaks methods were used. Identification and prioritization of causal factors show that the topographic attributes such as terrain ruggedness index (TRI), topographic wetness index (TWI), topographic position index (TPI) play a particularly important role. Most landslides develop on the slopes with a complex geological layering (i.e. two-layer or multi-layer setting) and those where the permeable layer (sand) separates less permeable layers (glacial till, clay/silt). In addition, landslides activate more frequently on slopes lacking erosional gullies. 81 % of unstable areas are on slopes with a small amount of erosional gullies, and the number of landslides decreases on slopes with a large number of erosional gullies. The selection of the study area turned out to be an important methodological issue; its geomorphological-geological homogeneity and low variability of the landslide types may have contributed to the very high values (AUC > 95) of SRC and PRC curves.

Greater one-horned rhino (Rhinoceros unicornis) mortality patterns in Nepal

Nepal’s lowland regions provide a rich habitat for greater one-horned rhino ( Rhinoceros unicornis ) populations. However, rhinos are facing human-caused and natural threats such as habitat loss and several other forms of anthropogenic pressure that cause mortality of greater one-horned rhinos (hereafter rhino) in Nepal. Understanding these patterns of mortality can provide important information for rhino conservation. In this study, we answered three important questions to aid in rhino conservation in Nepal:1)what was the pattern of rhino mortality (increased, decreased, or no change) during 2008–2018 in Nepal? 2) Does the pattern of rhino mortality vary by season, age, and gender? And, 3) what are the major causes of rhino mortality in Nepal? We collected rhino mortality data along with age, gender, and cause of death in the period between 2008 and 2018 in Nepal from secondary sources. We found that a total of 232 cases of rhino mortalities were observed during the 11-year period. Mortality of the rhino was associated with age and cause but not with gender and season. Among the nine categories of the causes of mortality, self-fighting, natural, tiger attacks, and poaching contributed about 80 % of total mortality. Mortality due to poaching of rhinos has decreased in recent years, while mortality due to self-fighting and tiger attacks have increased. We concluded that mortality causes associated with limited space and food, and tiger population growth are increasing in recent years. Therefore, habitat expansion, translocation to new suitable habitats, and multispecies conservation policy would contribute to long-term rhino conservation in Nepal.

Dirina ceratoniae (Arthoniales, Ascomycota): first record from Russia

The Mediterranean species Dirina ceratoniae (Roccellaceae, Arthoniales) is reported for the first time for Russia, specifically the Greater Caucasus in Daghestan, based on morphological and molecular evidences. The specimen collected on Populus nigra in a coastal lowland region is sorediate and sterile. The sorediate morph is not common in this species and currently known only from a few specimens from the Canary Islands. In the phylogenetic analysis, the ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 sequence obtained for the material grouped in a well-supported clade with all D. ceratoniaespecimens available in GenBank, within a lineage including three other species: D. canariensis, D. fallax, and D. massiliensis. The discovery of D. ceratoniae in Daghestan substantially expands the known distributional range of this taxon to the east of Eurasia.

Growth Characteristics of Five Plum Varieties on Six Different Rootstocks Grown in Containers at Different Irrigation Levels

In contrast to other European countries, the nurseries in Hungary mainly use Myrobalan seedlings as rootstock for plum trees; no experience with other rootstocks is available yet. The aim of our research was to gather experience and recommend rootstocks to growers that are adapted to the climatic conditions and can be used in high-density intensive orchards. In the experiment, six rootstocks (Myrobalan seedlings, ‘St. Julien GF655/2’, ‘St. Julien A’, ‘Fereley’, ‘Wangenheim’ and ‘WaVit’) and five varieties (‘Topper’, ‘Toptaste’, ‘Topfive’, ‘Čačanska lepotica’ and ‘Jojo’) were tested. The experimental plantation was established in Kecskemét, in the lowland region of Hungary, which is characterised by low humus content and dry climatic conditions. The trees received two different irrigation doses from 2012 onwards, one for each half of the trees (six trees) of a combination. The first irrigation dose was 2 L and the second was 4 L per hour. Trees with the highest trunk cross-sectional area (TCSA) and canopy volume were ‘Topper’, ‘Toptaste’ and ‘Topfive’ on the ‘Fereley’ rootstock, but this rootstock showed lower survival, with only 33–50% of trees surviving the 2× dose irrigation. The average TCSA values of the rootstocks showed that ‘Wangenheim’ and ‘WaVit’ rootstocks resulted in too poor growth. In contrast, the Myrobalan seedling (Sdlg) and ‘St. Julien GF655/2’ provided strong growth to the trees based on the TCSA and canopy volume data. The results of the analysis of shoot growth showed that irrigation did not significantly affect shoot length, except for ‘Jojo’. The plum trees developed fruit trees typical of the cultivars after fruiting, with little influence of the rootstocks. ‘Topper’ and ‘Čačanska lepotica’ were dominated by bunched and bunched shoots, while ‘Topfive’ was dominated by short shoots and ‘Toptaste’ developed the highest proportion of long shoots.

Physical Geographical Factors Leading to the Disparity of Regional Development: The Case Study of Java Island

The complexity of regional disparity has encouraged viewing this issue from various perspectives, one of which is the role of physical geography in disparity. On Java Island, an observation on the role of geographical aspect is needed due to the spatial sturdiness of disparity. This study aims to provide quantitative proof that differences in the physical geography of Java’s regions account for the persistent regional disparity. We applied two approaches namely correlation and typology, employing data of physical geographical attributes and development level. The methods used were correlation analysis, factor analysis, cluster analysis, and one-way ANOVA. Based on the correlation approach, we found the association of regional development level with terrain ruggedness, soil parent materials, sea depth, elevation, and precipitation. Then, based on endowment-based typology approach, Java’s regions could be grouped into lowland, volcanic, old volcanic, and calcareous dry regions. The two latter performed poorly in all socio-economic indicators examined.

Simulating thaw-induced land cover change in discontinuous permafrost landscapes

Permafrost thaw is causing a rapid evolution of the lowland discontinuous permafrost regions of the Taiga Plains in Northern Canada and elsewhere in the Northern Hemisphere. Notably, this thaw is changing the spatial distribution of the dominant hydrologic land cover types (permafrost plateaus, fens, and isolated bogs) in parts of the Northwest Territories (NWT), Canada. Here, we develop a multinomial time series land cover model (TSLCM) to simulate historical land cover transitions, model spatial patterns of transition, and predict the long term evolution of land cover in the areas surrounding the Scotty Creek Research Station (SCRS), NWT, and similar discontinuous permafrost landscapes. The machine learning-based TSLCM is informed by a set of observed spatio-temporal variables. The independent variables represent driving factors of change, and include the estimated summertime land surface temperature anomaly (LST), the distance and a custom cost distance to land cover interfaces, time increment between initial and final states, and time-accumulated temperature; the dependent variable is classified land cover maps from 1970 to 2008. First, we applied both random forest (RF) and Multinomial Log-Linear Regression (MLR) methods to train a synthetic data model; the model which improves the performance of the TSLCM in extrapolating time series change by adding new data instances to the initial data set. We boosted the initial data by combining the predicted land cover change maps from synthetic data model and the real data set. Then, we evaluated a MLR, RF, and an extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) model in their ability to simulate land cover change.The final results of this study show that the Ensemble Learning (EL) based approaches are capable of effectively representing historical land cover change and can produce physically consistent and plausible future land cover scenarios. Deterministic predictions from the TSLCM indicate that the permafrost plateaus’ coverage will continue to decrease, with corresponding decreases in isolated bogs’ coverage and their secondary runoff contributing areas.

Characterizing Agricultural Diversity with Policy-Relevant Farm Typologies in Mexico

The effective targeting of agricultural policy interventions across heterogenous agricultural landscapes requires an integrated understanding of farm diversity. One pathway to this understanding is through farm typologies—classification systems that synthesize farm complexity into a limited number of ‘types’. Farm typologies are typically constructed at local or regional levels and seldom demonstrate policy relevance through example. This study has two objectives: (1) to construct a policy-relevant farm typology that characterizes agricultural diversity in Mexico, and (2) to demonstrate, through case study example, how the typology could be used to target policy interventions. Hierarchical agglomerative cluster (HAC) analysis is used to group municipalities (n = 2455) based on farm characteristics (n = 10) and cropping patterns (n = 10). Two clustering solutions were chosen based on statistical goodness-of-fit measures and topical relevance. The first set of clusters (Typology A) grouped municipalities into one of three types: (A1) southern lowland farms, (A2) northern midland farms, and (A3) southern-central highland farms. The second (Typology B) grouped municipalities into 12 sub-types illustrating lower-order distinctions. Each typology was described, validated, and mapped at the national level. The typologies were then used to illustrate the targeting soil erosion interventions across Mexico. Here, multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) was used to examine relationships between the typologies and two priority targeting criteria. Farms of the southern lowland region (Type A1) and two of its subtypes (B1 and B12) were identified as priority areas for interventions. In sum, this study: (1) creates a series of new, typology-based conceptualizations of regional agricultural diversity in Mexico, and (2) demonstrates how such typologies can serve as actionable tools for agricultural policy.

Impact of COVID-19 in the forestry sector: A case of lowland region of Nepal

All walks of life have been affected by COVID-19 but smallholders from developing countries have been impacted more than others as they are heavily reliant on forest and agriculture for their livelihoods and have limited capacity to deal with COVID-19. Scholars are heavily engaged in assessing the impacts of COVID-19 on health and wellbeing, gender, food production and supply, stock market and the overall economy but not on the forestry sector. Using questionnaire surveys and key informant interviews—informed by grey literature and published articles— representing Division Forest Offices, Provincial Forest Directorates, and the Ministry of Forests and Environment in Nepal, this study assessed the impact of COVID-19 on the forestry sector of Nepal. Our analysis suggests that: (1) nature-based tourism is more severely affected than other sectors; (2) private, religious and leasehold forests faced minimal impacts of COVID-19 than that of community and government-managed forests; (3) wild boar (Sus scrofa), different species of deer, and birds have been more impacted than other wild animals; (4) the price of the timber has increased significantly whereas the price of non-timber forests products (NTFPs) has decreased; and (5) illegal logging and poaching have increased but the incidence of forest encroachment has been reduced. Our study further reveals that agroforestry practices in home gardens, borrowing money from neighbors/banks/landlords and liquidating livestock remained key alternatives for smallholders during COVID-19. Many studies reported that reverse migration could create chaos in Nepal, but our study suggests that it may enhance rural innovation and productivity, as returnees may use their acquired knowledge and skills to develop new opportunities. As COVID-19 has created a war-like situation worldwide, Nepal should come up with a forward-looking fiscal response with alternative income generation packages to local living to counter the impacts of COVID-19 on the forestry sector. One of the options could be implementing similar programs to that of India’s US$ 800 Compensatory Afforestation Program and Pakistan’s 10 Billion Tree Tsunami Program, which will create a win-win situation, i.e., generate employment for reverse migrants and promotes forest restoration.

Groundwater vulnerability assessment of an urban coastal phreatic aquifer in India using GIS-based DRASTIC model

The groundwater pollution in shallow aquifers is usually an outcome of urbanisation resulting from the discharge of industrial and domestic effluents. Maps of aquifer vulnerability to pollution are becoming more in demand because it addresses the degree of sensitivity of the groundwater system towards changes in intrinsic and extrinsic factors. With this aim, the DRASTIC method was adopted to address the vulnerable groundwater zones for shallow aquifers of Greater Cochin and the surrounding region. Seven hydrogeological parameters either measured in-situ for 98 dug wells or derived from secondary sources and satellite data were integrated into a GIS platform and modelled using DRASTIC. Rating for the DRASTIC factors was derived based on weights assigned to each parameter. The resultant map depicted vulnerability index values ranging 79 to 174 reclassified as very high (>144), high (144–131), medium (<131 to 115) and low (<115). About 68% of the total study area, characterised by porous and permeable aquifer media with shallow groundwater levels, displayed a very high to high vulnerability index value. The majority of the highly vulnerable area falls in the urban centre with high population density within the lowland region. Sensitivity analysis shows that aquifer media has the biggest effect on vulnerability assessment. Water quality analysis was carried out for groundwater samples collected from 41 dug wells. The degree of contamination was calculated by adding the concentration of metals. The susceptible zones based on the degree of contamination (Cd) cross verified with vulnerability index depicted a significant correlation between vulnerability zones. The study indicates that contamination and vulnerability to contamination is a main cause of concern for more than 3.82 million people living in the region. The study suggests that DRASTIC model can be used as an efficient tool to manage water-sensitive urban development and groundwater sustainability.

Long-Term Performance Analysis of Direct Photovoltaic Thermal-Assisted Heat Pump Water Heater Using Computational Model

The photovoltaic thermal system has a limitation in supplying hot water at the required temperature since it requires a supplementary heating system. One such system can be an air source heat pump operated by electricity from a PV/T system, which can be used to raise the temperature of the water preheated by PV/T to the required level. Such type system can also be called a hybrid PV/T-heat pump system, and it delivers thermal (hot water) and electrical energy. The performance of the hybrid PV/T-heat pump system was analyzed using the computational model for two Ethiopian cities, namely, Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa, which represent the highland and lowland regions, respectively. The simulation was conducted by inputting climatic data, daily hot water demand, and hourly hot water consumption patterns. Also, system design parameters such as PV/T area and peak Watt, PV/T warm water tank volume, air source heat pump water heater COP as a function of ambient temperature and circulating water temperature, and heat pump hot water tank volume. Besides, the effect of hot water consumption patterns (variability effect in three dissimilar cases constant, restaurant, and motel) on the system performance was examined. In addition, the effect of electric energy supply to the compressor of the heat pump using battery storage on the system performance was also investigated. In those diverse situations, the system in most of the cases generated hot water above 55°C and scored a COP of 3. The maximum value of hot water end-use efficiency of 66% was also obtained by making the hot water tank capacity about 50% of the daily hot water consumption size.

Asesmen Produktivitas Ternak dan Kesesuaian Potensi Tanaman Pertanian Sebagai Hijauan Pakan: Sebuah Potret Kawasan Agro-Ekologi Dataran Rendah Selatan Merauke, Papua

The study aimed to descriptively capture livestock production and food waste and the suitability of border farms in the lowland Merauke region. Data were analyzed on livestock population structure (individual/ST), food crop waste production (dry weight, DW), capacity, and location quotient (LQ), and SWOT. Food crop waste production is 350 thousand tons of DW and so far only provided for ruminant cattle about 11%. Food crop straw waste is still dominated by rice straw (97%), followed by corn waste (2%), sweet potatoes, and peanuts. The capacity to increase the cattle population is close to 315 thousand ST. The LQ value of both livestock and food crops in Merauke is still in the range of 0 -&lt;1 and is still a prospective sector to be optimized. The results of SWOT analysis conclude that the S-O strategy is the intensification and expansion of livestock commodities. Keywords: livestock population structure, location quotient, KPPTR, crop residues, Merauke

A Miskitu Critique of British Trade Practices

A Miskitu Critique of British Trade Practices

Demand for Ecosystem Services Drive Large-Scale Shifts in Land-Use in Tropical Mountainous Watersheds Prone to Landslides

An increasing frequency of extreme atmospheric events is challenging our basic knowledge about the resilience mechanisms that mediate the response of small mountainous watersheds (SMW) to landslides, including production of water-derived ecosystem services (WES). We hypothesized that the demand for WES increases the connectivity between lowland and upland regions, and decreases the heterogeneity of SMW. Focusing on four watersheds in the Central Andes of Colombia and combining “site-specific knowledge”, historic land cover maps (1970s and 1980s), and open, analysis-ready remotely sensed data (GLAD Landsat ARD; 1990–2000), we addressed three questions. Over roughly 120 years, the site-specific data revealed an increasing demand for diverse WES, as well as variation among the watersheds in the supply of WES. At watershed-scales, variation in the water balances—a surrogate for water-derived ES flows—exhibited complex relationships with forest cover. Fractional forest cover (pi) and forest aggregation (AIi) varied between the historic and current data sets, but in general showed non-linear relationships with elevation and slope. In the current data set (1990–2000), differences in the number of significant, linear models explaining variation in pi with time, suggest that slope may play a more important role than elevation in land cover change. We found ample evidence for a combined effect of slope and elevation on the two land cover metrics, which would be consistent with strategies directed to mitigate site-specific landslide-associated risks. Overall, our work shows strong feedbacks between lowland and upland areas, raising questions about the sustainable production of WES.

Energy Sufficiency of Biomass and Wastewater in Closed Process of Sago Starch Production

Sago grows in lowland and peat swamp regions that are relatively isolated due to limited basic infrastructures, including energy supply, especially electricity. These limitations constraining the development of sago starch production and industry. The sago starch production process generates by-products such as sago bark waste, pith waste, and wastewater which are potentially used as an energy source. This paper discusses a closed system model of an energy-independent sago starch production process from the utilization of by-products and wastewater. A mass balance model was developed to calculate the energy potency of by-products and waste to construct a closed system for the sago starch production process. The model's output showed that the by-product from processing 1,000 tons of sago stems per day with an optimal yield of 14% potentially generates 90,562 kWh of energy. This energy potency can meet the 26,070 kWh energy needed for sago starch production, making it possible to develop into a closed production system. Further research is needed to determine the site-specific aspects that affect energy sufficiency.

A remarkable last glacial loess sedimentation at Roxolany in the Dniester Liman (Southern Ukraine)

The study focuses on the loess–palaeosol sequence at Roxolany, exposed in the cliffs on the left bank of the Dniester Liman in the Black Sea Lowland. The sequence is one of the longest and most complete terrestrial records of Quaternary climate change in Ukraine. The Pleistocene sequence, i.e. loess, soil and fluvial units, is quite thick, i.e. about 60 m, including 30 m of L1 (Weichselian) loess: the greatest thickness in the entire Black Sea Lowland region. The paper presents the characteristics of the unique aeolian sedimentation environment in the Lower Dniester region during the last glacial cycle; our observations indicate exceptionally intense local deposition in the Last Pleniglacial. A number of luminescence dating results were obtained in several laboratories, based on various fractions and methods. The dating results for L1 loess turned out to contradict the stratigraphy of the section determined with geological methods. They were similar to each other and were clearly older than expected. Hence, to confirm the age of the deposits, various underlying factors were analysed. Our findings indicate that a combination of several circumstances could be directly or indirectly responsible for the local intensification of aeolian and depositional processes at Roxolany: (1) regional atmospheric circulation vs. orientation of relief; (2) the location and environment where the aeolian source material formed, as well as the great abundance of the deflation zone; (3) the emergence of considerable tracts of sea shelf as a result of the recession of the Black Sea, which had the effect of lowering the base level of erosion, but also of (4) revealing significant positive forms in the relief of the shelf, which undoubtedly modified anemometric conditions. The uniquely thick fossil soils within the L1 loess in the Roxolany sections may have had their origin in a continuous supply of dust during pedogenic periods.