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Few coupled lake-watershed studies examine long-term effects of climate on the ecosystem function of lakes in a hydrological context. We use 32 years of hydrological and biogeochemical data from a high-elevation site in the Sierra Nevada of California to characterize variation in snowmelt in relation to climate variability and explore the impact on factors affecting phytoplankton biomass. The magnitude of accumulated winter snow, quantified through basinwide estimates of snow water equivalent (SWE), was the most important climate factor controlling variation in the timing and rate of spring snowmelt. Variations in SWE and snowmelt led to significant differences in lake flushing rate, water temperature, and nitrate concentrations across years. On average in dry years, snowmelt started 25 days earlier and proceeded 7 mm/day slower, and the lake began the ice-free season with nitrate concentrations ~2 μM higher and water temperatures 9°C warmer than in wet years. Flushing rates in wet years were 2.5 times larger than those in dry years. Consequently, particulate organic matter concentrations, a proxy for phytoplankton biomass, were 5–6 μM higher in dry years. There was a temporal trend of increase in particulate organic matter across dry years that corresponded to lake warming independent of variation in SWE. These results suggest that phytoplankton biomass is increasing as a result of both interannual variability in precipitation and long-term warming trends. Our study underscores the need to account for local-scale catchment variability that may affect the accumulation of winter snowpack when predicting climate responses in lakes.

To assess advice given to parents who wish to travel to high altitudes with an infant and to provide guidance on this topic. Using an anonymous self-report survey online, we collected information on the advice provided by practitioners, who practice in mountain environments, to parents who wish to travel to altitude with an infant. General practitioners and pediatricians working in the French Alps were asked about the maximum allowable altitude for different ages and the specific recommendations given. A total of 104 practitioners (39% general practitioners) responded to the study. Overall, to spend 1 day at altitude, practitioners recommended a median altitude of 1200, 1500, 1600, and 2000 m for infants under 1, 3, 12, and 24 months, respectively. Their main recommendations for infant protection focused on cold protection, increased hydration, and increased humidity level in the ambient air. Prevention of sudden infant death syndrome was essential according to the respondents. For infants with upper airway infection, most of the participants (90%, n = 94) recommended against traveling to altitude. This survey revealed a certain consensus about the maximum travel altitude to be recommended for infants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Skidders are very cost-effective extraction machines, and winch-assist systems may extend their operating range to increasingly steep terrain. The use of winch-assist skidder systems is relatively new, and little information is available about their operational efficiency and potential soil impact. A productivity and soil disturbance study was carried out in Southland (New Zealand) to gauge the benefits of winch assistance by comparing the performance of the same two-axle skidder with and without winch assistance on increasingly steep trails (30 and 40% gradients). The delay-free productivity approached 100 m3 solid volume over bark per productive machine hour (PMH) under the best conditions and declined with the extraction distance, reducing to approximately 40 m3 PMH−1 at 300 m. On the 30% slope trail, winch assistance allowed an 8% productivity gain through a significant increase in the payload size. However, on the 40% slope trail, the increased payload size allowed by winch assistance was unable to offset the much lower empty speed and, therefore, the control treatment (no winch assistance) performed better. A preliminary soil disturbance assessment was carried out over the whole harvest site using a line transect method. The assessment was conducted at the end of the harvest and reflected the impact of all the operational activities, including mechanised felling and skid trail construction, not just skidding. Soil disturbance appeared to be low, as ruts deeper than 15 cm covered only 2% of the inspected surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Between October 2014 and January 2021 was analyzed for climatological variables such as: air temperature (maximum and minimum), soil temperatures and relative humidity. In general, it was observed that the air temperature within the secondary forest had lows of 11°C and highs of 29.4°C; while in forest patches under restoration, differences were observed, below 12°C and close to 42°C. At maximum and minimum temperatures it was observed that the greatest oscillations were outside the secondary forest relict in patches under restoration (varying by 11°C, mean of 16.9°C vs. by 10°C, average of 16°C within the forest). The soil temperature is higher in patches under restoration and outside the forest (mean 18.2°C) than inside (mean 16.8°C), except in 2018; however, its variation overlaps in both sampling stations (outside 10.0-29.0°C and inside 11.0-25.0°C). Relative humidity was found to be higher (average 75.6%) within the secondary forested relict than outside in patches under restoration (average 71.4%); also within the secondary forested relict, values were observed between 28.0% and 100%, outside the forest in patches under restoration variations between 18.0% and 99.0% were noted, relative humidity data close to 20% were recorded in 2018, and close to 90-100% in 2019. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here we present a list of the butterflies of the Nipe-Sagua-Baracoa mountain range, comprising the easternmost Cuban massif and the largest biodiversity hotspot within the Antillean Islands. We retrieved information from the literature and from our own surveys in the area. We compiled butterfly species lists from 25 localities in four of the six phytogeographical districts in which the range is divided: Sierra de Nipe, Sierra Cristal, Sierra de Moa-Toa and the Baracoa limestone mountains. A total of 158 species of six butterfly families were registered, 78% of the known Cuban fauna. The district totals are 69 species from Sierra de Nipe, 76 from Sierra Cristal, 153 from Sierra de Moa-Toa and 114 from the Baracoa limestone mountains. Some 79% of all Cuban endemic butterfly taxa are represented. These values outnumber any other Cuban region and are likely to be caused by the proximity of Hispaniola, elevated age of the mountains and presence of serpentine soils, which together with climatic factors likely triggered the formation of a rich mosaic of highly diverse habitats. The Nipe-Sagua-Baracoa mountain range is one of the richest butterfly hotspots within the Antilles. Further work should focus on the less sampled and non-sampled districts and on the ecology, biogeography and life history of the butterflies in the range, especially species of greatest conservation relevance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fish consumption advisories for mercury (Hg) are common in rivers, highlighting connections between landscape sources of Hg and downstream fluvial ecosystems. Though watershed conditions can influence concentrations of Hg in smaller streams, how Hg changes downstream through larger rivers and how these changes associate with Hg concentrations in fish is not well understood. Here we present a continuum of concentrations and yields of total mercury (THg) and methylmercury (MeHg) from small tributary systems draining diverse western Canadian headwater landscapes through to major transboundary rivers. We associate these downstream patterns with THg concentrations in tissues of resident fish in major rivers. Mean concentrations and yields of unfiltered THg from over 80 monitored tributaries and major rivers were highly variable in space ranging from 0.28 to 120 ng L−1 and 0.39 to 170 µg ha−1 d−1, respectively. Using spatial data and a hierarchical cluster analysis, we identified three broad categories of tributary catchment conditions. Linear mixed modeling analysis with water quality variables revealed significantly lower THg concentrations in tributaries draining cordillera-foothills (geometric mean: 0.76 ng L−1) regions relative to those draining forested (1.5 ng L−1) and agriculturalized landscapes (2.4 ng L−1), suggesting that sources and mobility of THg in soils and surface waters were different between landscapes. However, these concentration differences were not sustained downstream in major rivers as local sources and sinks of THg in river channels smoothed differences between landscape types. Extensive fish tissue monitoring in major rivers and ANCOVA analysis found that site-specific, river water THg and MeHg concentrations and local catchment conditions were stronger associates of THg concentrations in fish than broader trends in rivers within and across landscape classes. Consequently, site-specific, targeted monitoring of THg and MeHg concentrations in water and fish is a preferred study design when assessing regional-level patterns in fish tissue concentrations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Austrian observations of snow depth date back to 1895 and are thus among the longest available quantitative snow information from hydrometeorological networks worldwide. It is well known that such long‐term observations are prone to inhomogeneities, which may not only affect climatologies and trends, but derived products used in research or practice. While the reliability of available methods for detecting breaks in snow time series has been shown before and could also be confirmed by our work, we focused on improving the adjustment method. Conventional methods often refer to the median of difference or quotient series (INTERP), whereas our proposed method also uses a quantile‐wise adjustment (InterpQM), which is useful to minimize a bias on the tails of the frequency distribution. We demonstrated the success of the new method by using Swiss parallel snow depth observations. Errors of the analysed indicators could be reduced in 68% of the cases when compared with INTERP. The results were best for large snow depths, being up to 19% better. Overall, InterpQM was better in 75% of validation cases for the daily large, 72% of all observations and 56% of mean seasonal snow depth cases. We describe the performed homogenization procedure in detail, including quality control, gap filling, homogeneity testing, break detection, calculation of and improvements to the adjustment method. Our results show that snow depth time series generally have a lower number of breaks compared with station data of other climate variables. This underlines their high quality, even if measuring snow presents challenges. Using Austrian snow depth series as an example, the effects of the new adjustment method on trends were analysed using the Mann–Kendall and Sen's Slope. Homogenization may have a significant effect on derived trends: Two of the six adjusted series were changed from nonsignificant to significant and one vice versa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Invasive alien plants have rapidly established and spread in nature reserves via roads and now pose a threat to biodiversity. To understand the mechanism and distribution patterns of invasive alien herbs, we compared the altitude patterns of native and invasive alien herbs based on 105 plots in the Dayao Mountain National Nature Reserve. This study also compared the distribution patterns of new (introduced to China after 1900) and old (introduced to China before 1900) invasive alien herbs. In addition, we examined the effects of climatic factors and human activities on the distribution patterns of species richness. In our study, 151 native herbs species and 18 invasive alien herbs species were observed, of which 12 were new invasive alien herbs. Old invasive alien herbs occurred more frequently and occupied a wider range of altitudes than new invasive alien herbs. The richness of native herbs tended to decrease with increasing altitude, and the altitude patterns of the richness of all invasive herbs and new invasive alien herbs were hump-shaped. Based on an analysis using the linear mixed model, the results indicated that temperature was the main factor limiting the altitude patterns of native herbs, and that temperature and human activities were essential factors in the distribution and spread of all invasive alien herbs and new invasive alien herbs. The intensity of human interference is a crucial driver of the spread of new invasive alien herbs to higher altitudes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Enthymema is the property of Enthymema, International Journal of Literary Criticism, Literary Theory & Philosophy of Literature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Anaquel de Estudios Árabes is the property of Universidad Complutense de Madrid and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In the territory of Montenegro, the cult of the Holy Trinity existed at various locations, with a unique aspect being the construction of sacred buildings on mountaintops, as part of a broader phenomenon of erecting temples in the mountains. Some structures dedicated to the Holy Trinity can also be found in lowland areas. It was a custom to visit these places and celebrate the holiday on Trinity Day. The earliest mentions of this cult date back to the Middle Ages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study presents the preliminary results of a broader research work on the hyper-tourist mountain as a fragile territory to critically reflect on sustainability proposals in view of the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics. The development and relaunch policies of tourist destinations include mega-Olympic events that produce territory through processes of re-territorialisation and de-territorialisation (Dansero, Mela 2007), reifying areas already under environmental, social and economic pressure. The Olympic space overlaps with the territory of the host city and shares places, structures and functions while redefining its position and meaning in local strategies (Dansero 2002). This is the case of Livigno, Bormio, Cortina, Predazzo and Tesero, chosen to be host resorts for the 2026 Winter Olympics and established national and international destinations for seasonal tourism. The present analysis, dedicated to the Cortina cluster, moves within a well-established theoretical framework that includes the fragility of ordinary mountains (Ferrario, Marzo 2021; Varotto 2020; CIPRA 2020; Società dei Territorialisti/e 2019; Dematteis 2018, 2006; Meini 2018) and the impact of mega Olympic events between conflict and territorial transformations Dansero et al. 2015; Bolocan Goldstein, Dansero, Loda 2014; Dansero, Puttilli 2010; Bondonio et al. 2007; Dansero et al. 2006; Dansero, Segre 2002a). The data collected through field research, participatory observation, semi-structured interviews with key actors and a questionnaire administered to members of the local community - starting from the guidelines and narratives accompanying the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Theater Cluster Dossier - complete the mapping of the actions undertaken and planned, their impact on the territory, the legacy and the territories' demands through forms of protest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mountain forests are important carbon stocks and biodiversity hotspots but are threatened by increased insect outbreaks and climate‐driven forest conversion. Soil microorganisms play an eminent role in nutrient cycling in forest habitats and form the basis of soil food webs. Uncovering the driving factors shaping microbial communities and functioning at mountainsides across the world is of eminent importance to better understand their dynamics at local and global scales. We investigated microbial communities and their climatic and local soil‐related drivers along an elevational gradient (800–1700 m asl) of primary forests at Changbai Mountain, China. We analyzed substrate‐induced respiration and phospholipid fatty acids (PLFA) in litter and two soil layers at seven sites. Microbial biomass (Cmic) peaked in the litter layer and increased towards higher elevations. In the litter layer, the increase in Cmic and in stress indicator ratios was negatively correlated with Ca concentrations indicating increased nutritional stress in high microbial biomass communities at sites with lower Ca availability. PLFA profiles in the litter layer separated low and high elevations, but this was less pronounced in soil, suggesting that the litter layer functions as a buffer for soil microbial communities. Annual variations in temperature correlated with PLFA profiles in all three layers, while annual variations in precipitation correlated with PLFA profiles in upper soil only. Furthermore, the availability of resources, soil moisture, Ca concentrations, and pH structured the microbial communities. Pronounced changes in Cmic and stress indicator ratios in the litter layer between pine‐dominated (800–1100 m) and spruce‐dominated (1250–1700 m) forests indicated a shift in the structure and functioning of microbial communities between forest types along the elevational gradient. The study highlights strong changes in microbial community structure and functioning along elevational gradients, but also shows that these changes and their driving factors vary between soil layers. Besides annual variations in temperature and precipitation, carbon accumulation and nitrogen acquisition shape changes in microbial communities with elevation at Changbai Mountain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seasonal factors have been shown to affect the abundance and diversity of amphibians. However, an intensive study on the interactions of seasonal factors, such as precipitation, temperature, relative humidity, and solar radiation, is lacking in an insular island habitat. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate temporal habitat use based on relative abundance and identify the monthly variation of habitat parameters governing species richness. A passive sampling technique was used to record the presence of amphibians by using two types of traps: the drift-fenced pitfall trap and the PVC pipe trap. Samplings were conducted from February 2014 until January 2015 on Gunung Raya, Pulau Langkawi, Kedah. A total of 100 individuals from six species were recorded. Correlation analysis revealed that the average monthly rainfall and relative humidity were positively correlated with amphibian richness, while temperature showed a negative correlation. High abundance and species richness were recorded during the rainy season between May and December 2014. The results showed that amphibians favoured rainy season over the dry season. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In mountains, the precipitation phase greatly varies in space and time and affects the evolution of the snow cover. Snowpack models usually rely on precipitation‐phase partitioning methods (PPMs) that use near‐surface variables. These PPMs ignore conditions above the surface thus limiting their ability to predict the precipitation phase at the surface. In this study, the impact on snowpack simulations of atmospheric‐based PPMs, incorporating upper atmospheric information, is tested using the snowpack scheme Crocus. Crocus is run at 2.5‐km grid spacing over the mountains of southwestern Canada and northwestern United States and is driven by meteorological fields from an atmospheric model at the same resolution. Two atmospheric‐based PPMs were considered from the atmospheric model: the output from a detailed microphysics scheme and a post‐processing algorithm determining the snow level and the associated precipitation phase. Two ground‐based PPMs were also included as lower and upper benchmarks: a single air temperature threshold at 0°C and a PPM using wet‐bulb temperature. Compared to the upper benchmark, the snow‐level based PPM improved the estimation of snowfall occurrence by 5% and the simulation of snow water equivalent (SWE) by 9% during the snow melting season. In contrast, due to missing processes, the microphysics scheme decreased performances in phase estimate and SWE simulations compared to the upper benchmark. These results highlight the need for detailed evaluation of the precipitation phase from atmospheric models and the benefit for mountain snow hydrology of the post‐processed snow level. The limitations to drive snowpack models at slope scale are also discussed. Plain Language Summary: The partitioning of precipitation between rainfall and snowfall is a crucial component of the evolution of the snowpack in mountains. Most snowpack models use the air temperature and humidity near the surface to derive the precipitation phase. However, the phase at the surface is strongly influenced by processes such as melting and refreezing of falling hydrometeors that occur above the surface. Atmospheric models simulate these processes and the corresponding phase at the surface. However, snowpack models rarely use this information. In this study, we considered two estimates of precipitation phase from an atmospheric model and tested them with a physically‐based snow model over the mountains of southwestern Canada and northwestern United States. The results were compared with traditional approaches using the air temperature and humidity near the surface to derive the precipitation phase. Our results showed that the precipitation phase associated with the snow level obtained from the atmospheric model improved snowfall estimate and snowpack prediction compared to the traditional approaches. In contrast, the cloud/precipitation scheme of the atmospheric model decreased performance in phase estimate and snow simulations due to missing physical processes. Our study highlights that snowpack predictions in the mountains can be improved if valuable information is obtained from atmospheric models. Key Points: Estimates of precipitation phase from an atmospheric model were used to drive snow simulations with a detailed snowpack modelSnowfall prediction and snowpack modeling are improved by using the snow level from post‐processing of the atmospheric modelDirect precipitation phase from the microphysics scheme does not improve snow simulations compared to simpler rain‐snow partitioning schemes [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The area of Southern Serbia is the most undeveloped tourist area and is marginalized in relation to the total tourist traffic of Serbia. With the purpose of health tourism development, special attention in this paper is focused on five spas and four mountain tourist destinations of South Serbia. The interaction of climatic elements is key for outdoor tourist activities, thus the potential of health tourism is presented through the results of the tourism climate comfort index (TCCI). According to TCCI values calculated for one climatological period 1991–2020, the spa tourist destinations of South Serbia are generally favorable during May, June and September. Four studied mountain destinations have favorable TCCI values generally during June, July and August. Spatio-temporal analysis utilizing ESRI ArcMap software showed that the most favorable conditions for health tourism development occur during spring and autumn for spas (May and June) and during summer for mountain destinations (July and August), which coincides with the ideal TCCI values. MatLab software through linear regression showed that in the period of 2010–2020, a negative tendency of tourists' number in Vranjska banja spa and Niška banja spa is noticed, and a positive tendency for Prolom banja spa and Sijarinska banja spa. The paper also highlights the perspectives of other tourism forms of development in South Serbia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The stability of surrounding rock is an important concern in the investigation, design, and construction of mountain integrated pipe gallery. On the basis of the DK6+180 section of the Winter Olympics Integrated Pipe Gallery, the stability of surrounding rock was analyzed by using the deformation modulus of surrounding rock obtained by inversion. The results show that with the increase of reduction factor, the strength parameters of surrounding rock decrease gradually, the vault settlement and clearance convergence increase gradually, and the plastic zone range of surrounding rock increases linearly. When the reduction factor reaches 3.5, the plastic zone has penetrated to the surface. At this time, the vault settlement and clearance convergence of surrounding rock are infinite, indicating that the surrounding rock has reached the limit stable state. On the basis of the plastic zone distribution of surrounding rock and the calculation and analysis results of surrounding rock deformation, the stability safety factor of surrounding rock in this section is determined to be 3.5. The research results have reference value for the stability analysis of surrounding rock of similar mountain integrated pipe gallery.

Alpine bumble bees are the most important pollinators in temperate mountain ecosystems. Although they are used to encounter small-scale successions of very different climates in the mountains, many species respond sensitively to climatic changes, reflected in spatial range shifts and declining populations worldwide. Cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) mediate climate adaptation in some insects. However, whether they predict the elevational niche of bumble bees or their responses to climatic changes remains poorly understood. Here, we used three different approaches to study the role of bumble bees’ CHCs in the context of climate adaptation: using a 1,300 m elevational gradient, we first investigated whether the overall composition of CHCs, and two potentially climate-associated chemical traits (proportion of saturated components, mean chain length) on the cuticle of six bumble bee species were linked to the species’ elevational niches. We then analyzed intraspecific variation in CHCs of Bombus pascuorum along the elevational gradient and tested whether these traits respond to temperature. Finally, we used a field translocation experiment to test whether CHCs of Bombus lucorum workers change, when translocated from the foothill of a cool and wet mountain region to (a) higher elevations, and (b) a warm and dry region. Overall, the six species showed distinctive, species-specific CHC profiles. We found inter- and intraspecific variation in the composition of CHCs and in chemical traits along the elevational gradient, but no link to the elevational distribution of species and individuals. According to our expectations, bumble bees translocated to a warm and dry region tended to express longer CHC chains than bumble bees translocated to cool and wet foothills, which could reflect an acclimatization to regional climate. However, chain lengths did not further decrease systematically along the elevational gradient, suggesting that other factors than temperature also shape chain lengths in CHC profiles. We conclude that in alpine bumble bees, CHC profiles and traits respond at best secondarily to the climate conditions tested in this study. While the functional role of species-specific CHC profiles in bumble bees remains elusive, limited plasticity in this trait could restrict species’ ability to adapt to climatic changes.

Introduction: The recent professionalization of trail running has focussed the interest in this sport. The aim is to describe the epidemiology of musculoskeletal injuries and illnesses among professional Spanish trail runners team during the month of training prior to the World Mountain and Trail Running Championship 2022. Material and Methods: 33 professional athletes from Spanish National Team that competed in the World Championship participated in the study. They completed a pre-participation health questionnaire based on the specific questionnaire ''Oslo Sport Trauma Research Center - Health 2″. Results: 55% of the athletes suffered a musculoeskeletal injury or health problem during the last month. 12% had to modify their performance in a moderate or severe way. By anatomic location the foot was the most affected with 33% of the cases, followed by the ankle in 25%. Among the diagnoses, chronic overuse musculoskeletal injuries represented 80% with tendinopathy being the most frequent. Regarding the symptons 53% affected upper respiratory tract and 23% gastrointestinal problems. Conclusions: There is a high risk for the professional trail runners who carry out a continued practice of trail running to suffer an injury or health problem, although most of such injuries or health problems have little impact on their sports performance. The foot and the upper respiratory system are the most affected.

Convection‐permitting climate modelling is a promising avenue for climate change research and services especially in mountainous regions. Work is required to evaluate the results of high‐resolution simulations against relevant observations, and put them in a broader context against coarser resolution modelling frameworks. Here we evaluate numerical simulations with the convection‐permitting regional climate model CNRM‐AROME ran at 2.5 km horizontal resolution over a large pan‐Alpine domain in the European Alps, using either the ERA‐Interim or climate model output as boundary conditions. This study analyses annual and seasonal characteristics of 2 m temperature, total precipitation, solid fraction of precipitation and snow depth at the scale of the French Alps under past and future climate conditions. The results are compared with the local reanalysis S2M, and raw or adjusted, with the ADAMONT method, simulations of the regional climate model CNRM‐ALADIN driven either by the ERA‐Interim reanalysis or the CNRM‐CM5 global climate model. The study highlights generally similar differences in past and future climate between the datasets, as well as obstacles to the use of some CNRM‐AROME outputs as they stand. These consist of excessive accumulation of snow on the ground above 1,800 m a.s.l., as well as lower temperature values at same elevations than the S2M reanalysis and the ADAMONT‐adjusted outputs. Besides these obstacles, CNRM‐AROME simulations present several advantages compared to the raw CNRM‐ALADIN outputs. Among them, a significantly smaller cold bias, more realistic values of accumulated precipitations, as well as a better representation of the spatial variability of the different variables investigated, which always stand closer to the reference data than in the CNRM‐ALADIN outputs. As suggested by many studies, CNRM‐AROME could even produce more realistic accumulated precipitations at high elevation than the S2M reanalysis taken as our reference and consequently than the ADAMONT‐adjusted projections, but the lack of a reliable set of high‐resolution observations at high elevation remains an obstacle to their evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of Other Modernities / Altre Modernita / Otras Modernidades / Autres Modernités is the property of Altre Modernita and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Winter conditions, along with the snow cover, provide a specific environment for the mountainous fauna. The altitude gradient in such habitats suggests a dynamic in the availability and characteristics of this factor. Roe deer's occupation model of the southern and northern slopes of Central Stara Planina Mts was studied, using camera traps. The days with continuous snow cover presence on the mountainous ridge were registered in order to define the study period. More frequent detection of the species on the northern slope of the mountain was reported. The concentration of deer was higher in the areas of 600-800 m a.s.l and of 1000-1200 m a.s.l. The preference of the roe deer to an older mature beech stands for winter habitats is also confirmed in the present study. The snow cover presence reduces the activity of roe deer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mountains are biodiversity hotspots, and due to their unique microclimatic circumstances, they host a vast range of endemic species. There are two main hypotheses, the Rapoport and the mid-domain effect hypotheses, which explain how elevation and species richness are linked. The current study was conducted in the Al-Hada escarpment, which is a unique area in the world. It is located on the border of Eurasia and Africa, where there are a lot of plant species from both places. The study aimed to detect the effect of elevation on the floristic composition of the study area. The obtained results showed that the Al-Hada escarpment flora consists of 297 species belonging to 194 genera and fifty-seven distinct families. Only two families, Poaceae and Asteracae, had 22% of the whole recorded species. The obtained results showed that with increasing elevation, the numbers of species, genera, and families increased, in accordance with the Rapoport hypothesis. The numbers of families increased by 62% from the lowest elevation to the highest one, while the numbers of both species and genera increased by more than two-folds. Therophytes exhibited the maximum number, which was 44%, and Chamaephytes came in second with 25%. Phanerophytes and hemicryptophytes made up 13% and 11% of all life forms, respectively, while geophytes made up just 7%. Monoregional elements represented 33.2% of the total recorded species, where Saharo-Sindian species had the most monoregional species, accounting for around 13% of the total species. At the highest elevation, succulents accounted for 7.6% of the research area, whereas N-fixing plants accounted for 6.2%. At the highest elevation, they had the lowest value, and at the middle elevation, they had the highest value. With the rise in elevation, the neotropical, endemic, and Mediterranean elements rose. Succulents and N-fixing species did not show a clear relationship with the elevation but exhibited the lowest value at the highest elevation, and vice versa. Therophytes and geophytes increased while the number of hemicryptophytes decreased with elevation. Surprisingly, phanerophytes did not show any relationship with elevation, while, with the rise in elevation, the pan-tropical, endemic, and Mediterranean elements rose. Neotropical and Saharo-Sindian elements decreased with the rise in elevation. Considering our results, we can conclude that the relationship of taxa diversity with the different altitude of the arid subtropical regions' mountains, whose elevation does not exceed 2000 m (without human disturbance), confirms the Rapoport hypothesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The accumulation species richness curve indicated that the number of mosquito species in natural habitats (138) was significantly higher than in artificial containers (33) (t = 23.30, df = 442.620, I p i < 0.001) (Figure 8). Aquatic Habitat Preferences The most preferred natural habitats for mosquito species were ground pools, stream pools, and rock pools, which supported 55, 39, and 37 species, respectively. Correlation of Mosquito Species with Habitat Types Detrended correspondence analysis indicated that the distribution of species of each genus of mosquitoes correlated with habitat types (Figure 11). While comparing the diversity of mosquito species in natural and artificial habitats, it was discovered, as expected, that natural habitats support many more species than artificial habitats. Doi Inthanon National Park is primarily comprised of forested areas that provide a variety of habitats for various mosquito species, whereas artificial habitats are generally found in villages, agricultural areas, and some tourist sites, which are minor areas of the park and are unsuitable for many species other than I Ae i . [Extracted from the article]

The increasing influx of people to mountain base environments has opened up the area to a myriad of problems that threaten the liveability of the residents and the sustainability of the environment. Yet, sufficient empirical investigations have not looked at the particular issues that threaten their liveability experience. Using the case of Idi-Ori-Shasha mountain, this study examined the condition of informal urbanization at the mountain-base and equally investigated residents' living experiences. We conducted questionnaire survey with closed and open-ended questions to collect data from 65 out of 533 houses within a buffer of 250 m from the mountain and retrieved 50 completed household-head survey. The results revealed that majority of the residents were not satisfied living at the mountain-base because of the inadequate facilities that have contributed to their current living conditions. Also, mountain-base residents are liable to many liveability threats such as noise pollution, sleeplessness, building/wall cracks, destructive erosion, and water inaccessibility. The study recommends adequate infrastructural provision intervention in the area in order to upscale liveability dimensions and general residents' living conditions. Conversely, similar studies could be conducted elsewhere for validation and comparison of findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A survey was conducted on 12 cable yarding operations in northern Italy, with the purpose of determining fuel consumption and time use. The observation unit was the individual operation, intended as all the activities needed to complete the harvesting of a sale (mean = 500 m3 of timber). All teams were equipped with a tower yarder, an excavator-based loader or processor and a truck or a tractor with trailer, if intermediate transportation to a larger roadside landing (two-staging) was required. The crew size was 3 or 4 operators. Time and fuel use were recorded separately for the following tasks: relocation; set up & dismantle; commuting; yarding; processing and/or loading; major delay events. Fuel consumption averaged 5.1 L m−3, of which 2.2 L m−3 was incurred by two-staging. In general, the yarder accounted for less than half the total fuel consumption of the operation: the processor was indeed the main consumer. Relocation had a very small incidence on time and fuel use. Set up and dismantle did not incur significant fuel consumption but occupied a meaningful share of total time (mean = 22%). Commuting also incurred unexpectedly large (and generally neglected) fuel and time use—with means at 13% and 7%, respectively. Technology developments aimed at reducing fuel consumption should target both main consumers: the yarder as well as the excavator-based processor. Significant benefits would also be achieved through improved planning and infrastructure development, aimed at minimizing the need for intermediate transportation (i.e. two-staging). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Identification of Karsticity degree of a karstic basin is very important for the management of water resources and tourism in a region. The purpose of this research is to identify the degree of karsticity of a karstic basin using geomorphologic, empirical, and hierarchical analysis. The research tool includes a topographic map of kalat 1: 50000, a geological map of kalat 1: 100000, aerial photographs of 1: 40000, Google Earth satellite imagery, ARC GIS software, GPS device, meter, compass, Hammock Smith and a digital camera. The results of the study showed that using field evidence, the diversity of landforms is relatively low, there are no cave deposits, and caves are not developed. In the evolutionary stages of karst using the Waltham and Fookse method, the basin is in a young stage. Using a Cvijic Karstic method, it is in the transitional phase. Using the empirical Corbel equation, the karstic erosion indicates a semi-evolutionary condition of the karst. Calcium rate, in the ICP method and weight percentages of lime in carbonate formations, indicating relatively low calcium purity in the carbonate formations of the basin, indicating the degree of development of karst is towards the young. Finally, using the hierarchical analysis model, the total area of ​​the Kalat basin was 19.04% in the less developed class, 24.57% in the undeveloped class, 42.88% in the middle class and 14.38% in the developed class it has been found that due to the small extent of the developed areas of the basin, it shows the young stage. Using the results obtained from different methods and combining this information, Kalat mountain basin can be developed from the perspective of karst development in the less developed category and the karstization of this basin is at a young stage.

Geoconservation is, at its foundation, a grass-roots movement with geoheritage represented by geosites containing the most scientifically significant and valuable geodiversity elements. Problems arise in the assessment and communication of inventory due in part to inconsistent and traditionally time-consuming, ‘snapshot’ assessments that are difficult to spatially monitor.The case study of kunanyi/Mount Wellington and the encompassing IUCN Category II Wellington Park Reserve (18,250 ha) (42°53′24″ S 147°13′48″ E, Tasmania, Australia) was chosen to explore the complexities of geosite and geodiversity site assessment, detection and communication. Using digital tools, we revised a 25-year-old snapshot inventory, configuring the ESRI ‘Collector for ArcGIS’ app for in-field data collection. Putative geosite and geodiversity site attributes were assessed for scientific value, potential touristic use, and potential educational use, using the Brilha (2016) method. Additional digital tools supported spatially accurate, engaging and interactive online inventory.Our findings suggested that many of the putative geosites in the park had low or moderate scientific values, but higher additional educational or touristic use values, especially in the urban-facing park zones. Though site degradation risk was low-moderate, sites in closer proximity to City of Hobart might experience additional impacts from visitation.The Wellington Park is a significant protected area that aims to tell an important story about the evolution of the periglaciated terrain and the endemic fauna and flora that depend upon it. In this sense, the possibility that not all putative geosites have high scientific value (and instead, might be better classed as geodiversity sites) is of limited concern, because the myriad geodiversity elements and additional value rankings (including 50% being highly ‘representative’ elements) provide an opportunity for all who visit the park to observe a coherent story about Tasmania in an easily accessible location. The opportunities realised in the creation of the digital inventory and assessment process remedy many issues that currently hamper practical Geoconservation, improving cost, consistency and standardisation of the inventory assessment and the quality of geotouristic and educational products. This digital approach could assist protected area managers and geoconservationists to monitor, protect and communicate inventory over the long-term.

The development of information and communication technology (ICT) in Indonesia is increasing rapidly every year. However, this increase is not comparable to the distribution of technology in remote areas, especially areas with mountainous contours. So it takes a proper backhaul network design to deploy telecommunication services in remote areas. Microwave transmission technology is widely used as a backhaul network in mountainous areas because it can reach areas that are difficult to reach by fiber optic. However, multipath fading becomes a problem in microwave communication, so to solve it, we use the diversity configuration approach. Space diversity configuration is the system most often used, but in more extreme conditions it can use a hybrid diversity configuration which is a combination of space and frequency diversity. In this study, we designed and compared the performance of two types of diversity configurations, namely space and hybrid diversity in cross-mountainous areas using simulation software Pathloss 5.0. Before comparison, these paths were tested with a point-to-point configuration to assess microwave communication performance without diversity. Based on the simulation, the resulting cross-mountain microwave communication performance using point-to-point configuration results in 99.98179% availability and 5742.79 seconds unavailability in one year, these values are still far from the ITU-T G.821 standard, namely 99.99% availability. In the configuration using Space Diversity, the quality has increased, but it cannot meet ITU standards because it is only capable of producing 99.98333% to 99.98943% availability or comparable to un-availability for 5255.53 to 3332.48 seconds/year. Meanwhile, the hybrid diversity configuration can produce a performance that meets ITU standards with an availability of 99.99122% or equivalent to un-availability for 2769.79 seconds per year.

AbstractMountain regions are environmentally valuable, as they are home to almost twenty percent of the world’s population and many species of animals and plants. Although there is not a special criminal law concerning the protection of mountains, one can find three international conventions about them. Various international instruments have emphasized their importance. Iran is also a mountainous country. As mountains cover more than half of its area, this fact makes the protection of mountain regions one of the necessities in Iranian criminal and environmental law. But, what are the challenges of Iranian laws in relation to the protection of the mountains? According to the findings of this research, done in descriptive-analytical method and based on documentary research, there is no specific protection for mountains in the Iranian legal system. However, there are three types of crimes against these regions in that system: damages to the mountain areas in environmentally protected lands, damages to the mountains with historical and cultural identity, and illegal converting of the mountainous fields. Iranian criminal law also faces some challenges in relation to the protection of mountains, including the ambiguity of the definition of the mountain, lack of detailed criminalization, lack of intrinsic appreciation, lack of criminal responsibility in mining activities, neglecting the geoparks and inattention to the special parts of the mountainous fields.

In the field of natural hazards, there is a strong consensus on the interest of using centennial chronologies of past events. In order to grasp the evolution of natural hazards and of the processes at their origin, it is necessary to contextualize the chronologies resulting from historical sources by taking into account all potential explanatory factors and their interactions. On the basis of a geohistorical and systemic approach, this article provides a lecture grid that operationalizes the contextualization workflow, so as to optimize the chronologies of past events. The spatial and temporal matching between the events and the different components of the territorial system studied leads to a comprehension of all factors at play, and thus, of the hazard and risk evolution. This approach is illustrated with the analysis of a spatial and temporal chronology of avalanche risk in the Vosges Mountains (northeast of France) since the end of the 18th century. Four prisms – avalanche hazard, risk, event and "sources effect" – combine and their respective weights vary in time and space. Climate and land use changes explain the "disappearance" of avalanche triggers at low elevations and of those flowing down from the summits to the valley bottoms. The combined evolutions of stakes, climate and land use contribute to explain the risk evolution. Finally, the "sources effect" preponderantly influences the evolution of the amount of events. Various results regarding the local evolution of the risk and the comprehension of environment-society interactions which have generated the chronology suggest that this approach could be valuable for many applications in geohistory of risks.

The paper discusses current scientific issues related to the study of the traditional worldview and ritualism of the Khakas people. The work is focused on the analysis of the traditional festival of veneration of “land-water” by the Kyzyls — an ethnic group of the Khakas living in the northern part of Khakassia and in the south of Krasnoyarsk Krai. The characteristic of the ritual complex associated with the worship of the host-spirits is presented: the land spirits (mountains) — tag taig, and the water spirits (springs, lakes, rivers) — sug taiyg. The main sources of the research are unpublished field ethnographic materials. Archival ethnographic information related to this topic, collected in the 1970s by M.S. Usmanova and other researchers from the Tomsk State University, are introduced in the scientific discourse. In the process of studying the indicated problem, it was found that in the culture of the Khakas, including the Kyzyl people, an important place was given to the worship of their native land — sher-sug taiyg. In the religious-mythological consciousness, its specific personification was the spirit-masters of the mountains — tag eezi, and the water spirits — sug eezi. This worldview was due to the natural landscape of the territory in which they live. It features a mountainous terrain with a range of diverse water bodies — the streams, rivers, lakes, etc. The daily domestic life and economic activities of the ethnic community in question were directly related to them. It is argued that in the worldview of the people, connection between the human and nature goes beyond the framework of rational interaction. They were convinced of the close mystical interrelation of natural objects with the life and well-being of people. One of the common ways to maintain a steady balanced relationship between them was the rituals of sacrifice and celebration of these supernatural beings. It was found that in the cult practice of the Kyzyls, the sher-sug taiyg included two or even three specialized rites — tag / kol / sug taiyg, which were closely interconnected with each other and formed a single ritual complex. This sacralized event was held on a regular basis. It had a collective nature with a strictly defined structure, incorporating the leader and other immediate participants, as well as the victim themselves.

This article aims to analyse the reasons for the unexpected absence of Greece in Mario Rigoni Stern’s works about the Italian military campaign against Greece during the winter of 1940-1941. As a young soldier, Rigoni Stern fought in that terrible war in the Albanian mountains, close to the Greek line, and recounted those events many years later. I focus in particular on Quota Albania (1971), in an attempt to show that the novel is not only a memoir, but rather a Bildungsroman, in which he recounts his personal life, his disillusionment with Italian disorganisation and the difficult conditions he endured, the cold and hunger. Furthermore, I would like to explain that the surprising indifference to Greek events is linked not only to the author’s narrative intention, but also to the fact that in the final battle Rigoni Stern did not go to Greece, and never returned thereafter. On the other hand, his unfamiliarity with the Mediterranean justifies the lack of descriptive details of the Greek landscape.

Abstract Background Peatlands form one of the largest carbon pools in the terrestrial ecosystems, representing approximately one-third of the world’s soil carbon. The aim of this study was to evaluate C:N:P stoichiometry as an indicator of changes initialized by dehydration in Histosols of varied origins. Four types of Histosols from lowland and mountain areas were investigated: fibric Histosols, hemic Histosols, sapric Histosols and Histosols drainic. Results We established the concentration and stoichiometry of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorous in the Histosols, and found marked differences in C:N:P stoichiometry between the different types – especially the dehydrated samples. The mean C:N:P ratio of dehydrated soil was narrower than the C:N:P ratio of soil under the influence of water, which demonstrates that dehydrating Histosols leads to a narrower C:N:P stoichiometry. This is directly related to the intensification of the organic matter mineralisation process and the resulting loss of organic carbon. We recorded a 50 % lower carbon stock in the case of Histosols drainic compared to the other types of Histosols. Conclusions The narrower C:N:P stoichiometry in Histosols drainic is the result of an decrease in the ratio of N and P to the C content. Thus, this study demonstrates that C:N:P stoichiometry is a useful indicator of the changes that occur in Histosols as a result of dehydration.

Digital recording of historic buildings and sites in mountainous areas could be challenging. The paper considers and discusses the case of historical defensive structures in the Italian Alps, designed and built to be not accessible. Drone images and photogrammetric techniques for 3D modeling play a fundamental role in the digital documentation of fortified constructions with non-contact techniques. This manuscript describes the use of drones for reconstructing the external surfaces of some fortified structures using traditional photogrammetric/SfM solutions and novel methods based on NeRFs. The case of direct orientation based on PPK and traditional GCPs placed on the ground is also discussed, considering the difficulties in placing and measuring control points in such environments.

Atmospheric aerosols play a pivotal role in shaping our environment, impacting climate, human health, and ecosystems. Characterizing the influence of aerosols on ecosystems, especially in mountain environments, is a challenging task due to their complex-orography and scarcity of aerosol ground stations. Satellite-based aerosol data can improve our knowledge over such complex-orography areas. Thus, we have analyzed the Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) product from the MODerate resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS) sensor produced by the inversion algorithm MultiAngle Implementation of Atmospheric Correction (MAIAC) over the last two decades for the period 2001–2022 with a spatial resolution of 1 × 1 km. Our study focuses on the Sierra Nevada Mountain region and National Park in Southeastern Spain. As a first step, we have validated the AOD from MODIS+MAIAC against three AERONET stations at different altitudes (680 m, 1800 m, and 2500 m above sea level (a.s.l.)). MODIS+MAIAC AOD showed good agreement with the ground-based AOD observations, with R values ranging from 0.75 to 0.82, RMSE values ranging from 0.047 to 0.066 and having 80% of the samples within the expected error (EE) of the product. The MODIS+MAIAC AOD product is able to characterize the fine-scale features of such complex-orography area and hence evaluate the spatio-temporal distribution of the AOD over the mountainous region. We have generated the most extended AOD dataset for a mountainous region, spanning the past two decades. We have deepened into the spatial and seasonal AOD patterns from 2001 to 2022, unveiling elevated AOD values near valleys and urban areas. In general, the AOD values decrease with increasing altitude with the exception of snow-covered areas at high altitudes (>2800 m a.s.l.), which might affect aerosol retrieval and provide bias due to higher-reflecting surfaces and pixel removal. For the first time, the relationship of aerosol loading with ecosystem type has been assessed in the protected environment of Sierra Nevada Natural Park. Monthly AOD trends across different ecosystem types and altitudinal ranges are analyzed in detail over the last two decades. In addition, Generalized Linear Models (GLM) are applied to reveal significant correlations between ecosystems and AOD, irrespective of altitude, latitude or longitude. Based on the interannual variation of AOD over the last two decades, we have analyzed the relationship of AOD with the different ecosystems of Sierra Nevada at 500 m elevation ranges. The patterns of the ecosystem's types are maintained over the elevation ranges 1200–1700 m and 1700–2200 m a.s.l., which demonstrates that land-type has an impact on the AOD product. Furthermore, it is observed that forest-like ecosystems tend to present lower AOD compared with bare-soil or low-growth vegetation ecosystems. In addition, the areas of the mountain closer to Granada city present generalized higher AOD values on the western part of the mountain, regardless of the ecosystem, showing the significant influence of the proximity of urban sites over the ecosystems and the potential impact on the environment. • MODIS+MAIAC Aerosol optical depth (AOD) characterization over a mountainous area. • High spatial resolution AOD validation and long-term trends in Southern Spain. • Interactions between elevation, AOD and ecosystems evaluated over complex terrains. • The land type/ecosystem have an influence on the AOD values. • Lower AODs found for forest-like ecosystems compared to bare soil/low vegetation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maladaptation occurs when actions taken to adapt to global change end up increasing vulnerability, instead of reducing it. This process often occurs when multiple drivers affecting a system's vulnerability are not considered. To prevent maladaptive actions, it is important to consider both these drivers and the potential conflicting interests at different territorial scales. Unfortunately, existing guidelines for assessing the risk of maladaptation are not context specific. To address this, we developed a set of guidelines that can establish a link between drivers, trends of change, adaptation actions, and potential conflicts of interest. The suggested protocol allows for context-specific assessment, making it easier to detect adaptation actions that could become maladaptive by either increasing vulnerability or causing negative externalities. It also helps to identify potential conflicts among mental frameworks at the local territorial scale and between these frameworks and development pathways, normally decided for large territorial scales. As a case study, we applied these guidelines to the Pyrenees mountain range. The results show that some adaptation actions, such as promoting local varieties of crops, would be welcomed by all locals, while others, such as revitalizing the building sector, would displease the majority and turn maladaptive. Our application to the Pyrenees also suggests that "Degrowth" is the development pathway that better fits the locals' interests, and "Business-as-usual" has the worst fit. Our guidelines are flexible and modifiable, making them applicable to any social-ecological system. • Degrowth is the development pathway that better fits locals' interests. • Business-as-usual actions may lead to maladaptation. • Merging Ostrom's Social-Ecological Systems and the Vulnerability frameworks provide guidelines to be used in most cases. • Including local narratives is an important step to prevent maladaptation ex-ante. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(1) Background: environmental gradient strongly affects microbial biodiversity, but which factors drive the diversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) associated with roots at relatively large spatial scales requires further research; (2) Methods: an experiment on large spatial scales of Mt. Taibai was conducted to explore the biodiversity and drivers of AMF-associated with roots using high-throughput sequencing; (3) Results: a total of 287 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) belong to 62 species representing 4 identified and 1 unclassified order were identified along different altitudinal gradients. With increasing altitude, AMF colonization could be simulated by a quadratic function trend, and altitude has a significant impact on colonization. AMF alpha diversity, including the Sobs and Shannon indexes, tended to be quadratic function trends with increasing altitude. The highest diversity indices occurred at mid-altitudes, and altitude had a significant effect on them. AMF communities have different affinities with soil and root nutrient, and Glomus is most affected by soil and root nutrient factors through the analysis of the heatmap. Glomus are the most dominant, with an occurrence frequency of 91.67% and a relative abundance of 61.29% and 53.58% at the level of species and OTU, respectively. Furthermore, AMF diversity were mostly associated with soil and root nutrients; (4) Conclusions: in general, AMF molecular diversity is abundant in Mt. Taibai, and altitude and nutrient properties of soil and root are the main influencing factors on AMF diversity and distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evolution of male-male aggression is of interest because at its extreme it can be very energetically costly, leave males vulnerable to preadtors, and give rise to weaponry such as exaggerated traits. In grasshoppers (Acrididae), one group stands out as exceptionally aggressive, the skyhoppers (Kosciuscola) in which males bite, kick, mandible flare, and wrestle each other for access to females or when females are laying eggs. In this study we asked whether there is variation in aggressive behaviour among four skyhopper species and aimed to determine whether the traits used in fighting bear signatures of sexual selection in their size, variability, and allometric scaling. We found clear differences in the numbers and types of aggressive behaviours among species. Kosciuscola tristis and K. usitatus were the most aggressive, K. cognatus was the least aggressive, and K. tristis was the only species that performed the 'mandible flare' behaviour. Mandible size was larger among the three species that showed aggressive behaviour, all except K. cognatus, and was negatively allometric for all species possibly suggesting a functional size constraint. Pronotum size was different among most species and K. tristis' pronotum was the largest and borderline positively allometric perhaps suggesting that pronotum size is related to aggressive behaviour but the nature of that relationship remains obscured. Our study suggests that further work investigates skyhoppers' aggressive behaviour and how it varies with ecology, and paves the way for establishing them as a model system in the evolution of aggressive behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]