Mountain Landscapes Research Articles

A Public Participation GIS for Geodiversity and Geosystem Services Mapping in a Mountain Environment: A Case from Grayson County, Virginia, U.S.A.

Geodiversity and geosystem services are essential concepts for conservation efforts in mountain regions. Approaches that integrate both natural and human dimensions of mountain abiotic nature are best suited for this purpose; however, geodiversity research and associated conservation efforts along this vein are still developing. Here, we explore the potential of a public participation GIS, which integrates qualitative surveys with quantitative geodiversity information, to assess possible relationships between geodiversity and geosystem services for Grayson County, Virginia, U.S.A. Specifically, we: (1) used a geodiversity index to model geodiversity for the study area, (2) used a public participation GIS to map geosystem services markers, and (3) visualized geodiversity–geosystem services hotspots to uncover potential relationships between geodiversity and geosystem services values. Participants placed 318 markers, most frequently representing aesthetic (32%), artistic (22%), and educational (15%) geosystem services values. The majority (55%) of these markers corresponded to low and very low quantitative geodiversity index scores. Geosystem services value markers were clustered around population centers and protected areas. Although quantitative geodiversity measures are often used to identify and prioritize areas for conservation, our results suggest that locations valued by respondents would be missed using quantitative metrics alone. This research thus supports the need for holistic approaches incorporating place values to conserve and best understand relationships between people and abiotic aspects of mountain landscapes.

«Царство красоты»: Абхазия в мемуарных и изобразительных материалах отдела рукописей Российской государственной библиотеки

<p>The article is devoted to the analysis of little-known textual and pictorial materials with views of Abkhazia. The object of the research is the pictorial materials stored in the collection of the RSL Department of Manuscripts, the subject is drawings of coastal, mountain and urban landscapes of Abkhazia. The novelty of the study is determined by the fact that it introduces into scientific circulation, systematizes and comments on previously unpublished drawings with views of Abkhazia. Among the authors of drawings as professional artists of the second half of the XIX — beginning of the XX century (Zakhar Afanasievich Chuev, Mikhail Ilyich Bocharov, Alexander Alexandrovich Kiselyov), as well as amateurs who knew the technique of drawing well (Minister of War Dmitry Alexandrovich Milyutin). The revealed materials are analyzed using descriptive, biographical, comparative-historical and artistic-stylistic methods. It is concluded that the presented material expands the ideas of the authors who addressed the topic of the Caucasus. If professional artists tried to show the unusual beauty of the Caucasus and Abkhazia and capture those places that caused a special response in their soul, as well as convey their emotional feelings and experiences, then for an amateur artist D.A. Milyutin, in addition, drawings were necessary as illustrations for information about his official activities. The materials with views of Abkhazia identified in the Department of Manuscripts have practical value for a wide range of researchers studying the history and culture of Abkhazia. Further study of these materials opens up prospects for biographical, artistic-stylistic, figurative-artistic analysis for those researchers who study the creative and life path of the artists discussed in this article. The material will also be useful to philologists who draw parallels between works of verbal and visual art.</p>

Mineral dust and lead deposition from land use and metallurgy in a 4800-year-old peat record from the Central Alps (Tyrol, Austria)

Humans have occupied the Alps over most of the Holocene. Yet, continuous records on the impact of using montane resources and landscapes are scarce or confined to segregated areas or periods. We present a high-resolution geochemical record of the last 4800 years from the ombrotrophic peatland Piller Moor in the Central Alps (Tyrolean Oberland, western Austria), using inductively coupled mass plasma spectrometry (ICP-MS) and highly efficient inter-calibrated portable X-ray fluorescence analysis (pXRF). Fluctuations of metal enrichment factors (EF) for lead (Pb), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn) and antimony (Sb), accumulation rates of anthropogenic lead (Pbanth AR) and mineral matter (MAR), based on titanium (Ti), are in line with archaeological and pollen evidence for human presence and environmental change. Periods of intensified, erosive land use are indicated by MAR around 4400 cal BP, 3400 cal BP and, very prominently, at 2400 cal BP. After low MAR in the early Middle Ages, soil disturbances reappear around 1200 cal BP (750 AD), after 200 cal BP (1750 AD) and during the 20th century AD. We found evidence that metallurgy was practised in the area as early as 4450 cal BP, again from 3500 to 2900 cal BP and episodically between 2400 and 1400 cal BP. The Central Alps were presumably a source of increased Pb-emissions in the post-Roman period from 1500 to 1400 cal BP (450–550 AD). Generally, our findings suggest that mining predates archaeological and historical evidence. Following a continuous increase since the Middle Ages, atmospheric Pb EF and Pbanth AR peak around 1980 AD. The record of mineral atmospheric input illustrates the notable impact of human activities on soil erosion and dust entrainment in the Central Alps. Furthermore, links between Little Ice Age cold phases and reduced human impact and mining are established. Our high-resolution peat-geochemistry data quantifies atmospheric deposition of mineral matter and Pb, which act as proxies for landscape evolution and metallurgy on a local and regional scale. It provides new insights and a deeper understanding of the interaction of climate, environment and humans in mountainous landscapes like the Central Alps.

Mapping the benefits and the exchange values of provisioning ecosystem services using GIS and local ecological knowledge in a high-Andean community

Ecosystem services and their contribution to local economies and livelihoods still need to be fully understood and recognized by many policymakers. The primary purpose of this research is to integrate land use and land cover data and local ecological knowledge-based data with geographical information systems through a participatory approach to enhance natural resource management. We selected the Pariac-Rajucolta watershed as a study area because it is a typical landscape in the high-Andean mountains, with half of its territory inside a protected area. The methods involved a six-month participatory approach quantifying the benefits and exchange values of 33 provisioning ecosystem services, compiling the primary data from the locals and spectral information from Sentinel-2A. The results show that only agricultural and artificial areas delivered multiple benefits and offered the highest commercialization value of ecosystem services. The community mainly benefits from nutrition, materials, or energy from cultivated terrestrial plants, reared animals, wild plants, and surface water at the watershed level. At the same time, the services with high exchange proportions were mainly short -only meat of guinea pigs, manure, wild fruits, mushrooms, and wild plants for food. The abundance and the spatial distribution of benefits and exchange values of ecosystem services displayed a pattern of high quantity for the downstream and low in the basin's top and midstream of the watershed (inside the protected area). In conclusion, the study shows the importance of knowing ecosystem services benefits and exchange values as an initial approach to developing participatory strategies for managing and conserving natural resources.

Habitat type affects the diversity of dung beetle (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) assemblages in a neotropical mountainous region of Colombia

Ecological communities of tropical regions respond to habitat configuration, being negatively affected by anthropogenic habitats. In the tropics, mountainous highland landscapes sustain ecological communities with contrasting responses to habitat transformation. This study assessed the effect of different habitats under different disturbance regimes on the dung beetle assemblage that inhabits a mountainous Andean landscape in Colombia. The habitat types surveyed were oak forest cores (low intervention), forest edges (medium intervention), and pastures (high intervention). A total of 3,810 dung beetles from ten species were collected. Dung beetle diversity was affected by habitat type, and forest cores and forest edges had higher diversity than pastures. Besides, each habitat type was characterized by a distinct dung beetle assemblage, with pastures showing the highest heterogeneity in the dung beetle assemblage. In conclusion, our study suggests that the dung beetles of a portion of Colombian Andean landscapes are sensitive to shifts of habitat quality. The higher dung beetle diversity in forested habitats indicates that pastures comprise limiting environments for their assemblages at this Andean region.

Оценка устойчивого развития города Улан–Батора на основе геохимического анализа почв

Introduction. Assessment of the ecological state of mountainous areas and, especially, large cities, in particular the city of Ulaanbaatar, the study of anthropogenic pressure on sensitive mountain landscapes is very relevant. This is important from the point of view of the contribution of the ecological structural component to the sustainable development of the mountainous area. However, the lack of data on the spatial distribution of the microelement composition of the soil of the urbanized mountainous landscape, especially heavy metals, does not allow a Complex estimationof the ecological state of the territory of the mountainous capital of Mongolia. The purpose of the research: ecological assessment of the soil cover of the metropolis of Ulaanbaatar using geochemical parameters and GIS technologies. Materials and methods of research. Field and physico-chemical methods of studying soils, as well as GIS technologies were used to obtain halo maps of the distribution of anthropogenic pollutants - heavy metals Pb, Cu, Ni, Zn, Hg and oil products. Research results. It was revealed that the key parameter of the state of the soil, the pH indicator, reaches 8-9 units, which means alkalization of the surface soil layer. An active ion-exchange complex has been formed, which leads to the accumulation of technogenic pollutants in the soil. The contents of metals Pb, Cu, Ni, Zn, Hg exceed their standard values based on MPC (MAC). With the use of GIS, halos of their distribution, as well as oil products in the territory of Ulaanbaatar, were obtained. Discussion. Sources of heavy metals are emissions from thermal power plants operating on lignite. Yurts also contribute to severe soil pollution, as they are heated by coal stoves. A large number of personal vehicles and a chaotically located network of gas stations supply metals and petroleum products to the soil. The formation of sparingly soluble fixed forms of metals as a result of alkalization led to their accumulation in the soil. Linear local fields of metal pollution have been identified, which clearly indicate the ecological trouble in the city and the need to take environmental protection measures. Conclusion. The parameters of the geochemical state of techno-genically altered mountain soils in the city of Ulaanbaatar revealed contamination with heavy metals and NPs. Local pollution modules with the accumulation of chemical toxicants have been formed. The halo maps of their distribution are obtained, the formation of a spatially linear type of pollution of the mountain landscape is shown. Offers. The possibility of zoning the territory according to the degree of environmental safety is shown. This should be taken into account in the social and economic aspects of the development of the metropolis, as well as to create a safe living environment for people, to optimize architectural development, to regulate the placement of a network of gas stations, highways and, especially, yurts.

Spaceborne LiDAR for characterizing forest structure across scales in the European Alps

AbstractThe launch of NASA's Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) mission in 2018 opens new opportunities to quantitatively describe forest ecosystems across large scales. While GEDI's height‐related metrics have already been extensively evaluated, the utility of GEDI for assessing the full spectrum of structural variability—particularly in topographically complex terrain—remains incompletely understood. Here, we quantified GEDI's potential to estimate forest structure in mountain landscapes at the plot and landscape level, with a focus on variables of high relevance in ecological applications. We compared five GEDI metrics including relative height percentiles, plant area index, cover and understory cover to airborne laser scanning (ALS) data in two contrasting mountain landscapes in the European Alps. At the plot level, we investigated the impact of leaf phenology and topography on GEDI's accuracy. At the landscape‐scale, we evaluated the ability of GEDIs sample‐based approach to characterize complex mountain landscapes by comparing it to wall‐to‐wall ALS estimates and evaluated the capacity of GEDI to quantify important indicators of ecosystem functions and services (i.e., avalanche protection, habitat provision, carbon storage). Our results revealed only weak to moderate agreement between GEDI and ALS at the plot level (R2 from 0.03 to 0.61), with GEDI uncertainties increasing with slope. At the landscape‐level, however, the agreement between GEDI and ALS was generally high, with R2 values ranging between 0.51 and 0.79. Both GEDI and ALS agreed in identifying areas of high avalanche protection, habitat provision, and carbon storage, highlighting the potential of GEDI for landscape‐scale analyses in the context of ecosystem dynamics and management.

Drivers of bacterial and fungal root endophyte communities: understanding the relative influence of host plant, environment, and space

Bacterial and fungal root endophytes can impact the fitness of their host plants, but the relative importance of drivers for root endophyte communities is not well known. Host plant species, the composition and density of the surrounding plants, space, and abiotic drivers could significantly affect bacterial and fungal root endophyte communities. We investigated their influence in endophyte communities of alpine plants across a harsh high mountain landscape using high-throughput sequencing. There was less compositional overlap between fungal than bacterial root endophyte communities, with four 'cosmopolitan' bacterial OTUs found in every root sampled, but no fungal OTUs found across all samples. We found that host plant species, which included nine species from three families, explained the greatest variation in root endophyte composition for both bacterial and fungal communities. We detected similar levels of variation explained by plant neighborhood, space, and abiotic drivers on both communities, but the plant neighborhood explained less variation in fungal endophytes than expected. Overall, these findings suggest a more cosmopolitan distribution of bacterial OTUs compared to fungal OTUs, a structuring role of the plant host species for both communities, and largely similar effects of the plant neighborhood, abiotic drivers, and space on both communities.

Teaching Design Model of Bridge Aesthetics Course Facing Ecological Landscape Sustainable Development

In recent years, ecological building of bridges has gradually begun to appear in cities, and this trend is conducive to the sustainable development of urban bridges and an ecological environment, promoting the development of emerging industries around cities and driving the development of the urban economy. Bridges’ ecological aesthetic design cannot be separated from ecological aesthetics, and the relationship between these two factors is complementary and inseparable. This paper focuses on the relationship between the teaching of a bridge aesthetic design course and ecological landscape sustainable development. Based on a visual impression hierarchy deep learning model and a statistical analysis of a questionnaire, including reliability and validity analyses, a teaching model for the design of landscape bridge structure systems was constructed. Landscape bridge structure systems combine the dimensions of function, form, mechanics, and culture, and the teaching design model of landscape bridges must include non-professional students, undergraduate students, graduate students, and graduates working in enterprises. Investigations were performed of the urban block landscape, water environment landscape, urban garden landscape, and landscape bridges within natural mountain landscapes. The results showed that: (1) the influence and role of landscape aesthetics related to the water environment and urban garden landscapes are the most important; (2) in the teaching of a bridge aesthetics course, sustainable ecological development must consider the aesthetic value of landscape bridges while ensuring function and safety; and (3) for students at different learning stages, the focus in terms of bridge aesthetic system elements is different. Both the bridge structural landscape configuration and the ecological aesthetics must be considered together during the teaching of bridge aesthetics design courses. To achieve such a goal, students at different levels must have a good understanding of ecologically sustainable development and bridge aesthetics.

Mountain Cryosphere Landscapes in South America: Value and Protection

Mountain landscapes support hydric and biodiversity potential under different ownership and land use perspectives. A focal point justifying their preservation is often the legislation’s ethical endorsement. Yet, when scales for assessment diverge without a common analytical purpose, the protective measures may become either ambiguous or insufficient. By considering that mountain cryosphere landscapes have both subjective and supply values, we focused on approaches to protect them and examined conceptual dissonances in their assessment. This ambiguity was examined by analyzing the hydric storage potential of the mountain cryosphere in semi-arid regions in the Andes. We reviewed the technical aspects of cryosphere hydrology and how current legislation aims to preserve freshwater supply and non-instrumental value. The analysis found a clash between instrumental and non-instrumental values and, most importantly, the neglect of a temporal dimension for landscape evolution. Particularly, landscape protection becomes suboptimal as scales of analysis for use and non-use values diverge. Therefore, we recommend analyzing mountain cryosphere landscapes as overlapped sub-units bearing a unified potential (future value) as a hydric resource. This analysis should fit the most inclusive scale on which transaction costs reflecting needs and insurance values reflecting management quality are optimal.

Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine. Sustainable Tourism Developments in an Early Industrial Landscape

SummaryIwami Ginzan Silver Mine is located in Shimane Prefecture, Western Japan, and consists of urban and mining areas. The historic town, Ōmori, developed in the early modern period (1573–1868) in conjunction with the exploitation of the silver mine. The archaeological remains comprise mine shafts, tunnels and workshops, located in a forested mountainous landscape. Although ideal for hiking or trekking, the area slopes upward within a narrow valley making the whole area difficult to access for satisfactory and inclusive sightseeing. The significant increase in visitors that followed the inscription of this area onto the World Heritage List (2007), was short-term but exacerbated the issue. After some trials and errors, a sustainable, effective and safe solution for access to the site for both inhabitants and visitors is now underway, taking advantage of a newly established governmental grant scheme for “green slow mobility” linked to the Internet of Things (IoT) technology.© The Author 2023

Assessment of the Impact of Industry-Related Air Emission of Arsenic in the Soils of Forest Ecosystems

The soils of forest ecosystems are often affected by the industrial activity of mining and metallurgical enterprises, and insufficiently investigated for the content of pollutants due to enterprise emissions. Some pollutants, such as arsenic, are transported over long distances by these emissions. To analyze this connection, the present study was conducted on the eastern slope of Mount Yurma, the Southern Urals, Russia, to determine the content of arsenic in the soils of mountain forest areas in the impact zone of the copper smelter (Karabash). The physical and chemical parameters, total content of arsenic, mineralogical composition of silt, and concentration of arsenic in the silty fraction in soils located at different altitudes were determined using atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques. The soils under study are physico-chemically and chemically acidic in the upper horizons with a pH of 3.26 to 4.05. The carbon of organic matter decreases with depth from 7.98 to 0.06%. Exchangeable Ca and Mg cations in the range of 2.6–8.6 mg-eq per 100 g of soil were determined. The mineralogical composition of the silty fraction consists mainly of quartz and aluminosilicates. Following an analysis of the arsenic content in the above-ground leaf litter, the bioconcentration factor (BCF) was calculated. Arsenic exceeding Clarke concentrations was recorded. In all upper soil horizons, concentrations of total arsenic exceeded background values by 3.7–5.2 times, with maximum values in the horizons A—25.3 mg/kg, in the horizons O—64.4 mg/kg. The obtained BCF > 1 data points to the biological arsenic accumulation by plants and, as a result, its input into the soil via industrial emissions from the smelter. It was found that the silty fraction plays a special role in the accumulation of arsenic in the studied soils. Accumulation of arsenic occurred mainly due to the secondary minerals of Ca and Mg. Differences in the accumulation of arsenic in the forest litter depending on the plant association were noted. The obtained results could serve as a guideline for monitoring the areas around the enterprise and enhancing the understanding of pollutants’ distribution in the soils of remote areas and mountain landscapes.

Territorial differences within Drohobych district as a basis for cooperation between territorial communities

The purpose of the work is to find a promising methodology for the study of urban development of territories. Using the example of Drohobych district (Ukraine), the possibilities of improving the methodology of urban planning analysis of significant territories and their classification for the possibility of their cooperation are outlined.
 In the tasks of determining the ways of modernization and urban development of the Drohobytsk district, the primary task is to establish the main functional types of landscapes - urbanized, agrarian, recreational and resource-industrial landscapes, in order to choose appropriate approaches in their planning.
 The population density data analysis of the Drohobych district obtained in the work by processing OpenSreetMap geospatial data maps in QGIS made it possible to single out local territories that differ in terms of: population density, transport accessibility, presence of objects of historical and cultural significance; distinguish territories with excellent relief characteristics and territories with raw resources.
 The conducted research made it possible to identify the main functional types of landscapes - urban, agrarian, recreational and resource-industrial. The following approximate proportions of these landscapes have been established within the Drohobych district: urbanized - about 10% of the territory, agricultural - 26%, recreational - 51%, and resource-industrial - 13%. In the majority, two or more type features are overlapping within the territory so the extended typology emerges: urbanized resource-industrial, urbanized recreational landscapes, resource-industrial agrarian landscapes, etc.
 The cartography with the applied functional types and subtypes of landscapes separates the planning zones that have similar resources and development possibilities according to common urban planning principles. So, the following are distinguished:
 1) the urbanized core of Drohobych district, formed with a group of cities that together form the infrastructural component of the district; with the available most pronounced and grouped resources of the district - natural raw resources of an industrial type (potassium salts, oil, natural gas) and medical and health-improving direction - mineral springs, some of which are unique in their healing properties. The resources of historical and cultural significance are also concentrated to a greater extent within the urban core;
 2) the border region of the flat and mountainous landscape, within which oil and potash deposits, and sources of mineral waters are located.
 3) south-western mountainous region, which according to the nature of connections has no visible attraction to the urbanized core.
 4) north-eastern agrarian region, contains deposits of natural gas and promising deposits of potash salts. The nature of connections is situational. The population receives administrative services in Drohobych, in return, household needs are realized both in Drohobych, Sambir and Lviv.
 In part, the boundaries of functional types of landscapes are consistent with the boundaries of united territorial communities.

The Role of E-Bike in Discovering Geodiversity and Geoheritage

This study analyzed the challenges and benefits of the identification and promotion of a long-distance cycleway in high mountain areas with the aim of promoting Alpine eco- and geo-tourism. We also investigated the role of e-biking in discovering local geodiversity and geoheritage in a sustainable way. In particular, we focused on the path from Bormio to the Forni Glacier (Upper Valtellina, Italy), analyzed within the framework of the “E-bike” Interreg project. We performed a detailed analysis to select the points of environmental–geological interest (POIs), with a focus on geoheritage sites to increase the knowledge of the natural heritage of the area. Since these sites are widespread in the study area, within the frame of the “E-bike” project, we selected only the most exemplary ones, covering a wide spectrum of attractions, from a moving geosite (i.e., landslide) to a paradigmatic example of the effects of climate change (glacier). The “E-bike” path represents in its entirety a great opportunity to visit mountain and high-mountain landscapes, even for inexperienced mountain bikers, and to enjoy places rich in naturalistic and cultural values. Our interdisciplinary approach allows visitors to identify the sites of interest and export the structure of the project in different environmental and human contexts.

High-resolution debris-cover mapping using UAV-derived thermal imagery: limits and opportunities

Abstract. Debris-covered glaciers are widespread in high mountain ranges on earth. However, the dynamic evolution of debris-covered glacier surfaces is not well understood, in part due to difficulties in mapping debris-cover thickness in high spatiotemporal resolution. In this study, we present land surface temperatures (LSTs) of supraglacial debris cover and their diurnal variability measured from an unpiloted aerial vehicle (UAV) at a high (15 cm) spatial resolution. We test two common approaches to derive debris-thickness maps by (1) solving a surface energy balance model (SEBM) in conjunction with meteorological reanalysis data and (2) least squares regression of a rational curve using debris-thickness field measurements. In addition, we take advantage of the measured diurnal temperature cycle and estimate the rate of change of heat storage within the debris cover. Both approaches resulted in debris-thickness estimates with an RMSE of 6 to 8 cm between observed and modeled debris thicknesses, depending on the time of the day. Although the rational curve approach requires in situ field measurements, the approach is less sensitive to uncertainties in LST measurements compared to the SEBM approach. However, the requirement of debris-thickness measurements can be an inhibiting factor that supports the SEB approach. Because LST varies throughout the day, the success of a rational function to express the relationship between LST and debris thickness also varies predictably with the time of day. During the period when the debris cover is warming, LST is heavily influenced by the aspect of the terrain. As a result, clear-sky morning flights that do not consider the aspect effects can be problematic. Our sensitivity analysis of various parameters in the SEBM highlights the relevance of the effective thermal conductivity when LST is high. The residual and variable bias of UAV-derived LSTs during a flight requires calibration, which we achieve with bare-ice surfaces. The model performance would benefit from more accurate LST measurements, which are challenging to achieve with uncooled sensors in high mountain landscapes.

The role of harmonized Landsat Sentinel-2 (HLS) products to reveal multiple trajectories and determinants of cropland abandonment in subtropical mountainous areas

Cropland abandonment is a widespread land-change process globally, which can stem from the accelerated outmigration of the population from rural to urban areas, socio-economic and political changes, catastrophes, and other trigger events. Clouds limit the utility of optical satellite data to monitor cropland abandonment in highly fragmented mountain agricultural landscapes of tropical and subtropical regions, including the south of China. Taking Nanjing County of China as an example, we developed a novel approach by utilizing multisource satellite (Landsat and Sentinel-2) imagery to map multiple trajectories of cropland abandonment (transitioning from cropland to grassland, shrubs and forest) in subtropical mountainous landscapes. Then, we employed a redundancy analysis (RDA) to identify the spatial association of cropland abandonment considering agricultural productivity, physiography, locational characteristics and economic factors. Results indicate the great suitability of harmonized Landsat 8 and Sentinel-2 images to distinguish multiple trajectories of cropland abandonment in subtropical mountainous areas. Our framework of mapping cropland abandonment resulted in good producer's (78.2%) and user's (81.3%) accuracies. The statistical analysis showed 31.85% of croplands cultivated in 2000 were abandoned by 2018, and more than a quarter of townships experienced cropland abandonment with high abandoned rates (>38%). Cropland abandonment mainly occurred in relatively unfavorable areas for agricultural production, for instance with a slope above 6°. Slope and the proximity to the nearest settlement explained 65.4% and 8.1% of the variation of cropland abandonment at the township level, respectively. The developed approaches on both mapping cropland abandonment and modeling determinants can be highly relevant to monitor multiple trajectories of cropland abandonment and ascribe their determinants not only in mountainous China but also elsewhere and thus promote the formulation of land-use policies that aim to steer cropland abandonment.

The soil trail of Buscagna Valley, an example of the role of soil science in geodiversity and geoheritage analyses

Abstract Soil is a component of geodiversity and, for its scientific value, can also be a component of geoheritage, playing a role in reconstructing the environmental evolution of an area. This assumption will be examined here with special reference to mountain environments, where the high variability of soil forming-factors is responsible for a great variety of soil types, contributing to soil diversity and to local geodiversity. To promote soil as an element of geoheritage, we propose a strategy for creating a trail about soil topics in the Buscagna small mountain catchment in the Veglia–Devero protected area (Lepontine Alps, Italy). Geopedological research carried out in the study area has allowed the identification of seven soil profiles as sites of potential pedological interest along already existing hiking paths. The selected soil profiles mirror the main soil types of the area and testify to past environmental conditions and geomorphic dynamics. Among these, two soil profiles are also selected as pedosites. Providing hikers and mountaineers with a proper key to read exposed soils along the Buscagna Valley, the trail allows an increase in awareness of geoheritage conservation with a focus on soil in mountain landscapes, where soil characteristics reflect the influence of compound forming-factors.

Eternity

Great mountains such as Fujiyama and Kilimanjaro are recognized as being sacred places. In myths they are aften inhabited by gods, living in eternity far above the secular life of human beings. In this article the psychological background of the images of eternity is traced, defining a transcendental experience of the mountain landscape as a creative source. A phenomenological description of a personal experience of the mountain range in the Grand Teton National Park is analyzed with the background of Jour different definitions of the transcendent experience. It is put forward that visual and emotional qualities, relating specifically to the experience of mountains, are origins of the images of eternity in myths and pictures of art and these images, as well as the mountain landscape itself, provoke personal integrity within an existential theme of eternity.

Lahaul-Zanskar-Sham Valley Corridor in Indian Trans Himalayan Region Facilitates Dispersal and Gene Flow in Himalayan Ibex.

Wildlife corridors that connect mosaic habitats in heterogeneous mountainous landscapes can be of high significance as they facilitate the genetic and demographic stability of free-ranging populations. Peripheral populations of widespread species are usually ignored in conservation planning. However, these populations retain locally common alleles and are genetic reservoir under the changing climatic conditions. Capra sibirica has widespread distribution, and its southern peripheral population is distributed in the Indian trans-Himalayan region (ITR). In the present study, we studied the spatial distribution and genetic make-up of Himalayan ibex from the ITR following the landscape genetics approach. We obtained 16 haplotypes at the mitochondrial d-loop region and found a stable demography in the past with a recent decline. With 10 nuclear microsatellites, we ascertained 111 unique individuals assigned into two clusters following Bayesian and non-Bayesian clustering analysis with several admixed individuals. We also recorded 25 first-generation migrants that reflected relatively high dispersal and gene-flow across the range. We identified a 19,835 sq.km suitable area with 13,311 sq.km in Ladakh and 6524 sq.km in Lahaul-Spiti. We identified a novel movement corridor for Himalayan ibex across the Lahaul-Zanskar-Sham valley (L-Z-SV) that displayed a fairly good conductance with low genetic divergence among the samples collected on the L-Z-SV corridor. We propose declaring a protected area in the Lahaul and Kargil districts to prioritize dedicated conservation efforts for the Himalayan ibex and other sympatric ungulates that impart a major role in the diet of large carnivore and balancing ecosystem services in the trans-Himalayan region.

Impacts of elevational variability of climate and frozen ground on streamflow in a glacierized catchment in Tibetan Plateau

In cold and high-elevation mountainous catchments, climate and landscape vary with elevation, which leads to elevational variability in runoff. The short-term variation and long-term change of climate would temporally and permanently alter the conditions of frozen ground and runoff characteristics at different elevation zones. In this study, a conceptually hydrological model is developed to investigate the responses of soil freeze–thaw and runoff processes to climate change from 1979 to 2013 in a glacierized catchment in the Tibetan Plateau (TP). Results show that our model can accurately reproduce the observed daily streamflow. In addition to rainfall (63.8%), meltwater from glacier (22.2%) and snowpack (14.0%) are also key contributors to streamflow, especially at high elevations. As temperature declines with rising of elevation, the elevation-runoff relationship depicts a convex formation with a runoff peak at the elevation of ∼5800 m. Below 5800 m, surface flow increases towards high elevations accompanied by the increase of glacier coverage, while groundwater flow reduces because the enlarged frozen ground areas inhibit the percolation of the infiltrated water. Above 5800 m, the runoff declines sharply as the ground changes to a perennially freezing condition. The long-term climate warming during 1979 ∼ 2013 significantly increases annual runoff with a rate of 12.2 mm/10a. The increment in streamflow is primarily attributed to an increase in surface flow in the summer season when glacier meltwater increases at high elevations. Whereas the permafrost degradation enhances infiltrated water percolation and hence, groundwater flow in the low elevations and the low flow periods. Although climate warming benefits the local water resources availability during the historical periods, streamflow could be substantially decreased if the glacier vanished, which threatens the sustainability of the “water tower” over TP.