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To address poor crop extraction results in mountainous regions using single-feature data in previous research, this study employed a quadcopter to capture aerial orthophoto imagery and image-matching point cloud data from a pitaya cultivation site in the rugged mountainous terrain of southwestern China. The authors identified three critical features: the visible-band difference vegetation index (VDVI), excess green – excess red (ExG-ExR), and canopy height model (CHM) and then integrated them to build a multi-dimensional feature dataset, namely VDVI+CHM and ExG-ExR+CHM. Through a rule-based object-oriented technique, they conducted identification extraction specifically for pitayas plants. The study yielded impressive extraction accuracies, with VDVI, ExG-ExR, CHM segmentation, VDVI+CHM, and ExG-ExR+CHM achieving overall accuracies of 92.34%, 91.05%, 89.08%, 97.56%, and 96.86%, respectively. Furthermore, to validate the accuracy of the extraction results, a regression analysis was conducted to compare the actual canopy area of the pitayas plants determined through human-computer interaction with the extraction results. The root mean square error (RMSE) for VDVI+CHM and ExG-ExR+CHM were found to be 18 dm2 and 25 dm2, respectively, while the coefficient of determination (R2) was 0.81 and 0.67, respectively. Notably, the comparative analysis revealed that VDVI + CHM, which fused multi-dimensional features, exhibited the highest recognition accuracy, demonstrating that integrating multi-dimensional plant features effectively enhanced the accuracy of pitaya plant identification and extraction. By overcoming the limitations of single spectral or spatial structural features, this approach provides valuable insights into the identification and extraction of characteristic economic crops in mountainous regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The geographical environment and economic conditions that influence the spatial distribution of minority villages vary significantly, particularly in mountainous regions where they face different levels of disaster risks. Environmental suitability assessment can help us gain a deeper understanding of the differences and degrees of differences among different villages and provide a basis for resource allocation and planning. This study focuses on 499 national level and 68 provincial level minority villages in Fujian province and evaluates the environmental suitability of their spatial distribution using analysis tools such as ArcMap and GeoDetector. The research findings indicated: (1) The ratio between the influence strengths of natural geographical, socioeconomic, and disaster constraint indicators on the environmental suitability of minority villages in mountainous areas is 5:10:7, with the highest influence being the regional gross domestic product (RGDP) in the socioeconomic indicator (0.509) and the lowest influence being flood sensitivity (0.011). (2) Areas with high suitability values are in the southeast coastal and central regions. From east to west, the suitability values gradually decrease. The suitable areas cover 87.2% of the total region, including 91.9% of the minority villages. (3) The geographical correlation coefficient between the spatial distribution of minority villages and environmental suitability is 86.87, indicating a high degree of spatial interaction and fit between the two. This validates the rationality of the multi-factor evaluation model for assessing the environmental suitability of ethnic village spatial distribution in mountainous areas. (4) There is an inverse "U" relationship between environmental suitability and the distribution of national and provincial level minority villages. With the increase in the suitability index, the number of national level minority villages tends to increase, while the number of provincial level minority villages tends to decrease. The research findings have significant implications for promoting the sustainable development of minority villages in Fujian province and provide reference for the regional development and protection of minority villages in other mountainous areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mountainous regions of the Earth have significant elevation differences even on small areas of the earth's surface, which is the main reason for the characteristic combination of natural conditions in these regions. This includes height as a leading factor, resulting in relief and a corresponding complex of natural components. All other components of development in these areas will be radically different from those in nearby plains, and the conditions of existence for the population will also be characteristic of these territories. These conditions affect lifestyle, occupation, and health. Altitude is most clearly traced in the variability of hydroclimatic, soilbiological, and landscape components vertically. As altitude and climatic components directly affect agricultural specialization, it is important to consider these factors when planning agricultural activities in mountainous areas. There is a change in the direction of reducing the duration of the vegetation period for plants. Agriculture is associated with growing coldresistant plants, while heat-loving plants are grown on the plains and their growing season is shorter. The physical and geographical challenges of highlands involve determining the limits of disturbance or barrier that can cause instability, as well as forecasting the development of weak components. It is necessary to identify processes that affect the development of mountains. These include altitude, topography, climate, and weathering, which together determine the stability of natural complexes in highlands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Objective] The rapid contraction of agricultural production space poses a threat to national food security, ecological safety and social stability. Clarifying the pattern and mechanism of agricultural production space contraction is of great significance to the high-quality development of agriculture and rural revitalization. [Methods] Based on the actor-network theory, this paper constructed a theoretical analysis framework for the agricultural production space contraction in mountainous areas. Taking Lishi Village in Longde County as an example, it used methods such as in-depth interviews and remote sensing interpretation to sort out the evolution process of the agricultural production space in the mountainous areas of southern Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, and explore the underlying contraction mechanism. [Results] The study found that: (1) The translation of actor networks at different stages, the entry and exit of heterogeneous actors within the networks, and the transformation of the actor networks goals comprehensively contributed to the contraction of agricultural production space through the combined effects of human and non-human actors. (2) During the transformation of the actor network in Lishi Village, the key actor changed from the local government to the young labor force, and the obligatory point of passage (OPP) changed from “returning farmland to forest and grassland” to “developing specialty farming to maximize economic income”. (3) The agricultural production space in Lishi Village has gone through two stages: explicit contraction under the ecological objective and implicit contraction under the economic objective. (4) The contraction of agricultural production space in mountainous areas follows the mechanisms of environmental logic, policy-driven logic, and multi-subject logic. [Conclusion] To address the contraction of agricultural production space contraction in mountainous areas, it is necessary to innovate the mode of agricultural production and management, rationally balance the relationship between environmental carrying capacity and agricultural development, innovate the policies of ecological compensation and agricultural benefit, and accelerate the cultivation of new types of business entities such as elderly-friendly agriculture and professional farmers.

Based on the analysis of the current situation and factors affecting the ability to escape poverty sustainably of ethnic minority households in Thanhhoa, this article proposes appropriate poverty reduction solutions. The study focuses on clarifying the issues: economic, income, cultural, and social characteristics of ethnic minority households in mountainous areas, the legal basis for proposing solutions, and the necessity of sustainable poverty reduction. At the same time, the article analyzes the current situation of poverty reduction, classifying poor households into three groups: households with elderly and sick people, households with workers lacking skills, and households lacking labor motivation. From there, the study proposes solutions and support policies to improve the ability to escape poverty, combined with people's efforts to achieve sustainable results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Earth observation (EO) provides dynamic scientific methods for tracking and defining ecological parameters in mountainous regions. Open-source platforms are frequently utilized in this context to efficiently collect and evaluate spatial data. In this study, we used Collect Earth (CE), an open-source land monitoring platform, to reveal and assess land cover, land cover change, and relevant ecological parameters such as drought risk. Mountain ecosystems were subject to an evaluation for the first time by combining remote sensing with a hybridization of Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL), analytic hierarchy process (AHP), and Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) for neutrosophic sets in risk assessment problems of several connected criteria. The high and dispersed high alpine environment of Türkiye accommodates land with relatively less human influence, making it suitable to observe climate change impacts. In the framework of the study, we evaluated more than two decades (2000–2022) of land use and land cover (LULC) changes in the mountain regions of the country. Using nine identified ecological parameters, we also evaluated drought risk. The parameters included were the LULC classes and their change, elevation, slope, aspect, precipitation, temperature, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), water deficit, and evapotranspiration (ET). The risk map we produced revealed a high to very high drought risk for almost throughout the Türkiye's mountainous areas. We concluded that integrating geospatial techniques with hybridization is promising for mapping drought risk, helping policymakers prepare effective drought mitigation measures to reasonably adapt to climate change impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Relocating poor people in mountainous areas to centralized settlement sites is an important poverty alleviation policy implemented by China and a key measure to promote stable poverty alleviation and sustainable rural development for the poor. Based on the survey data of 405 peasant households in the Panxi Area in 2021, this study constructed a structural equation model (SEM) to explore the influencing factors of peasant households' willingness to relocate to a concentrated residence. The results showed the following: (1) Of the 405 peasant households surveyed, 20.98% were unwilling to move to centralized resettlement sites, making it more difficult to carry out the relocation policy for poverty alleviation. (2) Living environment, living conditions, important social groups, the economic benefits, living benefits, and survival benefits brought by concentrated residences, governments, and the village committees significantly influenced the willingness to relocate to a concentrated residence. In contrast, agricultural income, ecological benefits, and value benefits brought by the concentrated residence had little effect on the willingness to relocate to a concentrated residence. (3) Land force, human force, cognitive force, and national force significantly positively affected the peasant households' willingness to relocate to a concentrated residence. This study is of great significance in promoting the implementation of poverty alleviation and relocation policy, improving the efficiency of relocation and promoting the wellbeing of peasant households. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When focusing on biodiversity maintenance, ecological security pattern (ESP) planning gradually becomes a multi-objective planning strategy for sustainable development; wildlife conservation and ecosystem health maintenance should be balanced with local economic development and people's livelihood enhancement goals. This study focuses on ESP mapping in the Qinling-Daba Mountain area, which is an ecologically significant and socioeconomically underdeveloped area. The tradeoff between conservation and development is made by varying the area of ecological sources and incorporating ecosystem service tradeoffs into ecological source identification through multi-scenario designation. ESPs under six scenarios were generated based on the minimum resistance model, and the important ecological corridors and strategic points in each scenario were identified and compared. The results show the following: (1) The scenario that sets around 30 percent of the study area as ecological sources maintains the integrity of natural ecosystems and leaves space for food and material supply to residents. (2) In this scenario, the ecological sources are connected by 60 corridors that cross 137 townships with high population densities (>100 people/km2) and intersect with major traffic lines at 71 points. Engineering, management, or education strategies must be taken in these townships or intersections to avoid human–wildlife conflicts. (3) The study area needs to construct both short (north–south) corridors linking proximate ecological sources for species' daily movement and long (west–east) corridors connecting large and distant sources for species' seasonal migration and gene flow. (4) The multi-scenario approach turns out to be an effective strategy for ESP planning with considerations for development–conservation tradeoffs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inconsistent reports exist on the relationships between key agronomic traits and maize yield. We performed a multivariate analysis of yield and 10 agronomic traits in 59 hybrids to explore maize yields in mountainous areas. The yield per plant (YP) was significantly and positively correlated with kernel weight (KW), growth period (GP), and kernel row number (KRN). KW and KRN had positive effects on YP, whereas kernel rows per ear (KRE) had a negative effect. GP indirectly affected YP. GP, KW, KRN, and ear length (EL) showed the highest grey relational degree with YP. The first four principal components cumulatively accounted for 73.36% of variation. EL, KW, plant height (PH), ear height (EH), GP, KRN, and YP contributed positively to the variation, whereas KRE, shelling percentage (SP), bald-tip length (BTL), and ear girth (EG) contributed negatively. Based on trait similarity, the 59 maize hybrids were classified into two clusters, Clusters I and II. A total of 11 traits were grouped into four clusters, Clusters A–D. Cluster D included KW, GP, KRN, EL, EH, PH, and YP, and the 22 maize hybrids in Cluster I performed better in these traits. These results provide a theoretical basis for the breeding of high-yield maize varieties in mountainous areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the differences in locomotor abilities of children aged 5-6 years in two locations, namely coastal and mountainous areas in Kebumen City, Indonesia. This is important because children's locomotor outcomes are still poor and there has been no identification of locomotor abilities judging from previous studies that only examined manipulative movement abilities. Overall, this study contributes greatly to future research by providing important insights into how environmental and geographical factors interact with children's physical development, which in turn can aid in the creation of more effective policies and interventions to support holistic child development. Using descriptive research methods, the population was 40 schools specifically for coastal and mountainous areas, then sampling was carried out in 2 stages, namely using cluster random sampling techniques and then purposive sampling. The sample size was 130 with details of 65 children in coastal areas and 65 in mountainous regions. This instrument has been validated and reliable on 135 children in Indonesia with a validity result of 2.27 > t table 1.65 and reliability of 0.765. The statistical test results showed a p value = 0.013 which means that there is a relationship between children's locomotor abilities with geography in the two different locations, namely mountains and coasts. The average child's locomotor ability in coastal areas was found to be superior compared to mountainous areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under the influence of climate warming, the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events are increasing, posing a greater risk of exposing the ecological environment to extreme climatic conditions. Ecological land, as a land use type of paramount importance to both the natural environment and humanity, has not been examined regarding its exposure under extreme climatic conditions. Therefore, this study focuses on the ecologically significant Southwest China, characterized by frequent extreme temperature events. Based on CMIP6 climate data and land use data, and utilizing ArcGIS software, the exposure of ecological land to extreme temperature conditions is analyzed. The results indicate that, compared to historical periods, the area of ecological land exposed to extreme high temperatures is rapidly increasing, while the area exposed to extreme low temperatures is decreasing. Various types of ecological land show differences in area changes under extreme temperature exposure, and there is significant spatial heterogeneity in the changes in ecological land exposure, primarily due to the different spatial distributions of ecological land and extreme temperature indicators. The changes in exposure area of ecological land under extreme temperatures exhibit prominent topographical gradients. The findings of this study can provide crucial and clear information for the formulation of disaster prevention mitigation policies and land planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article analyzes the spatial features of the post-Soviet socio-economic transformation of rural areas of southern Russia with the Republic of Dagestan as an example. The limited availability of reliable statistical data determined the need to organize five expeditions to Dagestan from 2020 to 2024. The results of the expeditions revealed a high spatial heterogeneity of rural development in the region. The presence of vast mountainous and the specifics of post-Soviet modernization of society and economy determine a particular nature of development of rural Dagestan. The classification procedure allowed identifying 10 types of districts in rural Dagestan with significant differences in their basic characteristics. The analysis of the dynamics of the main socio-economic indicators of Dagestan rural areas within different geographical, social, and economic types emphasized that a comprehensive analysis of the transformation of mountain territories should consider both the specific features of mountains and the factors of population and economy modernization. The study has shown that rural Dagestan has two main trajectories of socio-economic transformation of territories in the post-Soviet period, i.e., inertial and modernization. Together they demonstrate matching of such processes as the archaization and modernization of the local economy structure, and traditionalization and modernization of the society. It has been revealed that the inertial trajectory of rural transformation dominates in mountainous and piedmont rural areas, while the modernization one dominates in the plains. This is a serious challenge for the spatial development of the region.

IntroductionEnvironmental pollution and health issues are hot topics of discussion in modern society. However, there is a lack of research from the perspective of subjective factors such as environmental protection to study the impact of environmental literacy on health, especially in rural areas.MethodsFirst, through field research in the mountainous rural areas of Sichuan Province, 396 data points were collected. Based on the KAP model, we constructed an interactive impact mechanism model for the health of rural residents. We used chi-square tests and t-tests to examine the relationship between the background characteristics of rural residents and environmental protection. All environmental literacy variables were classified into strong and weak observational variables, and a multiple linear regression model was employed to explore the impact mechanism of environmental literacy (divided into environmental protection awareness, attitudes, behaviors, and perceptions of environmental pollution) on the health of rural residents.Results and discussion(1) Young village officials with higher education levels are more likely to have stronger environmental literacy. (2) The health status of rural residents is positively affected by their positive attitude towards environmental protection and negatively affected by their environmental protection behaviors. (3) Age, gender, marital status, and party membership have a significant impact on the health of rural residents. The results of this study can enhance the attention to the living environment and health in rural areas, and provide a scientific basis for improving the environmental literacy and health level of rural residents.

[Objective] The purpose of the study was to explore the evolution process, development stages, and driving factors of farmland marginalization in typical villages in mountainous areas, to examine the characteristics and mechanisms of farmland marginalization and provide theoretical references and case studies for the sustainable development of agriculture and rural revitalization of a wide range of mountainous villages. [Methods] Based on the data of two typical villages in Liupanshui City of Guizhou Province from 2000 to 2020 and 641 survey questionnaires of farmers, this study constructed an evaluation index system for farmland marginalization from explicit and implicit perspectives, introduced the concepts of farmland marginalization intensity and marginalization contribution rate, to identify the process and stage characteristics of farmland marginalization. [Results] The results show that: (1) Farmland marginalization includes the transfer of land use at the explicit level and factor input changes at the implicit level, the complete development process is composed of the initial period, development period, gradual change period, and stabilization period, and the development rate and stage characteristics are affected by a combination of macro and micro factors. (2) Farmland marginalization in Shepeng Village and Houchang Village showed a trend of gradually increasing index values but gradually decreasing intensity, and the overall farmland marginalization index value of the former was lower than that of the latter during the study period, with implicit marginalization constituting the main part. (3) In terms of influencing factors, farmland transfer behavior and labor force characteristics played a dominant role in farmland marginalization in urban-rural integration-type villages, and farmland utilization conditions and resource endowment played an important role in farmland marginalization in traditional agricultural villages. [Conclusion] Farmland marginalization in mountainous areas experienced the inevitable impact of natural factors and socioeconomic changes, and the process of farmland marginalization in different types of villages had different characteristics. Urban-rural integration villages should establish a moderate balance between food and ecological securities through continuous innovation of agricultural land use systems and integration of village development factors; and traditional agricultural villages should respond reasonably to the trend of farmland marginalization by strengthening policy support and guidance, and optimizing the structure of agricultural production.

The Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region lies between the Mongolia-Xinjiang Zoogeographic Region and the Central China Zoogeographic Region in China, harboring relatively rich biodiversity. This study specifically examined the species diversity, richness and endemic areas of beetles in this area. By analyzing 5965 detailed distribution records of 2047 beetle species in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region, the species richness maps were created with a grid size of 0.5°. Additionally, two methods, parsimony analysis of endemism (PAE) and endemicity analysis (EA) were applied to detect areas of endemism (AOEs) with different grid sizes (0.1°, 0.25° and 0.5°), resulting in the identification of three AOEs in the southern mountainous areas of the Taihang Mountains, Yanshan Mountains, and Xiaowutai Mountains. It also verified that AOEs are consistent with the hypothesis that endemic areas are predominantly located in mountain ranges, as proposed by previous related studies. These findings highlight the importance of complex topography and stable climate in shaping AOEs and conserving biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) specifies that in the design phase of instrument flight procedures, an additional clearance may be added to an obstacle when flights are over mountainous terrain. This clearance increase can be up to 100 per cent of the minimum obstacle clearance (MOC). Airspace and instrument flight procedure designers usually face the problem of determining what value should be applied, since setting the maximum value of 100% often implies operational penalties, but there are no standardized criteria to determine lower values. The ICAO PANS-OPS indicates that the additional clearance over obstacles in mountainous areas is caused by two effects, both related to orography and wind speed. The first effect is due to the altimeter indication error. The second one is related to the loss of altitude when an aircraft is exposed to turbulence produced by mountain waves. This paper presents a methodology for determining the additional clearance to be applied over obstacles when, in the flight procedure design phase, the overflight of mountainous terrain is expected. Through this methodology, results have been achieved for the proposal of an appropriate additional clearance. The development of graphs and tables allows us to identify which additional value should be considered in each case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mountain area is faced with complex coJdjtions sucn as vertical and horizontal valleys, complex geologd topography, Vmny earthquake fault zones, high seismic intensityfriBk ecologyBkcriangeable climate. The traditional concrete bridgee heavy weilrhigh consumption of sand and gravel materials, large structural dimensions of steel box composite bridges, high steel consumption, and poor overall horizontal performance of steel plate composite beams, which are not suitable for mountain construction conditions. Thejefore, based onthe construction environment and application requirements of highway bridges in mountainous areas, the structural scheme of steeHX-steel pete composite beam is put forward in this paper, and the design 50 m landaTa-span steel box-steel plate composite beam is studied. Jrfl®iesu[ts show that the steel box-steel plate composite beam structure scheme is adopted, which has excellent mechanical characteristics of steel box girder and k simple structure of steel plate girder. It has the mechanical characteristics of balancidtransverse force and excellent longitudinal force", so it is a reasonable choice for small radius curved beam bridge in a mountainous area, so it is a reasonable choice for small radius curved beam bridge in a mountainous area. The steel box-steel plate composite beam adopts the integrated technology of manufacture, transportation and installation, which can better meet the road transport conditions in the mountain area. The longitudinal assembly of the manufacturing unit as the installation unit can ensure the rapid and high-precision installation of the construction site, and the assembly construction of the bridge in the mountain area has been realized. The technical and economic comparison shows that the mechanical performance of steel box-steel plate composite beam is similar to that of steel box beam and obviously better than that of steel plate girder. The steel consumption and construction period of steel box- steel plate composite beam are similar to that of steel plate girder, and are significantly less than that of the steel box girder. Therefore, the steel box- steel plate composite beam is a good choice for mountain bridge construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The Grain for Green Program and soil and water conservation engineering initiatives are crucial for controlling erosion in steep-slope agriculture. However, it is still unclear how these two management methods should be carried out in respect to the situation in mountainous areas. Therefore, taking a typical mountainous area in southwest China as an example, we simulated six scenarios in order to compare the food provisioning service (FPS) and soil conservation service of the Grain for Green Program (converting to grassland) and Construction Measures (converting to sloping terrace) under different slopes. Results showed that when farmland with a >25° slope was converted into grassland, the amount of soil erosion (M) decreased by 21.0%, while FPS decreased by only 0.7%. However, when farmland with a >25° slope was converted into sloping terrace, M decreased by 31.3% while FPS increased by 18.7%. With the increases of farmland slope ranges in the Construction Measures scenario, M gradually decreased and FPS gradually increased. Particularly when farmland >15° was converted into sloping terrace, M decreased by 63.9% and FPS increased by 52.7%. Furthermore, the trade-offs of Construction Measures are lower than that of Grain for Green on different slope ranges. Therefore, we conclude that Construction Measures are a more suitable method in mountainous areas than the Grain for Green, and we suggest that further research be conducted to consider the ecological risks of construction engineering measures.

Approximately 24% of the global land area consists of mountainous regions, with 10% of the population relying on these areas for their cultivated land. Accurate statistics and monitoring of cultivated land in mountainous regions are crucial for ensuring food security, creating scientific land use policies, and protecting the ecological environment. However, the fragmented nature of cultivated land in these complex terrains challenges the effectiveness of existing extraction methods. To address this issue, this study proposed a cascaded network based on an improved semantic segmentation model (DeepLabV3+), called Cascade DeepLab Net, specifically designed to improve the accuracy in the scenario of fragmented land features. This method aims to accurately extract cultivated land from remote sensing images. This model enhances the accuracy of cultivated land extraction in complex terrains by incorporating the Style-based Recalibration Module (SRM), Spatial Attention Module (SAM), and Refinement Module (RM). The experimental results using high-resolution satellite images of mountainous areas in southern China show that the improved model achieved an overall accuracy (OA) of 92.33% and an Intersection over Union (IoU) of 82.51%, marking a significant improvement over models such as U-shaped Network (UNet), Pyramid Scene Parsing Network (PSPNet), and DeepLabV3+. This method enhances the efficiency and accuracy of monitoring cultivated land in mountainous areas and offers a scientific basis for policy formulation and resource management, aiding in ecological protection and sustainable development. Additionally, this study presents new ideas and methods for future applications of cultivated land monitoring in other complex terrain regions.

The presented article provides a comparative analysis of psychophysiological and health indicators of the aged, elderly and long- lived from different mountainous regions of Azerbaijan. Thus, Azerbaijan has historically been chosen as the land of centenarians and had the terrain in the center of attention. The influence of natural complex terrain on life expectancy is one of the most urgent problems in the scientific literature. The observational studies involved the aged (65-74 years old), the elderly (75-89 years old) and long-lived (90 years and older) from Kalbajar, Lachin and Zangilan districts, which are mountainous territories of Azerbaijan. The studies measured general anxiety, situational and individual anxiety, visual memory and attention, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and heart rate in 1 minute. In a comparative analysis of the results obtained, again, people living in mountainous areas maintain their health indicators due to strong adaptive processes that allow them to reach the age of longevity, the psychophysiological indicators of long-lived are within the normal range. Compared with the aged and the elderly, low and average levels of anxiety were revealed, visual memory and attention were higher than normal and higher health indicators. A comparative analysis of the results obtained showed that the physiological processes of the inhabitants of high-altitude areas were within the normal range. Kalbajar and Lachin districts are the most mountainous regions, while the Zangilan district is the middle and lower mountainous area. A comparison of the results obtained generally showed that the psychophysiological and health indicators of elderly in Zangilan district differ more sharply from the norm and increase the incidence of neuropsychiatric and somatic diseases.

The geographical environment and economic conditions that influence the spatial distribution of minority villages vary significantly, particularly in mountainous regions where they face different levels of disaster risks. Environmental suitability assessment can help us gain a deeper understanding of the differences and degrees of differences among different villages and provide a basis for resource allocation and planning. This study focuses on 499 national level and 68 provincial level minority villages in Fujian province and evaluates the environmental suitability of their spatial distribution using analysis tools such as ArcMap and GeoDetector. The research findings indicated: (1) The ratio between the influence strengths of natural geographical, socioeconomic, and disaster constraint indicators on the environmental suitability of minority villages in mountainous areas is 5:10:7, with the highest influence being the regional gross domestic product (RGDP) in the socioeconomic indicator (0.509) and the lowest influence being flood sensitivity (0.011). (2) Areas with high suitability values are in the southeast coastal and central regions. From east to west, the suitability values gradually decrease. The suitable areas cover 87.2% of the total region, including 91.9% of the minority villages. (3) The geographical correlation coefficient between the spatial distribution of minority villages and environmental suitability is 86.87, indicating a high degree of spatial interaction and fit between the two. This validates the rationality of the multi-factor evaluation model for assessing the environmental suitability of ethnic village spatial distribution in mountainous areas. (4) There is an inverse “U” relationship between environmental suitability and the distribution of national and provincial level minority villages. With the increase in the suitability index, the number of national level minority villages tends to increase, while the number of provincial level minority villages tends to decrease. The research findings have significant implications for promoting the sustainable development of minority villages in Fujian province and provide reference for the regional development and protection of minority villages in other mountainous areas.

In this study, a novel two-scale spherical radial basis function (SRBF) modeling method is proposed for regional gravity field determination. First, satellite-only global gravity field models (GGMs) are combined with airborne gravity data at medium-frequency bands, and a series of combined gravity field models based on band-limited SRBFs are established for the mountainous areas of California and Oregon. The combined gravity field models are then compared with the airborne-only gravity field models. The results show that the combined models exhibit standard deviation (STD) values of 0.106–0.120 m in terms of geoid height differences w.r.t. the global positioning system (GPS)/leveling data, while the corresponding airborne-only models yield STD values of 0.126–0.131 m. The STD values of the combined models are reduced by 0.9–2.0 cm, which implies a potential benefit for the medium-frequency gravity field modeling by combining GGM and airborne gravity data. Second, after removing the low-frequency and medium-frequency gravity field signals as well as the residual terrain model signals from gravity data, a second SRBF modeling process is implemented using multisource residual gravity data. Subsequently, a high-resolution two-scale SRBF gravity field model is constructed for the mountainous areas of California and Oregon. The results indicate that the STD of geoid height differences for the two-scale SRBF model w.r.t. the GPS/leveling data is 0.098 m, with reductions of 3.0–6.2 cm compared to the models based on the single-scale SRBF modeling method. These findings indicate the effectiveness of the two-scale SRBF modeling method for refining the regional gravity field model in complex areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mountain areas face various problems such as environmental degradation, deforestation, unsustainable agricultural expansion, soil erosion, coupled with the loss of traditional knowledge, among others, which has become the focus of concern and reflection of both theoretical and practical discourse, due to the environmental, economic and social deterioration they have experienced. Higher Education in Cuba plays a very important role in the face of these problems, by contributing, through scientific means, to their solution. The following original research has as its objective to implement agroforestry resilience actions in mountainous areas from community projects with the Municipal University Center of Remedios in the province of Villa Clara, Cuba. The methodology used was participatory action research, using theoretical methods such as synthetic analytical and historical-logical, empirical methods such as document analysis, observation, interviews, which allowed recording the information directly from the subjects studied and workshops with brainstorming techniques in the dynamics of the research. The results have been structured in the foundation of the conceptual elements necessary to clarify the object of study, main needs and potentialities of the mountainous area studied, as well as agroforestry resilience actions, which allowed greater public participation in the community context in the management of its natural resources, aimed at contributing to the fulfillment of the Sustainable Development Goals (Agenda 2030) and one of the strategic axes within the National Economic and Social Development Plan of Cuba. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The ecological damage caused by cut slopes in mountainous areas is serious, and ecological restoration is urgently needed. In this context, outside soil spray seeding (OSSS) combined with a frame beam is often used in mountainous areas of southwestern China. The aims of this study were (1) to determine the differences in soil organic carbon (SOC) and its fractions of cut slopes under different restoration methods and (2) to explore the factors influencing SOC and its fractions of cut slopes in this study area. Materials and methods: Two cut slopes restored by different restoration methods (framed slope, using OSSS combined with a frame beam, FS; rimless slope, unassisted restoration, RS) were selected, and a nearby naturally developed slope that had not been cut was used as a reference (NS). The SOC, SOC fractions, and related soil parameters were investigated. Results and discussion: Compared with RS, the available phosphorus, urease activity, amylase activity, microbial biomass carbon (MBC), and light-fraction organic carbon (LFOC) levels of FS were significantly higher. However, there were no significant differences in pH, bulk density, available nitrogen, saccharase activity, SOC, particulate organic carbon (POC), and readily oxidizable organic carbon (ROC) between FS and RS. Notably, the MBC contents of FS and RS were higher compared to that of NS, which may be due to the fact that the deep soil was exposed to the air after stripping the surface soil of the cut slopes, which facilitated the growth of aerobic microorganisms. The dissolved organic carbon (DOC) content of FS was lower than that of RS, most likely because of the higher MBC content of FS compared with RS. The main soil parameters influencing soil SOC and its fractions were available nitrogen, available phosphorus, and bulk density. Conclusions: Despite the implementation of ecological restoration measures, the SOC and its fractions of the cut slope did not fully recover, and there was a gap between the soil quality of FS and NS. Further research is needed to determine whether OSSS combined with frame beams is an effective ecological restoration method for cut slopes in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Landslides recurrently cause severe damage and, in some cases, the full disruption of many highways in mountainous areas, which can last from a few days to even months. Thus, there is a high demand for monitoring tools and precipitation data to support highway alignment selections before construction. In this study, we proposed a new system highway alignment selection method based on coherent scatter InSAR (CSI) and ~1 km high-spatial-resolution precipitation (HSRP) analysis. Prior to the CSI, we calculated and analyzed the feasibility of Sentinel-1A ascending and descending data. To illustrate the performance of the CSI, CSI and SBAS–InSAR were both utilized to monitor 80 slow-moving landslides, which were identified by optical remote-sensing interpretation and field investigation, along the Barkam–Kangting Highway Corridor (BKHC) in southwestern China, relying on 56 Sentinel-1A descending images from September 2019 to September 2021. The results reveal that CSI has clearer deformation signals and more measurement points (MPs) than SBAS-InSAR. And the maximum cumulative displacements and rates of the landslides reach −75 mm and −64 mm/year within the monitoring period (CSI results), respectively. Furthermore, the rates of the landslides near the Jinchuan River are higher than those of the landslides far from the river. Subsequently, to optimize the highway alignment selection, we analyzed the spatiotemporal evolution characteristics of feature points on a typical landslide by combining the −1 km HSRP, which was calculated from the 30′ Climatic Research Unit (CRU) time-series datasets, with the climatology datasets of WorldClim using delta spatial downscaling. The analysis shows that the sliding rates of landslides augment from the back edge to the tongue because of fluvial erosion and that accelerated sliding is highly related to the intense precipitation between April and September each year (ASP). Consequently, three solution types were established in our method by setting thresholds for the deformation rates and ASPs of every landslide. Afterward, the risk-optimal alignment selection of the BKHC was finalized according to the solution types and consideration of the construction's possible impacts. Ultimately, the major problems and challenges for our method were discussed, and conclusions were given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Landraces are identified for their genetic diversity and heritage value. Geographically isolated areas are gradually recognized for their agricultural diversity and importance in conservation. One of the consequences of agricultural intensification is an increase in crop uniformity and hence a reduction in the landraces' genetic resources. Messinia, located in Southwest Peloponnese, Greece, is characterized by a diverse terrain and smallholdings. The geomorphological character of the area and farmers' selections have led to new landraces (local varieties) with unique traits and specific adaptations. A total of 110 villages/settlements were visited between 2013–2016, aiming to explore the existing wealth of landraces and the degree of genetic erosion. The genetic material collected and the testimonies extracted from local communities were compared to data from past expeditions, gene banks, and portal databases. Of the 427 collected samples, the majority belonged to annual vegetable or pulse species, indicating the genetic diversity of the groups, which was likely related to their culinary value. Perennial crops are priced both as commercial and staple crops, with olive trees dominating the agricultural landscape. Genetic erosion and production decline were noticed for cereals. It is concluded that socio-cultural and agricultural trends have a strong influence on the survival of landraces. Without exhausting the agricultural wealth of the region, the present study suggests that Messinia is an agrobiodiversity hotspot that includes neglected crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sloping farmland abandonment has become a typical land use pattern worldwide. Along with the aggravation of sloping farmland abandonment, terrace abandonment is also showing an increasing trend. Systematically clarifying the pattern and mechanism of terrace abandonment is a prerequisite for effective management. Based on the survey data of 145 villages, 697 rural households, and satellite remote sensing in Southwest China, this study uses spatial analysis and the Logit model to reveal the scale, pattern, and driving mechanism of terrace abandonment in the study area to provide scientific references for the sustainable utilization of terrace resources in mountainous areas. This study found that in the study area, 63% of the villages had experienced terrace abandonment, and nearly one-fifth of the rural households had abandoned terraces. The area of abandoned terraces accounted for 7.65% of the total area, and the scale of abandoned terraces reached 449,360 hectares, of which Chongqing has the highest proportion of terrace abandonment (11.5%), while Yunnan Province has the lowest (5.1%); the overall abandoned terraces show a pattern of higher in the east and lower in the west. Terrace abandonment is influenced by multiple factors. The rise in non-agricultural wages attracts rural labor migration as an external force, while the rising operating costs of mountain agriculture serve as internal drivers. Under the combined influence of internal and external factors, the abandonment of terraces in southwest mountainous areas is intensifying. The government should actively conduct assessments of terrace resources within the region and implement targeted measures to address terrace abandonment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is increasing in transportation applications due to their high versatility and maneuverability in complex environments. Search and rescue is one of the most challenging applications of UAVs due to the non-homogeneous nature of the environmental and communication landscapes. In particular, mountainous areas pose difficulties due to the loss of connectivity caused by large valleys and the volumes of hazardous weather. In this paper, the connectivity issue in mountainous areas is addressed using a path planning algorithm for UAV relay. The approach is based on two main phases: (1) the detection of areas of interest where the connectivity signal is poor, and (2) an energy-aware and resilient path planning algorithm that maximizes the coverage links. The approach uses a viewshed analysis to identify areas of visibility between the areas of interest and the cell-towers. This allows the construction of a blockage map that prevents the UAV from passing through areas with no coverage, whilst maximizing the coverage area under energy constraints and hazardous weather. The proposed approach is validated under open-access datasets of mountainous zones, and the obtained results confirm the benefits of the proposed approach for communication networks in remote and challenging environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Wildland Fire Science is the property of Journal of Wildland Fire Science Editorial Office 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.)

● The source and sink status of ditches and ponds was studied in an upland area in the Jinglinxi catchment, China.● Over the past 15 years, ditch length has increased by 32% and small pond number by 75%.● Ditches and ponds are important nutrient sinks in the dry season.● Retention of nutrients in ditches and ponds is up to 20%. As the common features of agroecosystems, ditches and ponds benefit the irrigation and drainage, as well as intercepting non-point source pollutants. However, most ditch-pond studies have been conducted in lowland areas. To test this source-sink assumption in upland areas, this study made observations on the ecological function of the ditch and pond system in a typical catchment in China. First, the changes in ponds in the catchment were analyzed using high-resolution remote sensing data. Then, the migration of agricultural pollutants in ditches and ponds were analyzed by field sampling and laboratory detection. The results showed that over the past 15 years the length of ditches in the catchment and the number of small ponds (< 500 m2) have increased by 32% and 75%, respectively. The rate of change in nutrient concentrations in the ditches and ponds were mostly from −20% to 20%, indicating ditches and ponds can be both sources and sinks for agricultural pollutants. Lastly, the contributing factors were explored and it was found that ditches and ponds are important sinks in dry season. However, during the rainy season, ditches and ponds become sources of pollutants, with the rapid drainage of ditches and the overflow of ponds in upland areas. The results of this study revealed that the ditches and ponds could be used for ecological engineering in upland catchments to balance drainage and intercept pollutants.

When focusing on biodiversity maintenance, ecological security pattern (ESP) planning gradually becomes a multi-objective planning strategy for sustainable development; wildlife conservation and ecosystem health maintenance should be balanced with local economic development and people’s livelihood enhancement goals. This study focuses on ESP mapping in the Qinling-Daba Mountain area, which is an ecologically significant and socioeconomically underdeveloped area. The tradeoff between conservation and development is made by varying the area of ecological sources and incorporating ecosystem service tradeoffs into ecological source identification through multi-scenario designation. ESPs under six scenarios were generated based on the minimum resistance model, and the important ecological corridors and strategic points in each scenario were identified and compared. The results show the following: (1) The scenario that sets around 30 percent of the study area as ecological sources maintains the integrity of natural ecosystems and leaves space for food and material supply to residents. (2) In this scenario, the ecological sources are connected by 60 corridors that cross 137 townships with high population densities (>100 people/km2) and intersect with major traffic lines at 71 points. Engineering, management, or education strategies must be taken in these townships or intersections to avoid human–wildlife conflicts. (3) The study area needs to construct both short (north–south) corridors linking proximate ecological sources for species’ daily movement and long (west–east) corridors connecting large and distant sources for species’ seasonal migration and gene flow. (4) The multi-scenario approach turns out to be an effective strategy for ESP planning with considerations for development–conservation tradeoffs.

Relocating poor people in mountainous areas to centralized settlement sites is an important poverty alleviation policy implemented by China and a key measure to promote stable poverty alleviation and sustainable rural development for the poor. Based on the survey data of 405 peasant households in the Panxi Area in 2021, this study constructed a structural equation model (SEM) to explore the influencing factors of peasant households’ willingness to relocate to a concentrated residence. The results showed the following: (1) Of the 405 peasant households surveyed, 20.98% were unwilling to move to centralized resettlement sites, making it more difficult to carry out the relocation policy for poverty alleviation. (2) Living environment, living conditions, important social groups, the economic benefits, living benefits, and survival benefits brought by concentrated residences, governments, and the village committees significantly influenced the willingness to relocate to a concentrated residence. In contrast, agricultural income, ecological benefits, and value benefits brought by the concentrated residence had little effect on the willingness to relocate to a concentrated residence. (3) Land force, human force, cognitive force, and national force significantly positively affected the peasant households’ willingness to relocate to a concentrated residence. This study is of great significance in promoting the implementation of poverty alleviation and relocation policy, improving the efficiency of relocation and promoting the wellbeing of peasant households.

Inconsistent reports exist on the relationships between key agronomic traits and maize yield. We performed a multivariate analysis of yield and 10 agronomic traits in 59 hybrids to explore maize yields in mountainous areas. The yield per plant (YP) was significantly and positively correlated with kernel weight (KW), growth period (GP), and kernel row number (KRN). KW and KRN had positive effects on YP, whereas kernel rows per ear (KRE) had a negative effect. GP indirectly affected YP. GP, KW, KRN, and ear length (EL) showed the highest grey relational degree with YP. The first four principal components cumulatively accounted for 73.36% of variation. EL, KW, plant height (PH), ear height (EH), GP, KRN, and YP contributed positively to the variation, whereas KRE, shelling percentage (SP), bald-tip length (BTL), and ear girth (EG) contributed negatively. Based on trait similarity, the 59 maize hybrids were classified into two clusters, Clusters I and II. A total of 11 traits were grouped into four clusters, Clusters A–D. Cluster D included KW, GP, KRN, EL, EH, PH, and YP, and the 22 maize hybrids in Cluster I performed better in these traits. These results provide a theoretical basis for the breeding of high-yield maize varieties in mountainous areas.

High spatial resolution Gross Primary Productivity (GPP) estimation makes it feasible to better understand the spatial heterogeneity of mountain vegetation photosynthesis. Spatial downscaling is a practical approach to obtaining high resolution GPP estimates, whereas there is almost no attention given to the downscaled biases resulted from the widely reported scaling errors in medium or coarse resolution GPP estimates. To fill the above gap, this study adopted an eco-hydrological model to obtain 960 m resolution distributed GPP estimates (not including scaling errors) and lumped GPP estimates (including scaling errors) over four mountainous watersheds. Then, the distributed and lumped estimates were downscaled from 960 m to 30 m, respectively. Finally, the contribution of reducing scaling errors was characterized by the agreement index (d), BIAS and Root-Mean-Square-Error (RMSE) values between downscaled GPP and referenced GPP (directly generated at the spatial resolution of 30 m). Results showed that a large difference existed between lumped and distributed GPP, with d, BIAS, and RMSE of 0.79, 212, and 334 gC m−2 year−1, demonstrating that the scaling errors should be given enough attention to current coarse resolution GPP estimates. Before considering the scaling errors, large uncertainties were observed in the GPP downscaled from lumped values, with d, BIAS, and RMSE of 0.68, 220, and 480 gC m−2 year−1. After considering the scaling errors, a significant improvement was achieved in the GPP downscaled from distributed values, with an increased d value of 0.81, a decreased BIAS value of 10 gC m−2 year−1, and a decreased RMSE value of 388 gC m−2 year−1, indicating that reducing the medium or coarse resolution scaling errors would effectively improve the spatial downscaling of mountain vegetation GPP. Our study highlights the effect of scaling errors on the spatial downscaling of mountain vegetation productivity, which should be given more attention in the future carbon modeling.

The Alborz Mountains are some of the highest in Iran, and they play an important role in controlling the climate of the country's northern regions. The land surface temperature (LST) is an important variable that affects the ecosystem of this area. This study investigated the spatiotemporal changes and trends of the nighttime LST in the western region of the Central Alborz Mountains at elevations of 1500–4000 m above sea level. MODIS data were extracted for the period of 2000–2021, and the Mann–Kendall nonparametric test was applied to evaluating the changes in the LST. The results indicated a significant increasing trend for the monthly average LST in May–August along the southern aspect. Both the northern and southern aspects showed decreasing trends for the monthly average LST in October, November, and March and an increasing trend in other months. At all elevations, the average decadal change in the monthly average LST was more severe along the southern aspect (0.60°C) than along the northern aspect (0.37°C). The LST difference between the northern and southern aspects decreased in the cold months but increased in the hot months. At the same elevation, the difference in the lapse rate between the northern and southern aspects was greater in the hot months than in the cold months. With increasing elevation, the lapse rate between the northern and southern aspects disappeared. Climate change was concluded to greatly decrease the difference in LST at different elevations for April–July. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Long-tailed Wood-Partridge (Dendrortyx macroura) is distributed in the temperate forests of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt, Sierra Norte de Oaxaca, and Sierra Madre del Sur. Populations are geographically isolated throughout their distribution range, which has led to the historical description of 7 subspecies based on morphological differences. Our work analyses the geographic variation of D. macroura based on its morphology and plumage patterns. We measured 121 specimens for morphological traits and assessed differences between sexes. We separated the specimens into Operational Geographical Units (OGUs) and applied multivariate statistical analyses, including principal components analysis, and a clustering method. Then, we carried out a classification analysis of the color and pattern of the chest and belly stripes to determine if there is a relationship between plumage patterns and geography. We found significant differences between males and females in 3 morphological variables. Plumage patterns were similar between the sexes. Our results do not strongly support the distinctiveness of all existing subspecies, but morphological data suggest a distinct group in central Mexico (D. m. macroura and D. m. griseipectus). Our results do not concur with the currently recognized subspecific divisions within this complex, but further genetic data are needed to assess their taxonomic status. La perdiz de cola larga (Dendrortyx macroura) se distribuye en los bosques templados del Eje Neovolcánico, Sierra Norte de Oaxaca y Sierra Madre del Sur en México. Sus poblaciones se encuentran geográficamente aisladas a lo largo de su distribución, lo que ha generado la descripción histórica de 7 subespecies con base en sus diferencias morfológicas. En este trabajo realizamos un análisis de la variación geográfica de D. macroura con base en su morfología y los patrones de coloración del plumaje. Se revisaron caracteres morfológicos de 121 ejemplares a los que se tomaron diversas medidas morfológicas y determinamos diferencias entre los sexos. Los ejemplares fueron separados en Unidades Geográficas Operacionales (OGUs) a las que se les aplicaron análisis multivariados (un análisis de componentes principales y un análisis de similitud). Hicimos un análisis de clasificación del color y patrones del pecho y rayado del vientre para determinar si existía una relación entre el patrón del plumaje y su geografía. Encontramos diferencias significativas entre machos y hembras en 3 variables morfológicas, pero el patrón de coloración de sus plumas fue similar en ambos sexos. Nuestros resultados no dan soporte robusto a la separación morfológica de todas las subespecies existentes, si bien los datos morfológicos sugieren un grupo diferenciado en el centro del país, incluyendo dos subespecies (D. m. macroura y D. m. griseipectus). Nuestros resultados no concuerdan con las divisiones subespecíficas actualmente reconocidas dentro de este complejo, si bien identifican la necesidad de hacer análisis genéticos para determinar su estatus taxonómico. Palabras clave: categoría intraespecífica, centro de México, diferencias morfométricas, dimorfismo sexual, zonas montanas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil quality is a very important indicator used to assess ecosystem restoration states in terms of vegetation recovery and establishment. Evaluating the soil quality of different vegetation restoration types in mountainous areas of Beijing and identifying their influencing factors would provide a scientific basis and be helpful for vegetation restoration in the future. Six vegetation types (or communities), including Platycladus orientalis (L.) Franco pure forest (POP), Pinus tabulaeformis Carr. pure forest (PTP), Platycladus orientalis–Pinus tabulaeformis mixed forest (PPM), Platycladus orientalis coniferous and broadleaved mixed forest (POCB), Pinus tabulaeformis coniferous and broadleaved mixed forest (PTCB), deciduous broadleaved mixed forest (DBMF), and one area of non-afforested land (NF), with similar stand conditions were selected and fourteen factors of soil physical and chemical characteristics were measured and used to establish a total data set (TDS), while a minimum data set (MDS) was obtained by using the principal component analysis (PCA) and Pearson correlation analysis methods. Two scoring methods, linear (L) and non-linear (NL), were used to calculate the soil quality index (SQI), and the key factors influencing soil quality by vegetation were identified by a general linear model (GLM), PCA, and correlation analysis. The results showed that: (1) The screened MDS indicators which showed good relationships with the SQIs in the study areas were total nitrogen (TN), sand content, total potassium (TK), pH, and available water capacity (AWC). The SQI–NLM method has better applicability. (2) The contribution rates of vegetation to different soil factors accounted for 28.644% (TN), 21.398% (sand content), 24.551% (TK), 16.075% (pH), and 9.332% (AWC). (3) TN showed a positive relationship with all vegetation types; the content of TN in PTCB and DBMF was obviously larger than in the other types in the 0–10 cm layer; PPM, PTCB, and POCB affected the sand content, which showed negative correlativity; and DBMF showed positive correlativity with AWC. The mechanism of how different species affect TN, sand content, and AWC should be focused on and taken into consideration in further studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Academic Social Resources is the property of Journal of Academic Social Resources 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.)

COVID-19 has had significant impacts on social and economic sectors worldwide. International travel and tourism are restricted as preventive measures to combat the disease. However, it is clearly visible that the mobility from urban to rural areas continues within the borders of the countries during the pandemic. Mobility to the countryside is named as lifestyle mobility. It varies significantly in motivations, frequency, push and pull factors, and duration of stay. It is also considered an essential agent of change that causes gentrification in rural vicinities regarding economic structure, real estate market, and sociocultural life. The recent spread of COVID-19 has also been deemed a vital push for urban-rural mobility. The present study is aimed to explore the gentrification of lifestyle mobilities in the Yaylas of the Taurus Mountains during the pandemic. A mixed-method approach using questionnaire and interview techniques was applied. Results revealed that the duration and frequency of seasonal mobility towards second homes in Turkey have changed with the spread of COVID-19. Moreover, it is found that the selected mountain areas confront the impacts of urbanization, increase in housing prices, and commercial occupation of land. The research concludes that such changes are augmented due to the increased mobility of urbanites belonging to the new middle class of Mersin and Adana metropolitan cities to rural areas to escape COVID-19. Due to the increase in lifestyle mobility, gentrification takes place in rural and mountainous areas, and accordingly, rural residents tend to move to the city.

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) specifies that in the design phase of instrument flight procedures, an additional clearance may be added to an obstacle when flights are over mountainous terrain. This clearance increase can be up to 100 per cent of the minimum obstacle clearance (MOC). Airspace and instrument flight procedure designers usually face the problem of determining what value should be applied, since setting the maximum value of 100% often implies operational penalties, but there are no standardized criteria to determine lower values. The ICAO PANS-OPS indicates that the additional clearance over obstacles in mountainous areas is caused by two effects, both related to orography and wind speed. The first effect is due to the altimeter indication error. The second one is related to the loss of altitude when an aircraft is exposed to turbulence produced by mountain waves. This paper presents a methodology for determining the additional clearance to be applied over obstacles when, in the flight procedure design phase, the overflight of mountainous terrain is expected. Through this methodology, results have been achieved for the proposal of an appropriate additional clearance. The development of graphs and tables allows us to identify which additional value should be considered in each case.

Remittances are essential to the sustainability of economies in mountainous regions that face massive labour migration due to limited income generation and employment opportunities. In 2021, the share of remittances in GDP in the top 10 mountainous economies in the world was over 20%. Nonetheless, most are characterised by relatively lower GDP per capita and high poverty levels. Drawing a comparison with other mountainous areas, Phuthaditjhaba, an emerging mountainous city of South Africa on the border with Lesotho, faces similar out-migration and inferior socio-economic parameters. A global systematic literature review on the impact of remittances on livelihoods, specifically targeting mountainous areas, is missing. We, therefore, interrogate the role that remittances can play in Phuthaditjhaba. To inform our intended research, we seek to draw lessons from evidence on how migration and remittances affect mountainous communities globally. Accordingly, we carry out a systematic literature review (SLR) based on an updated Preferred Reporting Item for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) 2020 statement supported by bibliometric (co-word) analysis (BA) in VOSViewer. We collected data from the Scopus and Dimensions websites and drew 165 publications, of which only 88 were included after exclusion and inclusion assessments. The PRISMA results show that Mountain Research and Development, Russell King, and Nepal are the most productive and cited journal, the most productive and cited author, and the most researched country, respectively. The bibliometric analysis on keyword co-occurrences revealed that women, agriculture, labour migration, land management, forest, and poverty are the research hotspots. In light of these findings, we proffer important recommendations for future researchers and policymakers and identify thematic research areas for Phuthaditjhaba. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In response to the challenges of long crossing distances and difficult site selection for linear engineering projects in mountainous areas, this article proposes a multi-scale engineering geological zoning (EGZ) method. This method is based on the linear engineering construction stage and transitions from regional EGZ to EGZ of key sections (areas with poor or worst engineering geological conditions). This method not only ensures the effect of EGZ but also reduces the workload. When carrying out the EGZ of key sections, the assessment ideas of geological disaster hazards were taken into consideration. An improved method for calculating the time probability and magnitude probability of disaster occurrence is proposed. Taking the National Highway 318 Chengdu-Shigatse section as an example, EGZ was carried out. Its results revealed that the Nyingchi section was the key section with poor and worst engineering geological conditions. EGZ of the key section showed that the areas with poor and worst engineering geological conditions were mainly distributed in the curved sections on the northern side of the linear project. The proposed method in this article provides guidance for EGZ for linear engineering projects in mountainous areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Changes in the services of general interest (SGI) of peripheral locations in the depopulating mountainous areas in Poland, in the context of their socio-economic transformation over the period 1988–2020, are discussed in this contribution. A total of 13 SGI of different importance, scope and purpose, both social and economic, were analysed in the study (e.g. basic health centres, libraries, pharmacies, post offices, primary schools). The institutions were categorised according to the target groups of beneficiaries: residents and tourists. The research was mainly based on the analysis of statistical data using basic statistical methods. This research revealed that the SGI has been declining in quantitative terms, particularly in rural areas, and the service facilities have become concentrated mainly in towns and in some villages with tourist infrastructure. In general, access to SGI in rural areas has become more difficult with exceptions for settlements with developed tourist functions. The number of and access to SGI is largely related to the number of inhabitants of a given settlement, its location, and the development of the tourist functions there.