Vegetation Belts Research Articles

The Geographical Analysis of Environmental Threats to Natural Plants in the Sharbazher District

The Sharbazher district is rich in natural vegetation with (49%) of the area consisting of forest and other natural vegetation belts. Protecting this vegetation belt is an environmental necessity, as it has faced several environmental threats in the last two decades. The study identified environmental threats and evaluated the measures and efforts taken to protect this vegetation belt. The research used a (reading) method, followed by analytical and comparative methods. Field surveys of the study area were conducted on several different dates, data were collected and scenes were observed. The study found that along with natural threats, manmade threats are more significantly affecting the vegetation ecology of the region. Rainfall fluctuations have had a more notable impact on short vegetation and pastures. From summer to early winter, an environmental instability occurred that resulted in damaging riverside vegetation and streams, many of which during the years (20172022-) about (2310) trees were cut down, most of which were (Oak) trees, but according to the study’s estimation, more than (16000) trees were cut down during the same period. Until now, charcoal is made in coal furnaces from natural forest trees and this is carried out without official permission, during the years (20172022-) more than (20,000 acres) of weed and natural forests in the region have been burned. Also during the years (20012020-), there have been changes in the vegetation belts and land cover of the region, the area of dense and medium forest belts has increased, but the area of open forest belts has decreased, and there have been major changes in the land area of human settlements. The study outlines ways to protect the vegetation belt and emphasises the enforcement of Implemented laws on the protection of plants and forests. Keywords: Natural plants, Environmental threats, Forest law, Sharbazher district.

Comparison of the Flow around Circular and Rectangular Emergent Cylinders with Subcritical and Supercritical Conditions

There are multiple initiatives aimed at strengthening coastal communities against tsunami disaster risks, such as growing vegetation belts, construction of embankments, moats, and different hybrid alternatives. To find a solution for strengthening the coastal buildings themselves, we firstly reviewed the flow phenomena around a single emergent (circular and rectangular) cylinder (case C1), which was considered as a piloti-type column under different Froude conditions, and evaluated the formation of surface bow-waves, hydraulic jump detachment, and wall-jet-like bow-waves. Secondly, the flow characteristics were investigated under the same Froude conditions with side-by-side two-cylinder (case C2) and four-cylinder (case C4) arrays in an open channel. Surface bow-wave length (LBw) increased by 7–12% over the rectangular cylinders (RCs) compared to the circular cylinders (CCs) with a subcritical flow. For the supercritical flow with a 1/200 bed slope, hydraulic jump detachment was observed in relation to the Froude number. The observed length of the hydraulic jump detachment (Ljump) varied between 3.1–8.5% and 4.2–12.9% for the CCs and RCs in the supercritical flow with a 1/200 bed slope. In addition, the wall-jet-like bow-wave height (hjet) over the CCs was increased by 37% and 29% compared to the RCs with a supercritical flow and zero bed slope (orifice-type flow). For case C4, a hydraulic jump was observed for the supercritical flow over the horizontal channel bed. Finally, empirical equations were defined concerning the geometrical shape and arrangement based on the experiment data for the single and side-by-side configurations of the cylinders to validate the height of the wall-jet-like bow-wave as the most critical flow property.

Биоклиматические варианты оробиома Северо-Восточного Забайкалья

Introduction. The spatial structure of the biota at the regional level of its organization is most closely associated with the climate, expressed primarily through bioclimatic indicators. In the geography of the botanical diversity of Northeastern Transbaikalia, which is characterized by a complex organization of vegetation cover, the influence of a number of important gradients of climatic conditions is expressed. The identification of these gradients was the purpose of this research. Methods and materials of the research. The methodological basis of the research was the ecosystem approach to the identification and evaluation of phytocenotic diversity associated with ecological and geographical factors that determine its spatial differentiation. The geographic and genetic classification of plant communities was used to identify the typological diversity of vegetation. The climatic characteristics of the Northeastern Transbaikalia was given on the basis of key bioclimatic indicators (global model BioClim). The bioclimatic substantiation of the spatial structure was carried out taking into account the principles of identifying the diversity of ecosystems at the regional level. Mapping of the bioclimatic variants of the orobiome was compiled using the clustering of units according to the average values of parameters by the k-means method. Research results and discussion. A joint analysis of vegetation and climate made it possible, for the first time for Northeastern Transbaikalia, to determine the internal structure of ecosystem diversity that develops in the mountains within the framework of an orobiome. It also allowed mapping the spatial organization of ecosystems at the regional level on a climate basis. Using the cluster analysis of climatopes of the main vegetation formations, subdivisions of the orobiome (bioclimatic variants) are proposed. Two variants of the Ist order are expressed through the structure of the vegetation cover of mountain systems: the relatively low Patom highland in the north, and more massive ridges of the strongly dissected North Baikal and Stanovoy highlands in the south. Variants of the IInd order, differing in the degree of continentality and moisture conditions, have specificity in the altitudinal belts and sub-belts of vegetation. Diversity within belts and sub-belts, expressed through the typological diversity of vegetation at the level of formations, classes, and groups of associations, is marked by climatic differences in bioclimatic variants of the IIIrd order. The diversity of climatic conditions that determine the phytocoenotic diversity of Northeastern Transbaikalia is characterized through integral bioclimatic types of orobiome, determined by temperature and moisture supply. Three ombroclimatic types were distinguished by continentality conditions. The influence of the complex orographic structure of a vast mountainous territory, as well as zonal and sectoral patterns in changing climatic conditions, is characterized in their change from continental to extracontinental in according to the degree of climate continentality. The same factors determine the identification of three thermoclimatic types, which are associated with the distinguished altitudinal vegetation belts (mountain tundra, subalpine, mountain taiga). The temperate cold type is expressed in the intermountain depressions and low mountains of the Patom highlands, the cold type is associated with the middle mountains and the lower part of the high mountains (mountain taiga and subalpine belts), and the extra cold type is distinguished in the high mountains of the most massive ridges – Kodar and Kalar. Conclusion. Quantitative interpretation of the climatic conditions of the bioclimatic variants of the orobiome made it possible to give an integral evaluation of the climatic conditionality of the development of basic vegetation formations, the altitudinal belt divisions, and the altitudinal spectra of vegetation in general. The resulting basis can be used for the sustainable development of the region in connection with economic activities in areas adjacent to the Baikal-Amur Railway, for monitoring and forecasting changes in vegetation and ecosystems in general due to climate change and intensification of economic activities in the region.

Testing the stress gradient hypothesis in soil bacterial communities associated with vegetation belts in the Andean Atacama Desert

BackgroundSoil microorganisms are in constant interaction with plants, and these interactions shape the composition of soil bacterial communities by modifying their environment. However, little is known about the relationship between microorganisms and native plants present in extreme environments that are not affected by human intervention. Using high-throughput sequencing in combination with random forest and co-occurrence network analyses, we compared soil bacterial communities inhabiting the rhizosphere surrounding soil (RSS) and the corresponding bulk soil (BS) of 21 native plant species organized into three vegetation belts along the altitudinal gradient (2400–4500 m a.s.l.) of the Talabre–Lejía transect (TLT) in the slopes of the Andes in the Atacama Desert. We assessed how each plant community influenced the taxa, potential functions, and ecological interactions of the soil bacterial communities in this extreme natural ecosystem. We tested the ability of the stress gradient hypothesis, which predicts that positive species interactions become increasingly important as stressful conditions increase, to explain the interactions among members of TLT soil microbial communities.ResultsOur comparison of RSS and BS compartments along the TLT provided evidence of plant-specific microbial community composition in the RSS and showed that bacterial communities modify their ecological interactions, in particular, their positive:negative connection ratios in the presence of plant roots at each vegetation belt. We also identified the taxa driving the transition of the BS to the RSS, which appear to be indicators of key host-microbial relationships in the rhizosphere of plants in response to different abiotic conditions. Finally, the potential functions of the bacterial communities also diverge between the BS and the RSS compartments, particularly in the extreme and harshest belts of the TLT.ConclusionsIn this study, we identified taxa of bacterial communities that establish species-specific relationships with native plants and showed that over a gradient of changing abiotic conditions, these relationships may also be plant community specific. These findings also reveal that the interactions among members of the soil microbial communities do not support the stress gradient hypothesis. However, through the RSS compartment, each plant community appears to moderate the abiotic stress gradient and increase the efficiency of the soil microbial community, suggesting that positive interactions may be context dependent.

Restoration of Vegetation Greenness and Possible Changes in Mature Forest Communities in Two Forests Damaged by the Vaia Storm in Northern Italy.

Windstorms are rare in the Southern Alps, but their frequency is increasing due to climate change. This research analyzed the vegetation of two spruce forests in Camonica Valley (Northern Italy) destroyed by the Vaia storm to evaluate the vegetation responses to blowdown damage. In each study area, the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) was used to evaluate the change in plant cover and greenness from 2018 (before the Vaia storm) to 2021. Furthermore, floristic-vegetation data were analyzed to identify current plant communities and develop models of plant succession. The results showed that the two areas, although located in different altitudinal vegetation belts, are undergoing the same ecological processes. NDVI is increasing in both areas, and pre-disturbance values (~0.8) should be reached in less than ten years. Nevertheless, the spontaneous restoration of pre-disturbance forest communities (Calamagrostio arundinaceae-Piceetum) should not occur in both study areas. In fact, the two plant succession trends are characterized by pioneer and intermediate stages with young trees of Quercus petraea and Abies alba, typical of more thermophilic mature forest communities compared to pre-disturbance ones. These results could reinforce the trend of the upward shift in forest plant species and plant communities in response to environmental changes in mountain areas.

"My Reputation is at Stake." Humboldt's Mountain Plant Geography in the Making (1803-1825).

Alexander von Humboldt's depictions of mountain vegetation are among the most iconic nineteenth century illustrations in the biological sciences. Here we analyse the contemporary context and empirical data for all these depictions, namely the Tableau physique des Andes (1803, 1807), the Geographiae plantarum lineamenta (1815), the Tableau physique des Îles Canaries (1817), and the Esquisse de la Géographie des plantes dans les Andes de Quito (1824/1825). We show that the Tableau physique des Andes does not reflect Humboldt and Bonpland's field data and presents a flawed depiction of plant occurrences and vertical succession of vegetation belts, arising from Humboldt's misreading of La Condamine's description (1751). Humboldt's 1815 depiction, by contrast, shows a distribution of high-vegetation belts that is consistent with La Condamine's description, while the 1824 depiction drops innovations made in 1815 and returns to simply showing numerous species' names, thus not applying Humboldt's own earlier zonation framework. Our analysis of contemporary reactions to Humboldt's TPA includes Francis Hall's posthumously published 1834 illustration of Andean plant zonation near Quito and Humboldt's reaction to Hall's critique. Throughout his work on plant geography, Humboldt disregarded some of his own observations, or confused them. At stake was his reputation as an innovator in the field of plant geography and a discoverer of the sequence of high-elevation vegetation belts on the world's mountains.

Biodiversity of high-mountain woody plants in the East Carpathians in Ukraine

The highest parts of the European mountain massifs are covered by subalpine and alpine vegetation, with rich flora containing many relic woody plants adapted to cold temperatures and relatively short vegetation periods. In the Ukrainian Carpathians, only several highest mountain massifs form environmental conditions suitable for high mountain plants. The aim of the study was the detection of the centre of biodiversity of the high mountain plants in the East Carpathians in Ukraine. We expected the largest number of high mountain woody species in the Ukrainian East Carpathians would occur in the Chornohora, the largest and most elevated mountain chain in the country. To solve this problem, the geographic distribution of 16 woody species was analysed cartographically. We gathered georeferenced data of 919 localities of taxa, which occur in the subalpine and alpine vegetation belts, and prepared maps of their distribution using QGIS software. Additionally, we analysed vertical distribution and occurrence on different expositions of every taxon. Most of analysed subalpine and alpine species occur in the highest and the largest mountain massifs. The high mountain woody species occur in the Ukrainian parts of the East Carpathians mainly in the largest mountain massifs, the Chornohora, Svydovets, Chyvchyny, Marmarosh, and to a lesser extent, also in the Gorgany. The vertical distribution and predominant occurrence on the northern or close to northern expositions of most subalpine and alpine species indicate their demands for the relatively high level of humidity of the soil and high level of precipitation. These condition point to the relic character of most of analysed species, which origin from the glacial periods of the Pleistocene. Most of the taxa, which have centres of their distribution in the alpine and sub-alpine vegetation belts of the East Carpathians in the Ukraine territory are valuable but threatened elements of the Ukrainian flora.

Early Pleistocene charophyte flora from Dursunlu (Ilgın Basin, Turkey): palaeoecological implications

Here, a charophyte assemblage from lower Pleistocene deposits at the coal mine locality of Dursunlu (Ilgın Basin, Turkey) is described and illustrated for the first time. The assemblage is composed of 11 species recovered from 50 samples taken from an 18 m-thick sedimentary sequence. The base of the sequence is dominated by lignites and organic-rich claystones/siltstones with root marks attributed to palustrine facies. The charophyte assemblage in this palustrine interval is dominated by Chara vulgaris and C. globularis. The upper part of the section is constituted by light grey-yellowish marls, siltstones and a limestone bed related to shallow lacustrine deposits. Two charophyte species dominate this lacustrine interval, Chara hispida and Nitellopsis obtusa, which occurred in intervals in association with Chara pappii, Chara molassica var. notata, Chara sp.1, Chara sp.2, Sphaerochara prolifera, Sphaerochara intricata and Lychnothamnus barbatus var. antiquus. The palaeoenvironmental characteristics and evolution of the Ilgın palaeolake during the Early Pleistocene (Günz glaciation) are inferred from a facies analysis and the ecological requirements of the charophyte assemblages. The results suggest that during this glacial period, the Ilgın Basin was occupied by a very shallow eutrophic lake with a dense palustrine vegetation belt, which evolved to a shallow (2–15 m deep), stable, oligotrophic, alkaline and oligohaline lake. The increase in water availability in the palaeolake can be related to climatic oscillation during the Günz glaciation. Finally, the lake depocentre migrated towards the NW due to tectonism, and these deposits were later subjected to intense pedogenic alteration.

Effects of subsurface flow on dunefields: Doubling the amount of soil moisture and substantially increasing the biomass of annual plants

Plants in deserts exhibit heterogeneous distribution, which may stem from water redistribution following runoff. However, heterogeneous plant distribution is also common in dunefields regardless of runoff. In the Hallamish dune field in the hyper-arid Negev Desert, dense vegetation belts are noted in loci where an abrupt change in slope angles of uncrusted slopes (interface, IF) occurs, attributed to subsurface flow (SSF). While SSF was previously noted in dunefields, quantification of SSF is problematic, especially in arid regions where precipitation is low, evaporation is high, and the amount of SSF is not sufficiently large to facilitate direct measurement (in water volume). Here indirect measurements of SSF are reported based on near weekly measurements of available water content (AWC) during 2012/13, 2013/14 and 2015/16 at five slope positions along two dune catenas and the adjacent interdunes: flat semi-stable top (TOPs), flat crusted interdune (IDc), semi-stable (NFs) and crusted (NFc) north-facing slope, and IF. In addition, the hydrological rain and monthly surface stability were also measured, and additionally plant characteristics (cover, number of species, density, and biomass) were used as indicators for AWC. Higher AWC characterized the uncrusted slope positions (especially at IF) in comparison with crusted slope positions of similar slope angles. Although receiving the lowest amount of rain, AWC at IF was ∼ 2-fold higher than at most other slope positions, resulting in ∼ 3- to 5-fold higher cover and biomass, serving therefore as 'islands of fertility'. As verified by the Generalized Linear Regression Model, plant performance was mainly dictated by AWC and to a lesser degree by surface stability. Our findings may have broader implications for water redistribution in other dunefields, where a unique distribution of water has at times been attributed to factors such as the effect of biocrusts on infiltration rather than to SSF.

Time-calibrated phylogenies reveal mediterranean and pre-mediterranean origin of the thermophilous vegetation of the Canary Islands.

The Canary Islands have strong floristic affinities with the Mediterranean Basin. One of the most characteristic and diverse vegetation belts of the archipelago is the thermophilous woodland (between 200 and 900 m.a.s.l.). This thermophilous plant community consists of many non-endemic species shared with the Mediterranean Floristic Region together with Canarian endemic species. Consequently, phytogeographic studies have historically proposed the hypothesis of an origin of the Canarian thermophilous species following the establishment of the summer-dry mediterranean climate in the Mediterranean Basin around 2.8 million years ago. Time-calibrated phylogenies for 39 plant groups including Canarian thermophilous species were primarily analysed to infer colonization times. In particular, we used 26 previously published phylogenies together with 13 new time-calibrated phylogenies (including newly generated plastid and nuclear DNA sequence data) to assess whether the time interval between stem and crown ages of Canarian thermophilous lineages postdates 2.8 Ma. For lineages postdating this time threshold, we additionally conducted ancestral area reconstructions to infer the potential source area for colonization. A total of 43 Canarian thermophilous lineages were identified from 39 plant groups. Both mediterranean (16) and pre-mediterranean (9) plant lineages were found. However, we failed to determine the temporal origin for 18 lineages because a stem-crown time interval overlaps with the 2.8-Ma threshold. The spatial origin of thermophilous lineages was also heterogeneous, including ancestral areas from the Mediterranean Basin (nine) and other regions (six). Our findings reveal an unexpectedly heterogeneous origin of the Canarian thermophilous species in terms of colonization times and mainland source areas. A substantial proportion of the lineages arrived in the Canaries before the summer-dry climate was established in the Mediterranean Basin. The complex temporal and geographic origin of Canarian thermophilous species challenges the view of the Canary Islands (and Madeira) as a subregion within the Mediterranean Floristic Region.

Субфоссильные спорово-пыльцевые спектры горных территорий на примере полуострова Камчатка

The article presents the results of the composition analysis of 27 recent (surface) pollen assemblages collected in typical plant communities in the northern part of the Central Kamchatka Depression and on the surrounding slopes of the Sredinny Range and Klyuchevskaya Sopka volcano. Our data show that spore-pollen spectra reliably represent the composition of forest plant communities. However, the proportions of pollen in the spectra of some arboreal taxas does not always correspond to their role in plant communities The adequacy of the spectra for plant communities is confirmed by cluster analysis, according to which the most statistically similar spore-pollen spectra are formed in similar plant communities. Regional components of the spectra in surface samples distort the ratios of main taxa in plant communities, especially in the high altitudinal vegetation belt. The participation of coniferous tree pollen in the spectra is underestimated compared to their actual presence in plant communities. These features must be considered when interpreting fossil spore-pollen spectra. Our materials made it possible to identify taxa whose pollen is often found in the spectra of the subalpine and alpine zones: Alnus alnobetula, Liliaceae, Polygonaceae, Asteraceae, Saussurea and Sanguisorba. The strongest influence of local vegetation is observed in the spectra of swamps and coastal plant communities. The spectra of these communities usually contain pollen of Alnus hirsuta, Salix, and Populus, as well as Rosaceae, Cyperaceae, Comarum, Myrica, and Menyanthes, and spores of Polypodiaceae and Equisetum. Our materials will facilitate more reasonable reconstructions of Kamchatka vegetation based on the pollen analysis in the study of fossil pollen spectra of the Kamchatka Peninsula, as well as in the interpretation of pollen data from other mountainous regions.

The first African record of Isothecium algarvicum in Kroumiria (Tunisia), a relictual element of the Neogene flora?

Isothecium algarvicum W.E.Nicholson & Dixon was discovered in Tunisia, which constitutes the first report of this Macaronesian-oceanic species in Africa. Three distinct populations were observed in ravines in the humid Meso-Mediterranean vegetation belt of Kroumiria. The Tunisian material is fully described, with particular attention to alar and supra-alar cells, prorate cells and other morphological characteristics. The density and size of the prorate cells appear to be a robust diagnostic characteristic for the separation of Isothecium algarvicum, I. alopecuroides and I. myosuroides. Detailed analysis of the forest habitat reveals a uniquely rich environment. The origin of a possibly relict species with Macaronesian-oceanic affinities is discussed.

Topography and its Impact on the Distribution of Cover Belts of Natural Intentions in the Qardagh Region

This page researches to analyze the relationship between the topography and the natural vegetation in the Qardagh region, since the topography has a direct impact on the elements of climate, precipitation and temperatures. this determines the density and type of natural vegetation. The narrow plains and therefore the temperatures and the amount of rain differ between its different regions, which led to the diversity of the natural vegetation and in order to reach the objectives of the research, we divided the research into four sections. Natural vegetation. In the third and fourth sections, we studied the types of natural vegetation and natural vegetation belts according to the height from the surface of the earth. In conclusion, we concluded that the natural vegetation belts differ with different terrain in terms of quantity and type, and we used in this research Excel software (GIS & RS).

TARAXACUM SECT. ERYTHROSPERMA IN SLOVAKIA III: TARAXACUM PARNASSICUM DAHLST., NEW LOCALITIES AND NOTES ON ITS DISTRIBUTION AND TAXONOMY

The paper presents new records of Taraxacum parnassicum, the most common member of Taraxacum section Erythrosperma in Slovakia. The species has been recorded in most of the 31 phytogeographical districts of Slovakia. At least 25 new localities were discovered, and many old ones were confirmed. T. parnassicum prefers natural and semi-ruderal sites on limestone, rarely on volcanic and sandy soils, predominantly not shaded. The majority of populations occur from the lowland to supracolline vegetation belt, mainly at elevations of 140–700 m a.s.l., with the altitudinal maximum at 1,410 m a.s.l. A distribution map is given with the list of localities from the whole territory of Slovakia as well as short discussion about its taxonomy and ploidy level.

FLORA OF BARKOV MOUNTAIN (FLORA OF MOUNT BARKOV (SUBPOLAR URALS) AND ITS ROLE IN THE CONSERVATION OF RARE PLANTS

A list of vascular plants of the Barkova Mountain in Subpolar Urals (1320 m above sea level) made up of 237 species from 124 genera and 45 families is published. The high taxonomic diversity of the flora is predicated on a number of factors: mountainous relief and significant altitudinal range (670 m), the presence of several altitudinal vegetation belts and a vast mountain-top plateau, heterogeneous bedrocks, climatic conditions of subarctic highlands, and the general history of the flora formation during the Late Pleistocene. The flora of the Barkova Mountain occupies a transitional position, with both arctic montane and boreal features, and is classified as hypoarctic montane with regional characteristics. Two taxa (Sedum roseum and Castilleja arctica subsp. vorkutensis) are included in the Red Data Book of the Russian Federation, 27 taxa - in the Red Data Book of the Komi Republic, and 13 - in the Appendix to the regional Red Data Book. Many protected species are represented by marginal populations in the study area. Two species (Ranunculus kamchaticus and Draba pauciflora) have single records for the Komi Republic. Despite the recent significant human impact, the Barkova Mountain is important for the conservation of the floral diversity of the region, the Yugyd Va National Park and the Virgin Komi Forests UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Temperature Sensitivity of Topsoil Organic Matter Decomposition Does Not Depend on Vegetation Types in Mountains.

Rising air temperatures caused by global warming affects microbial decomposition rate of soil organic matter (SOM). The temperature sensitivity of SOM decomposition (Q10) may depend on SOM quality determined by vegetation type. In this study, we selected a long transect (3.6 km) across the five ecosystems and short transects (0.1 km) from grazed and ungrazed meadows to forests in the Northwest Caucasus to consider different patterns in Q10 changes at shift of the vegetation belts. It is hypothesized that Q10 will increase along altitudinal gradient in line with recalcitrance of SOM according to kinetics-based theory. The indicators of SOM quality (BR:C, respiration per unit of soil C; MBC:C, ratio of microbial biomass carbon to soil carbon; soil C:N ratio) were used for checking the hypothesis. It was shown that Q10 did not differ across vegetation types within long and short transects, regardless differences in projective cover (14–99%) and vegetation species richness (6–12 units per plot). However, Q10 value differed between the long and short transects by almost two times (on average 2.4 vs. 1.4). Such a difference was explained by environmental characteristics linked with terrain position (slope steepness, microclimate, and land forms). The Q10 changes across studied slopes were driven by BR:C for meadows (R2 = 0.64; negative relationship) and pH value for forests (R2 = 0.80; positive relationship). Thus, proxy of SOM quality explained Q10 variability only across mountain meadows, whereas for forests, soil acidity was the main driver of microbial activity.

Climatic Relationship of Vegetation in Forest Stands in the Mediterranean Vegetation Belt of the Eastern Adriatic

The Mediterranean vegetation belt on the eastern Adriatic covers an area of nearly 15,000 km2. It is comprised of forest stands that can be divided into three vegetation zones based on the presence of certain plant species within each: sub-Mediterranean, eu-Mediterranean, and steno-Mediterranean. The dominant ecological factors result in the domination of specific tree species within the floral composition between these vegetation zones. The aim of this study was to collect climate data from 38 weather stations over a 30-year period to compare climate data and bioclimate properties in the area of these three vegetation zones. The results confirmed statistically significant differences between the main climatic elements and most bioclimatic indices between the vegetation zones. Cooler and more humid conditions were found in the sub-Mediterranean zone, warmer and somewhat drier conditions in the eu-Mediterranean zone, and particularly pronounced warm and dry conditions in the steno-Mediterranean zone. However, the analysis of the main components for researching climate parameters showed that the mean annual air temperature, average minimum air temperature of the coldest month of the year and continentality index, length of the dry season, and de Martonne aridity index contribute the most to the grouping of vegetation in forest stands in the Mediterranean vegetation belt of the eastern Adriatic.

Nature-Based Resilience: Experiences of Five Cities from South Asia.

As in many other parts of the world, the urban areas of the South Asian region are increasingly expanding. While cities today are the heart of commercial, technological and social development, they are also vulnerable to a variety of natural and anthropogenic threats. The complex urban infrastructure, and the ever-expanding population in cities, exacerbate the impacts of climate change and increase the risk of natural hazards. Throughout history, various hydrological disasters including floods, tidal surges, and droughts, and non-hydrological disasters such as earthquakes, landslides, and storms have led to catastrophic social, economic and environmental impacts in numerous South Asian cities. Disaster risk reduction is therefore central to ensure sustainability in urban areas. Although Nature-based Solutions (NbS) are identified as a promising strategy to reduce risk and increase resilience, there appears to be a lack of evidence-based approaches. NbS are measures that can be practiced to obtain benefits of nature for the environmental and community development through conserving, managing, and restoring ecosystems. Against this backdrop, the South Asian cities provide opportunities to evaluate capacities for achieving Nature-based Resilience (NbR) through NbS. This study documents insights from five cities of five different countries of the South Asian region which are subjected to a wide array of disasters: Barishal (Bangladesh), Phuentsholing (Bhutan), Gurugram (India), Kathmandu (Nepal), and Colombo (Sri Lanka). The primary objective of this study is to provide evidence on how NbS are being practiced. Thus, some success stories in cities under consideration are highlighted: restoration of natural canals through integrated development plans and community participation (Barishal), concepts of Gross National Happiness (GNH) and minimal nature interventions (Phuentsholing), “Greening cities’’ including eco-corridors, vegetation belts, biodiversity parks (Gurugram), proper land use planning aims at different disasters (Kathmandu), and wetland restoration and management with multiple benefits (Colombo). These cases could therefore, act as a “proxy” for learning from each other to prepare for and recover from future disasters while building NbR.

Liverworts of the South Kamchatka Nature Park: Survival in Active Volcanism Land

Kamchatka, due to its position in hemiarctic northeast Asia on the migration pathways of taxa from Asia to America and vice versa, which has an insular geographical position and provides numerous pieces of evidence regarding current active volcanism, has a peculiar flora. The study of the liverwort flora of the southeastern part of the Kamchatka Peninsula (South Kamchatka Nature Park), which, until now, has been very poorly explored, showed high taxonomic richness and some specificity due to volcanic evidence. In total, 132 species have been recorded in this sector of the “Pacific Ring of Fire”. This number is quite high compared to other floras of hemiarctic Asia. The influence of volcanism on flora formation is prominent due to the regular renewal of substrates, the appearance of specific habitats (for example, thermal water outlets), the displacement of vegetation belts, and ashfalls leading to the presence of extended spaces free of vegetation cover and is an area that is open for invaders. The altitudinal zonality, despite the difference of 2000 m in elevation, is not clearly expressed in the flora of the liverworts: arctomontane species descend far down the altitudinal profile, reaching the Betula ermanii forests. The “plantless” uppermost belt in the mountains, commonly described in floristic studies of vascular plants, is not actually free of plants if liverwort occurrences are considered. A number of species normally occupy unusual habitats in the studied flora due to contemporary volcanism evidence, e.g., sulfur-rich substrates.

Soil organic carbon stocks in the high mountain permafrost zone of the semi-arid Central Andes (Cordillera Frontal, Argentina)

This study presents the first detailed soil organic carbon (SOC) inventory for a high mountain permafrost zone in the semi-arid Central Andes of South America. We describe plant cover and soil profiles at 31 sites representing the main land cover and landform types in the Veguitas catchment (Cordillera Frontal, Argentina), which ranges in elevation from c. 3000 to 5500 m. The vegetated area with soil development is largely confined to altitudes of < 3650 m and represents only 8.2% of the total catchment area. Mean SOC 0–100 cm storage for the vegetated portion of the catchment is 3.62 kg C m−2, which is reduced to 0.33 kg C m−2 if we consider negligible SOC stocks in the extensive bare ground and glaciated areas at higher elevations. Hotspots of SOC storage are wet meadow areas, with peat deposits up to 102 cm deep and a maximum observed total SOC storage of 53.07 kg C m−2. These wet meadow areas, however, occupy only 0.11% of the total catchment area and their contribution to mean SOC storage is limited. Among soils at well-drained sites, highest mean SOC 0–100 cm storage is found on backslope positions of moraines that predate the Last Glacial Maximum (6.87 kg C m−2). Only 2% of all SOC stocks in the catchment are found in permafrost terrain and none are located in the permafrost layer itself. The main ecoclimatic control on SOC storage is plant cover, with vegetation limits being sensitive to ambient temperature. Projected increases in temperatures will not remobilize any frozen SOC stocks but will likely result in an upward shift of the upper vegetation belt with soil development creating new areas of phytomass carbon and SOC storage. The area is expected to represent a net C sink and thus a negative feedback on future global warming.