Mountain Populations Research Articles

Effect of geographic isolation on genetic variation and population structure of Euphrasia nankotaizanensis, a threatened endemic alpine herb in Taiwan

Euphrasia nankotaizanensis (Orobanchaceae) is a rare alpine herb that is endemic to Taiwan. Only four small populations remain in Xue, Nanhu, and Cilai Mountains of Taiwan. The distribution of alpine herbs is severely threatened by climate change, which influences genetic variation and population structure. In this study, we investigated the effects of the natural isolation of alpine habitats on the genetic diversity and geographic structure of populations of E. nankotaizanensis using chloroplast (cp) and nuclear DNA (nrDNA) markers. We found lower levels of genetic diversity in E. nankotaizanensis than in other alpine plants and little to no genetic variation within populations, which could be mainly attributed to the small population size and genetic drift. Only one nrDNA haplotype was present in each population. The lack of monophyly of the four populations in cpDNA probably resulted from lineage sorting or occasional long-distance seed dispersal. Phylogeographic analysis suggested that Nanhu Mountain was probably a refugium over the glacial maxima, agreeing with the potential refugia in central Taiwan. The STRUCTURE and AMOVA analyses revealed significant genetic differentiation in nrDNA among the mountains, which resulted from geographical isolation among these mountains. Estimates of the effective population size (Ne) and demography reflected lower Ne values and a recent population decline, probably implying a greater extinction risk for E. nankotaizanensis. We observed genetic depletion and considerable genetic differentiation among mountain populations, which should be considered in future conservation efforts for this species. In addition, this study provides important insights into the long-term potential of alpine herbs in Taiwan, which are useful for a better prediction of their responses to future climate change.

Phenotypic Variation in Leaf, Fruit and Seed Traits in Natural Populations of Eucommia ulmoides, a Relict Chinese Endemic Tree

Eucommia ulmoides Oliver is a dioecious, pharmaceutically and economically important, and precious relict tree species endemic to China, and has been listed as a key protected tree species of national level II. Phenotypic variation in ten natural populations in some key traits is still obscure. In order to study the relationship between population variation in phenotypic traits and geoclimatic factors, 15 traits were analyzed in 117 female sampled tree from ten natural populations. The results showed that the coefficients of variation for all of the 15 traits widely ranged from 9.7% (fruit vertical diameter) to 49.0% (leaf thickness), with an average of 19.7%. The nested ANOVA revealed plentiful phenotypic variations within and among populations. The variation within population was the main source, with an average proportion of 42.8%, greater than that among the population (16.6%). The 15 traits were reduced to four principal components, which collectively accounted for 70.1% of phenotypic variation among trees. The ten populations were mainly divided into two groups: Group A included eight populations throughout the Wuling Mountains occurring in relatively close proximity to each other, and Group B which comprises two geographically distant populations in mountains further northern. There were significant level correlations between phenotypic differentiation among population of E. ulmoides and both geographic (r = 0.65, p < 0.05) and climatic (r = 0.73, p < 0.01) distance. Step-wise regression indicates average annual temperature and rainfall accounted for most of the phenotypic variation among populations, and mainly associated with differences in leaf, fruit and seed size. These results can have an important implication for genetic improvement, diversity conservation and resource management of the species in the future.

Water supply to a mountain village (Drave, North Portugal): historical overview, current scenario, and future perspectives

Throughout the world, mountain populations have developed specific agroecosystems, with different types of water supply for irrigation and domestic use. The Drave mountain village (North Portugal) has, for centuries, faced harsh hydrological, hydrogeological, and hydropedological conditions. Since the second half of the twentieth century, the nature of water demand in Drave has drastically changed. The research objective is to understand the evolution of water demand and supply in the village of Drave, from the sixteenth century to the present day, and to present a possible solution to meet future water needs. A sampling network, comprising surface water and groundwater points, was established. Then, a sampling campaign took place in the dry season, and another one in the wet season. Laboratory analysis encompassed major inorganic ions, Potentially Toxic Elements, and microbiological parameters. Groundwater vulnerability to pollution was assessed through the DRASTIC index and GVTool, a Geographic Information System open-source application. Two historical periods were identified concerning the Drave water demand and supply: (i) from the foundation of the village until the second half of the twentieth century; (ii) from the mid-twentieth century on. The current scenario consists of using water resources with chemical and microbiological contamination to supply the needs of temporary inhabitants. Groundwater vulnerability to pollution ranges from extremely low to moderately low, with the most vulnerable areas corresponding to valley bottoms. A possible solution to meet the future water demand consists of abstracting and treating only surface water during the wet season and taking advantage of the hydrological regime of stream alluvial deposits during the dry season.

Assessment of habitat suitability and connectivity across the potential distribution landscape of the sambar (Rusa unicolor) in Southwest China

Habitat suitability assessment is the basis for wildlife conservation management and habitat restoration. It is a useful tool to understand the quality of wildlife habitat and its potential spatial distribution. In order to reveal the habitat suitability and connectivity of sambar (Rusa unicolor) to promote species and biodiversity conservation, this study collected records of sambar (Rusa unicolor) from over 2,000 camera traps in the forests of Southwest China in the past 5 years to assess the overall situation of their habitat. The results of the species distribution model revealed that the suitable habitat area for sambar in the five major mountain ranges (Minshan, Qionglai, Daxiangling, Xiaoxiangling, and Liangshan) in Southwest China is 18,231 km2, accounting for 17.02% of the total area. The most suitable habitat of sambar is primarily distributed in Qionglai, as well as the intersection areas of Daxiangling, Xiaoxiangling, and Minshan. The temperature annual range, temperature seasonality, elevation, and distance to road were important factors affecting the distribution of suitable habitat for sambar. Analysis of landscape pattern shows that there were 273 habitat patches, with a maximum patch area of 9,983 km2, accounting for 54.8% of the total suitable habitat area. However, the segmentation index and separation index of each habitat patch were 0.99 and 106.58, respectively, indicating a relatively high habitat fragmentation in the study area. The results of habitat connectivity analysis showed that the Qionglai mountains have the largest suitable habitat area and the highest connectivity among habitat patches. However, habitat connectivity between the five mountains is very low, suggesting that gene flow among these mountain ranges is probably limited. We therefore recommend strengthening protection of sambar and their habitat, with special attention to the establishment of corridors between the different mountain populations.

Socioeconomic Evaluation of Common Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) Cultivation in Providing Sustainable Livelihood to the Mountain Populations of Kashmir Himalayas.

Phaseolus vulgaris L. is the major pulse cultivated and culturally inculcated in the food habits of the locals in the Himalayan mountainous region of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), Pakistan. The current study was designed to investigate the role of P. vulgaris cultivation in providing livelihood support and to evaluate its production and consumption patterns correlated with the household variables in the state of AJK. The socio-economic data was collected from nine bean cultivated areas in six districts of AJK. The data was acquired by administrating a total of 522 detailed semi structured questionnaires from a diverse array of the respondents following the snowball technique focusing on yield, consumption, revenue generation and livelihood support provided by bean cultivation. The results revealed that common bean cultivation provided significant livelihood support to the local mountainous populations with an average annual income of 50.80 $/family. Subsequently, bean production contributed an average annual per capita income of 6.81 $ in the area, which was attributed to the large family size. Local populations showed an average bean production of 33.93 kg/family, whereas the average annual bean consumption was recorded as 31.99 kg/family in the region. Bean crops were recorded to have an average price of $1.49/kg, with significant variations in the study area correlated with local yield. A data analysis indicated a strong correlation in bean production and consumption patterns. Common bean farmers had a very small farm size, averaging 0.24 ha, where 100% of farmers cultivated common beans as an intercrop with Maize as the primary crop. A Pearson’s test (p value < 0.05) revealed significant correlations between land holding and bean production as well as consumption, and bean production with annual per capita income. Small farm size, declining soil fertility, low bean pricing and the unavailability of market mechanisms were identified as the major challenges faced by the common bean farmers. It is recommended to employ an integrated bean farming approach to enhance the economic impact of common bean cultivation in the socioeconomic appraisal of the local populations.

Правовой статус судебных учреждений в Кубанской области в пореформенный период (1869–1920 гг.): по материалам правоприменительной практики

On the basis of normative legal acts and archival materials, the features of the genesis of the judicial system in the Kuban region in the post-reform period are investigated. The socio-economic reasons explaining why the Judicial Statutes of 1864 were introduced in the region under consideration somewhat later than in the central provinces of the Russian Empire are revealed. With the help of historical-legal, comparative-legal, historical-archival and statistical methods of scientific cognition, the distinctive features of the formation of the post-reform judicial system in the Kuban region are identified. In particular, it is shown that, despite the all-religious principle of the work of judicial institutions, originally provided for in the relevant legislation of 1864, the features of class justice still continued to be preserved in the Kuban. The materials of judicial practice demonstrating the real specifics of criminal and civil proceedings in the Kuban region in the second half of the 19th century are analyzed. It is concluded that the current system of judicial system and judicial proceedings in the Kuban was a compilation of state and customary legal regulation. Along with the All-Russian legislation, it was based both on the religious norms of the mountain population and on Cossack customs, which were used in resolving civil disputes in the village courts.

The Use of RAPD Markers in the Study of Polymorphism of Mountain Populations of Dandelion Officinalis

The Use of RAPD Markers in the Study of Polymorphism of Mountain Populations of Dandelion Officinalis

A re-survey in 2019-2021 of winter bird communities in the Oregon Coast Range, USA, initially surveyed in 1968-1970.

Long-term changes in bird populations during winter are poorly evaluated in many parts of the world. We re-surveyed forest bird communities during winter, 2019-2021, in seven large plots originally surveyed from 1968 through to 1970, near Corvallis, Oregon, USA by Stanley Anderson, a graduate student at Oregon State University in the 1960s. Anderson counted birds and measured forest plant communities within the forests dominated by Douglas-fir (Pseudotsugamenziesii) in the Coast Range Mountain foothills. His thesis included plot locations, summaries of vegetation characteristics and point estimates of bird densities for each plot. To our knowledge, the Anderson data represent the oldest structured survey of Pacific Northwest winter forest bird communities with density estimates. Given the paucity of similar data, we re-surveyed his plots after aligning methods with his and adding modern components (distance and time interval sampling) to facilitate comparisons of changes in abundances. We preserved more extensive metadata than were preserved from Anderson's surveys, including georeferenced point count survey locations to facilitate more precisely repeatable future re-surveys. Original surveys of winter bird populations in the Pacific Northwest, USA, based on georeferenced locations within seven large plots originally surveyed, 1968-1970. In addition to raw count data of all bird species detected, we include information from distance sampling and time-interval sampling methods. To our knowledge, this is one of the only structured surveys of winter forest bird populations in the Coast Range Mountains, USA.

New insights on patterns of genetic admixture and phylogeographic history in Iberian high mountain populations of midwife toads.

Multiple Quaternary glacial refugia in the Iberian Peninsula, commonly known as "refugia within refugia", allowed diverging populations to come into contact and admix, potentially boosting substantial mito-nuclear discordances. In this study, we employ a comprehensive set of mitochondrial and nuclear markers to shed light onto the drivers of geographical differentiation in Iberian high mountain populations of the midwife toads Alytes obstetricans and A. almogavarii from the Pyrenees, Picos de Europa and Guadarrama Mountains. In the three analysed mountain regions, we detected evidence of extensive mito-nuclear discordances and/or admixture between taxa. Clustering analyses identified three major divergent lineages in the Pyrenees (corresponding to the eastern, central and central-western Pyrenees), which possibly recurrently expanded and admixed during the succession of glacial-interglacial periods that characterised the Late Pleistocene, and that currently follow a ring-shaped diversification pattern. On the other hand, populations from the Picos de Europa mountains (NW Iberian Peninsula) showed a mitochondrial affinity to central-western Pyrenean populations and a nuclear affinity to populations from the central Iberian Peninsula, suggesting a likely admixed origin for Picos de Europa populations. Finally, populations from the Guadarrama Mountain Range (central Iberian Peninsula) were depleted of genetic diversity, possibly as a consequence of a recent epidemic of chytridiomycosis. This work highlights the complex evolutionary history that shaped the current genetic composition of high mountain populations, and underscores the importance of using a multilocus approach to better infer the dynamics of population divergence.

Spatial Patterns of Natural Protected Areas and Construction of Protected Area Groups in Guangdong Province.

The fragmentation of protected areas is a common issue in global conservation, which means a new approach to planning and management needs to be explored. In this paper, we proposed the concept of a group of natural protected areas (GNPA) and studied the construction of GNPAs. Firstly, the spatial distribution characteristics of 1363 natural protected areas (NPAs) in Guangdong Province were qualitatively studied. The overall spatial pattern among NPAs and the spatial distribution characteristics of mountain ranges, river basins, urbanization level and economic density were analyzed, and the relationship between the distribution of NPAs and physical geography and social development was clarified. Then, the geographical concentration index, nearest index and Gini coefficient were used for quantitative analysis. The geographical concentration index was 24.6, and the nearest neighbor index was 0.8. The Gini coefficients of the spatial distribution of NPAs in Guangdong Province were Gini = 0.956 and C = 0.044. These indices proved that the overall spatial patterns of NPAs in Guangdong Province had the tendency and characteristics of agglomeration. On this basis, 29 agglomeration areas were constructed using kernel density analysis and the natural break point classification method. According to the requirements of spatial connectivity and management feasibility, combined with the characteristics of physical geography, ecosystems and biodiversity, 32 GNPAs were constructed based on the reasonable adjustment of 29 agglomeration areas. Using Geodetector statistics to analyze the spatial stratified heterogeneity of the GNPAs, the results showed that mountain range, water system, population density, economic density and urbanization level were all factors that could explain the clustering distribution of the natural protected areas. The most important factor was mountain range (p = 0.190), followed by population density (p = 0.162). The 32 GNPAs covered the most representative natural ecosystems in the province and had compact spatial organization, a close ecological relationship and feasible unified management, which means they could aid in resolving the fragmentation of protected areas and improving management efficiency.

New insights on patterns of genetic admixture and phylogeographic history in Iberian high mountain populations of midwife toads

New insights on patterns of genetic admixture and phylogeographic history in Iberian high mountain populations of midwife toads

Mountain population and human values: does the mountain still represent the expression of freedom?

Mountain population and human values: does the mountain still represent the expression of freedom?

Mountain population and human values: does the mountain still represent the expression of freedom?

Mountain population and human values: does the mountain still represent the expression of freedom?

Studying the seasonality of conceptions among five distinct population subgroups in mainland Greece: a story of similarities and variability.

The paper studies seasonality of conceptions among five distinct population subgroups of mainland Greece for the period 1951-2002. The populations explored include those residing in Metsovo, Dion, Organi, Kehros, as well as a "General" Sample consisting of persons located in various areas of continental Greece. The populations under investigation present diverse characteristics regarding religion, cultural background, socio-economic status etc. Records of births were derived from the Vital Registration System of the respective municipalities and communities of the populations under research were constructed. The date of child conception was estimated as the recorded date of birth minus 260 days.The analysis focuses, among others, on the construction of seasonal indices, applying a variant ratio to moving averages method which reveal, in relative terms, the seasonality of the phenomenon. Subsequently, these ratios are considered as the dependent variable in regression models while months, expressed in terms of dummy variables, are introduced as predictors. Four main sub-periods are considered; 1951-64, 1965-80, 1981-92 and 1992-2002. The findings show that the extent of seasonality differs between periods as well as between the five population subgroups though the phenomenon becomes less prominent over time in all cases. There is a tendency of an increased number of conceptions among mountainous populations during summer, irrespective of religion or socio-economic status, possibly partly due to environmental factors (i.e. seasonal workload, domestic organisation of extended families, etc). Nevertheless, the mountainous populations differ regarding the intensity and duration of this phenomenon. By contrast, in Dion, a lowland Christian Orthodox population, conceptions increase after Easter and remain elevated until June.

Sparky and Rhonda Rucker at Govans Music Mondays

Sparky and Rhonda Rucker at Govans Music Mondays

DNA ANALYSIS OF MIGRATED AND NON-MIGRANT BEE IN LOCAL POPULATION IN UZBEKISTAN

The article presents information about the genetic potential of bees in the local mountain and desert ecotypes of Uzbekistan, their external indicators, and the characteristics of the variability of the number of paired nucleotides that are genetic markers of bees in the local mountain population.

Phenology and plasticity can prevent adaptive clines in thermal tolerance across temperate mountains: The importance of the elevation-time axis.

Critical thermal limits (CTmax and CTmin) decrease with elevation, with greater change in CTmin, and the risk to suffer heat and cold stress increasing at the gradient ends. A central prediction is that populations will adapt to the prevailing climatic conditions. Yet, reliable support for such expectation is scant because of the complexity of integrating phenotypic, molecular divergence and organism exposure. We examined intraspecific variation of CTmax and CTmin, neutral variation for 11 microsatellite loci, and micro‐ and macro‐temperatures in larvae from 11 populations of the Galician common frog (Rana parvipalmata) across an elevational gradient, to assess (1) the existence of local adaptation through a PST‐FST comparison, (2) the acclimation scope in both thermal limits, and (3) the vulnerability to suffer acute heat and cold thermal stress, measured at both macro‐ and microclimatic scales. Our study revealed significant microgeographic variation in CTmax and CTmin, and unexpected elevation gradients in pond temperatures. However, variation in CTmax and CTmin could not be attributed to selection because critical thermal limits were not correlated to elevation or temperatures. Differences in breeding phenology among populations resulted in exposure to higher and more variable temperatures at mid and high elevations. Accordingly, mid‐ and high‐elevation populations had higher CTmax and CTmin plasticities than lowland populations, but not more extreme CTmax and CTmin. Thus, our results support the prediction that plasticity and phenological shifts may hinder local adaptation, promoting thermal niche conservatism. This may simply be a consequence of a coupled variation of reproductive timing with elevation (the “elevation‐time axis” for temperature variation). Mid and high mountain populations of R. parvipalmata are more vulnerable to heat and cool impacts than lowland populations during the aquatic phase. All of this contradicts some of the existing predictions on adaptive thermal clines and vulnerability to climate change in elevational gradients.

Опыт национально-государственного строительства народов Кавказа в период российских революций 1917 года

The article analyzes the features of the state building of Caucasian people in the crucial period of Russian statehood, marked by acute dramatic events—the revolutions of 1917. The specifics of the subject of the study are closely related to the All-Russian political process, the fall of the au-tocracy in February—March 1917. It is concluded that the consequence of the revolutions, includ-ing the October revolution, was not only the transformation of the social and political institutions of the mountain population of the Caucasus, the Cossacks of this agrarian outskirts of our country but a rather fierce struggle between local political forces that sought to implement their national state system projects in the region. However, none of them took place in 1918. The conclusion is given that in the conditions of the social and economic crisis, which was increasingly intensifying by the end of 1917, in the mass consciousness of the North Caucasian society, the South of Russia, as in other things, the main part of the population of other regions of Russia, left-wing radical tendencies prevailed, resulting in a civil war and the construction of socialism in the country.

Mitochondrial genetic diversity of the Greater Cane rat (Thryonomys swinderianus) populations from the Eastern Arc Mountains ecosystem, Tanzania.

Management of most herbivorous small mammal species considered to be pests in Africa is still challenging partly because of the paucity of information on their biological traits that would help to manage their destructive impacts. This gap also precludes the potential for tapping species with potential food-value to improving the economy of rural communities through, for example, sustainable game farming programs in Africa. This study investigates the genetic diversity and population demography of the African Greater Cane rat (AGC), a rodent pest of crops and game species inhabiting two isolated blocks of the Eastern Arc Mountains (EAMs), Tanzania to contribute to the species management and conservation. We used non-invasive sampling techniques and DNA sequencing of the D-loop region of MtDNA (515bp) from 46 cane rats (Thryonomys swinderianus) samples to characterize the genetic diversity and structure of the species and potential population threats faced in natural habitats. We found 25 haplotypes:15 from Uluguru and 9 from Udzungwa mountains populations, containing 49 polymorphic regions (32 parsimoniously informative and 17 singleton sites). Haplotype diversity (range: 0.849-0.995) did not differ substantially across populations but the median haplotype diversity for Udzungwa South was overall lower than for other populations. Nucleotide diversity averaged 0.00641, 0.01528, 0.0111 and 0.01313, respectively for Udzungwa South, Udzungwa North, Uluguru Rural and Uluguru Urban, suggesting high genetic diversity within the four populations. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) indicated significantly high genetic differences between the four populations (FST = 0.16, p = 0.00098) whereas neutrality test (FU's Fs) values were negative, indicating historical population expansion. Similarly, the Bayesian skyline analysis indicated a recent demographic expansion suggesting limited bottlenecks in the recent past in this population. Our results show the AGC population in EAMs consists of four distinct populations which have experienced a recent population expansion, especially among the urban population due perhaps to influence of urbanization process that may have favored assisted species movements across the rural-urban landscapes. Future research should focus on understanding impact of geographical isolation on the genetic structure and diversity of this species.

Complete mitochondrial genomes from museum specimens clarify millipede evolution in the Eastern Arc Mountains

AbstractThe Eastern Arc Mountains in Tanzania represent a hotspot for biological diversity of global importance. The level of endemism is high, and Eastern Arc biodiversity has been studied extensively in vertebrates and invertebrates, including millipedes. However, millipede evolution is vastly understudied at the molecular level. Therefore, we used next-generation ‘shotgun’ sequencing to obtain mitochondrial genome sequences of 26 museum specimens, representing six genera and 12 millipede species found across the Eastern Arc Mountains. Bayesian and maximum likelihood methods yielded consistent topologies with high node support, confirming a high level of congruence between molecular and morphological analyses. The only exception was a Tropostreptus sigmatospinus individual from Zanzibar, which was placed outside an otherwise monophyletic group consisting of mainland individuals of the same assumed species. For two species with a distribution across several mountain blocks (Tropostreptus sigmatospinus and Tropostreptus hamatus), each mountain population represents a distinct monophyletic lineage. In contrast, we also observe that distinct species exist sympatrically in the same montane forests, indicative of older speciation events that are not defined by current forest distribution. Our results are important for understanding speciation mechanisms in montane rain forests and highlight that ethanol-preserved invertebrates exhibit a tremendous potential for genomic analyses.