Mountain Landscapes Research Articles

The geolocation of features on information surfaces and the use of the open and FAIR data principles in the mountain landscape domain and geoheritage

AbstractThis note suggests that decimal latitude/longitude [dLL] locations should be used to identify features of interest, landforms, sample and investigations sites, in an ‘information landscape’ provided by the geomorphological literature. All the information associated with a labelled, or tagged, geolocation should be available for examination as part of information landscapes that can be explored and represented in books, papers and other publications. This note also outlines the ‘open’ and FAIR data that are findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable and how the principles can be used to better explain landscapes, especially in the mountain landscape domain. Tors and rock glaciers illustrate [dLL] geolocation to identify sites and inform fieldwork and literature searching. Any [dLL]‐specified location is an identifying label, as are names given to landforms and toponyms. Two letters (digraph) are used as landform labels: TO for tors and RG for rock glaciers. Citations, (author–date–title–source) attributions, are also labels. The note shows how these attributions can be linked to [dLL] geolocations specifying locations in time and space and in the literature. The addition of [dLL] will facilitate future literature searches and modelling to explore ‘unknowns’ in the landscape, and this paper suggests ways in which this can be achieved, including geoheritage and geotourism.

Retracted: Optimization Design of Mountain and Water Landscape of Traditional Mountain Village Based on New Robot Visual Technology

Retracted: Optimization Design of Mountain and Water Landscape of Traditional Mountain Village Based on New Robot Visual Technology

Deep learning–based inverse analysis of GPR data for landslide hazards

In mountainous landscapes, the diverse geotechnical conditions amplify landslide susceptibility. Factors such as precipitation and seismic activity can trigger landslides, while inherent hazards such as voids, fissures, and compaction deficits jeopardize long-term slope stability. Detecting and forecasting these susceptibilities accurately is crucial. In this paper, the time-domain finite-difference approach and the gprMax software are used to conduct forward modeling of landslide susceptibility. An electrical model of subsurface aqueous structures is created, including water-filled and air-filled cavities, fracture zones, and fault lines. The distinctive radar signal responses within these environments are examined, and a dataset of B-scan images associated with their electrical models is constructed. By employing deep learning algorithms and the robust nonlinear mapping ability of convolutional neural networks in the Pix2Pix generative adversarial network, we accelerate the intelligent inversion of the geological radar data on landslide susceptibility. This innovative approach effectively reconstructs hazard models, offering a reliable basis for interpretation of radar signals.

The Importance of Landscape during Long-Distance Running Activity

Outdoor running has a positive impact on human health. Our study attempted to address the issue of what other aspects motivate people to take up running. We were particularly interested in the landscape and its significance at the stage of decision making regarding participation in races. Our goal was also to identify the landscape features of routes, which determine their popularity. We conducted surveys among running participants and spatial analyses using GIS tools. Great landscape values of running routes can contribute to the activation of a running society, especially those including women and city dwellers. The high diversity of the landscape of cross-country routes, especially in terms of their relief and land use, significantly affects their high landscape rating. Route profiles and running challenges are as important as landscape values. The landscape that runners observe during long-distance runs affects their regeneration and motivates them to finish competitions. Runs organised in mountain and foothill landscapes, characterised by a wide variety of landscapes, are particularly attractive for runners. This study illuminates how the enchanting tapestry of landscapes not only fuels the passion for outdoor running but also underscores the intricate relationship between humans and their surroundings. The results enable us to establish the key principles for designing new running routes that support runners during their exertion.

Infilled lakes (Pampas) of the Cordillera Blanca, Peru: Inventory, sediment storage, and paleo outbursts

Infilled lakes are a prevalent geomorphic feature in the intricate high mountain landscape of the Cordillera Blanca, Peru. Despite their apparent geomorphic, hydrological, and ecological importance, a systematic inventory of these areas has been lacking. This study presents an inventory of infilled lakes in the Cordillera Blanca. A total of 962 infilled lake polygons have been manually mapped, covering an area of nearly 90 km2 (the area of individual mapped polygons ranges from 0.001 km2 to 1.760 km2), more than double the area of existing lakes (40 km2) and the majority of flat areas (62% of areas with slope ≤5°). The study reveals that infilled bedrock-dammed lakes are the most common type (42%), while moraine-dammed lakes account for the majority of the infilled lake area (52%) and sediment volume (52% to 57%). Considering high uncertainty of infilled basins’ morphology, the estimated sediment volume of infilled lakes ranges between 0.9 km3 and 2.3 km3 (compared to 0.79 km3 to 1.15 km3 of water stored in existing lakes). The case study of Lake Aguascocha catchment reveals a mean sediment yield of 0.64 to 1.63∙106 m3∙km−2 during the past 10.7 ± 0.3 ka, that is, a mean annual sediment yield of 58.5 to 156.4 m3∙km−2∙yr−1. Furthermore, 65 locations where preserved geomorphic evidence indicates possible outburst floods in the past are identified. These areas are particularly important for understanding patterns of lake outburst occurrence on longer timescales than traditionally considered in lake outburst flood hazard studies. The dataset presented in this study is intended to serve as a basis for identifying sites suitable for further site-specific paleo-geographical, sedimentological, geochronological as well as broader mountain landscape evolution studies.

Cenozoic comparisons of diversity and disparity in the context of tectonic regime: A case study in North American rodents

The tectonic evolution of landscape topography is an important driver of biotic evolution throughout Earth's history. Studies of extant diversity have shown a higher diversity of mammals in topographically complex regions, suggesting that landscape complexity plays a role in generating taxonomic diversity. However, this relationship is poorly understood, especially over geologic time scales. Previous work has posited that heterogeneous topography should lead to increased species diversity as a result of new niche spaces into which lineages may speciate. This is in comparison to homogeneous landscape topography, which offers fewer and less varied niche spaces and thus less ecological opportunities for diversification. It is also thought that barriers to species and individual movement created by mountainous landscapes may divide populations, leading to speciation by restricting gene flow. These two models can be distinguished by their effects on morphological disparity. If niche differentiation is important to the process, we would expect increased morphological disparity in association with heterogeneous landscape topography, whereas the allopatry model predicts no greater morphological disparity over the complex landscape, only taxonomic diversification. We explore these models in the tectonically active and passive regions of North America in rodents from 25 to 0 Ma. We investigate diversity and disparity trends and examine the effects of climate, landscape heterogeneity, and environmental shifts on these patterns. We find that morphological and taxonomic evolution are not impacted by topography in a predictable way, and find that homogeneous landscapes host taxonomic and morphological diversity surpassing that of heterogeneous landscapes for much of the last 19 million years in North America. Furthermore, diversity and disparity trends are both coupled and decoupled during this period, signifiying that taxonomic and morphologic increase and decrease are discordant through time. Our results support the finding that the relationship between landscape heterogeneity and species diversity has not remained constant through geologic time.

The Geography of Metacommunities: Landscape Characteristics Drive Geographic Variation in the Assembly Process through Selecting Species Pool Attributes.

AbstractThe nonrandom association between landscape characteristics and the dominant life history strategies observed in species pools is a typical pattern in nature. Here, we argue that these associations determine predictable changes in the relative importance of assembly mechanisms along broadscale geographic gradients (i.e., the geographic context of metacommunity dynamics). To demonstrate that, we employed simulation models in which groups of species with the same initial distribution of niche breadths and dispersal abilities interacted across a wide range of landscapes with contrasting characteristics. By assessing the traits of dominant species in the species pool in each landscape type, we determined how different landscape characteristics select for different life history strategies at the metacommunity level. We analyzed the simulated data using the same analytical approaches used in the study of empirical metacommunities to derive predictions about the causal relationships between landscape characteristics and dominant life histories in species pools, as well as their reciprocal influence on empirical inferences regarding the assembly process. We provide empirical support for these predictions by contrasting the assembly of moth metacommunities in a tropical versus a temperate mountainous landscape. Together, our model framework and empirical analyses demonstrate how the geographic context of metacommunities influences our understanding of community assembly across broadscale ecological gradients.

'Better to die of landslides than hunger’: Socio-economic and cultural intricacies of resettlement due to climate-induced hazards in Uganda

Climate-induced migration is increasingly becoming prevalent globally, with migrants often facing innumerable challenges in the new areas of resettlement. This study explores the socio-economic and cultural intricacies of climate-induced migration and resettlement in the mountainous landscapes of Elgon and Rwenzori in Uganda. This study was largely qualitative and the methods of data collection included key informant Interviews and focus group discussions taking into account the different socio-economic classes. Thematic and content analysis was used to synthesise the collected data. The results revealed mixed perceptions for the people who were displaced in districts the Mountain Elgon and Rwenzori regions. Displacement and resettlement have created some opportunities: housing; opportunity to learn new culture, values and traditions; and access to improved social services. Yet, behind these positive gains lies a host of challenges for both climate-induced migrants and the hosts including disputes over land, unfavourable climate, inadequate and appalling social services for the late arrivals, and housing conditions especially among the resettled migrants in Muhokya camp. Multiple strategies including seasonal migration, return to the landslide and flood prone villages and tree planting have been adopted to navigate some of the challenges that are encountered in the new settlement areas.This is testament of their continued initiatives in retaining their agency in fighting for the environment crises, even in moments of intense crises. This study largely points to the need for a holistic approach towards climate induced resettlement for a sustainable and resilient program in Uganda.

Construction and assessment of an indicator system of stream conditions in a typical mountain landscape in Northeast China.

Stream ecosystem health assessments are crucial for the effective management of aquatic ecosystem service functions and the assessment of anthropogenic and climatic impacts on aquatic ecosystems. However, there is still a lack of comprehensive assessment methods based on complete ecosystem structures. This study improved an ecological health assessment system, which consists of 13 indicators based on ecosystem structure. The assessment system was applied to 30 streams on Changbai Mountain. The results showed that the comprehensive index of stream health (ISH) in Changbai Mountain was relatively high, and the ISH increased with the elevation gradient. The dominant factors controlling the ecosystem health level were water pH, water flow, vegetation coverage, total phosphorus (TP), and vegetation diversity index. All these results indicated that the damage caused by excessive deforestation and farmland occupation in recent years has not been fully reversed and that human disturbance from tourism may be the main reason for the low stream health at lower elevations. Our results suggest that the key to future work is to increase quantitative research on disturbance sensitivity and to develop economically viable restoration measures.

Here and Now: Towards an Experiential Archaeological Fieldwork

This article is not about the archaeological past per se: It is about the archaeological presence, the here and the now and the experiential aspects of archaeological fieldwork. It introduces the concept of an ‘experiential archaeological fieldwork’ as a means to provoke bodily sensory awareness and the embodiment of the experienced (archaeological) landscape through a vivid sensorial experimentation. At the same time, the experiential fieldwork aspires to re-negotiate the ontology of the archaeological field project, as a social, intellectual, and physical act. The project I present here was practiced in the mountainous landscapes of Lake Plastiras (central Greece), as part of the Neolithic project in the area.

Unveiling topographic impacts on soil texture in mountainous forest landscape of Kashmir

Unveiling topographic impacts on soil texture in mountainous forest landscape of Kashmir

Mountain Steppes And Upland Xerophytes ― As an Element of Landscape Diversity in The Eastern Central Caucasus

Long-term observations of dynamic processes in the landscapes of intra-mountain basins on the territory of North Ossetia-Alania have shown that changes in them can be both progressive and regressive, which is associated with natural external factors that are imposed by anthropogenic influences. For a long time, arid landscapes in the eastern part of the Central Caucasus (within the North Ossetia-Alania) were intensively exploited as pasture (less often arable) land and underwent significant anthropogenic degradation. The situation began to change in the last decade of the 20th century due to the general crisis state of the country's economy, the collapse of collective farms and state farms, a sharp reduction in the number of cattle and small cattle. The removal of agricultural load on mountain landscapes led to the gradual restoration of their natural state. Currently, there is a trend towards a change in traditional nature management to recreational, and the problem of protecting natural geological systems is again emerging from recreational impact. The most vulnerable are arid dry-steppe and upland xerophytic formations, occupying a little more than 6 thousand hectares (8.4%) of the area of intracity basins, but are habitats included in the Red Book of North Ossetia-Alania, endemic and rare vascular plants (more than 20 species) and invertebrate animals (about 60 species).

Characterizing Mountain Landscape Complexity: Comparison of Landscape Character Assessment in the National Parks of the United Kingdom

Characterizing Mountain Landscape Complexity: Comparison of Landscape Character Assessment in the National Parks of the United Kingdom

Soil properties are affected by vegetation types in a semi-arid mountain landscape

Soil plays a crucial role in the provision of ecosystem services, particularly in mountain areas that are frequently regarded as delicate and vulnerable systems. The alteration of vegetation cover is known to impact the various fractions of organic matter and other soil properties, subsequently influencing the activities of microbes and enzymes that play a role in nutrient cycling. However, there is not much information available regarding the effect on soil properties in semi-arid mountain landscapes. Here, we studied different soil features under woodland (dominated by Carpinus orientalis Miller.), shrubland (dominated by Berberis integerrima Bunge.) and grassland (dominated by Festuca ovina L., Dactylis glomerata L. and Bromus danthoniae Trin.) in the north of Iran. In the summer, a total of eighteen soil (0–10 cm depth) samples were collected from each vegetation type. In addition, to investigate the dynamics of soil microclimate and biota population, the same number of soil samples were collected in the fall season. Results indicated that woodland had a more fertile soil and a higher biological activity than the other vegetation types. Soil earthworm groups showed higher densities in the fall season, whereas soil biota population and microbial processes were enhanced in the summer season. In addition, the study area presented hot spots of soil fertility and biological activities in woodland compared with shrubland and grassland. As a conclusion, distinct soil properties are influenced by various types of vegetation (particularly woody species in contrast to grass covers). With the aim of increasing soil functioning or rehabilitating degraded areas, natural resource managers are suggested to establish wood covers (trees or shrubs) rather than grasslands, whenever possible.

Unknown localities and new species of flora Chechen Republic (North-Eastern Caucasus)

The paper presents data on unknown localities and new species of flora of the Chechen Republic, which we discovered during expeditionary research in 2022-2023 on the territory of the Makazhoi semiarid basin. The study area belongs to arid ecosystems with unique species and coenotic diversity. Nearby there is a unique natural monument and tourist attraction - the alpine lake Kezenoy-Am. In recent years, the tourism industry has been actively developing here, which inevitably leads to anthropogenic transformation of the flora and increases the risk of losing the uniqueness, originality, and characteristic features of the flora and vegetation of mountain landscapes. For the first time, we provide information about the discovery of 11 new species, previously unknown for the republic, belonging to 9 genera and 8 families. In our research, we strive to emphasize the need for in-depth study and conservation of the biodiversity of these ecosystems for future generations.

Projected climate and canopy change lead to thermophilization and homogenization of forest floor vegetation in a hotspot of plant species richness.

Mountain forests are plant diversity hotspots, but changing climate and increasing forest disturbances will likely lead to far-reaching plant community change. Projecting future change, however, is challenging for forest understory plants, which respond to forest structure and composition as well as climate. Here, we jointly assessed the effects of both climate and forest change, including wind and bark beetle disturbances, using the process-based simulation model iLand in a protected landscape in the northern Alps (Berchtesgaden National Park, Germany), asking: (1) How do understory plant communities respond to 21st-century change in a topographically complex mountain landscape, representing a hotspot of plant species richness? (2) How important are climatic changes (i.e., direct climate effects) versus forest structure and composition changes (i.e., indirect climate effects and recovery from past land use) in driving understory responses at landscape scales? Stacked individual species distribution models fit with climate, forest, and soil predictors (248 species currently present in the landscape, derived from 150 field plots stratified by elevation and forest development, overall area under the receiving operator characteristic curve = 0.86) were driven with projected climate (RCP4.5 and RCP8.5) and modeled forest variables to predict plant community change. Nearly all species persisted in the landscape in 2050, but on average 8% of the species pool was lost by the end of the century. By 2100, landscape mean species richness and understory cover declined (-13% and -8%, respectively), warm-adapted species increasingly dominated plant communities (i.e., thermophilization, +12%), and plot-level turnover was high (62%). Subalpine forests experienced the greatest richness declines (-16%), most thermophilization (+17%), and highest turnover (67%), resulting in plant community homogenization across elevation zones. Climate rather than forest change was the dominant driver of understory responses. The magnitude of unabated 21st-century change is likely to erode plant diversity in a species richness hotspot, calling for stronger conservation and climate mitigation efforts.

Анализ сезонной и разногодичной динамики горных ландшафтов Северного Кавказа

Introduction. The spatial structure of the landscapes of the North Caucasus has been fairly well studied to date, which cannot be said about the temporal structure. The climatic changes noted in the territory of the North Caucasus are undoubtedly reflected in the temporal structure of landscapes, which determines the relevance of this study, the purpose of which is to identify common features and characteristic features of the seasonal and year-to-year dynamics of the mountain landscapes of the North Caucasus. Materials and methods. To analyze the seasonal and year-to-year dynamics of the mountain landscapes of the North Caucasus, methodological approaches developed by L.N. Beruchashvili and V.V. Bratkov and tested by him for various territories. The analysis of the seasonal and yearly variability dynamics of the mountain landscapes of the North Caucasus was carried out on the example of mountain-hollow (Shatoy) and mountain-valley (Ahty) landscapes. In the Excel spreadsheet, the material was processed in three gradations: temperature regime, moisture regime and trends in the vertical structure. Processing was carried out using data (average temperature and precipitation) from the Shatoy and Ahty weather stations for the period from 1961 to 2020. On the basis of the results obtained, the seasonal and yearly variability dynamics of the mountain landscapes of the North Caucasus was derived in percentage terms. Results. The occurrence and correlation of groups of states over time periods, reflecting the conditions of heat and moisture supply, vary quite significantly, to which different groups of intralandscape vegetation react differently. However, in general, the temporal structure of the mountain-basin and mountain-valley landscapes of the North Caucasus is stable, and modern climate changes do not lead to the emergence of new states that are not typical for the analyzed landscapes. Discussion. The latest studies of the seasonal and temporal dynamics of the landscapes of the North Caucasus and its individual regions end in 2015. We continued this direction, because in our opinion, it is relevant and promising. Our study confirms the conclusions of the authors of previous years that, despite climatic changes, the temporal structure of mountain landscapes is stable. Conclusion. In the temporal structure of the mountain landscapes of the North Caucasus, the main share belongs to humid and semi-humid states in summer and nival in winter. The ratios of groups of states over time intervals within mountain landscapes change quite significantly. As a result, the conditions for the growth of different groups of vegetation change. So, with an increase in the proportion of cryothermal conditions, as it was in 1971-1975 conditions become less favorable for the growth of woody vegetation, but more favorable for the development of grassy vegetation of the steppe type. With an increase in summer humidity, which is manifested by an increase in the proportion of the corresponding states, and a simultaneous softening of winter conditions, during which the proportion of nival states increases and a decrease in cryothermal states, as was the case in 1996–2000, the temporal structure becomes similar to forest landscapes. Resume. An analysis of the temporal structure of the mountain landscapes of the North Caucasus showed that it is characterized by high stability. Despite the noted climatic changes, there are no prerequisites for changing the temporal and, as a result, the landscape structure of the mountain landscapes of the North Caucasus. Suggestions for practical application and direction for future research. The results of the study can be useful in agriculture to identify the relationship between certain conditions and crop yields and forecasting natural hazards (droughts, frosts, etc.).

The Electric State of the Surface Atmosphere in the Mountain–Steppe Landscapes of Southern Siberia According to the Measurement Data in the Khakass–Tyva Expedition in 2022

Currently, many researchers are interested in investigating the electric field in the fair-weather electric environment, along with its diurnal and seasonal variations across all regions of the world. However, a similar study in the southern part of Siberia has not yet been carried out. In this regard, this study aims to estimate the mean values of the electric field and their variations in the mountain and steppe landscapes using the measurement data from the Khakass–Tyva expedition in 2022. The maximum values of positive ion density were noted at the site in the Iyussko-Shirinsky steppe between Belyo and Tus salt lakes in the Khakass-Minusinsk Basin. The maximum values of negative ion density were observed at the site in the Shol tract in the center part of the Tyva depression. The potential gradient tends to increase with altitude and reaches a maximum in the highlands. The maximum values of the potential gradient were noted in the highlands plateau near the Mongun-Taiga Mountain Massif and Khindiktig-Khol Lake. The diurnal cycles of potential gradient at different observation sites were divided into two groups: (1) a diurnal cycle in the form of a double wave; and (2) a daily cycle with a more complex course due to the strong influence of local factors.

Enhancing the accuracy of digital soil mapping using the surface and subsurface soil characteristics as continuous diagnostic layers.

Digital soil mapping relies on relating soils to a particular set of covariates, which capture inherent soil spatial variation. In digital mapping of soil classes, the most commonly used covariates are topographic attributes, RS attributes, and maps, including geology, geomorphology, and land use; in contrast, the subsurface soil characteristics are usually ignored. Therefore, we investigate the possibility of using soil diagnostic characteristics as covariates in a mountainous landscape as the main aim of this study. Conventional covariates (CC) and a combination of soil subsurface covariates with conventional covariates (SCC) were used as covariates, and random forest (RF), Multinomial Logistic Regression (LR), and C5.0 Decision Trees (C5) were used as different machine learning algorithms in digital mapping of soil family classes. Based on the results, the RF model with the SCC dataset had the best performance (KC = 0.85, OA = 90). In all three models, adding soil covariates to the sets of covariates increased the model performance. Soil covariates, slope, and aspect were selected as the principal auxiliary variables in describing the distribution of soil family classes.

Movement behaviour of the common frog (Rana temporaria) in an anthropized mountain landscape: integrated step selection analysis of GPS tracking data

Abstract Movement is a key aspect of amphibian ecology as the life cycle of many species involves seasonal dispersal and migration. However, there is still a lack of knowledge about how amphibians move across landscapes in relation to landscape structure and resource availability. Modern lightweight GPS loggers and associated statistical tools offer new perspectives to fill this gap. We tracked the movements of 20 adult European common frogs (Rana temporaria) in a human-transformed mountain landscape during summer using GPS tags programmed with a constant 4-hour time interval between fixes. Using integrated step-selection analysis, we demonstrate firstly that frogs strongly selected aquatic habitats over open grassland. Second, ski runs have a negative effect on frogs, indicated by longer movement steps. Weather (air temperature and rain) had no effect on frog movements. These results constitute a promising first step towards studying anuran movement in relation to landscape structure at fine spatial and temporal scales.