Montane Areas Research Articles

Articulating Indigeneity in the messiness: Resource politics and capitalism in Qalang na Tayal (Tayal communities), Taiwan

This paper addresses Indigenous articulation in contemporary resource politics and capitalist markets, beginning with the contestation over Indigeneity within the socio-political context of Taiwan. Indigenous peoples in Taiwan have been challenged by the spatial trope of the ‘mountain’. This complex trope encompasses not only topographical aspects but also socio-cultural and political-economic characteristics. It has historically represented remote, montane areas and their populations as primitive, barbarian, and uncivilized, in contrast to the modern and developed plains. This paper presents two case studies to challenge the hegemonic construction of Indigeneity: a water management committee and a tomato cooperative. These case studies illustrate how Tayal people connect across time and place, and how they engage in a reconfiguration of the mountain imaginary, thereby producing a shift that heralds the mountains as authentically Indigenous. Tayal people articulate existence and belonging-together-in-place with non- Tayal settlers in novel ways. They have persisted and resisted in their homeland despite consistently facing stereotypes. This paper argues that there is no singular Indigenous other; therefore, there is no single way of being Indigenous. It also posits that the Tayal people’s articulation is deeply rooted in their collective sense of belonging-together-in-place. Finally, this paper proposes an ontological shift urging geographers and fellow academics to engage with Indigenous people in contested cultural landscapes.

Revision of the endemic South African genus Moegistorhynchus Macquart (Diptera: Nemestrinidae), with a species key, description of three new species and comments on pollination biology and biogeography

The genus Moegistorhynchus Macquart is revised and its relationships are discussed. The genus is distributed across lowland and montane areas of the Western and Northern Cape provinces, extending from Cape Town (Western Cape province) in the south to Port Nolloth (Northern Cape province) in the north. Three new species are described from Western Cape specimens: Moegistorhynchus manningi sp. nov. (Stettynsberg and Hottentots Holland mountains); M. strillii sp. nov. (Groot Winterhoek mountains); and M. turneri sp. nov. (Groot Winterhoek mountains and Waboomsberg). The four known species of the genus are redescribed: M. braunsi Bequaert, 1935; M. brevirostris (Wiedemann, 1821); M. longirostris (Wiedemann, 1819); and M. perplexus Bequaert, 1935. Moegistorhynchus longirostris and M. brevirostris are the only two species which extend their distribution northwards into the Northern Cape. There is marked intraspecific variation in M. perplexus and it may represent a species complex. Moegistorhynchus braunsi and M. strillii sp. nov. are possibly extinct. All species are fully illustrated, inclusive of the male postabdomen, where possible. A comprehensive identification key to the species is presented as is a distribution map, with some commentary on pollination biology and biogeography.

The complete mitochondrial genome of the black-breasted thrush Turdus dissimilis (passeriformes: Turdidae)

The Back-breasted Thrush (Turdus dissimilis Blyth 1847), a medium-sized Turdus bird in the Turdidae family, is widely distributed in montane areas from northeastern India and Myanmar to southern China. The mitochondrial DNA of T. dissimilis is packaged in a compact 16,761-basepair (bp) circular molecule with A + T content of 52.50%. It contains 37 typical mitochondrial genes, including 13 protein-coding genes, 2 rRNAs and 22 tRNAs, and 1 noncoding region. We reconstructed a phylogenetic tree based on the mitogenome sequences of 10 Turdidae species and one outgroup. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that T. dissimilis is a sister taxon to T. unicolor. The new mitogenome data would provide useful information for application in conservation.

Thermal biology diversity of bee pollinators: Taxonomic, phylogenetic, and plant community‐level correlates

AbstractCommunity‐wide assembly of plant–pollinator systems depends on an intricate combination of biotic and abiotic factors, including heterogeneity among pollinators in thermal biology and responses to abiotic factors. Studies on the thermal biology of pollinators have mostly considered only one or a few species of plants or pollinators at a time, and the possible driving role of the diversity in thermal biology of pollinator asemblages at the plant community level remains largely unexplored. More specifically, it is unknown whether diversity in the thermal biology of bees, a major pollinator group worldwide, contributes to the assembly and maintenance of diverse bee communities; broadens the spectrum of possibilities available to bee‐pollinated plants; facilitates interspecific partitioning of ecological gradients across habitats, seasons, and time of day; and/or enhance plant pollination success through complementarity effects. The objectives of this study were to assess the diversity in thermal biology of the bee assemblage that pollinates plants in a Mediterranean montane area, evaluate its taxonomic and phylogenetic underpinnings, and elucidate whether there existed seasonal, daily, between‐habitat, or floral visitation correlates of bee thermal biology which could contribute to partition ecological gradients among plant and bee species. Thermal biology parameters were obtained in the laboratory (K, intrinsic warming constant) and the field (thoracic and ambient temperature at foraging site, Tth and Tair) on individual bees of a diverse sample (N = 204 bee species) comprising most bee pollinators of the regional plant community. Species‐specific thermal biology parameters were combined with quantitative field data on bee pollinators and flower visitation for the regional community of entomophilous plants (N = 292 plant species). Results revealed that the regional bee assemblage harbored considerable diversity in thermal biology features; that such diversity was mostly taxonomically, phylogenetically, and body‐size structured; and that the broad interspecific heterogeneity in thermal biology represented in the bee community as a whole eventually translated into daily, seasonal, among‐habitat, and flower visitation patterns at the plant community level. This lends support to the hypothesis that broad diversity in thermal biology of bees can enhance opportunities for bee coexistence, spatiotemporal partitioning of floral resources, and plant pollination success.

An evolutionary disruption of the buzz pollination syndrome in neotropical montane plants.

Under pollinator limitations, specialized pollination syndromes may evolve toward contrasting responses: a generalized syndrome with increased pollinator attraction, pollinator reward, and pollen transfer capacity; or the selfing syndrome with increased self-pollen deposition, but reduced pollinator attraction and pollen transfer capacity. The buzz-pollination syndrome is specialized to explore female vibrating bees as pollinators. However, vibrating bees become less-active pollinators at montane areas of the Atlantic Forest (AF) domain. This study investigated whether the specialized buzz-pollination syndrome would evolve toward an alternative floral syndrome in montane areas of the AF domain, considering a generalized and the selfing syndromes as alternative responses. We utilized a lineage within the buzz-pollinated Miconia as study system, contrasting floral traits between montane AF-endemic and non-endemic species. We measured and validated floral traits that were proxies for pollinator attraction, reward access, pollen transfer capacity, and self-pollen deposition. We inferred the evolution of floral trait via phylogenetic comparative methods. AF-endemic species have selectively evolved greater reward access and more frequently had generalist pollination. Nonetheless, AF-endemic species also have selectively evolved toward lower pollen transfer capacity and greater self pollination. These patterns indicated a complex evolutionary process that has jointly favored a generalized and the selfing syndromes. The buzz pollination syndrome can undergo an evolutionary disruption in montane areas of the AF domain. This floral syndrome is likely more labile than often assumed, allowing buzz-pollinated plants to reproduce in environments where vibrating bees are less-reliable pollinators.

Predicting climate change impacts on the distribution of endemic fish Cyprinion muscatense in the Arabian Peninsula.

Freshwater fishes are facing considerable threats in the Arabian Peninsula which is considered as a highly stressed region in the Middle East. It is predicted that northern Oman is likely to face decreasing rainfall and increasing temperature in coming decades. In this study, we focused on an endemic cyprinid fish Cyprinion muscatense, as a model to investigate impacts of climate change on the mountain fishes inhibiting in this arid region. This species is expected to be strongly affected by climate change because of its limited distribution range in a montane area surrounded by lowlands and sea, limiting the species in shift to other areas. We used an ensemble approach by considering two regressions-based species distribution modeling (SDM) algorithms: generalized linear models (GLM), and generalized additive models (GAM) to model the species habitat suitability and predict the impacts of climate change on the species habitat suitability. Based on the distribution models, the montane area located in northeastern Oman was identified as the most suitable habitat for this species. Our results indicate that, even under the minimum greenhouse gas emissions scenario (RCP 2.6), climate change will produce a high reduction in its potential future habitats. According to the results of percent contribution, elevation and annual minimum temperature were the most important variables in predicting the species suitable habitats. Results also showed that only a small percentage of suitable habitats for the species within boundaries of protected areas. Therefore, the impact of climate change on the species appears particularly alarming. Although our study was restricted to a single cyprinid freshwater species, decreases in potential habitats are likely predicted for other cyprinid fish species restricted to the mountains of this region, suggesting severe consideration is needed for aquatic systems in future conservation planning, especially for endemic freshwater fishes.

Soil organic carbon sequestration under Araucaria angustifolia plantations but not under exotic tree species on a mountain range

ABSTRACT Plantation forests can be efficient C sinks in biomass and soil organic carbon (SOC), but the latter depends on many factors, including climate. Tropical humid, mountain areas have cooler temperatures, slowing microbial decomposition, and thus can store considerable SOC. However, the effects of forest plantations on SOC of these montane areas are still poorly studied. Here, we aimed to assess changes in SOC, and related soil properties, after conversion of native rainforest to plantations of five tree species, with rotation cycles varying from 7 to 30 years, on the Mantiqueira Range, Minas Gerais, Brazil. We measured SOC contents and stocks (0.00-0.40 m layer) under a native montane rainforest (control) and plantations of Eucalyptus, Pinus, Cunninghamia, Cupressus and Araucaria, all planted in 3 × 3 m spacing, at an altitude of ca. 1,300 m, marked by humid and cool climate, where SOC contents are naturally high. Soil organic carbon varied from 55 g kg -1 under Eucalyptus to 105 g kg -1 under Araucaria (0.00-0.05 m layer), decreasing in depth (0.20-0.40 m) to the still high values of 20-40 g kg -1 . Soil organic carbon stocks for the top 0.20 m were also high, reaching ca. 140 Mg ha -1 under Araucaria, significantly higher value than the native forest (ca. 90 Mg ha -1 , p<0.05), which did not differ from the other species. Soil organic carbon stocks were not affected in the 0.20-0.40 m soil layer, whereas soil structure patterns changed under some species, without however resulting in bulk density changes, and pH decreased under Araucaria. Such data showed large SOC stocks under montane native forests can not only be preserved upon conversion to forest plantations, but considerable SOC sequestration can be achieved in 30-years rotation cycles plantations of indigenous Araucaria angustifolia, marked by more open canopies and greater understory biomass.

Environmental variation predicts patterns of genomic variation in an African tropical forest frog

Central African rainforests are predicted to be disproportionately affected by future climate change. How species will cope with these changes is unclear, but rapid environmental changes will likely impose strong selection pressures. Here we examined environmental drivers of genomic variation in the central African puddle frog (Phrynobatrachus auritus) to identify areas of elevated environmentally-associated turnover. We also compared current and future climate models to pinpoint areas of high genomic vulnerability where allele frequencies will have to shift the most in order to keep pace with future climate change. Neither physical landscape barriers nor the effects of past Pleistocene refugia influenced genomic differentiation. Alternatively, geographic distance and seasonal aspects of precipitation are the most important drivers of SNP allele frequency variation. Patterns of genomic differentiation coincided with key ecological gradients across the forest-savanna ecotone, montane areas, and a coastal to interior rainfall gradient. Areas of greatest vulnerability were found in the lower Sanaga basin, the southeastern region of Cameroon, and southwest Gabon. In contrast with past conservation efforts that have focused on hotspots of species richness or endemism, our findings highlight the importance of maintaining environmentally heterogeneous landscapes to preserve genomic variation and ongoing evolutionary processes in the face of climate change.

Caught in the Act: Incipient Speciation at the Southern Limit of Viburnum in the Central Andes.

A fundamental objective of evolutionary biology is to understand the origin of independently evolving species. Phylogenetic studies of species radiations rarely are able to document ongoing speciation; instead, modes of speciation, entailing geographic separation and/or ecological differentiation, are posited retrospectively. The Oreinotinus clade of Viburnum has radiated recently from north to south through the cloud forests of Mexico and Central America to the Central Andes. Our analyses support a hypothesis of incipient speciation in Oreinotinus at the southern edge of its geographic range, from central Peru to northern Argentina. Although several species and infraspecific taxa have been recognized in this area, multiple lines of evidence and analytical approaches (including analyses of phylogenetic relationships, genetic structure, leaf morphology, and climatic envelopes) favor the recognition of just a single species, V. seemenii. We show that what has previously been recognized as V. seemenii f. minor has recently occupied the drier Tucuman-Bolivian forest region from Samaipata in Bolivia to Salta in northern Argentina. Plants in these populations form a well-supported clade with a distinctive genetic signature and they have evolved smaller, narrower leaves. We interpret this as the beginning of a within-species divergence process that has elsewhere in the neotropics resulted repeatedly in Viburnum species with a particular set of leaf ecomorphs. Specifically, the southern populations are in the process of evolving the small, glabrous, and entire leaf ecomorph that has evolved in four other montane areas of endemism. As predicted based on our studies of leaf ecomorphs in Chiapas, Mexico, these southern populations experience generally drier conditions, with large diurnal temperature fluctuations. In a central portion of the range of V. seemenii, characterized by wetter climatic conditions, we also document what may be the initial differentiation of the leaf ecomorph with larger, pubescent, and toothy leaves. The emergence of these ecomorphs thus appears to be driven by adaptation to subtly different climatic conditions in separate geographic regions, as opposed to parapatric differentiation along elevational gradients as suggested by Viburnum species distributions in other parts of the neotropics.

Updating the alluvial mapping of the middle Loire catchment: Predictive geomorphology approach and mineralogical characterization of the deposits

This study aims to provide a full synthesis of recent work on the fluvial terraces of the middle section of the Loire River, between its exit from the “Massif Central” montane area and its entry into the Touraine region, with the aim of better understanding of the evolution of the river during the Pleistocene period.New fieldwork and topographic analyses (including a predictive geomorphology approach) permit updating the spatial extent and geometry of the different Quaternary alluvial sedimentary formations in this area. In addition, new analytical data were acquired both by X-ray diffraction (XRD) on heavy minerals and by gamma spectrometry measurements on alluvial sandy sediments. These analyses allow us to characterize and distinguish the alluvial formations.This work has identified three distinct periods in the history of the Loire: the oldest, corresponding to the deposition of sediments characterised by an abundance of metamorphic minerals, originating from the Massif Central; an intermediate period, corresponding to the deposition of the high terraces of the Loire system, not characterised by mineralogical analyses but by the approach of the predicted geomorphology showing different terrace geometries; lastly, a recent period comprising the low and medium altitude terraces, characterised by an abundance of volcanic minerals also originating from the Massif Central.

Light Quality Effect on Internal N Retranslocation in Podocarpus macrophyllus Precultured with Exponential Nutrient Loading.

Streetlamp light is inevitable in the night landscape of a city and may affect the phenology of newly planted ornamental plants, but it has rarely been fully examined. Newly transplanted ornamental plants probably suffer periodic shocks, which mainly result from the inefficient reuse of internal nutrients for new growth. Exponential nutrient loading (ENL) is well known for its ability to overcome transplant shocks by promoting retranslocation for the reuse of strengthened nutrients from internal reserves in precultured seedlings. Transplantation to urbanized lands is distinct from that of montane areas; this is mainly due to a high frequency of exposure to the artificial illumination of night lighting. It is suspected that this lighting modifies vegetative phenology and generates potential risks by increasing reliance on internal nutrient retranslocation. In this study, Podocarpus macrophyllus seedlings were cultured with ENL at low and high rates of nitrogen (N) deliveries (40 and 120 mg N seedling-1, respectively), and the high-rate treatment was identified as being able to trap seedlings within toxic states. A labeled 15N isotope was pulsed to transplanted seedlings exposed to simulated light qualities in red, green, and blue light spectra. The seedlings harvested at one month showed rare responses to the interactive spectra and preculture treatments, but most of them responded to the low-rate N preculture treatment with stronger abilities in terms of the reuse of internal N and the synthesizing of photosynthetic pigments. In conclusion, it was verified that night light enforces the effect on newly transplanted plants; the red light invoked internal N for reuse, and the blue light promoted the uptake of the current N. The internal N reserve established through preculture ENL rarely made a contribution to the night light effect, except for the enhancement of height growth in the red light. The red light spectrum was recommended for the exposure of newly transplanted seedlings due to its effect on the enhancement of the retranslocation of internal N and the induction of a steady state of uptake from the current N input.

Climate change increases threat to plant diversity in tropical forests of Central America and southern Mexico.

Global biodiversity is negatively affected by anthropogenic climate change. As species distributions shift due to increasing temperatures and precipitation fluctuations, many species face the risk of extinction. In this study, we explore the expected trend for plant species distributions in Central America and southern Mexico under two alternative Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) portraying moderate (RCP4.5) and severe (RCP8.5) increases in greenhouse gas emissions, combined with two species dispersal assumptions (limited and unlimited), for the 2061-2080 climate forecast. Using an ensemble approach employing three techniques to generate species distribution models, we classified 1924 plant species from the region's (sub)tropical forests according to IUCN Red List categories. To infer the spatial and taxonomic distribution of species' vulnerability under each scenario, we calculated the proportion of species in a threat category (Vulnerable, Endangered, Critically Endangered) at a pixel resolution of 30 arc seconds and by family. Our results show a high proportion (58-67%) of threatened species among the four experimental scenarios, with the highest proportion under RCP8.5 and limited dispersal. Threatened species were concentrated in montane areas and avoided lowland areas where conditions are likely to be increasingly inhospitable. Annual precipitation and diurnal temperature range were the main drivers of species' relative vulnerability. Our approach identifies strategic montane areas and taxa of conservation concern that merit urgent inclusion in management plans to improve climatic resilience in the Mesoamerican biodiversity hotspot. Such information is necessary to develop policies that prioritize vulnerable elements and mitigate threats to biodiversity under climate change.

Wing Condition and Distribution of a Mesoamerican Montane Genus of Wooddegrading Beetles, Oileus Kaup (Coleoptera: Passalidae), with the Description of a New Species.

Distribution areas, in terms of size and shape, are usually related to dispersal capacity, and the latter is partly related to flight capacity in insects. Thus, wing condition (brachypterous or macropterous) is expected to correlate with the area size of the species distribution range. Here, we studied this aspect for the first time in Passalidae, a subsocial group of saproxylophagous beetles. To obtain the geographic distribution of species, we performed species distribution models in the Mesoamerican genus Oileus, which has seven species (including one new species from Oaxaca, Mexico) restricted to either side (west or east) of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec (except for Oileus rimator which is distributed in both sides of the Isthmus). Species distribution models were used to estimate biogeographic affinities among species and to compare the potential distributional area with respect to the species wing condition (four brachypterous and three macropterous). Additionally, we described the sound-emitting structures (plectrum, region located on hind wings) for all Oileus, being the first study describing it for all species of the same genus. Macropterous species tend to have larger potential distribution areas (between 149,027-364,107 km2) than brachypterous species (9,063-15,716 km2), and all brachypterous species inhabit montane areas. These results coincide with what would be expected if the loss of flight capacity reduced dispersal capacity. However, because of the limited data, we could not statistically test this relationship. Future analyses should evaluate the relationship between passalid species distributions (total area and elevation) and wing morphology, including species with narrow and wide distributions, both altitudinally and latitudinally.

Modeling a hot, dry future: Substantial range reductions in suitable environment projected under climate change for a semiarid riparian predator guild.

An understanding of species-environmental relationships is invaluable for effective conservation and management under anthropogenic climate change, especially for biodiversity hotspots such as riparian habitats. Species distribution models (SDMs) assess present species-environmental relationships which can project potential suitable environments through space and time. An understanding of environmental factors associated with distributions can guide conservation management strategies under a changing climate. We generated 260 ensemble SDMs for five species of Thamnophis gartersnakes (n = 347)-an important riparian predator guild-in a semiarid and biogeographically diverse region under impact from climate change (Arizona, United States). We modeled present species-environmental relationships and projected changes to suitable environment under 12 future climate scenarios per species, including the most and least optimistic greenhouse gas emission pathways, through 2100. We found that Thamnophis likely advanced northward since the turn of the 20th century and overwinter temperature and seasonal precipitation best explained present distributions. Future ranges of suitable environment for Thamnophis are projected to decrease by ca. -37.1% on average. We found that species already threatened with extinction or those with warm trailing-edge populations likely face the greatest loss of suitable environment, including near or complete loss of suitable environment. Future climate scenarios suggest an upward advance of suitable environment around montane areas for some low to mid-elevation species, which may create pressures to ascend. The most suitable environmental areas projected here can be used to identify potential safe zones to prioritize conservation refuges, including applicable critical habitat designations. By bounding the climate pathway extremes to, we reduce SDM uncertainties and provide valuable information to help conservation practitioners mitigate climate-induced threats to species. Implementing informed conservation actions is paramount for sustaining biodiversity in important aridland riparian systems as the climate warms and dries.

Soil sampling methods for microbial study in montane regions

Soil microorganism studies are crucial in ecological and biological research. However, the lack of standardized analytical methods for sampling makes it challenging to compare studies and obtain consistent results. Therefore, it is essential to establish standardized sampling methods in the field. Our study used a stratification method to collect 120 soil samples from various altitudinal ranges on Cangshan Mountain in China, with an altitude of 4122 m, and incredible microorganism biodiversity. This site provides an ideal landscape for studying elevation patterns in microorganisms. We conducted analyses on the variations of depth and stratification used in the sampling process, as these factors have been found to impact microbial diversity, elevation patterns, and community assembly mechanisms. We found that increasing the sampling depth provided more valuable research results by revealing elevation patterns of soil microorganisms. We therefore recommend sampling to a depth of 35 cm with stratification to determine the overall soil microbial diversity. A depth of 25 cm is suitable for studying elevation patterns with stratification. For investigating community assembly mechanisms without stratification, a depth of 15 cm is recommended. When exploring a specific taxon, the sampling depth can be adjusted accordingly. For studying the elevation pattern of archaea, a depth of 20 cm is appropriate. In the case of fungi, a depth of 40 cm is recommended, while a depth of 20 cm is suitable for studying elevation patterns. This study emphasizes the importance of standardization in sampling methods, particularly along the soil profiles, when studying soil microbiomes in montane areas. These recommendations should be adopted in future research to achieve more consistent and reliable results in the field.

Perceptions of Ecosystem Services and Climate Change in the Communities Surrounding Mt. Kenya and Mt. Elgon, Kenya

Local observations of climate change can be a critical resource for understanding the impacts of climate change, particularly in data-scarce areas. This study examines local observations of climate change in two montane areas of Kenya- Mt. Kenya and Mt. Elgon. Household questionnaires, focus group discussions, and interviews were used to explore local perceptions of ecosystem services and changes to those services. Results showed that communities had a strong appreciation for ecosystem services and had witnessed major changes in those services. Water provision was seen as the most important service and the one that had changed the most. Other observations of changes included shifts in species ranges, weather patterns, temperature, and soil properties. These changes are consistent with predictions from climate models, but they provide context-specific nuance that the models cannot provide. Spatial variables, such as distance to road and the alpine zone, played as large or larger role in affecting perceptions as demographics, which further points to the importance of context in understanding climate changes. Those that interacted with the mountains the most—the mountain guides—had particularly revealing observations of changes; these types of observations can be critical to understand and prepare for changes in the alpine areas of Kenya.

Herbaceous vegetation changes along a bush encroachment intensity gradient in a montane area

AbstractAlthough bush encroachment in rangelands is a widely reported phenomenon, particularly in the arid and semi‐arid regions of southern Africa, the knowledge of the impact of bush encroachment in montane rangelands is inadequate to support the sustainable management of these important ecosystems. This study assessed how herbaceous vegetation changes along a bush encroachment intensity gradient in the montane rangelands of Sehlabathebe in the Qacha's Nek District of Lesotho. Fifty 16 m2 vegetation plots were randomly selected on a bush‐encroached rangeland area. In each plot, bush species data, including canopy cover, richness, density and height, were recorded. The Braun‐Blanquet method was used to assess herbaceous vegetation. The data were analysed using regression analysis, correlation analysis and ordination. Forb and graminoids attributes (Shannon‐Wiener diversity, species richness, evenness and percentage cover) together with bush attributes (height, density, diversity, evenness, richness and cover %) were subjected to regression and ordination. Results revealed that bush cover was negatively correlated with both forb and graminoids vegetation cover. While forb species richness, evenness and Shannon‐Wiener diversity increased with an increase in bush encroachment intensity, graminoid species abundance and diversity decreased. Overall, bush encroachment negatively impacted the structure and composition of graminoids. This implies that bush encroachment compromises the condition of montane rangelands because graminoids contribute to grazable forage more than forbs in these montane ecosystems.

Population structure and phylogeography of three closely related tree peonies.

Paeonia decomposita, Paeonia rotundiloba, and Paeonia rockii are three closely related species of Sect. Moutan is distributed in the montane area of the Eastern Hengduan Mountain region. Understanding the population history of these three tree peony species could contribute to unraveling the evolutionary patterns of undergrowth species in this hotspot area. We used one nuclear DNA marker (internal transcribed spacer region, ITS) and two chloroplast DNA markers (matK, ycf1) to reconstruct the phylogeographic pattern of the populations. In total, 228 individuals from 17 populations of the three species were analyzed in this study. Three nuclear clades (Clade I - Clade III) and four maternal clades (Clade A - Clade D) were reconstructed. Molecular dating suggested that young lineages diverged during the late Pliocene and early Pleistocene, younger than the uplift of the Hengduan Mountains but older than the last glacial maximum (LGM). Significant population and phylogeographic structures were detected at both markers. Furthermore, the populations of these tree peonies were overall at equilibrium during the climatic oscillations of the Pleistocene. The simulated palaeoranges of the three species during the LGM period mostly overlapped, which could have led to cross-breeding events. We propose an evolutionary scenario in which mountain orogenesis around the Hengduan Mountain area triggered parapatric isolation between maternal lineages of tree peonies. Subsequent climatic fluctuations drove migration and range recontact of these populations along the valleys. This detailed evolutionary history provides new insights into the phylogeographic pattern of species from mountain-valley systems.

Integrative taxonomy reveals a new species of the leech genus Dina R. Blanchard, 1892 (Annelida, Hirudinida: Erpobdellidae) from the ancient Skadar Lake basin in Montenegro

Leeches of the genus Dina are one of the most abundant leech species in running waters in Montenegro. This paper described a new yellowish-spotted and medium-sized leech from the Skadar Lake basin in Montenegro. Phylogenetic analysis based on COI data reveals that Dina nesemanni sp. nov. is more closely related to D. latestriata from Prespa Lake than to other yellow-spotted leeches known from montane and alpine areas of Montenegro. Morphologically, the new species can be separated from all other yellow-spotted leeches by the peculiar shape of the ovisacs. The new species is a characteristic and possibly an endangered representative of the fauna of highly threatened Mediterranean ponds and swamps in the central and southern part of Montenegro. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:973D45A4-D488-4848-89E2-7659D936F06C

Contribution to the knowledge of marsh vegetation of montane and submontane areas of Northern Apennines (Italy)

Freshwater ecosystems are crucial for biodiversity conservation. They are among the most threatened habitats in the world. However, the wetlands of southern European mountains still lack fine-scale plant community studies. Here we studied submontane and montane palustrine communities of the Tuscan-Romagna Apennines. Data from 123 vegetation plots dominated by palustrine species were analysed by means of cluster analysis. We identified 18 vegetation types that we attributed to five classes (Phragmito-Magnocaricetea, Montio-Cardaminetea, Isoëto-Nanojuncetea, Molinio-Arrhenatheretea, and Epilobietea angustifolii), and to two Natura 2000 habitats (3130 - Oligotrophic to mesotrophic standing waters with vegetation of the Littorelletea uniflorae and/or of the Isoëto-Nanojuncetea, and 6430 - Hydrophilous tall herb fringe communities of plains and of the montane to alpine levels). According the 4th edition of the International Code of Phytosociological Nomenclature we corrected the names Phragmition communis Koch 1926 nom. inept. in P. australis Koch 1926 nom. corr., Phragmitetum communisSavič 1926nom. inept. in P. australisSavič 1926nom. corr., Glycerietum plicataeKulczyński 1928nom. inept. in G. notataeKulczyński 1928nom. corr., Beruletum angustifoliaeRoll 1938nom. inept. in Beruletum erectaeRoll 1938nom. corr., and we mutated the name Scirpetum lacustrisChouard 1924nom. inept. in Schoenoplectetum lacustrisChouard 1924nom. mut. nov. Our study highlights the diversity of marsh vegetation of montane and submontane areas of Northern Apennines. Most of the palustrine communities, though important from the point of view of conservation, cannot be attributed at present to any habitat type legally protected at the European level.