Mountain Land Research Articles

Development and Evaluation of Machine Learning Models for Air-to-Land Temperature Conversion Using the Newly Established Kunlun Mountain Gradient Observation System

Mountainous land types are characterized by a scarcity of observational data, particularly in remote areas such as the Kunlun Mountains, where conventional Automatic Weather Stations (AWSs) typically do not record land surface temperature (LST) data. This study aims to develop and evaluate models for converting air temperature (TA) to LST using newly established meteorological station data from the Kunlun Mountain Gradient Observation System, thereby providing time-continuous LST data for AWSs. We constructed a conceptual model to explore the relationship between 1.5 m TA and LST and instantiated it using three machine learning algorithms: Support Vector Machine (SVR), Convolutional Neural Network (CNN), and CatBoost. The results demonstrated that the CatBoost algorithm outperformed the others under complex terrain and climatic conditions, achieving a coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.997 and the lowest root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.627 °C, indicating superior robustness and accuracy. Consequently, CatBoost was selected as the optimal model. Additionally, this study analyzed the spatiotemporal distribution characteristics of cloud cover in the Kunlun Mountain region using the MOD11A1 product and assessed the uncertainties introduced by the 8-day average compositing method of the MOD11A2 product. The results revealed significant discrepancies between the monthly average LST derived from polar-orbiting satellites and the hourly composite monthly LST measured on-site or under ideal cloud-free conditions. These differences were particularly pronounced in high-altitude regions (4000 m and above), with the greatest differences occurring in winter, reaching up to 10.2 °C. These findings emphasize the importance of hourly LST calculations based on AWSs for accurately assessing the spatiotemporal characteristics of LST in the Kunlun Mountains, thus providing more precise spatiotemporal support for remote sensing applications in high-altitude regions.

Farming Mountains and Herding Sheep: A Study of the Peasant Economy in the Northern Section of the Lüliang Mountains in Modern Times

Abstract The peasant economy has been a focal point of academic interest, with existing research primarily concentrated on the plains, leaving mountainous areas less explored. Different ecological environments have shaped distinct forms of peasant economies. The Lüliang Mountains, as a typical agrarian-pastoral mixed zone, has typological significance among peasant economic formations in that it is characterized by extensive cultivation with meager yields and an integration of agriculture and animal husbandry. In modern times, peasants have cultivated vast mountainous lands, planted a variety of cash crops, and established close ties with the market. Reliance on pastoral activities has supplemented the family economy, leading to a rational and efficient division of labor within households. This division manifests horizontally and vertically with younger members herding and older members either tending the fields or working in sidelines, thereby achieving a balanced distribution of labor and resilient family survival. Behind the seeming uniformity of the peasant economy, regional specificity remains hidden and awaits exploration. The particularities of regional ecological environments and the production factors of the peasant economy are crucial areas for research.

Species dynamics in forage seed mixtures exposed to different lengths of growing season

AbstractSix seed mixtures differing in number of species and their proportion of timothy (Phleum pratense L.) were tested during three/four production (ley) years in replicated field experiments at three climatically different sites in Norway; one a mountainous inland site at 61° N (Løken) and two in coastal environments, at 61° N (Fureneset) and 65° N (Tjøtta). There were significant differences in forage accumulation (FA) and digestible forage accumulation (DFA) between the three sites. There was a significant FA decline from the third to the fourth ley year for mixtures containing timothy, but not for mixtures without timothy. Estimated interannual FA‐ stability was higher for timothy‐based seed mixtures than for mixtures without timothy at the inland site, but FA‐stability was lower at the coastal sites. In the third‐year herbage of timothy‐based mixtures at the inland site consisted almost solely of timothy, whereas at the coastal sites meadow fescue (Festuca pratensis Huds.) and especially tall fescue (F. arundinacea Schreb.) dominated. In seed mixtures without timothy, cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata L.) suppressed other species at the inland site, whereas at the coastal sites, tall fescue and ryegrasses (Lolium spp.) were the dominant species in the third‐year herbage. Length of growing season and site‐specific growing conditions were important drivers for the observed species changes. Timothy can thus be recommended for ley establishment at sites where the growing season is short (<4 months) and plant growth is intensive, but under conditions with a longer growing season it needs to be sown in mixtures with grass species that surpass the regrowth capacity of timothy.

Monitoring Mining Impact for Geosites Using Time Series NDVI and Run-off in the Eastern Part of Southern Java Mountains, Indonesia

Several geosites in the Eastern Part of the Southern Mountains of Java which are currently being mined are important geosites because they have recorded tectonic processes in the tertiary period. However, mining activities without environmental monitoring could be lead loss of rock outcrops and alteration of mineralscontained in the geosite. This study aims to monitor the vegetation index and run off in karst geosites and gold mined hills. We used Sentinel 2A Imagery on the Google Earth Engine (GEE) to get the vegetation index (NDVI) and run off values temporally. The Sentinel 2A data acquisition pro-cess in both 2018 and 2022 was carried out on the Google Earth Engine with specific steps consisting import data from cloud collection, cloud masking, and customing date acquistion. The results show that there has been a decrease in the vegetation index in the period 2018-2022 which is indicated by the decrease in the vegetation index value in the mined area. Another impact found is that there has been an increase in the run-off value in 2022 in both the Karst Puger Hills and the Tumpang Pitu Hills. The NDVI pattern on mined geosites has also changed significantly due to increasingly intense mining activities. The NDVI fluctuation pattern in the Karst Hills in 2018-2020 ranges from 0.41 to 0.74, while in 2021-2022 the fluctuation pattern is only in the range 0.05 to 0.4, respectively. The NDVI fluctuation pattern in the Tumpang Pitu Gold Hills in 2018-2019 is in the range 0.6 to 0.8, while in 2020-2022 it is in the range 0.38 to 0.52, respectively. Google Earth Engine is able to map the vegeta-tion index more efficiently by using a time series approach. These advancement is different compare to previous studies, where our study shows rapid acquisition during pre-processing, performing NDVI with rapid temporal analysis, and shows numerous degraded land in southern java mountains. There-fore, it can be concluded that there has been a decrease in the vegetation index and an increase in run off which can threaten the rock outcrop on the geosite. Furthermore, this study suggest that GEE should be considered as a main tool to identified degraded land, particularly for geosite conservation.

A Climatology of Convective Precipitation over Europe

Abstract The annual, seasonal, and diurnal spatiotemporal heavy convective precipitation patterns over a pan-European domain are analyzed in this study using a combination of datasets, including the Integrated Multi-satellitE Retrievals for Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) (IMERG) precipitation rate product, E-OBS ground-based precipitation gauge data, European climatological gauge-adjusted radar precipitation dataset (EURADCLIM), Operational Programme for the Exchange of Weather Radar Information (OPERA) ground-based radar-derived precipitation rates, and fifth major global reanalysis produced by ECMWF (ERA5) total and convective precipitation products. Arrival Time Difference Network (ATDnet) lightning data are used in conjunction with IMERG and EURADCLIM precipitation rates, with an imposed threshold of 10 mm h−1 to classify precipitation as convective. Annually, the largest convective precipitation accumulations are over the European seas and coastlines. In summer, convective precipitation is more common over the European continent, though relatively large accumulations exist over the northern coastal waters and the southern seas, with a seasonal localized maximum over the northern Adriatic Sea. Activity shifts southward to the Mediterranean and its coastlines in autumn and winter, with maxima over the Ionian Sea, the eastern Adriatic Sea, and the adjacent coastline. Over the continent, 1%–10% of the total precipitation accumulated is classified as convective, increasing to 10%–40% over the surrounding seas. In contrast, 30%–50% of ERA5 precipitation accumulations over land is produced by the convective parameterization scheme and 40%–60% over the seas; however, only 1% of ERA5 convective precipitation accumulations are from rain rates exceeding 10 mm h−1. Regional analyses indicate that convective precipitation rates over the inland mountains follow diurnal heating, though little to no diurnal pattern exists in convective precipitation rates over the seas and coastal mountains.

Resilience of Terraced Landscapes to Human and Natural Impacts: A GIS-Based Reconstruction of Land Use Evolution in a Mediterranean Mountain Valley

Terraced historical landscapes have multiple functions in mountain land, limiting erosion, enabling agricultural production and constituting cultural heritage. Currently, they are largely abandoned in Mediterranean regions and facing the ongoing impacts of climate change. Our aim is to reconstruct the evolution of land use on the terraces in order to test the hypothesis of the resilience of these landscapes and their age in recent history (17th–21st century). To achieve this, we used various current and archive spatial datasets and GIS knowledge to detect and map terraces and the changes in land use. We tested this hypothesis in a territory impacted by a recent extreme event, facing the challenge of its reconstruction. Our main outcome showed that the optimal use of the terraces corresponded to the demographic optimum of the mid-19th century, and they were gradually abandoned after the Second World War, with significant differences between Mediterranean and mountain lands. Despite this evolution, the terraces persisted and withstood an extreme event, validating our resilience hypothesis and opening avenues for the revitalization of this territory based on this heritage. These findings are drawing perspectives for the future of terraced landscapes in Mediterranean mountains in the context of climate change.

Divergent Responses of Summer Terrestrial Evapotranspiration to Cloud Increase in East Asia

AbstractCloud impact on terrestrial evapotranspiration (ET) can be significant, while a fundamental understanding of ET response to cloud change has not been addressed in regional aspects. In this study, seven ET datasets from satellite and land surface models are used to analyze the summer ET in response to low cloud cover (LCC) over East Asia, in combination with satellite microwave and optical vegetation data, as well as ERA5 climatic and surface parameters. In general, all ET datasets present a strong negative relationship with LCC over dense vegetation (e.g., forests), which leads to the ET reduction of more than −0.5 mmday−1 under the large LCC increase, compared with the least cloudy sky conditions. Such reduction is stronger under more humid and denser forests (aridity index AI > 0.5 and enhanced vegetation index EVI > 0.6). In contrast, a positive relationship between ET and LCC presents over arid and sparse lands (AI < 0.2 and EVI < 0.2), accompanied by enhanced ET (>0.2 mmday−1). Analysis shows that under increased LCC conditions, substantial reduction in radiation availability results in the decline in both plant transpiration (ETveg) and soil evaporation (ETsoil) over humid dense vegetation, dominating the overall negative response. The increase of near‐surface relative humidity over arid sparse vegetation may indicate a stronger moisture availability, which promotes ETsoil and partly offsets the negative effect of radiation reduction. The change of vegetation water content, indicated by a satellite microwave vegetation index, is important for ETveg over arid mountainous lands with cloud cover. These findings contribute new insights to the understanding of vegetation‐atmosphere interactions.

Climate and landscape control of runoff stable isotopes in the inland mountain

Study regionThe Xiying River Basin is a typical inland mountainous watershed located in the Qilian Mountains. Study focusThis article reveals the change of runoff stable isotopes and their control mechanisms based on isotope data of different water bodies (precipitation, runoff, groundwater, and glacial snowmelt) in the Xiying River Basin from 2016 to 2021, combined with relevant meteorological observation data and the Normalized Vegetation Index (NDVI). New hydrological insights for the regionThe results show that (1) meteorological factors control runoff isotope variations through controlling the evaporation process of runoff and the isotopic characteristics of recharge sources. (2) In areas with low vegetation cover, surface landscape features influence runoff isotopic composition by altering the isotopic characteristics of recharge sources. (3) In areas with high vegetation cover, surface vegetation cover affects runoff stable isotopes by controlling evapotranspiration processes. This study connects vegetation cover and runoff isotopes to explain the surface landscape control of runoff stable isotopes. It offers a more powerful reference for elucidating the factors influencing runoff isotopes in inland mountain watersheds.

Feed Crops of Nakhchivan Arid Mountain Lands

Presents information on feed crops of arid mountain lands of Nakhchivan. It is established that the most widespread group of feed grasses of the studied area includes Artemisia L., Salsola L., Kochia Roth, Atriplex L., Symphytum L., Astragalus L. and others. The distribution area of feed crops of these genera and mixed associations formed by them were studied.

Assessment of Typhoon Precipitation Forecasts Based on Topographic Factors

For this paper, a new global atmospheric model (Global-to-Regional Integrated forecast SysTem; GRIST) with improved sub-grid scale orographic parameterization was verified and assessed, with an emphasis on the precipitation caused by typhoons. Four typical typhoon cases were selected for the verification of the model. The results indicate that, compared to the control experiments, the sensitivity experiments consistently simulated the trends in the three-hour cumulative precipitation changes and the high-value regions of total precipitation better. However, the improved experiments only had an ameliorating effect on the cumulative precipitation modelling biases for Typhoon LEKIMA and Typhoon HAGUPIT, not all of them. Precipitation bias is smaller on flat land than that on mountainous land, but the precipitation bias on windward/leeward slopes depends on the typhoon case. Precipitation modelling accuracy varies considerably between flat and mountainous terrain but very little between windward and leeward slopes. The precipitation simulation is poor for all terrains, with large precipitation thresholds in three typhoon cases, but for Typhoon HOTA, after improving the terrain, the model has the ability to forecast the heavy rainfall scenarios of the mountainous terrain.

Long-term terrace change and ecosystem service response in an inland mountain province of China

The exploration of terrace change and its associated ecosystem services (ESs) provides invaluable insights into the intricate interplay between engineering initiatives and environmental conditions. This understanding is crucial in designing strategic plans for environmental management. However, how terraced fields area change and influence ESs over an extended period at a regional scale remain relatively unknown. To bridge this knowledge gap, this study focused on terraces in Gansu Province (a typical inland mountain province), Northwestern China, by dividing the study area into seven regions, the quality and value benefits of unit area, the overall and cumulative of terraces were calculated for each region in Gansu province based on remote-sensing data, meteorological data, terraced area and benefits data. In this regard, the distribution, spatiotemporal changes and ESs associated with terraced fields in Gansu were examined from 1990 to 2020. The results show that: (i) terraces with the area of 2.20 × 104 km2 accounts for 81.34 % of counties(districts) of Gansu province in 2020, mainly located in the loess hilly and gully region (82.72 %). (ii) From 1990 to 2020, the terrace area in Gansu expanded from 8.13 × 103 to 2.20 × 104 km2, peaking at 636.73 km2/yr during 1990–2000, with notable spatial heterogeneity. (iii) In terms of ESs’ quality benefits, soil conservation benefits of terraces were the most significant, reaching 91.30–98.32 % per unit area, the cumulative benefits (1990–2020) were 1.82 × 109 t, followed by water conservation benefits (42.12–89.20 % and 2.36 × 1010 m3). (iv) Terraces expansion have increased the ecosystem service value by 815.10 million Dollar ($), with regulating services and habitat services accounting for 34.92 % and 31.92 %, respectively. These results indicate that the enormous potential value of terraces in ecological environment governance and ecological economic benefits, and provide a scientific support for understanding terraces and leveraging their ecosystem functions, while also offering valuable insights for the conservation of global mountain ecosystems and the improvement of human well-being.

Study on Arboreal Floristic Diversity, Phytosociology and Conservation Strategy of Endangered Species in Chandi Beat of Majathal Wildlife Sanctuary, Himachal Pradesh, Western Himalaya

Himachal Pradesh, a land of snow-abode mountains is significant for its natural wealth and unique habitat, flora, and fauna. Majathal Wildlife Sanctuary, the site of the present study was located in Solan and Shimla districts (Wildlife Division, Shimla) of Himachal Pradesh spread over an area of 37.71 sq km. Phytosociological studies for arboreal flora were conducted in the Chandi beat, of the sanctuary by using the quadrate method and quantitative analysis. The altitude of this beat varied from 625m to 1960m amsl. Total number of plant species recorded in the study area was 155, belonging to 46 families and 97 genera. The dominant families included Fabaceae, Moraceae, Asteraceae, Malvaceae, Lamiaceae, and Rosaceae. Pinus roxburghii recorded the highest value of IVI and is the most dominant tree species in the forest followed by Quercus leucotrichophora. Results revealed that the range of Concentration of dominance (C) 0.04-0.06, Index of Diversity (H) 2.55-3.58, Richness index (R) 3.47-7.78 and Evenness Index (E) 0.84-0.93 was for trees and range of Concentration of dominance (C) 0.03-0.04, Index of Diversity (H) 3.37-3.86, Richness index (R) 6.22-6.12 and Evenness Index (E) 0.91-0.93 for shrubs at different elevation in Chandi beat. There were three woody plant species found as threatened category plant according to CAMP, 2013 i.e., Pleurolobus gangeticus, Oroxylum indicum and Zanthoxylum armatum which require conservation efforts suggested except Zanthoxylum armatum which has shown a good population in nature. Phytosocial and floristic diversity study on woody plants was not done before in this sanctuary so it will provide baseline information on the biodiversity status of the woody vegetation of the sanctuary and encourage conservation efforts, sustainable utilization of resources, and bio-perspective.

STUDY OF STORM TIDE MODELING IN THE PEARL RIVER ESTUARY

By reproducing storm tides during nine historical typhoons in the Pearl River Estuary against observations, this paper presents a data-model comparison approach to quantify the uncertainties of three parameters of Holland (1980) parametric wind model. The wind reduction factor that represents effects of mountains and skyscrapers surrounding the estuary may be estimated by finding the minimum RMSE in simulated storm tide peak elevation. The radius to maximum winds can be efficiently adjusted according to observed pressures through the exponential distribution of atmospheric pressure field; and the peakedness is verified on the basis of maximum wind speed versus pressure drop relations. By applying these parameters with the wind model, storm tides in the estuary can be effectively simulated, except for wind conditions where most of the estuary is within the maximum wind radius and winds there are significantly affected by the mountainous lands. Wave setups are noticeable when typhoons made landfall on the right bank of the estuary. As a prerequisite for good model performance, the grid size somewhere in a storm tide model should be smaller than the minimum spacing among soundings points at that location in order to effectively produce the model bathymetry described by the soundings data.

Analisis Organisasi & Pengembangan Kapasitas Kelembagaan Pada Sektor Wisata

The problems that exist in the Pekalongan Regency Tourism, Culture, Youth and Sports Office (Disporapar) on the one hand are problems in the organisational structure, especially in charge of Tourism, which has no sub-fields, even though the workload is very high. Another problem is that many tasks in the tourism sector have not been handled properly, such as the implementation of the licensing process and public services in the tourism sector, the implementation of qualifications and administration of tourism services, coordination and formulation of standards, norms and tourism promotion, and facilitation of tourism product development and the tourism business world and the creative economy in the tourism sector. On the other hand, it is a heavy responsibility for Disporapar to coordinate, communicate and socialise due to the low participation of the community to become "people aware of tourism".The purpose of the study was to analyse efforts to develop institutional capacity in public services in the field of tourism in Disporapar Pekalongan Regency. Analyse the factors that hinder and support capacity development efforts in public services in the field of tourism in Disporapar Pekalongan Regency. The data used are primary and secondary data. With data collection techniques using interviews, observation and documentation. Data analysis techniques through four stages that must be passed, namely information collection, data reduction, data presentation and drawing conclusions.Based on the results of the analysis of the above research, the conclusion is that first, the development of institutional capacity in coordinating public services in the tourism sector at the Pekalongan Regency Disporapar is not yet sufficient internally, such as budget improvement, improvement of organizational structure, recruitment of human resources apparatus, and provision of infrastructure facilities. Second, externally, there has been no development and improvement of tourism objects that are adequate for the consumption of local and foreign tourists in Pekalongan Regency. Thirdly, there is a lack of participation and awareness of the people to form "Rakyat Sadar Wisata" groups, but more people are not aware of tourism, so there is still "robbery" and destruction of tourist attraction facilities, illegal parking in tourist attraction areas, inadequate number and condition of tourist attraction facilities, and a lack of investors. However, there is a relief in the support from the Provincial and Central Governments as well as the availability of large areas of coastal, inland and mountainous land in Pekalongan Regency and the many potential natural resources in Pekalongan Regency that have not been utilised. However, there is a relief that there is support from the provincial and central governments as well as the availability of large areas of coastal, inland and mountainous land in Pekalongan Regency and there are still many potential natural resources in Pekalongan Regency that have not been utilised to create new tourism objects.

Sensitivity of Nocturnal Warm Sector Rainfall Simulation to the Configuration of Initial and Lateral Boundary Conditions: A Case Study in Southern China Based on the Operational TRAMS Model

AbstractA heavy nocturnal warm sector rainfall occurred over the western coastal region of South China in June 2020, of which the precipitation magnitude was seriously underestimated by the operational TRAMS (Tropical Regional Atmosphere Model System) model. In this study, by improving the configuration of initial conditions (ICs) and lateral boundary conditions (LBCs) in offline nesting, the simulation of the convection initiation (CI) process can be well improved. The CI simulation is found to be sensitive to the vertical resolution in ICs in this case. When the low‐level vertical resolution of ICs is increased, the nocturnal near‐surface cold layer caused by inland mountains can be resolved better, which is necessary to form the convergence line along the coastline. Another important impact of increasing the vertical resolution of ICs is the successful simulation of horizontal convective rolls (HCRs) over the northern South China Sea. The HCRs apparently increase the depth of the warm‐moist marine boundary layer jet (MBLJ), and finally lead to the CI along the coastline. The increased vertical resolutions of LBCs can reduce the discontinuity of simulated moist tongue across the southern lateral boundary of the TRAMS model, which provides more moisture for the warm sector rainfall through MBLJ. LBCs with Higher temporal frequency help to alleviate the western position bias of rain belt by reducing the temporal interpolation error. Our study highlights the importance of finer ICs and LBCs in offline nesting for regional operational NWP systems in the South China region.

The Paleoarchean Buffalo River komatiites: Progressive melting of a single large mantle plume beneath the growing Kaapvaal craton

Several Archean granitoid-greenstone terranes are exposed on the southeastern Kaapvaal craton in South Africa, but they received little scientific attention compared to the archetypal greenstone belt successions of the Barberton Mountain Land at the eastern craton margin. This study reports on a detailed field and geochemical survey of the Buffalo River Greenstone Belt at the southern Kaapvaal craton margin in KwaZulu-Natal, with focus on hitherto unstudied komatiites and basaltic rocks from this volcanic succession. Cross-cutting relationships and new U-Pb zircon age determinations for several granitoid units establish a minimum age of 3.26 Ga for komatiitic volcanism, possibly as old as ca. 3.5 Ga if a 3.47 Ga granodiorite sheet is interpreted as ‘intrusive’ into the greenstone succession.Geochemical data reveal three types of Paleoarchean komatiites at Buffalo River. Spinifex textured lava flows represent Al-depleted komatiites, with subchondritic Al2O3/TiO2 ratios and enrichment of LREE over HREE. The second type comprises Al-undepleted komatiites that have chondritic Al2O3/TiO2 and flat REE patterns. The third type identified comprises Al-enriched komatiites that display suprachondritic Al2O3/TiO2 ratios, with significant LREE depletion. The Al-depleted and Al-undepleted komatiites from Buffalo River are geochemically similar to komatiites from the 3.48 Ga Komati and 3.26 Ga Weltevreden formations of the Barberton Supergroup respectively, whereas the Al-enriched komatiites resemble the 3.33 Ga Commondale komatiites on the southeastern Kaapvaal craton.To explain the co-occurrence of three discrete komatiite types within a single volcanic succession at Buffalo River, we suggest that each major komatiite magmatic pulse originated from the same upwelling mantle source, from which melt was extracted at different pressure but similarly hot temperature conditions. 187Os/188Os data for the Al-depleted komatiites suggest an ultimate magma origin from a primitive mantle reservoir. The contrasting γOs values for Kaapvaal craton komatiites (zero to positive) and peridotitic mantle xenoliths (zero to negative) support a complementary nature of these lithologies as high-degree melts and depleted residues linked by vigorous mantle plume activity at around 3.5 Ga. Such a relationship can explain the contrasting Re/Os systematics of komatiites and lithospheric mantle peridotites, which creates the contrasting γOs over time.The highly siderophile element patterns of the Al-depleted komatiites from Buffalo River are similar to those of Barberton-type komatiites, for which an origin from the deepest upper mantle with high melt retention in an upwelling plume source was suggested. We confirm that this ca. 3.5 Ga mantle source had only 60–80 % of the platinum-group element budget of the modern ambient mantle, which points indirectly to a location at great depth in the aftermath of the meteoritic late accretion. Progressive melting of such an upwelling mantle source, to the point of majoritic garnet exhaustion, may explain the Al-undepleted and Al-enriched komatiites at Buffalo River. The presence of all three major komatiite types within a single volcanic succession may be linked to deep critical melting of a large mantle plume associated with growth of the Kaapvaal ‘continent’ at 3.5 Ga.

ANALISIS DEFORMASI DAN STABILITAS LERENG DENGAN VARIASI GEOMETRI DAN PERKUATAN GEOTEKSTIL PADA PROYEK GEDUNG FAKULTAS HUKUM UII

Indonesian Islamic University (UII) is a private university located in Sleman, Special Region of Yogyakarta. As an educational institution, UII must be able to fulfill the infrastructure to carry out the teaching and learning process for its students, namely the lecture building. At present UII has campuses spread across Kaliurang (integrated campus), Condongcatur (Faculty of Economics), and student parks (Faculty of Law). The process of building a law faculty building UII is on the road Kaliurang km14.5 which is just below the foot of Mount Merapi and has contours of mountainous land. The contours of mountainous land have different levels of land up and down. In mountainous areas can cause problems, namely landslides. In the construction of the UII law faculties building, a suitable slope design is needed, so to solve the problem, slope stability analysis is used. This method is carried out by analyzing the deformation and slope stability by strengthening the geotextiles using the Plaxis 8.2 program. Slope modeling is designed with variations in geometry and variations in water level. Geometry variations used are geometry 70 °, 60 °, and 50 ° while variations in water level with dry water conditions, depth of water conditions 3.8 m, and saturated water conditions. In carrying out the analysis using structural loads and earthquake loads. Deformation analysis is seen from horizontal point X deformation, vertical point X deformation and horizontal deformation of Y-Y pieces. The results of this study are that slope with geotextile reinforcement have large safety factor and small deformations. A more slope geometry variation (50°) result in a larger safety factor and has a small deformation than steep geometry (70°). Groundwater variation have an influence on the results of the safety factor and deformation. The face of saturated ground water has a low safe value and large deformation due to having more water content.

Effects of SMOF on soil properties, root-zone microbial community structure, metabolites, and maize (Zea mays L.) response on a reclaimed barren mountainous land.

Maize is the largest crop produced in China. With the growing population and the rapid development of urbanization and industrialization, maize has been recently cultivated in reclaimed barren mountainous lands in Zhejiang Province, China. However, the soil is usually not suitable for cultivation because of its low pH and poor nutrient conditions. To improve soil quality for crop growth, various fertilizers, including inorganic, organic, and microbial fertilizers, were used in the field. Among them, organic fertilizer-based sheep manure greatly improved the soil quality and has been widely adopted in reclaimed barren mountainous lands. But the mechanism of action was not well clear. The field experiment (SMOF, COF, CCF and the control) was carried out on a reclaimed barren mountainous land in Dayang Village, Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province, China. To systematically evaluate the effect of SMOF on reclaimed barren mountainous lands, soil properties, the root-zone microbial community structure, metabolites, and maize response were investigated. Compared with the control, SMOF could not significantly affect the soil pH but caused 46.10%, 28.28%, 101.94%, 56.35%, 79.07%, and 76.07% increases in the OMC, total N, available P, available K, MBC, and MBN, respectively. Based on 16S amplicon sequencing of soil bacteria, compared with the control, SMOF caused a 11.06-334.85% increase in the RA of Ohtaekwangia, Sphingomonas, unclassified_Sphingomonadaceae, and Saccharibacteria and a 11.91-38.60% reduction in the RA of Spartobacteria, Gemmatimonas, Gp4, Flavisolibacter, Subdivision3, Gp6, and unclassified_Betaproteobacteria, respectively. Moreover, based on ITS amplicon sequencing of soil fungi, SMOF also caused a 42.52-330.86% increase in the RA of Podospora, Clitopilus, Ascobolus, Mortierella, and Sordaria and a 20.98-64.46% reduction in the RA of Knufia, Fusarium, Verticillium, and Gibberella, respectively, compared with the control. RDA of microbial communities and soil properties revealed that the main variables of bacterial and fungal communities included available K, OMC, available P, MBN, and available K, pH, and MBC, respectively. In addition, LC-MS analysis indicated that 15 significant DEMs belonged to benzenoids, lipids, organoheterocyclic compounds, organic acids, phenylpropanoids, polyketides, and organic nitrogen compounds in SMOF and the control group, among which four DEMs were significantly correlated with two genera of bacteria and 10 DEMs were significantly correlated with five genera of fungi. The results revealed complicated interactions between microbes and DEMs in the soil of the maize root zone. Furthermore, the results of field experiments demonstrated that SMOF could cause a significant increase in maize ears and plant biomass. Overall, the results of this study showed that the application of SMOF not only significantly modified the physical, chemical, and biological properties of reclaimed barren mountainous land but also promoted maize growth. SMOF can be used as a good amendment for maize production in reclaimed barren mountainous lands.

Combined effects of moss colonization and rock fragment coverage on sediment losses, flow hydraulics and surface microtopography of carbonate-derived laterite from karst mountainous lands

Moss and rock coverage play important roles in the soil erosion processes of karst mountainous lands. We conducted simulated rainfall experiments to investigate the combined effects of moss colonization and rock fragment coverage (RC) on the sediment losses, flow hydraulics and surface microtopography of karst carbonate-derived laterite. Soil slopes with moss colonization and different rock fragment coverages (0, 30 % and 60 %) were subjected to simulated rainfall with intensities of 100 mm h−1 in 50 cm × 30 cm × 15 cm flumes. Two sequential soil erosion events, E1 and E2, were induced with two rainstorm events; E2 was induced 24 h after E1. The results showed that the mean runoff rates (MR) of moss-covered slopes with 0 and 30 % RC were significantly lower than those of bare slopes (by 27.78 % and 24.06 %, respectively), and this effect gradually decreased as RC increased. Moss coverage also significantly decreased the mean flow velocity, and RC without moss coverage increased the flow velocities during rainfall. Moss-covered slopes showed significant decreases in mean sediment loss (MSL) (by 64.87 %, 78.89 % and 87.03 % for the 0, 30 % and 60 % RC in the E1 + E2 conditions, respectively) relative to bare slopes, and RC increases also decreased MSL. In addition, moss colonization significantly increased the initial slope roughness in both the horizontal (cl) and vertical (RR) directions. With moss coverage, slope roughness was less affected by slope erosion events due to protective effects. These results provide reference data for researching the mechanisms of moss and rock coverage for controlling and preventing karst slope erosion.

Potentialities of Eco-Tourism Industry in Arunachal Pradesh: A Study

Eco-tourism is one of the fastest growing industries. Eco-tourism is often perceived as a tool for promoting sustainable development in developing countries. Arunachal Pradesh “the land of dawn-lit mountains” has unparalleled natural beauty with extensive geographical diversity and climatic conditions varying from the tropical to the temperate having a variety of wildlife, flora and fauna. Objective: The paper aims to find out the potentiality of eco-tourism in Arunachal Pradesh. Methodology: This study is descriptive type in nature based basically on data of secondary sources collected especially from published books, journals, official reports, and websites. Conclusion: Tourism industry can play a vital role in the State. As this sector is a labor-intensive industry, it can open an employment opportunity. A large number of unemployed persons can be employed by this industry. The Government should take necessary steps for development of the industry.