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Amorphous ice phases are key constituents of water's complex structural landscape. This study investigates the polyamorphic nature of water, focusing on the complexities within low-density amorphous ice (LDA), high-density amorphous ice, and the recently discovered medium-density amorphous ice (MDA). We use rotationally invariant, high-dimensional order parameters to capture a wide spectrum of local symmetries for the characterization of local oxygen environments. We train a neural network to classify these local environments and investigate the distinctiveness of MDA within the structural landscape of amorphous ice. Our results highlight the difficulty in accurately differentiating MDA from LDA due to structural similarities. Beyond water, our methodology can be applied to investigate the structural properties and phases of disordered materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global optimization of atomistic structure relies on the generation of new candidate structures in order to drive the exploration of the potential energy surface (PES) in search of the global minimum energy structure. In this work, we discuss a type of structure generation, which locally optimizes structures in complementary energy (CE) landscapes. These landscapes are formulated temporarily during the searches as machine learned potentials (MLPs) using local atomistic environments sampled from collected data. The CE landscapes are deliberately incomplete MLPs that rather than mimicking every aspect of the true PES are sought to become much smoother, having only a few local minima. This means that local optimization in the CE landscapes may facilitate the identification of new funnels in the true PES. We discuss how to construct the CE landscapes and we test their influence on the global optimization of a reduced rutile SnO2(110)-(4 × 1) surface and an olivine (Mg2SiO4)4 cluster for which we report a new global minimum energy structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecological value (EV) is a term used to characterize the biotic or abiotic elements of a landscape, excluding human influence. Significant criteria for EV estimation can be grouped into two categories: ecological properties (biodiversity and vulnerability) and functional/structural features (fragmentation, connectivity, and resilience). While various methodological frameworks exist for estimating these criteria, few studies integrate all five criteria, and even fewer compare their results with fieldwork data. The objective of this study was to devise a novel spatial modelling tool for EV estimation based on biodiversity, vulnerability, fragmentation, connectivity, and resilience, utilizing data from Neotropical montane forests in west-central Mexico. The model incorporated data on (i) biodiversity and vulnerability estimated through ecological niche models, (ii) fragmentation and connectivity using landscape spatial patterns, and (iii) resilience estimated through the inverse of the vegetation sensitivity index. The results were then compared with fieldwork data. Natural protected areas within the Neotropical montane forests of west-central Mexico exhibited high EVs; however, a substantial portion of these forests lack legal protection. In terms of vegetation types, cloud and semideciduous forests exhibited the highest EV, emphasizing the urgent need for legal protection of these vital ecosystems. The comparison process demonstrated a moderate to high correlation in some criteria between the spatial and fieldwork data, indicating that the spatial model robustly captured the landscape spatial patterns. The spatial modelling tool proposed in this study is not only practical but also reproducible and applicable globally. Its efficacy lies in combining ecological properties with the functional and structural features of the landscape, making it particularly suitable for delineating protected natural areas and contributing to landscape planning efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through historical and anthropological inquiry, this paper addresses the issue of memory antagonisms involving cultural landscapes in the context of a former mining region: the Belgian Black Country. This region, which became increasingly industrialized in the 19th century through the massive development of coal mining and steel industry, subsequently experienced deindustrialization, and now finds itself mobilized in a process of 'post-industrial' mutation. The paper is divided into two parts. In the first part, it examines how the landscapes inherited from industry, and in particular the slag heaps of the coalfield, have over time become repositories of a working-class memory, through the living and working practices of the communities surrounding the mines. It also documents the various representations attached to these landscape objects, whose contradictions echo the oppositions between capital and labor that have marked the development of industrial capitalism. The second part of the paper, which focuses on the present situation, examines how these representations are remobilized in the valorization processes that are initiated by different actors, in the context of a 'post-industrial' urban transition strategy that seeks to produce a unified and pacified historical narrative. We'll be looking at how historical conflicts still permeate the representations of these landscapes, the question of their conservation, and their possible future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aging brings challenges for masculinity construction affecting older men in the countryside. The investigation of what and how rural older men negotiate their gendered identities in contemporary fast-changing societies contributes to the knowledge of aging masculinities. Taking a life-course perspective, this study explores how a group of rural Chinese older men negotiate masculinities and make sense of their aging lives. Twelve older men in a village located in southwest China participated in this study. We conducted individual semi-structured interviews with the participants and collected their life stories which were audio-recorded, transcribed, and coded following a thematic analysis approach. Analysis of the data suggests that rural Chinese older men created a having/being masculine plot while describing their transitions of family roles from providers to becoming helpers across their life courses. They struggled to maintain a sense of control when facing loss and vulnerability in later life and gendered norms in rural China contributed to their masculinity images. We discussed how the findings of this study, particularly intergenerational relations and narrative temporality in the construction of masculinities in later adulthood, contribute to both the research and practices regarding aging masculinities in rural areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research focuses on exploring and mapping Ankara's urban points of interest and their values on different urban infrastructure types using geolocated data from Flickr. All publicly available data dated between 2005 and 2021 from Flickr were obtained through application programming interface and the infrastructure types were reclassified as green, blue, grey, and yellow, using the land use and land cover data based on Corine 2018. Spatial patterns for cultural service flow of landscape features and/or landscapes on different urban infrastructure types were mapped using Kernel density estimation in QGIS 3.21. The hotspots were assessed in terms of the cultural services they offered based on the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA) framework, site visits, and observations. The findings showed that the city core mostly provided cultural heritage, identity, and recreational values. Results for the rural and peri-urban areas indicated that natural landscapes and protected areas stood out for their provision of cultural services, particularly for their recreational values. Our research identified user-intensive geographical clusters and hotspots that could benefit from interventions and enhancement for a more sustainable urban environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anthropogenically driven flow intermittency is increasing in freshwater streams, with important implications for the management and conservation of aquatic ecosystems. Because most freshwater fishes are mobile, they are expected to emigrate from intermittent reaches, but this may not be true in streams transitioning from perennial to intermittent. Here, we attempt to determine if riverine fishes vacate drying reaches before intermittency or remain in local refuges.We implemented a controlled, in situ experimental flow reduction resulting in intermittency, reducing flows from ~1.0 to 0 m3/s over a 3‐week period. We monitored fish and fish‐habitat changes over a 5‐week period before, during and after flow reductions.During flow reductions, total wetted habitat was ultimately reduced by 91%. Habitat loss over time was not equal among habitat types: pool habitat increased slightly as run habit was lost, and backwater and isolated pool habitats were not strongly related to discharge. Likewise, water depth in run habitats decreased faster than other habitats.Only the river carpsucker Carpiodes carpio appeared to move upstream during flow recession; seven other species remained within drying sites. Habitat loss negatively affected fish populations, but at a lower rate than that at which habitat was lost, until sites dried completely. Overall, two species, red shiner Cyprinella lutrensis and western mosquitofish Gambusia affinis, had increased population growth during the study, whereas the remaining species had population declines.Fishes were able to find transient local refuges during flow reductions but did not vacate sites before intermittent conditions. Accounting for lack of emigration from anthropogenic flow‐intermittent reaches will be important for designing conservation actions for fishes threatened by increasing flow intermittency. Creation of refuge habitats may not be effective for widely dispersed species that do not actively seek refuge habitats, unless those habitats support enough individuals to maintain resilience following the intermittent conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Gibbsian T-tessellation models allow the representation of a wide range of spatial patterns. This paper proposes an integrated approach for statistical inference. Model parameters are estimated via Monte Carlo maximum likelihood. The simulations needed for likelihood computation are produced using an adapted Metropolis-Hastings-Green dynamics. In order to reduce the computational costs, a pseudolikelihood estimate is derived and then used for the initialization of the likelihood optimization. Model assessment is based on global envelope tests applied to the set of functional statistics of tessellation. Finally, a real data application is presented. This application analyzes three French agricultural landscapes. The Gibbs T-tessellation models simultaneously provide a morphological and statistical characterization of these data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Detectability poses a common challenge faced by studies of small mammals. Traditional sampling methods use traps placed exclusively on the ground, which makes them less effective for monitoring species with climbing habits. The bias arising from imperfect detection may have important implications in pest assessment, epidemiological studies involving reservoirs, and conservation studies. In this study, we added above ground level (AGL) traps in the bushy or arboreal stratum to the conventional sampling protocol. Our objective was to evaluate whether the location of the traps influences the seasonal abundance pattern of Oligoryzomys flavescens, a scansorial rodent species identified as an orthohantavirus reservoir in the study area. Additionally, we evaluated the potential impact of various environmental variables on the capture probability of O. flavescens in different strata. Detectability of this rodent was significantly increased in traps placed AGL than at ground level (GL). However, trap placement level did not influence seasonal variation in O. flavescens abundance. Furthermore, the increase in herbaceous cover at ground level positively influenced the probability of capturing O. flavescens in traps placed AGL. Traditional sampling designs relying solely on GL traps may perform well for studies focused on the population dynamics of O. flavescens. Conversely, in areas where herbaceous vegetation facilitates connectivity between the ground and shrub layers, adding AGL traps in the sampling strategy can guarantee better results for studies that need to capture a large number of O. flavescens individuals (i.e., seroprevalence studies or investigations on movements). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

I argue that the dynamic nature of contemporary, landscape‐shaping (geomorphic) processes deserves more consideration in conservation science and practice. In an analysis of a sample of fundamental terms related to geomorphology and area‐based conservation in the Web of Science, I found that the terms co‐occurred in <2% of the analyzed entries (titles, abstracts, and keywords) from 2000 to 2020. This result is indicative of the rather peripheral attention that, more broadly, landscape‐shaping processes seem to receive in the conservation literature. Among conservation scientists and practitioners, landforms that define the physical structure of habitat are often perceived as largely static, whereas the consideration of their dynamic adjustments to geomorphic processes is often limited to extreme events. I use examples derived from river‐floodplain environments to illustrate strong, multifaceted, and reciprocal interactions between biota and various erosional and depositional processes. These ubiquitous interdependencies clearly demonstrate that geomorphic processes are an integral part of ecosystem dynamics at time scales relevant for conservation. Crucially, erosional and depositional processes modulate many environmental impacts of past and current anthropogenic activities. I conclude that the absence of a more explicit and widespread consideration of geomorphic processes in conservation science and practice is surprising and detrimental to their effectiveness. I call for bolstered efforts among the conservation and geoscience communities to better integrate landscape dynamics within the field of conservation. The rise of the ecosystem‐based and social‐ecological systems approaches to conservation and the growth of interdisciplinary geoscience branches (e.g., biogeomorphology, ecohydraulics, and geoconservation) will facilitate such an integration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since being described in the year 2000, little ecological information has accumulated for South Mountains Gray-Cheeked Salamanders (Plethodon meridianus), a narrowly distributed salamander in southern Appalachia. In this study, we used repeat surveys to model occupancy and abundance of P. meridianus along a transect running from the approximate range center to range edge. We found a strong effect of elevation and distance to streams as predictors of occupancy and abundance. The number of days since rain had a strong impact on detection probability, likely due to its effect on salamander surface activity (i.e., time outside of burrow), as opposed to observer error. Treating elevation as a proxy for distance to the range edge, we found that occupancy and abundance declined toward the range edge, supporting the center-periphery hypothesis. Our findings matched that of similar previous studies: at low elevations in dry habitat, salamanders are only found along the cooler microhabitat of streams, whereas at high elevations, salamanders are more widespread across the landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dispersal is an important process that is widely studied across species, and it can be influenced by intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Intrinsic factors commonly assessed include the sex and age of individuals, while landscape features are frequently-tested extrinsic factors. Here, we investigated the effects of both sex and landscape composition and configuration on genetic distances among bare-nosed wombats (Vombatus ursinus)—one of the largest fossorial mammals in the world and subject to habitat fragmentation, threats from disease, and human persecution including culling as an agricultural pest. We analyzed a data set comprising 74 Tasmanian individuals (30 males and 44 females), genotyped for 9,064 single-nucleotide polymorphisms. We tested for sex-biased dispersal and the influence of landscape features on genetic distances including land use, water, vegetation, elevation, and topographic ruggedness. We detected significant female-biased dispersal, which may be related to females donating burrows to their offspring due to the energetic cost of excavation, given their large body sizes. Land use, waterbodies, and elevation appeared to be significant landscape predictors of genetic distance. Land use potentially reflects land clearing and persecution over the last 200 years. If our findings based on a limited sample size are valid, retention and restoration of nonanthropogenic landscapes in which wombats can move and burrow may be important for gene flow and maintenance of genetic diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anthropogenic disturbance may increase the emergence of zoonoses. Especially generalists that cope with disturbance and live in close contact with humans and livestock may become reservoirs of zoonotic pathogens. Yet, whether anthropogenic disturbance modifies host-pathogen co-evolutionary relationships in generalists is unknown. We assessed pathogen diversity, neutral genome-wide diversity (SNPs) and adaptive MHC class II diversity in a rodent generalist inhabiting three lowland rainforest landscapes with varying anthropogenic disturbance, and determined which MHC alleles co-occurred more frequently with 13 gastrointestinal nematodes, blood trypanosomes, and four viruses. Pathogen-specific selection pressures varied between landscapes. Genome-wide diversity declined with the degree of disturbance, while MHC diversity was only reduced in the most disturbed landscape. Furthermore, pristine forest landscapes had more functional important MHC–pathogen associations when compared to disturbed forests. We show co-evolutionary links between host and pathogens impoverished in human-disturbed landscapes. This underscores that parasite-mediated selection might change even in generalist species following human disturbance which in turn may facilitate host switching and the emergence of zoonoses. A study on genetic diversity and multiple pathogen infections in wild rodents and reservoir hosts shows human habitat disturbance also adversely affects generalist species by limiting their adaptive potential and facilitating pathogen spill-over. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How does standing genetic variation affect polygenic adaptation in recombining populations? Despite a large body of work in quantitative genetics, epistatic and weak additive fitness effects among simultaneously segregating genetic variants are difficult to capture experimentally or to predict theoretically. In this study, we simulated adaptation on fitness landscapes with tunable ruggedness driven by standing genetic variation in recombining populations. We confirmed that recombination hinders the movement of a population through a rugged fitness landscape. When surveying the effect of epistasis on the fixation of alleles, we found that the combined effects of high ruggedness and high recombination probabilities lead to preferential fixation of alleles that had a high initial frequency. This indicates that positive epistatic alleles escape from being broken down by recombination when they start at high frequency. We further extract direct selection coefficients and pairwise epistasis along the adaptive path. When taking the final fixed genotype as the reference genetic background, we observe that, along the adaptive path, beneficial direct selection appears stronger and pairwise epistasis weaker than in the underlying fitness landscape. Quantitatively, the ratio of epistasis and direct selection is smaller along the adaptive path (≈1) than expected. Thus, adaptation on a rugged fitness landscape may lead to spurious signals of direct selection generated through epistasis. Our study highlights how the interplay of epistasis and recombination constrains the adaptation of a diverse population to a new environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In landscape appreciation, what tourists directly perceive is the atmosphere of the landscape. This paper introduces the concept of "Ecological Structure" from Gernot Böhme's theory of atmospheric aesthetics into the assessment of landscapes, utilizing atmosphere as a bridge between horticultural ecology, aesthetics, and culture. It examines the relationship between the objective environment and subjective perception. This study conducted a field survey of Xingqing Palace Park and selected the waterside plant landscape that directly reflects the atmosphere of the royal garden as the research object. In the first stage of this study, Scenic Beauty Estimation was used to evaluate the overall beauty of 32 landscape units; in the second stage, the Delphi method and Analytic Hierarchy Process were used to evaluate the ecological structures that affect the garden landscape atmosphere; in the third stage, the two evaluation results of the Kendall's W concord coefficient test Analytic Hierarchy Process and Scenic Beauty Estimation have high consistency, which shows that the atmosphere is great value to the beauty of the landscape. This study provides designers with a means to create a garden atmosphere using ecological structures and provides new ideas for landscape design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the reform and opening up in 1978, the Dasi River Basin within Jinan's startup area from replacing old growth drivers with new ones (startup area) has experienced rapid urbanization and industrialization, and the landscape pattern has changed significantly, resulting in a series of eco-environmental problems. In order to more accurately identify the vulnerable areas of landscape pattern, understand their cause mechanism and changing laws, and provide a theoretical basis for the implementation of sustainable landscape pattern planning and management in the region. Four Landsat images of 2002, 2009, 2015 and 2020 were taken as data sources, and the optimal granularity of landscape pattern analysis was determined from the perspective of landscape level and class level by using the coefficient of variation method, granularity effect curve and information loss model, and the optimal amplitude was determined by using the grid method and semi-variance function. Then, the landscape vulnerability assessment model was constructed based on the optimal scale, and its spatiotemporal evolution characteristics and spatial autocorrelation were analyzed. The result showed that: (1) The optimal granularity of landscape pattern analysis in this study area was 80 m, and the optimal amplitude was 350 × 350 m. (2) During 2002–2020, the overall vulnerability of landscape pattern in the southern part of the study area showed an increasing trend, while that in the middle and northern parts showed a decreasing trend. (3) The mean values of the vulnerability index of the overall landscape pattern in 2002, 2009, 2015 and 2020 were 0.1479, 0.1483, 0.1562 and 0.1625, respectively, showing an increasing trend year by year. In terms of land use, during 2002–2020, the average vulnerability indices of forestland and built up land increased by 23.18% and 21.43%, respectively, followed by water body and bare land, increased by 12.18% and 9.52%, respectively, while the changes of cropland and grassland were relatively small, increasing by 5.36% and 5.65%, respectively. (4) During 2002–2020, the landscape pattern vulnerability showed a significant spatial positive correlation in terms of spatial distribution. The Low-Low areas were generally transferred from the southeastern and midwestern to the middle and northern, and the High–High areas were mainly transferred from the middle to the southern. Overall, the degree of the spatial agglomeration of the landscape pattern vulnerability showed an increasing trend. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the evolution of rural landscapes in metropolises during rapid urbanization is crucial for formulating policies to protect the rural ecological environment. In this study, remote sensing and geographical information system data, as well as applied landscape index analysis, are used to examine the spatiotemporal evolution of rural landscape patterns in the Beijing-Tianjin region of China, which has experienced rapid urbanization. The relationships between land use/land cover changes and changes in rural landscape patterns are explored. The results revealed significant spatial differences in the rural landscapes in the Beijing-Tianjin region; farmland and forestland were the main types of landscapes, creating a "mountain-field-sea" natural landscape pattern. The conversion of rural landscapes in the Beijing-Tianjin region involved mainly the conversion of farmland to urban areas, with few exchanges between other landscape types. The urban areas in the Beijing-Tianjin region increased by 3% per decade; farmland decreased at the same rate. Additionally, the rural landscape patterns in the Beijing-Tianjin region were dominated by fragmentation, dispersion, and heterogeneity and moved from complex to regular. Water bodies displayed the most fragmented natural landscape; their number of patches increased by 36%, though their network characteristics were maintained. Forestland was the most concentrated natural landscape. In this study, theoretical support and a scientific reference for the optimization of rural landscape patterns and the improvement in rural living environments in rapidly urbanizing areas are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lynchets are ridges formed by erosion and sediment accumulation downstream of agricultural plots and offer valuable insights into past agricultural activity. These microtopographies cover vast areas and serve as indicators of historical changes in land use. As a result, their ubiquity across Europe makes them particularly interesting. In this study, we propose a geoarchaeological approach to analyze six lynchets, four in the Vosges Mountains and two on the Lorraine Plateau (France). The lynchets can be considered soil archives with no stratigraphic organization or chronological sequence from bottom to top, making it difficult to determine the age of the lynchets and identify changes in land use over time. To this end, we propose the analysis of historical and geo‐historical archives combined with the "pedosedimentary" archives of lynchets through charcoal identification and dating combined with near‐infrared spectroscopy to determine the age, vegetation, and past land use changes associated with lynchet landscapes. By combining these multiple data sources, we are better able to show the chronological development of these ancient agricultural systems and uncover valuable information on landscape history. Charcoal dating suggests a higher frequency of fires from the Middle Ages. The dating aligns with the regional dynamics of anthropogenic fires, indicating a potential use of fire for cultural purposes. We also demonstrate the difficulty of extrapolating the dating of a lynchet to the entire lynchet system. Our results highlight the difficulties of interpreting the formation and dating of lynchets and the lynchet system on the sole basis of charcoal analysis. However, we highlight the value of applying pedoanthracology to lynchets to determine the dynamics of land use change in former fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After non‐native herbivores arrive in a novel habitat and establish, they must then disperse to new host plants to continue invading. While flight‐capable insect herbivores can expand their non‐native ranges by flying to new hosts, insects that lack wings, such as female scale insects, are often aided in their spread by wind and phoretic dispersal vectors such as birds and mammals.After being detected in 2004 in a Texas nursery, crapemyrtle bark scale (CMBS), Acanthococcus lagerstroemiae (Kuwana) (Hemiptera: Eriococcidae), has established in 15 different states across the Southeast and Middle Atlantic regions of the USA.We quantified the wind speeds leading to scale insect dislodgement and, in the laboratory and field, evaluated the willingness of CMBS nymphs to crawl onto vector proxies (bird feathers and mammal fur).Our findings demonstrate that CMBS nymphs can become dislodged from ecologically relevant substrates at low wind speeds (~7 m/s) and provided evidence that CMBS nymphs willingly, though not preferentially, crawl onto vector proxies, a final step before dispersing phoretically. Our results indicate that trees with high‐density infestations of CMBS are frequent sources of propagules, given that (i) wind speeds that shake small tree branches are likely to dislodge active crawlers and (ii) active crawlers appear willing to walk onto birds and mammals.The apparent ease of between‐tree spread by CMBS via multiple modes of dispersal presents challenges for preventing the spread of this insect, but field confirmation of these mechanisms is needed to understand their relative importance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the degraded peri-urban areas, there are several traces of the agrarian landscape heritage: they are not relicts of the past but a resource for managing water, providing fauna and flora biodiversity, and mitigate climate change in the urban environment. A pilot experience of recovering the Milan medieval water meadows has been done in the last two years: the aim was to provide a new job to fragile people, while restoring an ancient landscape. The tangible permanencies have been recovered by unemployed people at the same time as the traditional art of managing water has been taught by ancient watermen. A course has been organized to transfer the knowledge. Several schools have been involved in the practical recovery of artifacts: students enjoyed to care an "ordinary" heritage in their neighbourhood, as a resource for a sustainable way of living, and a good quality landscape. The high social and cultural value provided increased Municipality's attention to consider a joint management with the social cooperative of this productive landscape and to include didactical visit to water meadow in each student curricula. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Stochastic patch occupancy models (SPOMs) are a type of spatial population simulation. They are arguably well‐suited to guide conservation in human‐altered landscapes, but their appropriateness for a wide range of species and landscape types has often been questioned. Here, we provide an overview of how SPOM research has expanded over the last three decades and discuss the untapped potential for these models to inform current conservation strategies. Location: Worldwide. Methods: We carried out a systematic review of studies that have fitted SPOMs to real species and landscapes. We assessed temporal trends in SPOMs' use in conservation and management studies, their taxonomic and geographic coverage, and the attributes of studied landscapes. We quantitatively and qualitatively evaluated whether the authors' modelling choices reflected the perceived advantages and disadvantages of SPOMs. Results: The proportion of SPOMs used to answer conservation questions has increased over time. Questions of where, when and how to conserve have all been addressed, sometimes considering additional aspects such as cost‐effectiveness and climate change. Taxonomic diversity coverage has increased over time, and SPOMs have been used in landscapes with a higher proportion of suitable habitat. They have, however, been predominantly applied in temperate biomes. Few studies have explored parameter extrapolation in taxonomically and ecologically related species with mixed results. Main Conclusions: Over the past three decades, authors have exploited the simplicity and flexibility of SPOMs to answer a broad range of questions with practical implications. The use of SPOMs in less fragmented landscapes, and for an increasing range of taxa, suggests that the strictest definitions of their applicability can be challenged. Stochastic patch occupancy models have untapped potential for informing conservation under climate change. Given the urgent need to plan for large numbers of species with limited data for fitting, SPOMs could better fulfil their potential to guide conservation if parameters could be extrapolated to data‐deficient landscapes and species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

Human–wildlife interactions are increasing globally due to human population growth and development. Wildlife often develop an increased tolerance of humans through the learning processes of habituation, but habituation of large predators can increase risks to humans. Aversive conditioning is a management strategy that operationalizes learning to reduce wildlife tolerance of humans and thereby improve human safety. However, developed landscapes may select for wildlife phenotypes that are resistant to learning via aversive conditioning. We investigated American alligators', Alligator mississippiensis , response to capture and release (an assumed aversive experience) in coastal resort communities as a model system for understanding wildlife learning in human-dominated landscapes. Our objectives were to investigate whether the degree of human disturbance in the landscape was associated with baseline alligator tolerance of humans or mediated alligators' learning ability. We quantified tolerance using flight initiation trials and estimated learning ability as the response to capture and release using a 'before–after control impact' experimental design. Baseline alligator tolerance did not vary with disturbance, nor did the degree of disturbance impact alligator learning. However, alligators in areas where capture and release occurred were 1.5 times more likely to flee from an approaching human after treatment relative to before. Alligators in control units exhibited similar tolerance to humans over time. Alligator tolerance was also influenced by ambient weather, with alligators least tolerant of humans in cool and cloudy conditions and most tolerant in warm conditions, likely reflecting physiological constraints of ectothermy. While human-dominated landscapes may promote high tolerance of humans through habituation, our findings indicate that high tolerance does not preclude future learning by crocodilians and collectively lend credibility to the use of repeated capture and release as a potential form of aversive conditioning for crocodilians. • We investigated alligators' response to capture–release in human-dominated landscapes. • We examined relations between human disturbance and baseline tolerance and learning. • Baseline tolerance did not vary with disturbance but was influenced by ambient weather. • Alligators were less tolerant of approaching humans after experiencing capture–release. • The degree of landscape level human disturbance did not impact alligator learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated how the presence of the highly range-restricted Agulhas Long-billed Lark Certhilauda brevirostris (ALBL) varies with vegetation type and landscape features. The lark's distribution is nearly completely outside formally protected areas and overlaps with a region where agriculture has transformed the landscape, with very little of the original vegetation type remaining. Establishing important habitat requirements is needed to better manage conservation efforts for the species. We conducted 10-minute point counts at 51 sites along small rural roads quarterly between October 2020 and January 2022, and recorded ALBL in 58% of the counts. A subset of 45 sites was used to model occupancy. According to a null constant parameter model, occupancy at sample sites was high (0.91) with a detection probability of 0.67 for each site where the species was present. Modelling of habitat features and vegetation type found that ALBL occupancy was best explained by the presence of renosterveld, the shrubby indigenous vegetation type. Occupancy increased at a site up to 25% renosterveld cover, after which there was no effect. Occupancy was also positively associated with renosterveld vegetation presence along fence lines and a combination of renosterveld and decreasing riverine vegetation cover. Presence was little modified by seasonal changes in agricultural land use. Overall, our results suggest that although the ALBL is locally abundant, certain habitat features need to be preserved to ensure the species' continued presence in this agricultural region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anthropogenic activities and natural disturbances cause changes in natural ecosystems, leading to altered Plant Ecological Units (PEUs). Despite a long history of land use and land cover change detection, the creation of change detection maps of PEUs remains problematic, especially in arid and semiarid landscape. This study aimed to determine and describe the changes in PEUs patterns in the past and present, and also predict and monitor future PEUs dynamics using the multi-layer perceptron-Markov chain (MLP-MC) model in a semiarid landscape in Central Zagros, Iran. Analysis of PEUs classification maps formed the basis for the identification of the main drivers in PEUs changes. First, an optimal time-series dataset of Landsat images were selected to derive PEUs classification maps in three periods, each separated by 16 years. Then, PEUs multi-temporal maps classified for period 1 (years 1986–1988) period 2 (years 2002–2004), and period 3 (years 2018–2020) were employed to analyze and predict PEUs dynamics. The dominant transitions were identified, and the transition potential was determined by developing twelve sub-models in the final change prediction process. Transitions were modeled using a Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP) algorithm. To predict the PEU map for period 3, two PEUs classification maps of period 1 and period 2 were used using the MLP-MC method. The classified map and the predicted map of period 3 were used to evaluate and validate the predicted results. Finally, based on the results, transitions of future PEUs were predicted for the year 2036. The MLP-MC model proved to be a powerful model that can predict future PEUs dynamics that are the result of current human and managerial activities. The findings of this study demonstrate that the impact of anthropogenic processes and management activities will become visible in the natural environment and ecosystem in less than a decade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study, conducted in the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania (RNOA), aimed to explore the genetic landscape of hyperphenylalaninemia (HPA) and phenylketonuria (PKU) in the Ossetian population using data from newborn screening (NBS). Through comprehensive molecular genetic analysis of 29 patients with HPA from diverse ethnic backgrounds, two major genetic variants in the PAH gene, P281L and P211T, were identified, constituting 50% of all detected pathogenic alleles in Ossetian patients. Remarkably, these variants exhibited an exceptionally high frequency in the Ossetian population, surpassing global prevalence rates. This study unveiled a notable prevalence of mild forms of HPA (78%), underscoring the importance of genetic counseling for carriers of pathogenic variants in the PAH gene. Moreover, the findings emphasized the necessity for ongoing monitoring of patients with mild forms, as they may lack significant symptoms for diagnosis, potentially impacting offspring. Overall, this research offers valuable insights into the genetic landscape of HPA and PKU in the Ossetian population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to maintain the regional landscape ecological security, satellite remote sensing image data in 2011, 2016 and 2021 were utilized to analyze the landscape ecological risk in the Chaohu Lake Region. The ecological restoration project yielded initial results, as construction land area decreased in the later period. Waters emerged as the dominant land type, while grassland area increased over the 10-year period. Conversely, the area of cultivated land, forestland, and waters decreased, with the most significant decrease observed in cultivated land. The dynamic change in landscape patterns exhibited increasing complexity. Waters dominated the landscape, and the patch density (PD) and landscape shape index (LSI) of cultivated land, forestland, waters, and grassland tended to increase. The controlling role of dominant landscape types decreased, while landscape heterogeneity increased. The Shannon's diversity index (SHDI) and evenness index (SHEI) values increased, indicating diversification and equalization in the compositional structure of landscape types. The landscape division index (DIVISION) initially increased and then decreased, whereas the landscape aggregation degree showed an initial decrease followed by an increase. The contagion index (CONTAG) decreased continuously, indicating a decrease in the aggregation density of different land type patches. The highest-risk area increased, while higherrisk and medium-risk areas initially increased and then decreased. The lower-risk area exhibited less change, and the lowest-risk area showed a decreasing trend followed by an increasing trend. The spatial distribution pattern of the landscape ecological risk index displayed a "low on all sides and high in the middle" pattern. These research findings provide scientific references for optimizing land use structure, achieving sustainable landscape management, and maintaining regional ecological balance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unveiling spatial variation in vegetation resilience to climate extremes can inform effective conservation planning under climate change. Although many conservation efforts are implemented on landscape scales, they often remain blind to landscape variation in vegetation resilience. We explored the distribution of drought‐resilient vegetation (i.e., vegetation that could withstand and quickly recover from drought) and its predictors across a heterogeneous coastal landscape under long‐term wetland conversion, through a series of high‐resolution satellite image interpretations, spatial analyses, and nonlinear modelling. We found that vegetation varied greatly in drought resilience across the coastal wetland landscape and that drought‐resilient vegetation could be predicted with distances to coastline and tidal channel. Specifically, drought‐resilient vegetation exhibited a nearly bimodal distribution and had a seaward optimum at ~2 km from coastline (corresponding to an inundation frequency of ~30%), a pattern particularly pronounced in areas further away from tidal channels. Furthermore, we found that areas with drought‐resilient vegetation were more likely to be eliminated by wetland conversion. Even in protected areas where wetland conversion was slowed, drought‐resilient vegetation was increasingly lost to wetland conversion at its landward optimum in combination with rapid plant invasions at its seaward optimum. Our study highlights that the distribution of drought‐resilient vegetation can be predicted using landscape features but without incorporating this predictive understanding, conservation efforts may risk failing in the face of climate extremes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the synergistic integration of remote sensing (RS) and Historical Landscape Characterisation (HLC) methodology as an innovative, multi-scalar and holistic approach to enhance archaeological planning. The goal is to maximize the effectiveness of the investigations, optimizing data collection and improving the contextual understanding of the sites. In fact, these methodologies can significantly contribute to the documentation, conservation, planning and valorisation of archaeological areas. By integrating RS data with features detected by HLC, a complete picture is obtained that facilitates a deeper understanding of the landscape and historical dynamics. This article will explain the combined approach of RS and HLC, presenting some methodologies key to improving the precision and effectiveness of archaeological planning. This integration facilitates the sustainable preservation of archaeological resources and contributes to the conscious management of cultural heritage in the context of contemporary development. The paper demonstrates, through a case study, how the application of the two methodologies (RS and HLC) in an integrated form can provide an exhaustive interpretation of the territory in which the archaeological area is located, which can represent an exhaustive knowledge base on which to set up effective processes for the strategic territorial planning of archaeological areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Habitat conversion is the number one threat to biodiversity. The loss of biodiversity due to habitat loss might be exacerbated if species are harmed by fragmentation per se—the breaking apart of natural habitat that remains (hereafter fragmentation). However, the evidence that species are harmed by habitat fragmentation is mixed. Studies at the patch scale tend to show that fragmentation reduces diversity due to negative demographic effects on species' dispersal, survival and fecundity. In contrast, studies at the landscape scale tend to show that fragmentation increases diversity. This discrepancy may be partly due to geometric effects, defined as greater species turnover between patches in more fragmented landscapes. Although these effects have been demonstrated theoretically and are expected to be stronger across larger spatial extents, it is unclear whether they are likely to occur in real‐world settings with both realistic landscape patterns and communities. Here, we investigated the possibility of geometric effects using simulations combined with real‐world landscape and community data. Location: New Jersey, northeastern USA. Time period: Current. Taxa studied: Bees. Methods: We focused on landscape sizes within the typical range for protected areas (36–576 ha), simulated forest loss using real landscape patterns, and simulated forest‐bee communities based on field data we collected. Results: We found weak but positive effects of fragmentation: immediately following forest destruction, the most fragmented forests harboured up to 7.3% more species than the least fragmented forests of the same area, in agreement with observational studies of biodiversity along fragmentation gradients. In contrast to expectations, however, the overall effects of fragmentation did not change with spatial extent. Conclusions: Our results suggest that fragmentation can mitigate biodiversity loss immediately following habitat destruction, but that the benefits do not vary strongly with spatial extent in real‐world landscapes and at extents relevant to land management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two strategies are central to the debate regarding agricultural development: one integrates farming and conservation (land sharing), and the other separates farming and conservation, intensifying production to allow the offset of natural habitat (land sparing). The role of wildlife‐friendly habitat in the wider surrounding landscape (landscape wildlife friendliness (WF)) in promoting farmland diversity is potentially an unexplored benefit of land sharing.We sampled birds across primary forests and cattle pastures in the western Amazon, where terrestrial biodiversity peaks. We tested the hypothesis that increased landscape WF will lead to increased species richness (SR) on farmland, even at low levels of 'on‐farm' wildlife‐friendly habitat (farm WF).We show that while there is a minor increase in SR linked to increased levels of landscape WF, a large component of the avian community is functionally absent. Most forest‐dependent species are missing from pasture, even at high levels of farm WF. For these species, the preservation of blocks of contiguous forest under land sparing is vastly superior.We modelled both strategies under different levels of production. Land sparing always retained significantly higher SR than land sharing, regardless of the level of landscape WF.Synthesis and applications. Landscape wildlife friendliness (WF) provided through land sharing is of limited benefit to many tropical forest‐dependent species that are unable to move across or utilise pasture, even at high levels of farm and landscape WF. To ensure the persistence of these species, policymakers should urgently implement sustainable intensification mechanisms to increase farmland productivity while enabling the protection of large blocks of spared natural habitat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, there has been a growing awareness of the potential health benefits of the natural environment for human well-being. Given the fast-paced nature of contemporary lifestyles, research into the use of virtual environments as a means to provide various seasonal landscapes has gained increasing importance. Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of different sensory modes on the preferences and therapeutic effects of virtual autumn landscapes on university campuses. Methods: In this study, 320 participants, with an average age of 21.11 years (±1.21 years), were exposed to virtual environments featuring autumn color landscapes and bare tree landscapes using visual, auditory, and combined conditions. A control group was included for comparison. Differences in participants' physiological indicators (EEG, heart rate) and psychological measures (POMS, PANAS, SVS, ROS) were analyzed, with the use of the Holm correction (P < 0.05). Results: (1) Autumn virtual landscapes with color had a superior therapeutic effect. (2) There were significant differences in the therapeutic effects of different sensory modes within the same season's landscape categories, suggesting that incorporating additional sensory dimensions may enhance therapeutic outcomes. Conclusion: Based on the study's findings, we recommend that when designing therapeutic environments, attention should be given to seasonal variations and the integration of various sensory modes to optimize therapeutic results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At a time of mounting ecological crises and biodiversity loss, there is an urgent need for nature-based solutions. Equestrian properties cover a considerable proportion of the European rural and peri-urban landscape and provide much potential for integrating ecosystem services, such as the inclusion of small landscape features. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence and quality of landscape features (LF) to help determine how the equine sector can contribute to the agro-ecological transition. Using a citizen science approach, 87 commercial and 420 private yard owners reported the type, frequency and geometric dimension of LFs and additional biodiversity enhancing features. A hierarchical multivariate regression was used to determine how equine property characteristics explain variation in the Percentage Property Coverage (PPC) of LFs. The model explained 47% of the variation of PPC. The variables that explained significant variation in PPC included Yard size, Number of LFs, Tree rows, Fruit orchard, Wild hedges, Flowering strips, Buffer strips, Embankments and Cluttered corners. Commercial yards are significantly larger with significantly more horses and on average only 9% (±13.87%) of the property was covered by LFs whilst private yards had significantly more coverage of LFs with on average 12% (±14.77%). These findings highlight the substantial yet untapped potential of equine yards in fostering biodiversity, suggesting that the equine sector could play an important role in the agro-ecological transition. To encourage more biodiverse-inclusive yard designs, tailored strategies should consider the diverse factors influencing equine yard design, including existing knowledge, client demands, financial considerations, and equine health and welfare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

River networks are composed of a mainstem and tributaries. These tributaries dissect landscapes, regulate water and habitat availability, and transport sediment and nutrients. Despite the importance of tributaries, we currently lack theory and data describing whether and how tributary length and spacing varies within watersheds, thereby limiting our ability to accurately describe river network geometry. We address this knowledge gap by analyzing 4,696 tributaries across six landscapes with varying climate, tectonic setting, and lithology. Our results show that both tributary length and spacing systematically increase with downstream distance along the mainstem river, following a power-law scaling. This power-law scaling can be modulated by basin shape, with tributaries becoming shorter and, in some cases, more closely spaced as basin elongate. Furthermore, the power-law scaling may break down in cases where river networks have been disturbed by pervasive faulting, raising the possibility that the scaling we observe is not unique to all branching networks, and instead may be universal across undisturbed fluvial networks. These findings can be used to improve predictions of river network geometry and potentially to distinguish fluvial river networks from other branching networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of intraspecific trait variation on species interactions makes trait-based approaches critical to understanding eco-evolutionary processes. Because species occupy habitats that are patchily distributed in space, species interactions are influenced not just by the degree of intraspecific trait variation but also the relative proportion of trait variation that occurs within- versus between-patches. Advancement in trait-based ecology hinges on understanding how trait variation is distributed within and between habitat patches across the landscape. We sampled larval spotted salamanders (Ambystoma maculatum) across six spatially discrete ponds to quantify within- and between-pond variation in mass, length, and various metrics associated with their relationship (scaling, body condition, shape). Across all traits, within-pond variation contributed more to total observed morphological variation than between-pond variation. Between-pond variation was not negligible, however, and explained 20–41% of total observed variation in measured traits. Between-pond variation was more pronounced in salamander tail morphology compared to head or body morphology, suggesting that pond-level factors more strongly influence tails than other body parts. We also observed differences in mass-length relationships across ponds, both in terms of scaling slopes and intercepts, though differences in the intercepts were much stronger. Preliminary evidence hinted that newly constructed ponds were a driver of the observed differences in mass-length relationships and morphometrics. General pond-level difference in salamander trait covariation suggest that allometric scaling of morphological traits is context dependent in patchy landscapes. Effects of pond age offer the hypothesis that habitat restoration through pond construction is a driver of variation in trait scaling, which managers may leverage to bolster trait diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conserving Nature's Stage (CNS) is a concept from conservation planning that promotes the protection of areas encompassing a broad range of enduring geophysical traits to provide long-term habitat for diverse species. The efficacy of using enduring geophysical characteristics as surrogates for biodiversity, independent of non-geophysical features and when considering finer resolution area selections, has yet to be investigated. Here, we evaluated CNS using 33 fine-scale inventories of vascular plant, non-vascular plant, invertebrate or vertebrate species from 13 areas across three continents. For each inventory, we estimated a continuous multidimensional surrogate defined from topographic and soil estimates of the surveyed plots. We assessed surrogate effectiveness by comparing the species representation of surrogate selected plots to the representation from plots picked randomly and using species information. We then used correlation coefficients to assess the link between the performance and qualities of the inventories, surroundings and surrogates. The CNS surrogate showed positive performance for 24 of the 33 inventories, and among these tests, represented 28 more species than random and 83% of the total number of species on average. We also found a small number of weak correlations between performance and environmental variability, as well as qualities of the surrogate. Our study demonstrates that prioritizing areas for a variety of geophysical characteristics will, in most cases, promote the representation of species. Our findings also point to areas for future research that might enhance CNS surrogacy. This article is part of the Theo Murphy meeting issue 'Geodiversity for science and society'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brazilian primates differ regarding landscape characteristics within their ranges (e.g. habitat availability) and life‐history traits (e.g. body size). These landscape and life history attributes may be related to extinction risk. Here, we verified how such attributes correlate with primate threat categories. We considered 124 Brazilian primates based on the 2014 Brazilian list of threatened (Critically Endangered, Endangered and Vulnerable) and non‐threatened (Least Concern and Near Threatened) species. We then characterized their landscape (i.e. habitat availability, habitat loss and fragmentation, indigenous lands, roads, urban areas, deforestation arch) and life‐history attributes (i.e. body weight, gestation length and generation time), which together make up the threat context for each threat category. We compared threat categories to identify differences in such attributes, considering biome (Atlantic Forest, Amazon, Caatinga and Cerrado) as a factor and testing for phylogenetic effect. We investigated the attributes responsible for group characterization for specific threats and binary threatened/non‐threatened categories. We show that life history and landscape attributes differ in the biomes. However, only landscape features varied across biomes. In the Amazon, the threatened categories reached the highest level of habitat loss in the last 30 years, while in the Atlantic Forest, the landscape of threatened species had the highest proportions of roads and urban areas. Most threatened species landscapes in the Caatinga and Cerrado were highly fragmented. We found a positive link between human impacts and extinction risk in the Amazon. In the other biomes, anthropogenic landscape characteristics were associated with threatened and non‐threatened species. Threatened species tended to have large bodies and a slow life history, regardless of the biome. The more closely related the species, the more similar the traits. We suggest considering biomes and threat categories together with specific landscape and life history attributes to distinguish primate threat context for species conservation priority‐setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Predation and habitat deterioration are the main reasons for the strong decline of ground‐nesting farmland birds such as the grey partridge Perdix perdix in Europe. Grey partridge nests and incubating females are especially vulnerable to predation. We have previously demonstrated that predator activity is much lower inside flower blocks (agri‐environment schemes sown with a flower seed mix) than at their edges and that predator activity in flower blocks depends on the surrounding landscape. Here, we investigate whether these differences in predator activity translate into differences in grey partridge nest predation and assess predation patterns relative to landscape and nest site characteristics. We recorded the success of 56 nests of radio‐tagged grey partridges between 2009 and 2017 in an agricultural landscape in Central Germany. We used Bayesian logistic regression to analyse the effects of nest site and landscape characteristics on nest predation on a subset of 46 nests (21 nests successful, 25 predated). Distance to the edge of the nesting habitat was the most important predictor, reducing predation probability from 66.8% at the edge to 18.5% at 85.5 m. Predation probability decreased with increasing length of habitat borders, habitat diversity and the area of permanent grasslands and fallows. Predation probability was higher further from settlements and increased with increasing woodland area in the agricultural matrix. When considering linear landscape structures, nest predation patterns matched the patterns of predator activity from our previous studies. Results suggest that the distance to the edge of the nesting habitat is most important and that nest predation may be reduced by providing sufficiently broad nesting habitats. Nest predation may further be minimized by increasing habitat diversity and coverage of extensive vegetation types and by establishing conservation measures for grey partridges further away from woodlands. These measures may also benefit other ground‐nesting farmland birds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Landscape fires are an integral component of the Earth system and a feature of prehistoric, subsistence, and industrial economies. Specific spatiotemporal patterns of landscape fire occur in different locations around the world, shaped by the interactions between environmental and human drivers of fire activity. Seven distinct types of landscape fire emerge from these interactions: remote area fires, wildfire disasters, savanna fires, Indigenous burning, prescribed burning, agricultural burning, and deforestation fires. All can have substantial impacts on human health and well-being directly and indirectly through (a) exposure to heat flux (e.g., injuries and destructive impacts), (b) emissions (e.g., smoke-related health impacts), and (c) altered ecosystem functioning (e.g., biodiversity, amenity, water quality, and climate impacts). Minimizing the adverse effects of landscape fires on population health requires understanding how human and environmental influences on fire impacts can be modified through interventions targeted at individual, community, and regional levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rodents are key reservoirs of zoonotic pathogens and play an important role in disease transmission to humans. Importantly, anthropogenic land‐use change has been found to increase the abundance of rodents that thrive in human‐built environments (synanthropic rodents), particularly rodent reservoirs of zoonotic disease. Anthropogenic environments also affect the microbiome of synanthropic wildlife, influencing wildlife health and potentially introducing novel pathogens. Our objective was to examine the effect of agricultural development and synanthropic habitat on microbiome diversity and the prevalence of zoonotic bacterial pathogens in wild Peromyscus mice to better understand the role of these rodents in pathogen maintenance and transmission. We conducted 16S amplicon sequencing on faecal samples using long‐read nanopore sequencing technology to characterize the rodent microbiome. We compared microbiome diversity and composition between forest and synanthropic habitats in agricultural and undeveloped landscapes and screened for putative pathogenic bacteria. Microbiome richness, diversity, and evenness were higher in the agricultural landscape and synanthropic habitat compared to undeveloped‐forest habitat. Microbiome composition also differed significantly between agricultural and undeveloped landscapes and forest and synanthropic habitats. We detected overall low diversity and abundance of putative pathogenic bacteria, though putative pathogens were more likely to be found in mice from the agricultural landscape. Our findings show that landscape‐ and habitat‐level anthropogenic factors affect Peromyscus microbiomes and suggest that landscape‐level agricultural development may be important to predict zoonotic pathogen prevalence. Ultimately, understanding how anthropogenic land‐use change and synanthropy affect rodent microbiomes and pathogen prevalence is important to managing transmission of rodent‐borne zoonotic diseases to humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of the effect of vegetation cover on water and sediment content is of great significance for the in-depth understanding of ecological and environmental effects in river basins and the formulation of corresponding management measures. Based on the monitoring data of rainfall and runoff of Panjiazhuang and Dangchengwan Hydrologic Stations in Shule River Basin from 2000 to 2020 and the sediment discharge of Changmabao, methods such as geographic information technology (GIS), landscape pattern analysis, land use transfer matrix, correlation analysis, principal component analysis, and linear regression analysis were used to study water and sediment change, land use pattern, vegetation change characteristics, and local water and sediment change in Shule River Basin and construct vegetation–topographic landscape factors. The main research results are as follows: (1) Vegetation coverage in the Shule River Basin increased year by year from 2000 to 2020, with a cumulative increase of 0.064 in 20 years. Vegetation cover has a significant effect on water and sediment content, and the correlation is −0.966. (2) The cultivated land area of the Shule River Basin increased by 604 km2 from 2000 to 2020, and the conversion rate was 67%. From 2000 to 2020, the water area increased by 442 km2, and the conversion rate was 51%. The area of grassland and forest increased by 198 km2 and 12 km2, respectively, and the conversion rate was 68% and 33%, respectively. Forest had the highest transfer rate (0.67). The lowest conversion rate was 0.32 for grassland. (3) The variation coefficient of water and sediment content in Shule River Basin during 1971–2020 was 45.21%, and the highest variation coefficient during 2001–2010 was 49.15%. The lowest variation coefficient was 39.73% during 2011–2020. The annual sediment transport in the Shule River Basin fluctuates greatly and has a high degree of dispersion during 1971–2020. (4) The results of the landscape index in Shule River Basin during 2000–2020 had a small difference, with a difference of less than 0.5. According to the principal component analysis of landscape index and water and sediment content, the maximum patch index (LPI) had the strongest positive correlation with water and sediment content (0.958). The diversity index SHDI had the strongest negative correlation with water and sediment content (−0.995). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the acceleration of urban development and the increasing demand for beautiful cities, higher requirements have been put forward for the simulation technology of urban landscapes. Due to the complexity and rich details of urban landscape images, traditional image processing algorithms have certain limitations when processing urban landscape images. This paper proposes a dynamic simulation technology based on image detail enhancement algorithms. Urban landscape images are often affected by various interference factors, such as the presence of noise, particles, or other unwanted impurities in the image. Denoising algorithms are used to reduce these interferences and improve the clarity and quality of the image. Subsequently, an image detail enhancement algorithm is adopted to improve the clarity and realism of the image. This algorithm mainly focuses on enhancing the detail information in the image, making the details of the image more prominent and clear. Apply the processed image to the urban 3D landscape to achieve dynamic simulation effects. By combining the image with the 3D model, achieve realism and interactivity in the virtual environment. Experience the urban 3D landscape through operations such as moving the perspective, scaling, and rotating, and feel as if you are in person. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"The Rural Landscapes of Archaic Cyprus: An Archaeology of Environmental and Social Change" by Catherine Kearns is a valuable and original contribution to landscape studies and the archaeology of complex societies in the eastern Mediterranean. The book explores the interactions between different social groups, land use practices, climate, and ecology in the development of rural life in Iron Age Cyprus. Kearns argues that rural landscapes emerged as new political institutions and inequalities formed, independent of urban centers. The book provides a nuanced approach to climate and social change and is relevant to archaeological survey and landscape studies in the Near East. [Extracted from the article]

Human–wildlife interactions are increasing in severity due to climate change and proliferating urbanization. Regions where human infrastructure and activity are rapidly densifying or newly appearing constitute novel environments in which wildlife must learn to coexist with people, thereby serving as ideal case studies with which to infer future human–wildlife interactions in shared landscapes. As a widely reviled and behaviorally plastic apex predator, the spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta) is a model species for understanding how large carnivores navigate these human‐caused 'landscapes of fear' in a changing world. Using high‐resolution GPS collar data, we applied resource selection functions and step selection functions to assess spotted hyena landscape navigation and fine‐scale movement decisions in relation to social–ecological features in a rapidly developing region comprising two protected areas: Lake Nakuru National Park and Soysambu Conservancy, Kenya. We then used camera trap imagery and Barrier Behavior Analysis (BaBA) to further examine hyena interactions with barriers. Our results show that environmental factors, linear infrastructure, human–carnivore conflict hotspots, and human tolerance were all important predictors for landscape‐scale resource selection by hyenas, while human experience elements were less important for fine‐scale hyena movement decisions. Hyena selection for these characteristics also changed seasonally and across land management types. Camera traps documented an exceptionally high number of individual spotted hyenas (234) approaching the national park fence at 16 sites during the study period, and BaBA results suggested that hyenas perceive protected area boundaries' semi‐permeable electric fences as risky but may cross them out of necessity. Our findings highlight that the ability of carnivores to flexibly respond within human‐caused landscapes of fear may be expressed differently depending on context, scale, and climatic factors. These results also point to the need to incorporate societal factors into multiscale analyses of wildlife movement to effectively plan for human–wildlife coexistence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We conducted multi-proxy analyses in two subalpine lakes, Lake Gropile, in the Rodna Mountains and Lake Vinderelu in the Maramureș Mountains, the Eastern Carpathians, Romania, to investigate the effect of different land-use practices on landscape composition, diversity and slope erosion. In the case of Lake Gropile, results evidenced a more extended tree and shrub cover and high fire activity between 6400 and 2800 cal yr BP, accompanied by reduced soil erosion, which appeared more strongly regulated by climatic conditions. Anthropogenic impact became evident 2800 years ago, when landscape openness, pasturing, and disturbance of soil cover increased and intensified over the last four centuries. In the case of Lake Vinderelu, intensified burning was followed by grazing around 1200–1100 cal yr BP and continued throughout the last millennium. Results also highlight the site-specific effects of land-use on vegetation composition and landscape diversity. For Lake Vinderelu, a combined effect of local burning and grazing in removing shrub cover appear to be the main drivers of changes in landscape diversity and structure. At Lake Gropile, fire was more connected to shrub cover changes while grazing to herbaceous cover diversity. Moderate to low grazing appeared to benefit both subalpine ecosystems, creating rich grassland-shrub mosaic communities, while overgrazing reduced landscape diversity and exacerbated erosion. Our findings document the millennial-scale legacy of land-use practices on the subalpine landscapes in this region. We propose that these semi-natural ecosystems hold important ecological and cultural value, and recommend their maintenance through controlled, low intensity pasturing and/or burning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kristen Radtke's graphic memoir Imagine Wanting Only This (2017) visually chronicles the author's journeys through post-apocalyptic sites including abandoned cities, derelict landscapes, and architectural ruins in order to process the grief over the loss of her uncle and to confront her recurrent thoughts on mortality. Diagnosed with a fatal heart condition that catapults her into reflections on the transience of human existence, Radtke seeks answers by engaging in a series of dark tours to find physical manifestations of her inner turmoil amidst deserted cities and modern ruins. This essay examines how Radtke treads complex subjects of loss, angst, and death through nuanced visual storytelling while associating her vulnerable body with the dilapidated structures she explores. It further investigates how ruins as transitional spaces that simultaneously evoke recollections of a catastrophic past as well as the hope of human endurance offer avenues of self-reflection for the grieving protagonist, aiding her to successfully navigate her grief and overcome her anxieties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

GPS satellite tracking allows novel investigations of how golden eagles Aquila chrysaetos use the landscape at several scales and at different life history stages, including research on geographical barriers which may prevent or limit range expansion or create population/sub-population isolation. If there are significant barriers to golden eagle movements, there could be demographic and genetic consequences. Genetic studies have led investigations on the identification of sub-species, populations, and sub-populations but should be conjoined with demographic studies and dispersal movements to understand fully such designations and their geographic delimitation. Scottish eagles are genetically differentiated from continental European birds, with thousands of years of separation creating a distinct population, though without sub-species assignation. They present unique research opportunities to examine barriers to movements illustrated by satellite tracking under Scotland's highly variable geography. We primarily examined two features, using more than seven million dispersal records from satellite tags fitted to 152 nestlings. The first was the presence of unsuitable terrestrial habitat. We found few movements across a region of largely unsuitable lowland habitat between upland regions substantially generated by geological features over 70 km apart (Highland Boundary Fault and Southern Uplands Fault). This was expected from the Golden Eagle Topography model, and presumed isolation was the premise for an ongoing reinforcement project in the south of Scotland, translocating eagles from the north (South Scotland Golden Eagle Project: SSGEP). Second was that larger expanses of water can be a barrier. We found that, for a northwestern archipelago (Outer Hebrides), isolated by ≥24 km of sea (and with prior assignation of genetical and historical separation), there were no tagged bird movements with the Inner Hebrides and/or the Highlands mainland (the main sub-population), confirming their characterisation as a second sub-population. Results on the willingness of eagles to cross open sea or sea lochs (fjords) elsewhere in Scotland were consistent on distance. While apparently weaker than the Outer Hebrides in terms of separation, the designation of a third sub-population in the south of Scotland seems appropriate. Our results validate the SSGEP, as we also observed no movement of birds across closer sea crossings from abundant Highland sources to the Southern Uplands. Based on telemetric results, we also identified where any re-colonisation of England, due to the SSGEP, is most likely to occur. We emphasise, nevertheless, that our study's records during dispersal will be greater than the natal dispersal distances (NDDs), when birds settle to breed after dispersal, and NDDs are the better shorter arbiter for connectivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The issues of the environmental evolution of the western sector of the Khanka valley and the evolution of Lake Khanka are considered for the maxima of the last glaciation and Late Pleistocene lacustrine transgression. The lithological indicators and results of diatom analysis of lacustrine sediments of Lake Khanka indicate two sedimentation conditions over the period of 24.0–19.0 cal ka BP: an oligotrophic–mesotrophic moderately swampy shallow reservoir with an unstable level and a relatively deep lake. The maximum of the transgression occurred at ~19.6 cal ka BP, when the lake level was 1.5–2.0 m higher than at present for the first time. Four phases of the vegetation evolution in the western sector of the Khanka valley are distinguished: I, birch–larch mari with alder and frigid shrubs (23.8–22.8 cal ka BP); II, dark coniferous taiga with dwarf pine and a small amount of broad-leaved trees (22.8–20.6 cal ka BP); III, spruce forests with dwarf pine, fir, larch, and rare oak (20.6–20.1 cal ka BP); and IV, light birch forests and larch mari with frigid shrubs (20.1–19.0 cal ka BP). Two cooling phases are registered at the Khanka valley (~24.0 cal ka BP (cooling maximum) and 20.6 cal ka BP) and one warming phase (∼22.8 cal ka BP), which are correlated with the detailed global Greenland glacier records. The driest periods occurred at 21.7–21.2 cal ka BP. The quantitative characteristics of climate events are reconstructed from modern plant analogs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To promote global equity in research, innovation, and care, sharing knowledge and grasping current benchmarks is crucial. Despite LIC/LMIC constituting around 80% of the global population, their contribution to neurosurgery research is less than 5%. This study aims to assess the status of neurosurgical oncology in LIC/LMIC using published data, offering strategic insights for progress. Conducting a retrospective bibliometric analysis via PubMed and Scopus databases, we documented reports published (2015–2021) by neurosurgical department-affiliated investigators in LICs/LMICs. World Bank classifications identified LIC and LMIC. Reviewed papers underwent further scrutiny based on independent and associated keyword lists. Our systematic approach revealed 189 studies from LMIC in 10 neurosurgery journals. Of these, 53% were case reports, with 88% focusing on brain pathologies and 12% on the spine. Intra-axial brain tumors (45.8%), extra-axial/skull base (38.4%), and metastasis (3.68%) were prominent. Among noncase report publications, surgical technique and outcome were common themes. India, Egypt, and Tunisia led in publications, with 94% appearing in journals with an impact factor below 5. No papers originated from LIC. This study reinforces existing findings that data from LMIC inadequately represent their populations, impeding a comprehensive understanding of their neurosurgical oncology landscape. Language barriers and data collection difficulties contribute to this gap. Addressing these challenges could significantly enhance progress in shaping the future of neurosurgical oncology in these regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Tanzania, most smallholder farming systems have experienced land degradation due to soil erosion which contributes to the decline in crop and livestock productivity. Community perception of land degradation has not been reported adequately in the Maasai landscape sufficiently reported, even though its causes and effects are site-specific and occur over time. This study assessed the community's perception of indicators, causes and land degradation management practices in the Maasai landscape. A total of 240 farmers from six villages distributed within three landscape zones differentiated by their altitudes and contrasting adoption of soil conservation practices were involved in the study. Farmer’s plots, observations, discussions, and questionnaire interviews were used for data collection. Data analysis performed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20.0 were descriptive statistics, and comparison tests were done using the Chi-square test. According to the results, 75% of the respondents recognize land degradation as a problem in their cultivated land. About 60% of the farmers reported anthropogenic as the most prominent type of land degradation in all landscape zones. Soil erosion was reported as the main indicator of land degradation accounting for 74.1%, 61.3%, and 44.4% in high, medium, and low landscape zones respectively. The study found that communities perceive the trend of land degradation as increasing in the landscape, whereby soil erosion and nutrient depletion are the major indicators of land degradation. The study recommends that the government and other soil conservation organizations in the Maasai landscape of Arusha and related areas consider community perceptions in the planning and implementation of interventions meant for sustainable land use and restorations. Communities in the Maasai landscape are aware of land degradation and have their indigenous method for conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]