Mountain Range Research Articles

Review of the Slender Geckos (Squamata: Gekkonidae: Hemiphyllodactylus) of the Cardamom Mountains of southwestern Cambodia, with descriptions of two new species and one country record

The gekkonid lizard genus Hemiphyllodactylus contains small, secretive species that are often overlooked in their habitats. Recent molecular and morphological analyses have resulted in the descriptions of numerous new species of Hemiphyllodactylus in mainland Southeast Asia and southern China, many of which were historically hidden within the geographically widespread taxon H. yunnanensis (Boulenger, 1903). Little is known on species diversity and distributions of Hemiphyllodactylus in Cambodia, and all previous reports from the country have been limited to provisional identifications owing to collections containing only a single female or juvenile specimen. We report on new collections of Hemiphyllodactylus specimens from opposite ends of the Cardamom Mountain range in southwestern Cambodia. Morphological and molecular data support the hypothesis that these collections contain three distinct species, two of which are described as new species and one of which is assigned to the geographically widespread H. typus Bleeker, 1860 as a new country record for Cambodia. Hemiphyllodactylus bokor sp. nov. from Preah Monivong Bokor National Park in Kampot Province and Hemiphyllodactylus samkos sp. nov. from Phnom Samkos Wildlife Sanctuary in Pursat Province are related to species from adjacent areas in southern Vietnam, southern Laos, and southeastern Thailand, as well as a clade from India, but are readily differentiated in mitochondrial DNA and in having unique combinations of mensural and meristic morphological characters. Additional species diversity of Hemiphyllodactylus likely exists in Cambodia.

The Detection and Analysis of Microplastics in a Typical Mountainous Drinking Water System in China

Microplastics (MPs) are widely detected in urban drinking water systems. However, the presence and characteristics of MPs in mountainous drinking water systems with independent and simple filtration facilities have been overlooked. In this study, we revealed the ubiquity of MPs and demonstrated that their concentrations increased along with the pipeline length in Bainitan Village, Tiantai County, China. The simple filtration facility in this village did not effectively remove most MPs. Polyethylene, polyurethane, and polyethylene terephthalate were the dominant polymers in water samples (72.32% in total), while polyvinylchloride, polyurethane, and polyethylene were the most prevalent in the sediment (74.00% in total) of the reservoir. Long fragments were the predominant shape of MPs in all samples, with the majority being smaller than 100 μm. The estimated daily intake of MPs through drinking water ingestion was highest in infants (2.14–31.26 MPs/kg bw/day), compared to children (1.41–20.67 MPs/kg bw/day) and adults (1.05–15.35 MPs/kg bw/day), highlighting their increased vulnerability. This emphasizes the need for advanced water treatment systems in mountainous regions. It also underscores the necessity for government attention to improve water safety in remote areas. Our research will contribute valuable baseline data for further research on MP exposure, particularly in mountainous communities.

Cenozoic surface Earth system evolution and dynamic paleogeomorphic reconstruction from the Tibet Plateau to the Western Pacific linked by the Yangtze River

The formation of the modern east-flowing Yangtze River is marked by the incision of the Three Gorges (TG) between the Sichuan and Jianghan basins. However, it is still controversial on the timing of the TG incision, due to diverse tectonic, sedimentological and geochemical records. These records, together with other geological data, i.e. curves of paleo-climate and sea level fluctuation, are critical parameters in the software Badlands , a tool to simulate large-scale and long-term geomorphic evolution. Using Badlands , we modeled the geomorphology and drainage evolutionary process of the Yangtze River since the Late Cretaceous (80 Ma). It revealed that the drainage system in the Sichuan Basin was gradually reversed from southward flowing to northward flowing during the Late Eocene and the Oligocene, due to the periodic uplift of the eastern Tibet Plateau and the southwestern Yangtze Block. Coevally, the Jianghan Basin experienced a base level drop, controlled by the collapse of a paleo-coastal mountain range and the subsequent continental rifting along the Southeast China continental margin. The tectono-geomorphic interplay eventually led to the incision of the TG at the Late Oligocene (about 24Ma), when the drainage system of the Upper Yangtze River was captured by the Middle-Lower Yangtze River.

Monitoring of thermal conditions and snow dynamics at periglacial block accumulations in a low mountain range in central Germany

AbstractThe Rhoen Mountains, a relict periglacial landscape in central Germany, feature a wide range of openwork block accumulations. Although located in a temperate climate, those have characteristics comparable with cold regions of higher altitude or latitude such as arctic‐alpine species, longer lasting snow patches or the discussed existence of summer or even year‐round ice lenses in one of the largest of these landforms in the Central German Uplands. This study aims for a characterization of the microclimatic conditions of two neighbouring block accumulations. Therefore, temperatures were registered by data loggers along profiles, and snow dynamics were monitored using time‐lapse cameras and terrestrial laser scans. These observations are finally compared with geophysical measurements to address the question of potential isolated low‐altitude permafrost occurrences. Mean ground surface temperatures show an inverse thermal gradient along the Schafstein block accumulation. Furrows were identified as the cold spots in winter, whereas snow melt holes are signs of a chimney effect. In summer, cold air flows out at ventilation holes along the front causing temperatures of up to 25°C below air temperatures, although no clear signs of permafrost were detected. Temperature correlations reveal periods indicative of a recurring internal summer air circulation. Coarse blocky substrate also favours ground cooling of the smaller Mathesberg block accumulation compared with its surroundings. Winter temperatures are influenced by a persistent snowbank forming due to drifting and blowing snow at the leeward edge of a plateau as little amounts of snow are sufficient to be redistributed by westerlies. The prolonged melt of the snowbank might have had or still has a local hydrological and geomorphological impact. Uncertainties remain regarding the behaviour of the microclimate of block accumulations in a warming climate. Being ‘cold spots’ of high ecological value further investigations are suggested.

To the top or into the dark? Relationships between elevational and canopy cover distribution shifts in mountain forests

Numerous studies have reported that observed species shifts in mountain areas lag behind expectations under current warming trends, however, the mechanisms remain poorly understood. One important mechanism might be microclimatic heterogeneity causing migration of species to cooler conditions under closed forest canopies, but evidence is scarce. We here compared the distributions of 710 species (11 taxonomic groups including fungi, plants, and animals) along an elevation gradient (287–1419 m a.s.l.) in a temperate low mountain range between 2006–2008 and 2016–2017 to address this open question. We characterized each species' distribution (peak and breadth) based on their abundance along two environmental gradients: elevation and canopy cover. We then analysed changes in species' distribution peaks, asking whether shifts in canopy distribution and initial distribution characteristics explain variation in elevational distribution shifts. Across all taxa, the mean shift in elevational distribution peak was + 35.3 m (i.e. upslope). Species' baseline distribution peaks were strong predictors of elevational distribution shifts with stronger upslope shifts in low‐elevation and open‐forest species. Even though we observed considerable variation in the responses among species, canopy distribution shifts had a significant negative effect on elevational distribution shifts overall and in six taxonomic groups. We suggest that this is related to cooler microclimatic conditions under closed compared to open forest canopies. Shifts to closed‐canopy forests may thus partly compensate for elevational distribution shifts, highlighting the conservation value of heterogeneous landscapes featuring microclimatic refugia. Yet, it is likely that other mechanisms, such as habitat limitation, are also at play. Future studies need to quantify the potential of microclimatic refugia under accelerating forest dynamics, considering the interplay of canopy cover and other factors driving microclimate, and to illuminate the complex climate change response mechanisms among species and taxonomic groups.

Deformation Mechanism in Central China Revealed by Regional Earthquake Tomography

Abstract The central China region (CCN) has experienced significant deformation and complex structural arrangements. We conducted research on the deformation pattern of the CCN through the 3D velocity structure of the crust and uppermost mantle obtained via body-wave tomography. This velocity structure strongly correlates with the region’s topographic features. The relationship between velocity distributions and topography indicates that compression in the east–west direction, which can lead to crustal and mantle shortening, may play a crucial role in shaping topography. The various structures between the Qinling mountain range in the west and the Tongbai–Dabie mountain range in the east highlight distinct geological processes occurring along the Qinling–Dabie orogenic belt. In addition, we propose that reservoir water has infiltrated the crystalline basement rock layer up to 15–20 km beneath the Three Gorges Reservoir. Furthermore, the Three Gorges Dam serves as a solid foundation to prevent reservoir water from seeping downstream underground.

Geophysical characterization of the bedrock and regolith in the Pranmati basin critical zone, Uttarakhand Himalaya

The young active Himalayan mountain is characterized by steep slope and dissected topography in overall compressive tectonic setting. The mountain belt has primarily coarse textured soil with poor water holding capacity and is highly prone to erosion. The erosion not only affects many ecosystems located at downstream but also has detrimental effects on the critical zone (CZ). In the present study, we have carried out DC electrical resistivity study in the Pranmati catchment of the Alaknanda basin, a Himalayan critical zone in the Lesser Himalaya, to understand the pattern of soil erosion, transportation and deposition by characterizing the bedrock architecture and hence regolith thickness. A total of 6 electrical resistivity tomogram (ERT) profiles were laid at two locations in the catchment, one in a plain grassland and another at a crop field located on a hill slope of >25o. The study area in the Baijnath klippe, consists of quartz-biotite gneisses with layers of quartz mica-schist enclosed by thrust faults. Electrical resistivity sections of the downslope grassland site show a sharp resistivity contrast between the southwest and northeast transects suggesting south-eastern increase in dip of the bedrock, oblique to the north-east facing surface topography and a thick regolith (> 10 m). The resistivity sections of the site located on the hillslope yield a very thin layer of regolith (< 2 m) indicating significant soil erosion and high weathering of the bedrock. We propose that the water–rock interaction within the porous regolith facilitated by subsurface water circulation might be a potential source for the thick regolith. The observations substantiate existing hypotheses for the evolution and development of deep critical zones. From the results, it has been hypothesized that the bedrock architecture and water channel paths within the CZ together control the regolith thickness.

Erosional Response to Pleistocene Climate Changes in the Brazilian Highlands

AbstractPlio‐Quaternary climatic changes are considered to be a key driver of landscape evolution, but many unresolved questions remain, such as the extent of the impact of major climatic shifts such as the Mid‐Pleistocene Transition (MPT). Various geochronological methods are available to infer changes in surface processes over the Plio‐Quaternary, and Terrestrial Cosmogenic Nuclides (TCN) have proven to be one of the most efficient tools to reconstruct paleo‐denudation. Implementing these approaches requires very specific conditions, such as well‐preserved and extensive sediment sequences. Developing alternative methods to document the evolution of denudation is thus of major interest to retrieve information on the evolution of denudation in places where recent detrital sediment records are absent. We explore the evolution of landscape erosion over a 1 Ma timescale in an intra‐cratonic setting, the Espinhaço mountain range (Brazil), with a new data set of detrital cosmogenic nuclide concentrations (26Al–10Be). We observe a systematic disequilibrium in the 26Al/10Be ratio, which we interpret as resulting from the combination of soil mixing and a significant increase in the intensity of surface processes, close to the MPT. We discuss the different scenarios with respect to available local and global data concerning the relationships between climate evolution and erosion over this time period. Our results have important implications for the interpretation of the denudation rates derived from TCN concentrations under steady states assumption, in landscapes with low erosion rates, which have a long memory for surface processes history.

Relocation of the 8 September 2023 High Atlas, Morocco, Earthquake Aftershock Sequence

ABSTRACT The earthquake that occurred on 8 September 2023, with a magnitude of 6.8, was the most destructive earthquake event in Morocco in the past decade. This earthquake took place in the Al Haouz region, located in the western part of the High Atlas Mountain range. To better understand what caused and triggered this earthquake, the earthquake catalogs including P and S arrival times were collected from the Moroccan seismic network and combined with regional data from the International Seismological Centre. The mainshock and aftershocks were relocated by using iLoc, a state-of-the-art single-event location algorithm, and then by the multiple event location double-difference algorithm, hypoDD. The improved earthquake relocations using iLoc and the double-difference methods provide sharper lineation of seismicity and agree well with tomographic images of the earthquake zone. The seismicity distribution and the focal mechanism of the mainshock indicate that the earthquake sequence has occurred along the South Atlas fault system.

Molecular Epidemiology of Ticks and Tick-Borne Pathogens in the Ta-Pa Mountain Area of Chongqing, China

To validate the prevalence and biodiversity of ticks and tick-borne pathogens in Chongqing, a total of 601 ticks were collected from dogs, cattle, and goats within the Ta-pa Mountain range in Chongqing, China. Five distinct tick species were identified, including Ixodes ovatus (1.66%, 10/601), I. acutitarsus (0.50%, 3/601), Haemaphysalis flava (10.32%, 62/601), Ha. hystricis (9.82%, 59/601), and Ha. longicornis (77.70%, 467/601). A suit of semi-nest PCR and nest PCR primers were custom-synthesized for the detection of tick-borne pathogens. The analysis yielded positive results for 7.15% Rickettsia (Candidatus R. principis, R. japonica, and R. raoultii), 3.49% Anaplasma (A. bovis and A. capra), 1.16% Ehrlichia, 1.83% Coxiella burnetii, and 3.49% protozoa (Theileria. capreoli, T. orientalis, T. luwenshuni, and Babesia sp.) in ticks. Notably, Ca. R. principis was identified for the first time in I. ovatus and Ha. longicornis. These findings underscore the significant prevalence and diversity of ticks and their associated pathogens within the Chongqing Ta-pa Mountain region. This study accordingly provides an extensive dataset that contributes to the epidemiological understanding and disease prevention strategies for tick-borne illnesses in the local area.

Intelligent Monitoring Applications of Landslide Disaster Knowledge Graphs Based on ChatGLM2

Over the years, the field of landslide disaster research has amassed a wealth of data and specialized knowledge. However, these resources originate from a wide array of sources and often feature complex data structures, highlighting a persistent lack of methods to integrate multi-source, heterogeneous data. Traditional landslide monitoring methods typically focus on singular monitoring targets and data sources, which limits a comprehensive understanding of the complex processes involved in landslides. This paper introduces a landslide monitoring model based on a knowledge graph. This model employs P-Tuning to fine-tune ChatGLM2 for the extraction of triples. Differential InSAR (D-InSAR) is utilized to extract ground deformation data, which is then integrated with the knowledge graph for landslide monitoring and analysis. This study focuses on the co-seismic landslide in Jishishan, Gansu, China. By analyzing the landslide knowledge graph and the spatiotemporal deformation map, the results are as follows: (1) For this event, 106 entities and attributes were constructed, along with two recommended calculation routes. (2) The deformation at the earthquake’s central region reached up to 8.784 cm, with a slightly smaller deformation zone to the northwest peaking at 9.662 cm. Significant unilateral subsidence was observed in the mountain range to the southwest. (3) The area affected by the co-seismic landslide primarily includes farmland and villages, covering an area of 0.3408 square kilometers. (4) Analysis based on the knowledge graph indicates that this landslide was primarily caused by the rapid liquefaction of water-saturated soil layers due to the earthquake, resulting in instability. This study contributes to the analysis of post-disaster losses, attribution, and impacts.

Morphometric characteristics of glacial cirques and former glaciers in the Geyik Mountains, Western Taurus, Türkiye

Using the Glacier reconstruction (GlaRe) toolbox, reconstructions of former glaciers in the Geyik Mountains, part of the Taurus Mountain system in southern Türkiye, show that an area of 132.5 km2 was glaciated in the last major glaciation, which left clear terminal and hummocky moraines. Glaciers were 1.4 to 12 km long and those from 49 cirques merged to form a broad 75 km2 piedmont glacier in the Namaras Valley, up to 400 m thick. A thorough analysis of morphometry of the 98 Geyik cirques, using the revised Automated Cirque Metric Extraction version 2 (ACME2) toolbox, shows that they are relatively small, with limited widths: the median length/width ratio of 1.29 is unusually high. With size, length and width increase faster than depth, demonstrating strong static allometry. Maximum slope averages 59°, minimum 3.3° and axial 25°. A combination of low hypsometric integral, high axial profile closure and high axial height-length integral is proposed as a measure of cirque development.The main summits are on sharp ridges on cirque crests, showing that they have been lowered by glacial erosion (by cirque development). Glaciation was strongly asymmetric, with cirque vector mean aspect between northeast and north-northeast. This shows the dominance of solar radiation effects, with some modification from westerly winds. Glacier palaeo- Equilibrium Line Altitudes (pELAs) rise northeastwards and cirque floor minimum altitudes (CFAs) rise toward east-northeast, both showing the importance of moist air from the Mediterranean, 38–55 km to the southwest. pELA averages 2208 m above sea level (a.s.l.) (2277 m area-weighted); CFA averages 2234 m. CFA varies mainly with summit altitudes; where related palaeoglaciers are short CFA is somewhat below pELA, but for longer ones it is above. The most likely palaeoclimate to form these glaciers involves a precipitation increase of 53–72 % with a temperature fall of 8 °C compared with present-day. The cirques formed under similar or less severe conditions.

How Does Tropical Cyclone‐Induced Remote Moisture Transport Affect Precipitation Over East Asia

AbstractAnalyzing tropical cyclone‐induced remote moisture transport clusters (TRCs) and their effects on precipitation is crucial for understanding precipitation formation and enhancing forecast precision. Prior research, primarily case‐based, did not fully grasp the nature of TRCs. Utilizing an objective TRC identification method, we categorized 65 TRC tracks in East Asia into five types and examined their traits and precipitation links. The findings indicate that the moisture transport height of TRCs varies due to multiple factors, with higher transport linked to the warm conveyor belt and lower transport attributed to Taiwan’s mountain range influencing low‐level moisture. The precipitation peak altitudes of TRCs at higher latitudes are greater, and their precipitation intensity is positively correlated with terrain type, especially coastlines. This study underscores the diversity in TRC characteristics and related precipitation, suggesting that future research should consider the directionality of TRC tracks.

Land covers associated with forest expansion hot spots in the Nepal Himalaya

Abstract Many regions of the Himalaya are experiencing forest expansion, signifying a widespread forest transition across this fragile mountain system. In the Nepal Himalaya, forest expansion is increasingly attributed to the narrative of cropland abandonment driven by rural outmigration. Understanding forest change dynamics as consequences of land use changes is critical in the context of rural mountain societies such as Nepal, which exhibit complex interactions between forest, agriculture, and livelihoods. We analysed forest gain in Nepal from 2000–2019 to inquire where and when forests have expanded and what land covers transitioned into forests. We integrated spatiotemporal analysis of national land cover maps and photointerpretation of very high resolution (VHR) imagery to improve analytical estimates. The Middle Mountain physiographic region experienced the strongest hot spots of forest gains relative to the high mountains or lowlands. Visual interpretation of VHR showed that 68.8% of forest gains since 2000 occurred on shrubland, and 26.5% on cropland. The dominance of shrubland-forest transitions implied that shrubland is an intermediate stage in a multi-decadal succession process, or a semi-permanent state such as arrested succession. Notably however, we also detected cropland-forest transitions occurring as fast as 6–10 years, indicating the potential for rapid forest succession if biophysical conditions permit. Thus, variations in land cover transitions to forests in the hills implicated multiple pathways of forest regeneration, reflecting a variety of spatiotemporally explicit drivers. Our results differ from previous studies because VHR image analysis accounted for land cover classification errors and improved land cover quantification. Further research on spatially explicit mechanisms and drivers of forest gain are needed to understand the synergies of forest, agriculture, and livelihoods to inform land use land cover policies that could be leveraged to enhance rural mountain livelihoods.

Spatial patterns of vascular plant species richness in Poland: Relations among species group richness and hot spot distribution

Knowledge of spatial patterns of species richness (SR) is highly relevant for theoretical research in ecology and the development of conservation plans. In Poland, despite a long tradition of botanical surveys, vascular plant SR has not been mapped, nor have the correlations in richness among different plant species groups been explored at the entire country scale. Here, we used a recently published data set to examine spatial patterns and relationships among the joined SR of vascular plant species, including native species, archaeophytes, neophytes, and species with high conservation value (i.e., red-list species). The basic spatial unit employed was a 10 × 10 km grid from the Atlas of Distribution of Vascular Plants in Poland (ATPOL). We found that SR of native species and archaeophytes, neophytes, and red-list species were positively correlated. The main patterns of SR and the percentage of particular groups in the joined SR were based on three components: (1) gradient of overall SR, (2) invasion level, and (3) peculiarity of flora in some regions resulting from the high number and proportion of rare species that often have high conservation value (red-list species). In general, northeastern Poland was species-poor, while the Carpathian Mountain range, the uplands in southern Poland, and some parts of Wisła River valley had the highest SR concentrations. e location of SR hotspots usually did not overlap with the existing national parks system. The correlations among native SR, high conservation value species, and neophyte SR suggest that biological invasions are among the most important threats to vascular plant diversity in Poland. Finally, despite likely biases in SR assessments, we demonstrated that the presented maps seem to reflect general ecological gradients influencing vascular plant distribution in Poland.

Three new species and new faunistic data on Ancistria Erichson (Coleoptera: Passandridae) from southern China

Ancistria Erichson, 1845 is poorly known from China, with only five species recorded. Three new species and one newly recorded species for China were discovered from the Nanling Mountain Range and Lingnan area, i.e., A. limbata Pan, sp. nov., A. longior Pan, sp. nov., A. nanlingensis Pan, sp. nov. and A. bicolorata Burckhardt &amp; Ślipiński, 1995, which are described and illustrated in this paper. A key to the known Chinese species of Ancistria is also provided.

Social and economic importance of new bamboo species established in three municipalities of the North Eastern Mountain range of Puebla, Mexico

The study was conducted in three municipalities of Puebia, Mexico. The objectives were to identify the species of bamboo in the North Eastern region of Puebla, know the climatic conditions and agronomic systems where it grows, characterize the socioeconomic situation of the producers, and identify the contribution to the family economy. A review of the history of cultivation in Mexico was carried out at the National Herbarium of Mexico (MEXU). For the collection of information, it was considered that the bamboo system was within the local agricultural system and selection of municipalities was based on the productive relationship of the crop and the introduction of species in the area. Sixty-four surveys were done of bamboo producers through the questionnaire with social, economic, and productive variables related to the bamboo production system. In the Puebla’s North Eastern Mountain range there are two new species of bamboo, Bambusa oldhamii and Guadua angustifolia, both with different characteristics of uses and established in two production systems, the commercial and family system. At present they have a low commercialization of some bamboo derivatives and little use as food. The region is considered one of extreme proverty. The two species have a high potential for environmental adaptation agronomically they are developed as a single crop in backyards and used in various commercial activities. The lack of use of the crop in the region and its rapid natural expansion due to the environmental conditions for its growth, induces the tendency to consider it as an undesirable plant

Tectono-magmatic evolution of the Indian crust in western Himalayas during Paleoproterozoic: Insights from Nanga Parbat and Indus syntaxis in northern Pakistan

The Paleoproterozoic tectono-magmatic history of the Indian plate has been modelled mostly based on investigations of the Indian parts with limited studies considering the Pakistani domains of the mountain range. In this study we investigate basement rocks and younger intrusions of the Indian crust from within the core of the Indus Syntaxis and the Nanga Parbat Syntaxis in northern Pakistan, with the goal of establishing a chronology for the entire tectono-magmatic progression of northwestern Indian plate margin, including the source rocks that were ultimately involved in the formation of younger magmatic pulses. We present in-situ zircon U-Pb geochronology and O-isotopes complemented by whole rock geochemistry of granitoids and paragneisses that yielded evidence for two distinct, large-scale Paleoproterozoic magmatic events that took place in ∼ 1860 Ma and ∼ 2200 Ma in the Indian crust. Later, leucogranites (6.4 ± 0.1 Ma) intruded into the Nanga Parbat basement that were the result of melting of the basement induced by rapid uplift. The δ18OSMOW compositions of zircons from our basement samples range between 7.5 to 9.1 ‰, indicating the derivation of parental magma from the crustal source while the younger leucogranite is somewhat lighter with δ18O ranging between 7.06 to 8.23 ‰. Geochemical data show extensional tectonic settings for the basement rocks that have an A-type affinity, again pointing to a crustal precursor. We propose little to no δ18O exchange took place between the young anatectic melt and basement rocks during crustal evolution. Moreover, geochemical signatures record the crystallization of basement rocks dominated the northwestern margin of Indian plate in a post-orogenic setting in an overall extensional tectonic realm. Based on these observations, we infer that the northwestern Indian margin has experienced a large-scale magmatism during Paleoproterozoic associated with the amalgamation of the Columbia supercontinent.

Geo-Hydrobiology and Geoinformatics Mapping of Ethnobotany in the Gandhamardan Hills, Odisha, India

Objective: The Gandhamardan Hills (GMH)range is a group of small mountains in Peninsular India in Balangir district in Odisha state in India. There is uniqueness in geology, geography, geomorphology, climatology, Hydrology, petrology, and lithology. The lithology, soil, water, geomorphology, and traditional use of plants in Ayurveda (India) have holistic medicinal/surgery. origin. Geo-hydro-biological amalgamation through Geological Information Systems (GIS) and chemical analysis is still being explored, and the present research emphasises such studies. Methods: Data about geo-hydro-biology through grapy, geology, geomorphology, hydrology, and traditional medicinal practices are implored from literature sources, using TOPO and Q-GIS maps and ERDAS software; their analytical interpretations were reported. The chemical analysis was conducted using X-ray fluorescence spectrometric studies of the water and soil of GMH, and the exuberance of ethnobotanical species in GMH was correlated. Results Laboratory analysis, literature studies, and interaction with Ayurvedic and Kaviraj practitioners, 154 popular species databases with their pharmacological applications reported for ordinary people. Many species have multidimensional applications that can transform Ayurveda into Materia medica. Conclusion: This ethnobotanical study documented the use of plants by the local community. The natural medicinal plants are cheap for the rural communities. The information gathered can be used for further scientific investigation to develop new commercial plant-based medicines as they will be safer than synthetic drugs. SDGs 1 to 3 and 12, 13, and 15 will be satisfied if we can conserve and adequately manage the hub of medicinal plants in GMH.

Isolation and characterization of Pantoea ananatis and P. agglomerans in quinoa: P. ananatis as a potential fungal biocontroller and plant growth promoter.

Chenopodium quinoa, globally recognized as quinoa, stands out as one of the cereals with the highest nutritional value native to the Americas. It is cultivated in the Andes Mountain range, and Colombia is no exception, with the Boyacá department emerging as a significant quinoa-producing region. The quinoa ecosystem harbors a rich array of microorganisms within its rhizosphere. In this current study, nitrogen-fixing and phosphate-solubilizing isolates AM-0261 (Pantoea ananatis) and AM-0263 (Pantoea agglomerans) were sourced from rhizospheric soil samples of quinoa. These isolates were subjected to biochemical characterization and identification through PCR analysis and Sanger sequencing targeting a partial sequence of the 16s region of the rRNA. To assess their potential as plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), taking into consideration that P. ananatis is an IAA producer, greenhouse-based bioassays were conducted using seedlings. Additionally, dual culture assays were employed to showcase their antagonistic capabilities against primary beneficial and phytopathogenic fungi associated with quinoa cultivation in the region. The results underscore the remarkable potential of P. ananatis as a PGPR and a biocontrol agent against quinoa's phytopathogenic fungi. This study represents the pioneering exploration of the interaction between these two bacterial strains with quinoa rhizosphere tissue. In addition, the isolate of P. annatis (AM-0261) stands out, which presents phosphate solubilization capacity, nitrogen fixation, antagonistic capacity, and IAA production, characteristics that make it a promising strain for its use for the management of diseases of fungal origin, and in the future, it could be useful in reducing the use of chemical fertilizers.