Mountain Landscapes Research Articles

Sex-dependent shifts in body size and condition along replicated elevational gradients in a montane colonising ectotherm, the common wall lizard (Podarcis muralis).

In ectothermic animals, elevational gradients, such as mountainous environments, are often associated with shifts in body size, although patterns differ across taxa and contexts. Mountain landscapes are characterised by relatively rapid shifts in biotic and abiotic conditions along an elevational gradient, commonly referred to as elevational zonation. Such zonation can reduce the geographic scale at which organisms experience the effects of climate change. The upslope range shifts will expose organisms at the colonization front to sub-optimal conditions. We can expect these challenging conditions to influence many life-history traits including growth rates and reproductive output. We tested the hypothesis that body size varies across elevational gradients in a contemporary montane colonizer, the common wall lizard (Podarcis muralis). Further, we assessed active body temperatures and available environmental temperatures in an attempt to discern a potential abiotic factor that might drive such a pattern. We quantified body size in lizards along four replicate transects ranging from 400 to 2400m above sea level in the Pyrenees. Male body size decreased with increasing elevation. While female body size was invariant, females at higher elevation exhibited lower body condition. These results suggest that the effects of abiotic limitations or selective pressures experienced at the high-elevation colonisation front are sex-specific. Furthermore, lizards from both sexes were able to maintain similar field active body temperatures across elevation, despite reduced ambient temperature. If available temperatures limit activity periods or necessitate higher thermoregulatory investment, as suggested by our results, then further warming may benefit lizards and favour further upslope migration.

Ionic composition of snow cover on the territory of Siberia and the Far East

Long-term (from 2007 to 2022) observations of the dynamics of acidity, mineralization and ionic composition of snow cover in remote mountainous and lowland landscapes of Northern Asia were carried out. As a result, spatiotemporal changes in the molar concentration of basic (Ca2+, Mg2+, HCO3-, Cl- and SO42-) and nitrogen-containing (NH4+, NO3- and NO2-) ions were analyzed. It turned out that during the entire observation period, bicarbonate ions prevailed in all monitoring regions, even near the sea coasts, where there is an intensive intake of sulfate and chloride ions into the atmosphere. Until 2012, the molar concentration of these three anions was characterized by higher values, which decreased 3–8 times in subsequent years, this is especially noticeable for bicarbonate ions and to a lesser extent for chloride ions. The molar concentration of nitrogen-containing ions in the snow cover of Northern Asia was at a low level (especially nitrite ions). Ammonium ions were predominant throughout the observation period (especially in mountainous landscapes) and only in some years – nitrate ions.

Examining emotional responses and psychological restoration of four types of natural landscapes

Natural environments have been identified to be more effective at inducing positive emotional responses and psychological restoration than built environments. However, there is a lack of evidence on which types of natural environments or which options for design and management are better. This study examined people’s emotional responses and psychological restoration induced by four types of natural landscapes. In addition, the impacts of landscape elements and perceived novelty on these two benefits were measured. The results showed that: (1) urban green landscapes and mountain landscapes were more likely to evoke positive emotional responses and increase psychological restoration than rock- or geyser-dominated landscapes; (2) there was an S-shaped curve between vegetation ratio and emotional responses or psychological restoration, in which 80% vegetation ratio suggests the peak of both benefits; (3) hard elements (rocks, sand, pavements or buildings) and perceived novelty decreased the two benefits provided by the natural landscapes.

Road network disruptions during extreme flooding events and their impact on the access to emergency medical services: A spatiotemporal vulnerability analysis

The impact of extreme floods can be significant, affecting humans, the environment and any type of human-built infrastructure. A further consequence of flooding is restricted access to medical facilities, including constraints to access more dedicated emergency medical services (EMS). To date, there has been a lack of investigation into EMS accessibility dynamics during extreme floods. The objective of this study is to gain a deeper understanding of the spatiotemporal changes in accessibility-based vulnerability related to EMS during a representative extreme flood event, which was simulated over a period of six days. The study assesses the spatial accessibility of EMS centres to populations located within 15-, 30-, 45-, and 60-minute travel time thresholds in Canton Bern, Switzerland, and applies floating catchment area method. The dynamic aspects of EMS access vulnerability during extreme floods were assessed in two different ways. Firstly, the ratios between accessibility change and accessibility under normal conditions in 1 km grid cells were calculated at hourly moments, t. Subsequently, the resulting values were used to calculate the average vulnerability score. Secondly, percentage changes of affected populations were evaluated for different accessibility classes during the flood event and under all-time high static flood conditions. Varied spatial patterns of accessibility were generally observed with respect to the road network and population distributions in the hilly and mountainous landscape. Extending evaluations to consider temporal dynamics revealed a complex pattern of accessibility gains and losses in different regions of the study area, including those where no direct flood impacts occurred on the road network. The application of a static, all-time high flood condition resulted in an overestimation of accessibility limits to EMS centres. While this overestimation was not considered to be critical, the application of a spatiotemporal accessibility-based vulnerability analysis method to EMS is considered to be more holistic. Insights from this study can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of EMS risk management plans with respect to evolving extreme flood scenarios.

Effect of Aspect and Elevation on the Degree of Aggregation and the Functional Traits in Phlomis floccosa D. Don (Lamiacae) Populations

ABSTRACTPhlomis floccosa D. Don populations are distributed in different microhabitats within Al‐Akhdar mountainous landscape, in Libya. Five populations were selected for the study. Spatial relationships among individuals were investigated using the spatial point pattern analysis. Functional traits were recorded at the vegetative, flowering and fruiting stages. Seeds were collected at the dispersal stage to estimate the regeneration potential. Greater degree of aggregation was found at higher elevations on both northern and southern sides of the mountain but with different demography and traits. On the northern side, greater degree of aggregation was accompanied by absence of large adults and greater percentage of seedlings, and it was positively associated with the reproductive output, while negatively associated with the size and regeneration indices. On the southern side, greater degree of aggregation was accompanied by greater contribution of large adults and greater percentage of seedlings, and it was positively associated with the size and regeneration indices, while negatively associated with the reproductive output. On the other hand, the population in the wadi (valley) microhabitat showed coarse‐scale clumped pattern, higher values for most of the functional traits and higher contribution of seedlings but with lower facilitation offered by adults. The variations in the degree of aggregation and the functional traits trade‐offs in P. floccosa populations ensured successful survival and regeneration in the heterogeneous microhabitats. Meanwhile, stressed conditions greatly affect the survival and regeneration of the species suggesting the need for conservation measures to overcome the adverse effects of climate change.

Author Correction: Remote sensing analysis of spatiotemporal impacts of anthropogenic influence on mountain landscape ecology in Pir Chinasi national park

Author Correction: Remote sensing analysis of spatiotemporal impacts of anthropogenic influence on mountain landscape ecology in Pir Chinasi national park

Geo-spatial assessment of geomorphic characteristics of Swat Valley, Pakistan

Morphometric analysis is essential for understanding drainage networks and landform evolution, particularly in complex mountainous regions like the Swat Valley. Accurate characterization of these features aids in water resource management and mitigating climate-induced challenges. The study employed GIS and remote sensing technologies, utilizing SRTM-30m DEM data to perform a comprehensive morphometric and hypsometric analysis. Key morphometric parameters such as basin size, stream order, bifurcation ratio, drainage density, circularity ratio, and elongation ratio were calculated by using Whitebox tool. Additionally, three-dimensional parameters including basin relief, roughness number, ruggedness index, and slope were analyzed. Hypsometric analysis was conducted to examine area-elevation relationships, using empirical formulas and contour data. The basin was found to be irregularly shaped, with an elongation ratio of 6.97 and a circulatory ratio of 0.3091, indicating an elongated form. Flow accumulation data highlighted areas of rapid and moderate water flow. Hypsometric analysis showed that 14 sub-basins were in an erosional stage, 8 were mature, and the remainder were older and more resistant to erosion. The overall hypsometric integral (HI) of 0.406 reflects moderate elevation variation across the basin. The study provides critical insights into the geomorphometric controls of the Swat Valley's drainage system, contributing to improved water resource management strategies. Understanding morphometric and hypsometric characteristics is vital for adapting to climate-induced risks and safeguarding water resources in mountainous landscapes.

Sediment Source Partitioning and Budgeting Over Historical Timescales in a Glacierized, Mountain Catchment

AbstractManaging and living with geohazards is especially challenging in mountain landscapes and requires an understanding of catchment‐scale sediment dynamics and internal system functioning. While sediment budgeting is a valuable framework, challenges remain including partitioning sediment yield by source and grain size and addressing scale issues. This study advances our understanding of bed material dynamics in glacierized mountain catchments by applying a range of complementary techniques to measure sediment transfers in the Fitzsimmons Creek watershed. First, we measured the historical bed material yield using field surveys and historical air photo analysis, revealing an average specific sediment yield of 210 Mg km−2 yr−1, that varied by a factor of 17 over the 76‐year record. Hydro‐meteorological and historical analyses suggest that gravel extraction had the largest impact over the past three decades, while an extreme landslide and flood event produced the highest recorded sediment yield. Second, we constructed a detailed sediment budget along the river system using high‐resolution, multi‐temporal lidar and geomorphic mapping data. Sediment source partitioning indicates that landslide, active channel, and floodplain sources each contributed about one‐third of the total sediment supply. Net degradation occurred along the valley bottom upstream of the fan‐delta, resulting in steadily increasing downstream sediment yield. This trend is punctuated by chronic landsliding near the outlet, driven by postglacial incision through glaciogenic sediments at a hanging valley step. Contemporary glacial and proglacial sources were not measured directly but surprisingly contributed minimally. These findings provide insight into the sediment dynamics of glacierized mountain catchments and their potential controls.

Complexes of cultivated microfungi from peatlands in the mountain landscapes of the Sub-Polar Urals

The study concerned the abundance and species composition of cultivated microfungi from peat soils and hollows of flat-palsa bogs in the mountain landscapes of the sub-Polar Urals (the northern part of National Park Yugyd Va). The number of fungi in the studied peat soils varied from 0.4 to 242 thousand CFUs/g a.d.s. with maximum values in the upper layer of live mosses of Bog I – 242±66.2 thousand CFUs/g a.d.s.. In the bog hollows, the abundance of micromycetes had relatively low values, in hollow of Bog I – 28.6±7.1 thousand CFUs/g a.d.s., in hollow of Bog II – 32.9±25.5 thousand CFUs/g a.d.s. The taxonomic list of cultivated micromycetes included 61 species of fungi from 15 genera, two divisions and Mycelia sterilia. The Mucoromycota division was represented by 17 species from the genera Absidia, Actinomucor, Mucor, Mortierella, and Umbelopsis. The majority if cultivated fungi belonged to the division Ascomycota (43 species from 10 genera). The genus Penicillium dominates by species number (21 species). Reasoning from the frequency of occurrence, the structure of the complex of microfungi included rare and random species by 53%. The share of frequent and dominant fungi accounted for 34 and 13%, respectively. The dominating group consisted of Pseudogymnoascus pannorum and sterile mycelium. Frequent species were Mortierella alpina, Mucor hiemalis, Umbelopsis ramanniana, U. vinacea, Penicillium canescens, P. granulatum, P. lividum, P. simplicissimum, P. spinulosum, P. thomii, P. verrucosum, Talaromyces funiculosus. Most abundant in the layer of live mosses were Penicillium spinulosum (17%), P. thomii (18%), Talaromyces funiculosus (19%). In the seasonally thawed peat layers, the following species were highly abundant as Pseudogymnoascus pannorum (11%), Talaromyces funiculosus (14%), and sterile mycelium (16%). In the gley soil horizons, Pseudogymnoascus pannorum (78%) dominated by abundance. Only single colonies of sterile mycelium were found in frozen peat layers.

ВНУТРИПОПУЛЯЦИОННАЯ ИЗМЕНЧИВОСТЬ ЭКСТЕРЬЕРНЫХ И КРАНИАЛЬНЫХ ПАРАМЕТРОВ СОНИ ЛЕСНОЙ DRYOMYS NITEDULA PALLAS, 1778 (GLIRIDAE, RODENTIA) В УСЛОВИЯХ СЕВЕРНОГО МАКРОСКЛОНА ЦЕНТРАЛЬНОГО КАВКАЗА

Based on the cariologically dated serial material on forest dormouse from the Central North Caucasian population population, we first conducted a comprehensive analysis of 45 animals (23 male and 22 females). The contrariety of the opinions in the issues of systematics (the number of intraspecific forms) and the lack of sufficient material in the scientific literature on Dryomys Nitedula Pallas, 1778, taking into account the high-profile structure of the mountain landscapes, led to this study. The intrapopulation variability of the Kariotip, 28 morphometric parameters of the body and skull, as well as 5 indices (the ratio of the tail length to the length of the body, the ratio of the zuloma width to the condilobasal skull length, the ratio of the lower jaw to the condylobasal skull length, the ratio of the width of the skull in the area of the auditory drums to the condylobasal were studied. The length of the skull, the ratio of the height of the skull in the area of the auditory drums to the width of the skull in the area of the auditory drums) taking into account the floor. In addition an attempt was made to conduct a comparative analysis of the most resistant to transformation of the skull (only 9 measures) between the West North Caucasian and Central North Caucasian populations due to the fact that animals from the the West North Caucasian population turned out to be a new subspecies (D.N. Heptneri Subsp. NOV.) Based on the analysis of mitochondrial (according to the Cytb) DNA. It should be noted that for all the body and skull seals we have studied, as well as indexes, there is no sexual dimorphism (t <3). In the conditions of the Elbrus version of the belt the Cariotic Sonya Lesnoy was studied for the first time (2n = 48, NF = 96). Allosome: X-chromosome is represented by an average submetententric, Y chromosome-the smallest element of the set. The karyotype turned out to be a persistent sign, is not subject to individual variability, respectively, has a high taxonomic weight.

Rockfall mapping and susceptibility evaluation based on UAV high-resolution imagery and support vector machine method

Abstract This study aims to develop a comprehensive method for automated rockfall mapping and susceptibility assessment using unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) tilt photography and the support vector machine (SVM) algorithm. By employing Jinzhong Town in the mountainous forest landscapes of Southwest China as a case study, we leverage photogrammetry principles and computer vision algorithms to generate high-precision, high-resolution digital surface models (DSMs), and digital orthophoto maps through a UAV remote sensing system. The rockfall inventory is accurately and automatically mapped using the object-based classification method and SVM algorithm. The automated rockfall identification method achieves a 93% accuracy with a Kappa coefficient of 0.7967. Statistical analyses of spatial distribution characteristics reveal a significant correlation between rockfall volume and area with a correlation coefficient (R²) of 0.92316 under logarithmic coordinates. In addition, a power function relationship describes the link between rockfall volume and slope height (R² = 0.87), while the relationship with sliding distance is characterized by a weaker linear correlation (R² = 0.65). Rockfall runout distance also shows a significant linear correlation with slope height (R² = 0.79) but exhibits a less-pronounced association with rockfall volume (R² = 0.58). The SVM model employed to assess rockfall susceptibility indicates high accuracy (area under the curve = 0.896), affirming its efficacy in rockfall susceptibility assessment. Our findings underscore the utility of UAV remote sensing for rockfall information extraction and susceptibility evaluation, particularly in challenging mountainous forest environments characterized by intricate topography and geological complexities.

Exploring plant diversity and aesthetic service of mountain and plain landscapes in semiarid ecosystems

Aesthetic services convey express people’s opinion about natural word and are crucial to the planning of biodiversity-related environmental protection. This study presents a comprehensive approach for quantifying the aesthetic services provided by landscapes using integrated plant traits in Iran’s semiarid Iranian ecosystems. Using the opinion of expert, the significance of each plant trait for aesthetic services was examined. According to the structure equation model, the most important traits for a species’ ability to provide aesthetic services were flower, leaf, fruit, crown, and stem respectively (p < 0.01). The weighted traits and the frequency of observed species in field data were integrated to quantify aesthetic services provided by plant communities A strong synergy relationship existed between aesthetic services and forbs diversity in semiarid ecosystems (p < 0.001). The findings showed that the plain had less potential to supply aesthetic services than the mountain landscape which is a hotspot plant diversity with twice as much potential (p < 0.05). The approach described in this study, which is based on the quantification of aesthetic services and combined with biodiversity, helps to alter the way that nature is used and to advance conservation efforts, taking into account the crucial requirement for human participation in conservation plans.

Quantifying urban climate response to large-scale forcing modified by local boundary layer effects

Over the past two decades, the joint manifestation of global warming and rapid urbanization has significantly increased the occurrence of heatwaves and the formation of urban heat islands in temperate cities. Consequently, this synergy has amplified the frequency and duration of periods with tropical nights (TNs) in these urban areas. While the occurrences of such extreme events demonstrate irregular and nonlinear annual patterns, they consistently manifest a discernible rising decadal trend in local or regional climatic data. In urban regions situated amidst hilly or mountainous landscapes, changing wind directions—often associated with uphill or downhill thermal flows—profoundly impact the spread and dispersion of heat-related pollution, creating unique natural ventilation patterns. Using the Lausanne/Pully urban area in Switzerland as examples of hilly and lakeshore temperate cities, this study explores the influence of wind patterns and natural urban ventilation on the nonlinearity of recorded climatic data within an urban environment. This study integrates a mesoscale numerical weather prediction model (COSMO-1), a microscale Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model, field observations, variational mode decomposition technique, and statistical analysis to investigate how wind speed and direction critically influence the nonlinearity of recorded long-term trends of extreme events, specifically focusing on the frequency and duration of TNs in lakeshore and hilly cities. The results strongly indicate a direct correlation between the frequency of TNs and the occurrence of specific moderate wind patterns. These wind patterns are exclusively captured by the microscale CFD model, unlike the mesoscale model, which neglects both urban morphology and complex hilly terrains. The impact of temporal and spatial variability of the wind field on long-term observations at fixed measurement stations suggests that caution should be exercised when relying on limited spatial measurement points to monitor and quantify long-term urban climate trends, particularly in cities located in complex terrains.

Does the diversity of vegetation and diatoms correlate with soil and water factors in a tropical cloud forest's complex land use/land cover scenario?

Soil and water characteristics in micro basins with different land uses/land cover (LULC) can influence riparian vegetation diversity, stream water quality, and benthic diatom diversity. We analyzed 18 streams in the upper part of the La Antigua River basin, México, surrounded by cloud forests, livestock pastures, and coffee plantations. Concentrations of P, C, and N were elevated in the humus of forested streams compared to other land uses. In contrast, cations, ammonium, and total suspended solids (TSS) of water streams were higher in pastures and coffee plantations. These results indicate that LULC affects stream chemistry differently across land uses. Vegetation richness was highest (86-133 spp.) in forest streams and lowest in pastures (46-102), whereas pasture streams had the greatest richness of diatoms (9-24), likely due to higher light and temperatures. Some soil and water characteristics correlated with both true diversity and taxonomic diversity; soil carbon exchange capacity (CEC) correlated with vegetation diversity (r = 0.60), while water temperature correlated negatively (r = - 0.68). Diatom diversity was related to soil aluminum (r = - 0.59), magnesium (r = 0.57), water phosphorus (r = 0.88), and chlorophyll (r = 0.75). These findings suggest that land use affects riparian vegetation, while physical and chemical changes influence diatom diversity in stream water and soil. The lack of correlation between vegetation and diatom diversity indicates that one cannot predict the other. This research is an essential first step in understanding how land use changes impact vegetation and diatom diversity in mountain landscapes, providing valuable insights for environmental monitoring and conservation efforts in tropical cloud forests.

Remote sensing analysis of spatiotemporal impacts of anthropogenic influence on mountain landscape ecology in Pir Chinasi national park

Mountain landscapes can be fragmented due to various human activities such as tourism, road construction, urbanization, and agriculture. It can also be due to natural factors such as flash floods, glacial lake outbursts, land sliding, and climate change such as rising temperatures, heavy rains, or drought.The study’s objective was to analyze the mountain landscape ecology of Pir Chinasi National Park under anthropogenic influence and investigate the impact of anthropogenic activities on the vegetation. This study observed spatiotemporal changes in vegetation due to human activities and associated climate change for the past 25 years (1995–2020) around Pir Chinasi National Park, Muzaffrabad, Pakistan. A structured questionnaire was distributed to 200 residents to evaluate their perceptions of land use and its effects on local vegetation. The findings reveal that 60% of respondents perceived spatiotemporal pressure on the park. On the other hand, the Landsat-oriented Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) was utilized for the less than 10% cloud-covered images of Landsat 5, 7, and 8 to investigate the vegetation degradation trends of the study area. During the entire study period, the mean maximum NDVI was approximately 0.28 in 1995, whereas the mean minimum NDVI was − 2.8 in 2010. QGIS 3.8.2 was used for the data presentation. The impact of temperature on vegetation was also investigated for the study period and increasing temperature trends were observed. The study found that 10.81% (1469.08 km2) of the area experienced substantial deterioration, while 23.57% (3202.39 km2) experienced minor degradation. The total area of degraded lands was 34.38% (or 4671.47 km2). A marginal improvement in plant cover was observed in 24.88% of the regions, while 9.69% of the regions experienced a major improvement. According to the NDVI-Rainfall relationships, the area was found to be significantly impacted by human pressures and activities (r ≤ 0.50) driving vegetation changes covering 24.67% of the total area (3352.03 km2). The area under the influence of climatic variability and change (r ≥ 0.50 ≥ 0.90) accounted for 55.84% (7587.26 km2), and the area under both climatic and human stressors (r ≥ 0.50 < 0.70) was 64%. Sustainable land management practices of conservation tillage, integrated pest management, and agroforestry help preserve soil health, water quality, and biodiversity while reducing erosion, pollution, and the degradation of natural resources. landscape restoration projects of reforestation, wetland restoration, soil erosion control, and the removal of invasive species are essential to achieve land degradation neutrality at the watershed scale.

Colonies under dysbiosis benefit from oxalic acid application: the role of landscape and beekeeping practices in microbiota response to treatment

AbstractThe Varroa destructor mite causes severe losses of Apis mellifera colonies, requiring recurring treatments. One such treatment is oxalic acid (OA), considered ecological. However, it is unclear whether OA affects the honey bee gut microbiota or other hive-associated microbiotas. Herein, we studied the effect of three OA treatments (trickling at 2.1% or 4.2%, and sublimation through Varrox®) upon microbial communities associated with workers’ gut, hive bee bread and pupae, sampled from conventionally or ecologically managed colonies under different anthropization levels (located in urban, rural or mountainous landscapes). We hypothesized that treatment with OA would impact the diversity and composition of bacteria and/or eukaryotic communities, and that the effect would be dose-dependent and specific to the beehive niche. Results showed that the microbiomes of apiaries under different anthropization levels and management strategies differed prior to OA application. Neither the bacterial nor the fungal communities of bee bread and pupae shifted due to OA treatment. Independent of the dosage and the application method (trickling or sublimation), OA induced slight compositional changes in the bacterial profiles of honeybee guts. Those changes were stronger the higher the anthropization (in colonies from urban areas under conventional management). OA treatment reduced the relative abundance of several pathogens, such as Nosema ceranae, and decreased the overall bacterial diversity down to values found in less anthropized colonies. Thus, our results suggest that, aside from managing Varroa infestations, OA could have beneficial effects for stressed colonies while not impairing honey bee resilience from a microbial point of view.

Identifying long-term burned forests in the rugged terrain of Southwest China:A novel method based on remote sensing and ecological mechanisms

Burned forests were detected using remote sensing techniques. Yet, identifying long-term burned forests in the mountains, especially at a large spatial extent, remains a great challenge due to a lack of long-term high-resolution remote sensing data or the unsatisfactory performance of the moderate-resolution remotely sensed data in complex mountain landscapes. Efficient, robust, and cost-effective methods are urgently called for. In this study, we developed a novel method combining remote sensing and ecological mechanisms (short for RSEM-M) with a paired-pixel approach to identify the long-term burned forests in Southwest China, where the terrain is rugged. In mapping burned forests in 2010, the overall accuracy, producer accuracy, user accuracy, Kappa coefficient, and field validation accuracy were 92.27 %, 95.86 %, 88.36 %, 0.85, and 81.16 %, respectively. Compared to the standard procedure and FireCCI51 and MCD64A1 fire products, the RSEM-M shows higher accuracy and consistency in identifying burned forests of different sizes, with fewer invalid pixels, better spatial continuity, and more accurate boundary delineation. Then, using the RSEM-M, we mapped burned forests in Southwest China from 2002 to 2017. The cumulative areas were 37.69 × 104 ha. The RSEM-M improved the efficiency and accuracy of long-term burned forest identifications in mountainous landscapes at a large spatial extent.

Advancing Sustainable Tourism: A Study on Eco-Tourism Policies in Indonesia and Brunei Darussalam

The global tourism industry has suffered significant losses due to the impact of global pandemic Covid-19. This paper examines the policies and efforts adopted by the local authorities of Indonesia and Brunei Darussalam to support their sustainable tourism industries and it seeks to draw lessons from both countries. The research will primarily focus on ecotourism issues and challenges in specific areas such as national parks, natural landscapes, and historical sites in both countries. Specific destinations within these eco-tourism categories for Indonesia’s; Bogor Botanical Garden, Onrust Archeological Park in Thousand Island Jakarta, and North Sulawesi Mountain Landscape. For Brunei Darussalam’s; Kampong Ayer, Sumbiling Eco-Village, and Ulu Temburong National Park. This study reveals challenges in tourism industry stakeholders’ participation level, inadequate and improper tourism infrastructure, a lack of skilled workforce employment. and insufficient public education on eco-tourism in both nations. Recommendations emphasize the importance of capacity building for stakeholder collaboration, infrastructure acquisition, and technology-driven knowledge transfer. The limitations of this study lie in the scarcity of research on empirical study and the unavailability of high-level official interviews. Therefore, for future research, it is important to assess the effectiveness of Indonesia and Brunei Darussalam government’s direct response such as funding mechanism policy, infrastructures development policy, and the utilization of digital platform policy. Besides, it is also important to assess the Indonesia and Brunei Darussalam government’s response to and anticipation of ecotourism issues for both countries.

Assessment of Machine Learning Algorithms for Land Cover Classification in a Complex Mountainous Landscape

Mapping land cover (LC) in mountainous regions, such as the Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) area of Pakistan, presents significant challenges due to complex terrain, limited data availability, and accessibility constraints. This study addresses these challenges by developing a robust, data-driven approach to classify LC using high-resolution Sentinel-2 (S-2) satellite imagery from 2019 within Google Earth Engine (GEE). The research evaluated the performance of various machine learning (ML) algorithms, including classification and regression tree (CART), maximum entropy (gmoMaxEnt), minimum distance (minDistance), support vector machine (SVM), and random forest (RF), without extensive hyperparameter tuning. Additionally, ten different scenarios based on various band combinations of S-2 data were used as input for running the ML models. The LC classification was performed using 2759 sample points, with 70% for training and 30% for validation. The results indicate that the RF algorithm outperformed all other classifiers under scenario S1 (using 10 bands), achieving an overall accuracy (OA) of 0.79 and a kappa coefficient of 0.76. The final RF-based LC mapping shows the following percentage distribution: barren land (46.7%), snow cover (22.9%), glacier (7.9%), grasses (7.2%), water (4.7%), wetland (2.9%), built-up (2.7%), agriculture (1.9%), and forest (1.2%). It is suggested that the best identified RF classifier within the GEE environment should be used for advanced multi-source data image classification with hyperparameter tuning to increase OA. Additionally, it is suggested to build the capacity of various stakeholders in GB for better monitoring of LC changes and resource management using geospatial big data.

Late-glacial and Holocene shifts in the mountain landscapes of the Cantabrian range (northern Spain) in response to changing climate, fire occurrence and land use

A new well-dated (18 14C dates on short-lived terrestrial plant macrofossils, 210Pb and 137Cs dating) fine-resolution palaeoecological sequence (pollen, coprophilous fungi, conifer stomata, macrofossils, charcoal) from Lago de Isoba (1400 m a.s.l.) spanning the past c. 17,000 years provides novel insights into the long-term dynamics of the high-elevation Cantabrian landscape in response to climate variability and human activities. Vegetation changes were mainly climate-driven during the Late-glacial and the Early Holocene. Thus, steppe-like environments prevailed during the Greenland Stadial 2.1a (GS-2.1a ≈ ‘Oldest Dryas’). Warmer and moister conditions during the Greenland Interstadial 1 (GI-1 ≈ ’Bølling-Allerød’) enabled successive expansions of Juniperus, Betula and Pinus. Steppe-like vegetation re-expanded during the cooler and drier Greenland Stadial 1 (GS-1 ≈ ‘Younger Dryas’). Afterwards, the Early Holocene warming triggered the rapid spread of mixed pine-broad-leaved deciduous mountain forests. Pollen, stomata and macrofossils indicate continuous, long-lasting (c. 10,850–1250 cal yr BP) local occurrence of Pinus sylvestris stands. The records of Cerealia and Plantago lanceolata pollen types (first Holocene occurrences dated at c. 5100 cal yr BP) evidence increased land use during the Late Holocene, which triggered substantial changes in forest ecosystems. Following a phase of intensified arable and pastoral farming, which involved the use of fire to create and maintain forest clearings, pinewoods expanded and reached their maximum development between c. 3600 and 3300 cal yr BP. Pinus probably outcompeted temporarily other woody taxa thanks to its resilience to low-intensity disturbances. Later, pinewoods underwent a stepwise, human-induced decline ending in their final massive collapse after c. 1150 cal yr BP. The highest intensity of agricultural and pastoral farming took place during the Middle Ages, following maximum fire occurrence. We conclude that the present-day open landscape has been shaped by millennia of land use that partly blurred the impact of climate variability.