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In this study, we develop a machine-learning (ML)-enabled strategy for selecting hillslope-scale ecohydrological monitoring sites within snow-dominated mountainous watersheds, with a particular focus on snow-soil–plant interactions. Data layers rely on spatial data layers from both remote sensing and hydrological model simulations. Specifically, a Landsat-based foresummer drought sensitivity index is used to define the dependency of the annual peak plant productivity on the Palmer drought severity index in the early growing season. Hydrological simulations provide the spatiotemporal dynamics of near-surface soil moisture and snow depth. In this framework, a regression analysis identifies the key hydrological variables relevant to the spatial heterogeneity of drought sensitivity. We then apply unsupervised clustering to these key variables, using the Gaussian mixture model, to group hillslopes into several zones that have divergent relationships regarding soil moisture, snow dynamics, and drought sensitivity. Using the datasets collected in the East River Watershed (Crested Butte, Colorado, United States), results show that drought sensitivity is significantly correlated with model-derived soil moisture and snow-free timing over space and time. The relationship is, however, non-linear, such that the correlation decreases above a threshold elevation and in a heavy snow year due to large snowpacks, lateral flow, and soil storage limitations. Clustering is then able to define the zones that have high or low sensitivity to drought, as well as the mid-elevation regions where sensitivity is associated with the topographic aspect and net potential radiation. In addition, the algorithm identifies the most representative hillslopes with road/trail access within each zone for installing monitoring sites. Our method also aims to significantly increase the use of ML and model-simulation results to guide critical zone and watershed monitoring activities.

Aim: Human land‐use and climate change are two of the main threats affecting biodiversity, especially in arid/semiarid regions. The most effective way to protect the species in these ecosystems against these threats is through the delimitation of protected areas (PAs). However, such PAs need to be targeted cost‐efficiently and consider future climate change. We identify priority areas to preserve small mammal species in the Caatinga in the present and in a future of climate changes. We also evaluate how well these priority areas are protected by currently PAs and identify ways forward to improve their protection. Location: The Caatinga Dry Forest, Northeast Brazil. Methods: We use ecological niche models and Zonation spatial prioritisation software to identify the top 30% priority areas to preserve small mammal species under current climate and land use scenarios, besides considering optimistic and pessimistic scenarios of future climate change. We also evaluate how much these priority areas are covered by current PAs, identify ways to further improve their protection using hierarchical mask analysis, and by evaluating species mean distribution coverage. Results: The consequences of climate change will not hugely impact the distribution of priority areas for species conservation in the Caatinga. Around 13% of the identified priority areas overlap with current PAs, and planning the expansion of PAs considering integral protection areas increases the coverage of priority areas to more than 18% and captures more than 72% of species suitable area. Main Conclusions: Our prioritisations take into account climate change and provide low risk if conducted as a 'no‐regrets' conservation action. These priority areas are poorly supported by the Brazilian PA system, and need of further protection. One cost‐effective option could be to upgrade some sustainable use PAs into more restrictive ones. Securing these priority areas helps preserve the long‐term ecosystem functioning and to prevent biodiversity loss in a changing world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Scenario simulations with coordinated production reduced mean salmon lice abundance. • The salmon lice problem increased in the second year of the production cycle. • Only strategies with less fish in open cages in spring resulted in low impact on wild fish. • Low impact was achieved by stocking larger fish, implying earlier slaughtering. Parasitic salmon lice (Lepeophtheirus salmonis) are a constraint to the sustainable growth of salmonids in open net pens, and this issue has caused production to level off in recent years in the most aquaculture-intensive areas of Norway. The maximum allowed biomass at a regional level is regulated by using the so-called "traffic light" system, where salmon louse-induced mortality of migrating wild salmon post-smolts is evaluated against set targets. As a case study, we have investigated how a specific aquaculture-intensive area can reduce its louse levels sufficiently to achieve a low impact on wild salmon. Analyses of the output from a virtual post-smolt model that uses data on the reported number of salmon lice in fish farms as key input data and estimates the salmon louse-induced mortality of wild out-migrating Atlantic salmon post-smolts, suggested that female louse abundance on the local farms must be halved in spring to reach the goal implied by the traffic light system. The outcome of a modelling scenario simulating a proposed new plan for coordinated production and fallowing proved beneficial, with an overall reduction in louse infestations and treatment efforts. The interannual variability in louse abundance in spring, however, increased for this scenario, implying unacceptably high louse abundance when many farms were in their second production year. We then combined the scenario with coordinated production with other louse control measures. Only measures that reduced the density of farmed salmonids in open cages in the study area resulted in reductions in salmon louse infestations to acceptable levels. This could be achieved either by stocking with larger fish to reduce exposure time or by reducing fish numbers, e.g. by producing in closed units. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In any region of the globe, the cultivation of industrial crops, including hemp, imposes certain conditions related to relief, climate, hydrology, or soil. The interrelations between these factors lead to differentiations regarding the establishment of cultivation zones and implicitly in terms of productivity. This study aimed to identify suitable areas for hemp cultivation and generate favorability maps in western Romania, based on GIS and MCDA techniques. Ten factors, significantly important for hemp cultivation, related to relief, climatic conditions, soil, and human intervention were considered. Following spatial analyses using the Weighted Overlay Analysis (WOA) method, the territory was classified into four zones: Zone I, with highly suitable lands (26%), located in the western half, overlapping with plain areas and river valleys; Zone II, with moderately suitable lands (28%), located in regions of high plains and hilly areas; Zone III, with marginal lands (3%), located in some depression areas, hilly areas, or at the contact with pre-mountainous areas; Zone IV, with unsuitable lands for hemp cultivation, in mountainous areas, under restrictive environmental conditions. The obtained results can be used in land management strategies or by farmers for estimating available land resources.

The Qinghai–Tibet Plateau (QTP) is a biodiversity hotspot of national and global significance. Prerequisites for the effective conservation of biodiversity on the QTP are the identification of biodiversity conservation hotspots and gaps in the region and the subsequent optimization of the spatial planning of conservation networks. However, there is a lack of understanding and assessment of phylogenetic diversity in the QTP conservation network. In this study, 136 species of vascular plants included in the Red List of China's Biodiversity - Higher Plants on the QTP were selected. The maximum entropy model (MaxEnt) and the zonation model were used to identify conservation priority areas and analyze gaps on the QTP using 17%, 30%, 36% and 50% of the area as the conservation targets. In contrast to existing protected area planning based only on species richness (SR), this study also considered evolutionary distinctiveness (ED), which is a measure of the contribution of species to the overall evolutionary history, to determine the priority areas for biodiversity conservation on the QTP; thus, this study takes into account both taxonomic and evolutionary dimensions. The results showed the following: (1) The current conservation network protects an average of only 18.9% of the habitats of the 136 vascular plant species. (2) Under different conservation targets, the coverage percentages of the conservation network for the conservation priority areas identified based on the superposition of SR and ED were approximately 24.7%, 26.1%, 25.5%, and 25.3%, which accounted for approximately 4.6%, 8.5%, 9.7%, and 12.5%, respectively, of the QTP area. (3) Under different conservation targets, the priority areas were concentrated in the southeastern part of the QTP, and as the target area expanded, these priority areas gradually extended into the central and northwestern parts of the QTP. Conservation gaps are mainly concentrated in the eastern Yarlung Zangbo River, the Three Parallel Rivers region, the Southern Hengduan Mountains, the Songpan Plateau–Qionglai Mountains region, and the Yellow River Headwater Region. Phylogenetic diversity reveals evolutionary information about species, and its spatial pattern of divergence from taxonomic diversity emphasizes the significance of incorporating it into conservation, with the aim of promoting multidimensional biodiversity conservation for future conservation planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global biodiversity is declining at rates never seen before. At the same time, resources directed at conservation planning still fall orders of magnitude short. Thus, efficient allocation of resources is needed to prioritize regions that can shelter more biodiversity. A usual approach to identify priority areas for conservation is to map species distribution and use this information as input in spatial prioritization proceedings. Since data on common species are more readily available, final maps of priority areas for conservation are heavily biased towards this group, overlooking rare species. Thus, we created a ranking of priority maps for common and rare tree species, separately, aiming to comprehend if prioritizing areas for the conservation of common trees is enough to protect rare trees all at once. Additionally, we overlapped our priority maps with maps of current protected areas (PAs) to identify if the latter already cover areas designated in our models. Our results show that common tree species can act as surrogates for rare tree species since priority maps for both groups overlap with more than 70% of their area. Yet, most of the current PAs do not cover significant areas for protecting tree species, revealing an urgent need to expand or create new PAs to properly safeguard the local biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Coral reefs as key ecosystems in Zanzibar are exposed to several anthropogenic and natural stressors. Methods: The benthic composition and coverage of coral reefs were investigated on three data sets involving ten coral reefs monitored from 1992 to 2016. Firstly, we investigated differences in the reef composition using data from seven reefs in 2015. Secondly, we analyzed communities on three distinctive reefs (2010 to 2012) to understand the importance of seasons and reef zones (slope, crest and flat) on species abundance. Finally, we investigated long-term changes (1992 to 2016) of five reefs. Results: Branching Porites and Acropora, and soft coral order Corallimorpharia, characterized sheltered reef communities. Soft corals and algal species characterized the reef communities exposed to strong hydrodynamic conditions, which also displayed greater cover of rocks and rubbles. The average dissimilarity between reefs ranged between 60% and 75%. The seasonal changes in community structure for reefs near Stone Town were mostly associated with soft coral Corallimorpharia. Indeed, the bare rock and algae distinguished the northern exposed reef from more sheltered reefs. Acropora was a key genus for the sheltered Chumbe reef, which explained between 14% and 18% of the dissimilarities among the three reefs. Hard corals covered between 40% and 70% in most years, with severe declines following El Niño events in 1998 and 2016. The dominating genus Acropora showed a strong decline from the late 1990s' with signs of recovery at remote reefs compared to reefs closer to human residence. Discussion: Our results highlight the importance of seasonality and spatial differences, reflecting differences in human impact and physical exposure and significant long-term changes in coral communities. Continued monitoring of reef health is essential to evaluate the success of ongoing management to sustain the reef services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coastal rock pools of Lake Superior in North America are a mosaic of biologically rich ecosystems that vary in their physical morphology and chemistry. Occurring in bedrock depressions between the forest edge and the lake, the aquatic communities in these pools are susceptible to impacts from both international shipping lane traffic and changing climate patterns. Individual pools are small, but the number of pools across the coastal landscape provide an expansive network of variable habitats, with >70,000 pools found in the 48 km of shoreline in the study area. In this study, we aimed to understand the relationships between aquatic invertebrates and abiotic conditions in coastal pools. The Dipteran family Chironomidae were studied because of their ubiquity and diversity in freshwater systems. We used nonmetric multidimensional scaling to describe how Chironomidae diversity and abundance were related to seasonality, habitat, and environmental factors (water chemistry and trace metals). We observed 2 distinct chironomid assemblages associated with habitat type based on chemical characteristics and physical location on the shoreline, including numerous rheophilic species near the lake, where consistent wave wash mimics lotic conditions, and species preferring lentic-mesotrophic conditions near the forest edge. Conductivity and pH were higher in pools near the lake, whereas temperature and dissolved O2 varied seasonally. Nutrients and metals differed between study sites and pools at each site. At 2 sites, naturally occurring Cu and Al were found at concentrations that exceeded estimated chronic toxicity for sensitive aquatic invertebrates. Pool separation of known tolerant or sensitive species indicated a potential response to elevated metal concentrations. Metals may be an important driver for sensitive species occupancy and survival in certain pools, raising more general concerns regarding community responses to natural conditions in pristine environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Endemic species are more impacted by climate change than other taxa. However, assessing the vulnerability of endemics to these changes in some regions, such as the Hyrcanian forest, is limited, despite its importance for biodiversity and ecosystem function. To address the question of expected habitat shifts under climate change across the Hyrcanian ecoregion, we built an ensemble of species distribution models (SDM) under two emission scenarios (RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5) for 15 endemic woody taxa. To identify the potential priority conservation areas, we also applied a spatial prioritization approach. Overall, our results suggest that the impacts of climate change are more severe on the eastern parts of the region (Golestan) and the Talysh Mountains (north-western Hyrcanian ecoregion) with over 85% and 34% loss of suitable habitats over the next 80 years. The central part of the Alborz Mountains (Mazandaran) and some areas in the Talysh Mountains could be potential climatic refugia under the future conditions for endemic taxa. The most prominent changes are expected for Ruscus hyrcanus, Gleditsia capsica, Acer velutinum, Frangula grandifolia, and Buxus hyrcana. The worrying predicted loss of suitable habitats for most studied taxa would dramatically affect the stability and resilience of forests, threatening thus biodiversity of the Hyrcanian ecoregion. We present the first estimation of the potential risks involved and provide useful support for regional climate-adaptation strategy, indicating potential conservation priority areas for maintaining and preserving its resources. Notably, only 13.4% of areas designated for conservation and management under climate change will be located within the current Hyrcanian protected areas, yet the majority of these areas are classified as low priority. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Invertebrates play a critical role in beach ecosystems, and seasonal variation in their occurrence and abundance likely influences food webs. We examine and characterise seasonal patterns in invertebrate activity on a temperate, southern sandy dune and beach ecosystem at Venus Bay, Victoria, Australia. We index invertebrate abundance, diversity and assemblage composition at fixed-site pitfall traps which were deployed in four transects from the lower dunes to the beach. Seasonal differences occurred in assemblage composition (foredunes only), richness and abundance. Insects dominated assemblages in summer, spring and autumn; crustaceans dominated winter assemblages. Morphospecies richness was lowest in winter (139% higher in summer and 169% higher in autumn). Our results contrast with other studies from temperate beaches in that (1) richness was higher on beaches compared to in foredunes across all seasons and (2) abundance differed significantly such that winter abundance was higher than for all other seasons. Possible explanations include the exposed nature of the study foredunes, marine ecological subsides in the form of beach wrack in winter and/or between-site variations in such factors. Further studies would usefully examine between-beach variation in seasonality in invertebrate activity in foredunes and dunes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Shahroud Watershed, there has been an increasing occurrence of landslides that have caused a lot of human and financial losses. Therefore, landslide susceptibility zonation is crucial for reducing landslide risk. The aim of this study was to compare the Landslide Susceptibility Maps (LSMs) of different methods. Therefore, thematic layers of the ten causal factors were prepared. Then, a landslide inventory map consisting of 104 landslides covering 1401 hectares was compiled and partitioned into two subsets including 70% for training and 30% for testing purposes. Three landslide susceptibility maps were prepared using the Frequency ratio (Fr), Statistical index (Si), and Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) methods. The validation process showed that the Si [Area Under the Curve (AUC)= 0.732] and Fr (AUC= 0.707) models presented a more valid LSM than AHP (AUC= 0.651) method. The Qs (Quality sum) index values also confirmed the results of the ROC (Receiver Operating Characteristic) curve such that the Qs index values of 1.71, 1.43, and 0.62 for, respectively, Fr, Si, and AHP models implied a more accurate LSMs of the Fr and Si models than the one from the AHP. The results of this study can be used as a basic step for landslide risk management in the study area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, a large-scale gas reservoir was discovered in granitic buried hills of the Songnan Low Uplift in the Qiongdongnan Basin. However, the strong heterogeneity of granite reservoirs limits further exploration and evaluation. Based on observations of sixty core samples and sixty thin sections, mineral composition, zircon dating, apatite fission tracks, physical properties, image logs, outcrop surveys and seismic interpretations, the characteristics of granite weathering crust of the Songnan Low Uplift are analyzed, and its controlling factors and evolution process are evaluated. The results show that weathered granite in the study area can be divided into several zones, from top to bottom: eluvium–slope zone, sandy zone, weathered fracture zone and horizontal undercurrent vuggy zone. The reservoirs in the eluvium–slope zone are dominated by microfissures and intergranular dissolution pores and have an average porosity of 4.68% and permeability of 2.34 md; the reservoirs in the sandy zone are composed of intergranular and intragranular dissolution pores and have an average porosity of 11.46% and permeability of 4.99 md; the reservoirs in the weathered fracture zone consist of various fractures and have an average porosity of 3.91% and permeability of 2.5 md; the reservoirs in the horizontal undercurrent vuggy zone are subhorizontal fractures and vugs and have an average porosity of 2.7% and permeability of 0.23 md. The development of granite reservoirs is jointly influenced by petrology and minerals, long-term exposure in a warm humid paleoclimate, faults, diverse topographies and shallow buried depth. Based on the above, our study establishes a development model of weathering crust and suggests that only the gentle slope and platform remain strongly weathered zones. After undergoing a complex evolution process of formation–destruction/denudation–regeneration–preservation, the current weathering crust of the Songnan Low Uplift is finally established. The results of this study have important theoretical and application value for the hydrocarbon exploration of buried hills in the Qiongdongnan Basin and provide a reference example for other granite reservoirs worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mangrove forests have unquestionably high environmental and ecological value. Mangrove trees are believed to have habitat zonation that is controlled mainly by the relative sea level. However, earlier discussions of mangrove habitats have remained limited in terms of their quality and quantity because of a lack of high-resolution spatial information of microtopography and trees. To clarify mangrove habitability over a wide forest area, we compounded mobile laser scanning (MLS) and aerial laser scanning (ALS) LiDAR dataset of the Miyara River mangrove on Ishigaki Island, Okinawa, Japan. The MLS provided sub-canopy data, while the unmanned aerial vehicle ALS data mainly provided a point cloud of the canopy. We corrected point clouds and combined these data. The results indicated that ALS is unable to reconstruct the microtopography of the dense mangrove area well. Moreover, tree species were not identifiable from the ALS data. However, by applying MLS to the mangrove forest, we obtained high-resolution microtopography and tree information inside the forest, although the measurement area was limited to comparison with ALS. By combining ALS and MLS point clouds, 3D point clouds of the forest were well reconstructed. From these point clouds, a high-resolution digital elevation model was created. Subsequently, we segmented trees individually from composite MLS point clouds and identified each tree species. Consequently, the spatial distribution of thousands of mangrove trees was reconstructed at the Miyara River mouth. The spatial distribution of mangrove tree species together with earlier aerial photographs suggests that mangrove species have been segregated in accordance with changes in their elevation and environment over 40 years. Our findings suggest that the distribution of the species changed sensitively along with dynamic variation of the microtopography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the main management strategies of China's nature reserve is "zonation", dividing reserves into three zones (core, buffer, and experimental zones) to which different levels of restrictions on anthropogenic activities are applied. While zonation has a positive effect on the conservation of target species, it is unclear whether management zones can be effective in conserving biodiversity. Using bird data collected from five national nature reserves of Guangdong province in China during 2018–2019, we investigated how management zones and reserves are associated with bird diversity and community composition. We considered species richness, the community-weighted mean (CWM) values of 10 single traits, and beta diversity based on 2 dissimilarity indices (Jaccard and Bray–Curtis). The overall effects of zone management were weak or insignificant. Species richness and the CWMs of most traits were not associated with zone (p > 0.08). Reserve itself was a strong factor influencing bird traits. Dissimilarity indices also showed variations in bird community composition between reserves in the north region and those in the south region, which were largely contributed by the turnover component of beta diversity (p ≥ 0.06 for nestedness and p ≤ 0.03 for turnover in both dissimilarity indices). The dominance of turnover indicates that these reserves could be equally important to maintain regional bird diversity, requiring a multiple-site management plan. Our study also suggests that current zoning designations of the five reserves may not be as effective in conserving bird species diversity and traits; however, caution is needed due to the limitations of our study design, such as potential observer effect and insufficient sampling effort. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to map the landslide risk at the Alamut watershed based on relative vulnerability and susceptibility. The potential of damage to the resources was considered landslide vulnerability. The fuzzy gamma operators were also used to assess landslide susceptibility. Thematic layers of 10 causal factors including slope, aspect, altitude, land use, lithology, distance to road, distance to stream, distance to fault, peak ground acceleration and mean annual precipitation were prepared. The landslide inventory map comprising 40 landslides covering 1417 hectares was partitioned into two subsets including 70% for training and 30% for testing. The Dr and Qs indices were applied to compare the validity of the landslide susceptibility maps. The spatial landslide risk was obtained by multiplying the landslide susceptibility and landslide vulnerability. The results show that the LSM derived by gamma of 0.95 has the most validity with Qs equal to 1.93. The ascending trend of the Dr index for low to high classes implies the correct classification of the LSM. The most important role in the occurrence of landslides has been related to lithology and land use factors. Although residential areas cover a small area of the watershed, 84.35% of the very high-risk class and 91.21% of the high-risk class are located in these areas. These results imply that in the Alamut watershed, the principles of land use planning have not been considered for landslide management. Therefore, the results of this study can be very useful for landslide risk management in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Submarine caves are important biodiversity reservoirs, but there is little information about the biota of marine caves in the Southwestern Atlantic. Here, we describe three submarine cavities and their sponge communities on the Fernando de Noronha Archipelago, Northeast Brazil. The underwater cavities were explored and collections were made through scuba diving from 5 to 18 m depths. Sapata Cave has a wide semi-dark zone near the entrance, a narrow transition zone, and a dark chimney, which is closed at the top. Ilha do Meio Cave is narrower and shallower than Sapata Cave, but has a long passage that leads to two completely dark rooms. Pedras Secas Tunnel has only a semi-dark zone with high water movement. The sponge communities in the semi-dark zones of the three cavities are rich and dominated by the classes Demospongiae and Homoscleromorpha, but Calcarea are also common. The transition zones of both caves are dominated by a desma-bearing sponge, thinly encrusting spirastrellids, and small Homoscleromopha and Calcarea. The dark zone in Ilha do Meio Cave is almost azoic, with only three species. This study has increased the number of sponge species known in submarine cavities on Fernando de Noronha from 29 to 69, highlighting the great richness of the sponge communities in these cryptic environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conserving bird populations is a key goal for management of the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta ecosystem and is likely to have effects well beyond its boundaries. To inform bird- conservation strategies, we identified Priority Bird Conservation Areas for riparian landbirds and waterbirds in the Delta, defined as the most valuable 5% of the landscape for each group. We synthesized data from 2,547 surveys for riparian landbirds and 7,820 surveys for waterbirds to develop predictive distribution models, which then informed spatial prioritization analyses. We identified a total of 26,019 ha that are a high priority for conserving riparian landbirds, waterbirds, or both, representing the most important places in the Delta to protect and manage, as well as strategic areas where adjacent restoration could expand valuable habitat. These Priority Bird Conservation Areas include the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area, Cosumnes River Preserve, Stone Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, and bufferlands that surround the Sacramento County Regional Sanitation District. However, we also found that over 60% of the Priority Bird Conservation Areas are not currently protected, indicating a vulnerability to changes in land cover or land use. We recommend advancing strategies for bird conservation in the Delta by developing more specific objectives and priorities, extending these analyses to include other bird species, and planning to mitigate the loss of Priority Bird Conservation Areas where they are most vulnerable to land cover change. The predictive models and analysis framework we developed represent the current state of the science on areas important to bird conservation, while also providing a foundation for an evolving bird-conservation strategy that reflects the Delta’s continuously evolving knowledge base and landscape.

Abstrak Lhokseumawe merupakan wilayah yang sering terjadi banjir atau genangan. Pencegahan banyaknya korban serta kerugian material dapat dilakukan dengan zonasi wilayah rentan banjir. Metode analisis penelitian adalah deskriptif analitik. Sistem informasi geografis yang merupakan sistem informasi berbasis komputer digunakan dalam penelitian. Aplikasi Software Arcgis 10.8 digunakan untuk penyajian informasi dan pemetaan zonasi kerentanan banjir. Setiap parameter dilakukan proses scoring menggunakan metode AHP dan klasifikasi nilainya dilakukan overlay. Tujuan penelitian adalah mengklasifikasi data dasar parameter kerentanan banjir dalam bentuk spasial, pemetaan wilayah rentan banjir, serta diketahuinya faktor penyebab banjir yang paling dominan. Hasil penelitian diperoleh wilayah sangat rentan banjir 51,08 km2 (37,27%), rentan 81,42 km2 (59,40%), kerentanan sedang 3,75 km2 (2,74%), sedikit rentan 0,41 km2 (0,30%) dan tidak rentan 0,39 km2 (0,29%). Faktor penyebab banjir yang paling dominan adalah densitas drainase dengan kategori sangat buruk dan buruk dengan persentase 95,37% sehingga kurang baiknya sistem pengaliran. Kata kunci: zonasi, kerentanan, banjir, arcgis, AHP Abstract Lhokseumawe an area that often experiences flood or inundation. Preventing large numbers of victims and material losses can be done by zoning areas prone to flooding. The research analysis method is descriptive analytic. Geographic information systems, which are computer-based information systems, are used in research. The Arcgis 10.8 software application is used to present information and map flood vulnerability zoning. Each parameter is subjected to a scoring process using the AHP method and the value classification is overlaid. The aim of the research is to classify basic data on flood vulnerability parameters in spatial form, map flood vulnerable areas, and identify the most dominant factors causing floods. The research results showed that the area was very vulnerable to flooding 51.08 km2 (37.27%), vulnerable 81.42 km2 (59.40%), moderately vulnerable 3.75 km2 (2.74%), slightly vulnerable 0.41 km2 (0.30%) and not susceptible 0.39 km2 (0.29%). The most dominant factor causing flooding is drainage density in the very poor and poor categories with a percentage of 95.37% so that the drainage system is not good. Keywords: zonation, vulnerability, flood, Arcgis, AHP

The way strong environmental gradients shape multispecific assemblages has allowed us to examine a suite of ecological and evolutionary hypotheses about structure, regulation and community responses to fluctuating environments. But whether the highly diverse co-occurring microorganisms are shaped in similar ways as macroscopic organisms across the same gradients has yet to be addressed in most ecosystems. Here, we characterize intertidal biofilm bacteria communities, comparing zonation at both the "species" and community levels, as well as network attributes, with co-occurring macroalgae and invertebrates in the same rocky shore system. The results revealed that the desiccation gradient has a more significant impact on smaller communities, while both desiccation and submersion gradients (surge) affect the larger, macroscopic communities. At the community level, we also confirmed the existence of distinct communities within each intertidal zone for microorganisms, similar to what has been previously described for macroorganisms. But our results indicated that dominant microbial organisms along the same environmental gradient exhibited less differentiation across tidal levels than their macroscopic counterparts. However, despite the substantial differences in richness, size and attributes of co-occurrence networks, both macro- and micro-communities respond to stress gradients, leading to the formation of similar zonation patterns in the intertidal rocky shore. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Global climate change has resulted in extreme water-level (WL) fluctuations in Eastern Georgian Bay (EGB) and has affected its high-quality wetlands. Beginning in 1999, EGB experienced 14 years of extremely low water levels (Period 1), followed by 6 years of rapidly increasing water levels starting from 2014 (Period 2). During Period 1, trees and shrubs invaded the high marsh, but with inundation, they died out and transitioned into the novel Dead Tree (DT) Zone (DTZ) during Period 2. Objectives: We related long-term changes in wetlands vegetation zonation to different levels of anthropogenic impacts and the Vulnerability Index (VI) scores and wetland sensitivity to WL extremes. Methods: We used images acquired in 2002–2003 (IKONOS) and 2019 (KOMPSAT-3 and Pleiades-1A/1B) for four areas (19 wetlands) in EGB with varying anthropogenic impact. We used object-based classification to map land cover in two periods, followed by change detection. We related the percent areal cover of DT in wetlands to corresponding VI scores. Results: We obtained > 85% overall and > 70% DT mapping accuracies. Wetlands with the least anthropogenic impact had the smallest DTZ. Percentage areal cover of the DTZ was significantly and positively correlated with wetland VI. Without exception, the amount of meadow marsh in wetlands was significantly reduced in Period 2. Conclusions: Wetlands with higher VI scores and anthropogenic impact were associated with greater changes in wetland zonation and conversion into DTZ following extremes in water levels. This study provides important insights into how coastal marshes in EGB are responding to extreme water-level fluctuations induced by climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowing patterns and processes that govern macroinvertebrate distribution in sandy beaches becomes necessary in the framework of increasing human activities. Spatial patterns in sandy beaches are affected by daily changes in physical environmental conditions and species-specific features. Here, we assess the effect of daily changes on the spatial distribution along transects perpendicular to the waterline and habitat dispersion using Callichirus corruptus as a study model. Eleven sectors (urbanized and non-urbanized) were sampled on 6 beaches in southeastern Brazil, where ecological and biological information on this species was obtained. The spatial distribution of C. corruptus differed between the sampled sectors. However, higher density of burrows was observed in the intermediate portion, indicating aggregation in this zone. The burrow spatial dispersion index presented significant positive linear relationship with the size of saturated zones and the mean size of individuals. The spatial distribution of burrows was influenced by the sampling method, adequately represented by the gradient from low to the high tide mark in the intertidal zone. There was a strong clustering when burrows were counted along perpendicular transects to the shoreline, whereas a uniform distribution when burrows were counted in parallel transects. Aggregated patterns in the distribution of C. corruptus were observed in most of sampled beaches, highlighting the preference of the species for inhabiting the intermediate portion of the intertidal zone. Furthermore, other conditions that might additionally explain the spatial dispersion of macroinvertebrates in soft sediments and the effect of human activities on natural populations of sandy beaches remain to be explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In any region of the globe, the cultivation of industrial crops, including hemp, imposes certain conditions related to relief, climate, hydrology, or soil. The interrelations between these factors lead to differentiations regarding the establishment of cultivation zones and implicitly in terms of productivity. This study aimed to identify suitable areas for hemp cultivation and generate favorability maps in western Romania, based on GIS and MCDA techniques. Ten factors, significantly important for hemp cultivation, related to relief, climatic conditions, soil, and human intervention were considered. Following spatial analyses using the Weighted Overlay Analysis (WOA) method, the territory was classified into four zones: Zone I, with highly suitable lands (26%), located in the western half, overlapping with plain areas and river valleys; Zone II, with moderately suitable lands (28%), located in regions of high plains and hilly areas; Zone III, with marginal lands (3%), located in some depression areas, hilly areas, or at the contact with pre-mountainous areas; Zone IV, with unsuitable lands for hemp cultivation, in mountainous areas, under restrictive environmental conditions. The obtained results can be used in land management strategies or by farmers for estimating available land resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IntroductionCoral reefs as key ecosystems in Zanzibar are exposed to several anthropogenic and natural stressors.MethodsThe benthic composition and coverage of coral reefs were investigated on three data sets involving ten coral reefs monitored from 1992 to 2016. Firstly, we investigated differences in the reef composition using data from seven reefs in 2015. Secondly, we analyzed communities on three distinctive reefs (2010 to 2012) to understand the importance of seasons and reef zones (slope, crest and flat) on species abundance. Finally, we investigated long-term changes (1992 to 2016) of five reefs.ResultsBranching Porites and Acropora, and soft coral order Corallimorpharia, characterized sheltered reef communities. Soft corals and algal species characterized the reef communities exposed to strong hydrodynamic conditions, which also displayed greater cover of rocks and rubbles. The average dissimilarity between reefs ranged between 60% and 75%. The seasonal changes in community structure for reefs near Stone Town were mostly associated with soft coral Corallimorpharia. Indeed, the bare rock and algae distinguished the northern exposed reef from more sheltered reefs. Acropora was a key genus for the sheltered Chumbe reef, which explained between 14% and 18% of the dissimilarities among the three reefs. Hard corals covered between 40% and 70% in most years, with severe declines following El Niño events in 1998 and 2016. The dominating genus Acropora showed a strong decline from the late 1990s’ with signs of recovery at remote reefs compared to reefs closer to human residence.DiscussionOur results highlight the importance of seasonality and spatial differences, reflecting differences in human impact and physical exposure and significant long-term changes in coral communities. Continued monitoring of reef health is essential to evaluate the success of ongoing management to sustain the reef services.

The relevance of the chosen topic is associated with the impact of climate change on fluctuations of water content in Ukrainian rivers. The consequences of warming depend on physical and geographical conditions and vary significantly across different natural zones. The behaviour of catchment areas affected by climate change varies depending on landscape (mountainous or flat terrain) and latitude. This results in instability of boundaries of catchment areas with annual runoff synchronous and out-of-phase fluctuations. The study aims at establishing the patterns of annual runoff fluctuations in the Dniester basin with relation to fluctuations in the maximum runoff of rainfalls and spring floods. The spring floods are the ones that determine a significant part of annual runoff and depend on the impact of warming during the winter season. The study's main method is the method of constructing difference integral curves of annual and maximum rainfalls and maximum spring runoff and their analysis. There are 7 groups (zones) within the Dniester River catchment area identified by the type of difference integral curves of annual runoff. Fluctuations in annual, maximum rain and spring runoff were compared using the curves averaged within each group. The degree of synchronicity of fluctuations was estimated via correlation coefficients between the ordinates of difference integral curves. It was found that the main river oscillations retain their cyclicity along its entire length, even below the Dniester HPP. The last transition to a low-water phase occurred in 2010-2011. It was discovered that the main river's cyclical nature mostly results from fluctuations in the runoff of mountainous Carpathian tributaries that form the Dniester's runoff formation zone. This part of the catchment area is characterized by a high amount of snow and rainfalls feeding the river with the role of rainfalls having a predominant character. In the upper reaches of Carpathian rivers, where the impact of warming is not yet sufficiently pronounced at high altitudes, spring floods play a significant role in runoff formation. In the upper reaches of Carpathian rivers there is an additional zone where fluctuations in annual runoff are caused by both rainfalls and spring floods. The boundaries of this zone (2nd district) may change as the effects of warming increase high in the mountains. On the left-bank tributaries, the runoff fluctuations in Verkhnepodilskyi and Serednepodilskyi districts are similar to those of the main river, however, there is a shift in the dates of the last transition to a low-water phase. The study indicates the likelihood of karst and artificial reservoirs influence. It also indicates a significant difference in the nature of runoff fluctuations of the upper left-bank tributaries (Strvyazh, Vereshchytsia, Shcherek) and lower left-bank tributaries. They are affected by other atmospheric processes and climatic factors associated with such processes.

The liver serves as a vital regulatory hub for various physiological processes, including sugar, protein, and fat metabolism, coagulation regulation, immune system maintenance, hormone inactivation, urea metabolism, and water-electrolyte acid-base balance control. These functions rely on coordinated communication among different liver cell types, particularly within the liver’s fundamental hepatic lobular structure. In the early stages of liver development, diverse liver cells differentiate from stem cells in a carefully orchestrated manner. Despite its susceptibility to damage, the liver possesses a remarkable regenerative capacity, with the hepatic lobule serving as a secure environment for cell division and proliferation during liver regeneration. This regenerative process depends on a complex microenvironment, involving liver resident cells, circulating cells, secreted cytokines, extracellular matrix, and biological forces. While hepatocytes proliferate under varying injury conditions, their sources may vary. It is well-established that hepatocytes with regenerative potential are distributed throughout the hepatic lobules. However, a comprehensive spatiotemporal model of liver regeneration remains elusive, despite recent advancements in genomics, lineage tracing, and microscopic imaging. This review summarizes the spatial distribution of cell gene expression within the regenerative microenvironment and its impact on liver regeneration patterns. It offers valuable insights into understanding the complex process of liver regeneration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the data on the structure and composition of a concentric-zonal komatiite pillow from the Ruvinvaar Formation of the Neo-Archean Kostomuksha greenstone structure of the Fennoscandian Shield. The features of the zonal pillow structure include a narrow range of variations in concentrations of rare-earth elements (REEs), similar REE patterns of dacite and andesite from the pillow core and komatiite and komatiitic basalt from the outer part, and higher REE contents of andesite relative to dacite. These features of REE distribution indicate liquation differentiation of basic melts. According to the Sm–Nd isotopic systematics of rocks of the komatiite matrix and dacite, their isochron age is 2874 ± 35 Ma (εNd = +1.5). Our data indicate an older (than was previously considered) age of the Kontok Group of the Kostomuksha greenschist structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Detailed spatial data are an essential part of land use planning and decision-making. Their spatial resolution sets limitations to their use, as coarse datasets are not suitable for detecting small-scale phenomena. In this study, we explored the effects of spatial resolution on the ecological outcome of a conservation prioritization process in Zonation software. Our study area was in Evo, southern Finland, covering a mosaic of managed and conserved forests. We produced the feature layers describing the forest characteristics using high-resolution remote sensing datasets, object-based mapping methods, and forest site type data. We found that increasing the resolution above the 16 m baseline resolution resulted in substantial errors. The conservation errors were the highest for rare features related to European Aspen, whereas the common features related to dominant tree species could benefit from the growth of cell size. We conclude that adequate spatial resolution is a prerequisite for efficient conservation prioritization, and that the size and spatial distribution of the features affect the resolution requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatic in vitro models that accurately replicate phenotypes and functionality of the human liver are needed for applications in toxicology, pharmacology and biomedicine. Notably, it has become clear that liver function can only be sustained in 3D culture systems at physiologically relevant cell densities. Additionally, drug metabolism and drug-induced cellular toxicity often follow distinct spatial micropatterns of the metabolic zones in the liver acinus, calling for models that capture this zonation. We demonstrate the manufacture of accurate liver microphysiological systems (MPS) via engineering of 3D stereolithography printed hydrogel chips with arrays of diffusion open synthetic vasculature channels at spacings approaching in vivo capillary distances. Chip designs are compatible with seeding of cell suspensions or preformed liver cell spheroids. Importantly, primary human hepatocytes (PHH) and hiPSC-derived hepatocyte-like cells remain viable, exhibit improved molecular phenotypes compared to isogenic monolayer and static spheroid cultures and form interconnected tissue structures over the course of multiple weeks in perfused culture. 3D optical oxygen mapping of embedded sensor beads shows that the liver MPS recapitulates oxygen gradients found in the acini, which translates into zone-specific acet-ami-no-phen toxicity patterns. Zonation, here naturally generated by high cell densities and associated oxygen and nutrient utilization along the flow path, is also documented by spatial proteomics showing increased concentration of periportal- versus perivenous-associated proteins at the inlet region and vice versa at the outlet region. The presented microperfused liver MPS provides a promising platform for the mesoscale culture of human liver cells at phenotypically relevant densities and oxygen exposures. A full 3D tissue culture platform is presented, enabled by massively parallel arrays of high-resolution 3D printed microperfusion hydrogel channels that functionally mimics tissue vasculature. The platform supports long-term culture of liver models with dimensions of several millimeters at physiologically relevant cell densities, which is difficult to achieve with other methods. Human liver models are generated from seeded primary human hepatocytes (PHHs) cultured for two weeks, and from seeded spheroids of hiPSC-derived human liver-like cells cultured for two months. Both model types show improved functionality over state-of-the-art 3D spheroid suspensions cultured in parallel. The platform can generate physiologically relevant oxygen gradients driven by consumption rather than supply, which was validated by visualization of embedded oxygen-sensitive microbeads, which is exploited to demonstrate zonation-specific toxicity in PHH liver models. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, a large-scale gas reservoir was discovered in granitic buried hills of the Songnan Low Uplift in the Qiongdongnan Basin. However, the strong heterogeneity of granite reservoirs limits further exploration and evaluation. Based on observations of sixty core samples and sixty thin sections, mineral composition, zircon dating, apatite fission tracks, physical properties, image logs, outcrop surveys and seismic interpretations, the characteristics of granite weathering crust of the Songnan Low Uplift are analyzed, and its controlling factors and evolution process are evaluated. The results show that weathered granite in the study area can be divided into several zones, from top to bottom: eluvium–slope zone, sandy zone, weathered fracture zone and horizontal undercurrent vuggy zone. The reservoirs in the eluvium–slope zone are dominated by microfissures and intergranular dissolution pores and have an average porosity of 4.68% and permeability of 2.34 md; the reservoirs in the sandy zone are composed of intergranular and intragranular dissolution pores and have an average porosity of 11.46% and permeability of 4.99 md; the reservoirs in the weathered fracture zone consist of various fractures and have an average porosity of 3.91% and permeability of 2.5 md; the reservoirs in the horizontal undercurrent vuggy zone are subhorizontal fractures and vugs and have an average porosity of 2.7% and permeability of 0.23 md. The development of granite reservoirs is jointly influenced by petrology and minerals, long-term exposure in a warm humid paleoclimate, faults, diverse topographies and shallow buried depth. Based on the above, our study establishes a development model of weathering crust and suggests that only the gentle slope and platform remain strongly weathered zones. After undergoing a complex evolution process of formation–destruction/denudation–regeneration–preservation, the current weathering crust of the Songnan Low Uplift is finally established. The results of this study have important theoretical and application value for the hydrocarbon exploration of buried hills in the Qiongdongnan Basin and provide a reference example for other granite reservoirs worldwide.

One of the main management strategies of China’s nature reserve is “zonation”, dividing reserves into three zones (core, buffer, and experimental zones) to which different levels of restrictions on anthropogenic activities are applied. While zonation has a positive effect on the conservation of target species, it is unclear whether management zones can be effective in conserving biodiversity. Using bird data collected from five national nature reserves of Guangdong province in China during 2018–2019, we investigated how management zones and reserves are associated with bird diversity and community composition. We considered species richness, the community-weighted mean (CWM) values of 10 single traits, and beta diversity based on 2 dissimilarity indices (Jaccard and Bray–Curtis). The overall effects of zone management were weak or insignificant. Species richness and the CWMs of most traits were not associated with zone (p > 0.08). Reserve itself was a strong factor influencing bird traits. Dissimilarity indices also showed variations in bird community composition between reserves in the north region and those in the south region, which were largely contributed by the turnover component of beta diversity (p ≥ 0.06 for nestedness and p ≤ 0.03 for turnover in both dissimilarity indices). The dominance of turnover indicates that these reserves could be equally important to maintain regional bird diversity, requiring a multiple-site management plan. Our study also suggests that current zoning designations of the five reserves may not be as effective in conserving bird species diversity and traits; however, caution is needed due to the limitations of our study design, such as potential observer effect and insufficient sampling effort.

Given the severe threats affecting waterbirds and the limited resources, it is crucial to identify priority wetlands to optimize conservation efforts for waterbirds. This study aims to prioritize wetlands in Wuhan City based on the diversity, rarity, and conservation costs of waterbirds. Firstly, 17 focal waterbird species were selected as conservation targets based on the data availability and species rarity. The MaxEnt model was used to simulate the potential spatial distributions of the focal waterbirds, and corresponding weights were assigned based on their conservation status. Secondly, the Human Footprint Index (HFI) was employed to represent conservation costs. Finally, the Zonation 5 spatial prioritization software was used to identify cost-effective priority wetlands for waterbird conservation. The results show: (1) The species distribution model indicated that the distance to the wetland, land cover, and distance to the road were the primary environmental variables influencing the potential spatial distribution of focal waterbirds. (2) The top 10 %, top 20 %, and top 30 % priority wetlands identified by Zonation 5 had average coverage rates of 15.2 %, 28.0 %, and 39.6 % for focal waterbirds, respectively. (3) We identified major wetland conservation gaps in Wuhan, primarily including Caohu Lake, Luhu Lake, Futo Lake, and parts of Liangzi Lake. (4) Additionally, we recommend enhancing waterbird management in existing wetland protected areas, such as the Hougong Wetland Park and Donghu Wetland Park, to improve the effectiveness of waterbird conservation efforts. Our research provides scientific evidence to support the conservation of wetlands in Wuhan and the promotion of waterbird diversity. It also emphasizes the importance of finding a balance between conservation effectiveness and cost.

ABSTRACTNatural processes and biodiversity are under pressure, especially in the human-dominated region of Central Europe. Therefore, an effective approach is needed for the conservation of the last fragments of valuable habitats. Šumava National Park is one of the biggest relatively natural forested areas within the cultural landscapes of Czechia and Central Europe. It has been protected since 1991 as a National Park, but management has been changed several times; thus, we would like to create a map with nature protection prioritization based on objective procedures and data to help manage the National Park with regard to its goals. We used occurrence data for 50 selected key fauna and flora species and made habitat suitability models; furthermore, data derived from the habitat mapping layer describing the quality of habitats were prepared. These data were inputs for prioritization ZONATION software resulting in a prioritization map, which could be compared with the current zonation of the National Park.

Under the interaction between natural ecosystems and human interferences, farmland extends to multi-functions such as production, ecological, social, and cultural functions. Despite the exponential increase in research on the multi-functional evaluation of farmland in recent years, little study has been conducted at fine spatial and long-time scales. Furthermore, the existing quantitative analyses of multifunctional synergies and trade-offs in farmland mainly consider static spatial patterns and neglect dynamic information. Selecting the Chinese coastal province of Zhejiang as the study area, this study thus evaluated the spatio-temporal patterns of farmland functions from 2000 to 2020 at the county scale and introduced the trade-off/synergy degree (TSD) model to quantify the intensity of the relationships among functions. The results showed that farmland functional values and their relationships were significantly heterogeneous in spatial and temporal distribution. In addition to social function, the other functions all exhibited an increasing trend. Furthermore, strong correlations were mainly observed between production, ecological and cultural functions. Ultimately, five farmland zones were determined by the k-means clustering algorithm and considering both functional values and their relationships, and targeted suggestions applicable to each zone were put forward in this study. This study contributes to the utilization and planning of farmland and its surrounding land, especially to the improvement of the policy of returning farmland to forests.

Dehradun city, capital of Uttarakhand state in India, is severely affected with increasing incidents of flooding, causing tremendous losses of life, infrastructure, and eroding years of development. This research aims to map flood hazard zones by conducting flood hazard assessment based on flood hazard index (FHI), which is constructed using 11 indicators, viz. elevation, slope, rainfall, LULC (land-use land-cover) runoff potential, and distance from drainage, drainage density, soil, geomorphology, geology, water table depth, and TWI (Total Wetness Index). The indicators are ranked and reclassified and then weighted using AHP (analytic hierarchy process) methodology. These are combined using weighted linear combination method in GIS (geographic information systems) with necessary inputs of weights of layers. Landsat8 OLI image of spatial resolution 30m, DEM 2015 of CARTOSAT-I of spatial resolution 2.5 m, and Survey of India (SOI) toposheets, scale 1:50,000, for Dehradun city are used for creating base layer and deriving indicators. The annual rainfall data of different rain gauge stations are interpolated in GIS to obtain rainfall map. As a result of final analysis, FHI is classified into 4 flood hazard zones spatially—very high risk with 29.51% area, high risk with 29.83% area, medium risk with 35.50 % area, and low risk with 5.16 % area. Thus, almost 59% of city areas are under high to very high risk. It is observed that the areas along Bindal and Rispana rivers are primarily at high risk. The results are validated by using ROC-AUC (area under the ROC curve) method using 151 high flood point samples spatially distributed well in the study area. As a further scope of research, number of socio-economic indicators may be added and flood risk assessment may be carried on. Also there is a scope of comparative assessment of other MCDA (multi-criteria decision analysis) methodologies to improve zonation accuracy in results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The conservation of migratory birds poses a fundamental challenge, their conservation requires coordinated action across the hemisphere, but those actions must be designed and implemented locally. To address this challenge, we describe a multilevel framework for linking broad‐scale, full annual cycle prioritizations to local conservation actions for migratory birds. We developed hemisphere‐scale spatial prioritizations for the full annual cycle of migratory birds that breed in six different ecosystems in North America. The full annual cycle prioritizations provide a hemispheric context within which regional priorities can be identified. Finer resolution, regional prioritizations can then inform local conservation actions more effectively. We describe the importance of local conservation practitioner contributions at each level of the process and provide two examples of regional spatial prioritizations that were developed to guide local action. The first example focused on coastal North and South Carolina, USA, and used information on marsh birds, shorebirds, ecological integrity, and co‐benefits for people to identify Cape Romain, South Carolina as a high‐priority site for conservation action. The second example in Colombia used information on migrant and resident birds to identify the Cauca Valley as a high‐priority site. The multilevel conceptual framework we describe is one pathway for identifying sites for implementation of local conservation actions that are guided by conservation priorities for migratory birds across their full annual cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Hepatic zonation is a physiological feature of the liver, known to be key in the regulation of the metabolism of nutrients and xenobiotics and the biotransformation of numerous substances. However, the reproduction of this phenomenon remains challenging in vitro as only part of the processes involved in the orchestration and maintenance of zonation are fully understood. The recent advances in organ‐on‐chip technologies, which allow for the integration of multicellular 3D tissues in a dynamic microenvironment, could offer solutions for the reproduction of zonation within a single culture vessel. Methods: An in‐depth analysis of zonation‐related mechanisms observed during the coculture of human‐induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)‐derived carboxypeptidase M‐positive liver progenitor cells and hiPSC‐derived liver sinusoidal endothelial cells within a microfluidic biochip was carried out. Results: Hepatic phenotypes were confirmed in terms of albumin secretion, glycogen storage, CYP450 activity, and expression of specific endothelial markers such as PECAM1, RAB5A, and CD109. Further characterization of the patterns observed in the comparison of the transcription factor motif activities, the transcriptomic signature, and the proteomic profile expressed at the inlet and the outlet of the microfluidic biochip confirmed the presence of zonation‐like phenomena within the biochips. In particular, differences related to Wnt/β‐catenin, transforming growth factor‐β, mammalian target of rapamycin, hypoxia‐inducible factor‐1, and AMP‐activated protein kinase signaling, to the metabolism of lipids, and cellular remolding were observed. Conclusions: The present study shows the interest in combining cocultures of hiPSC‐derived cellular models and microfluidic technologies for reproducing in vitro complex mechanisms such as liver zonation and further incites the use of those solutions for accurate reproduction of in vivo situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The functional versatility of the liver is paramount for organismal homeostasis. Adult liver functions are controlled by a tightly regulated transcription factor network including nuclear receptors (NRs), which orchestrate many aspects of hepatic physiology. NRs are transcription factors sensitive to extracellular cues such as hormones, lipids, xenobiotics, etc. and are modulated by intracellular signaling pathways. While liver functional zonation and adaptability to fluctuating conditions rely on a sophisticated cellular architecture, a comprehensive knowledge of NR functions within liver cell populations is still lacking. As a step toward the accurate mapping of NR functions in the liver, we characterized their levels of expression in the whole liver from C57Bl6/J male mice as a function of time and diet. Nr1d1 (Rev-erba), Nr1d2 (Rev-erbb), Nr1c2 (Pparb/d), and Nr1f3 (Rorg) exhibited a robust cyclical expression in ad libitum-fed mice which was, like most cyclically expressed NRs, reinforced upon time-restricted feeding. In a few instances, cyclical expression was lost or gained as a function of the feeding regimen. NR isoform expression was explored in purified hepatocytes, cholangiocytes, Kupffer cells, hepatic stellate cells, and liver sinusoidal cells. The expression of some NR isoforms, such as Nr1h4 (Fxra) and Nr1b1 (Rara) isoforms, was markedly restricted to a few cell types. Leveraging liver singlecell RNAseq studies yielded a zonation pattern of NRs in hepatocytes, liver sinusoidal cells, and stellate cells, establishing a link between NR subtissular localization and liver functional specialization. In summary, we provide here an up-to-date compendium of NR expression in mouse liver in space and time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Striving for an integrated semi-natural stream-floodplain system as restoration target would optimally serve biodiversity and the provisioning of ecosystem services. This pursuit is currently limited by multiple pressures and constraints that come with, amongst others, a high human population density and intensive land-use. To be able to weigh the ecological and societal needs in lowland-stream watersheds, we analysed the developments in lowland-stream restoration in relation to the actual and potential state of ecosystems services these systems provide. To reach an ecological-societal balance in stream restoration, we pose five steps: (i) Choose a clear and realistic restoration target, (ii) Map and quantify environmental stressors at local to watershed scale, (iii) Map and quantify biological indicators at local to regional scale, (iv) List potential restoration measures to remove or mitigate stressors, and (v) Build scenarios, composed of combinations of measures fitting the societal context of the watershed. The most promising scenarios make use of watershed processes and involve establishing a transverse landscape zonation, from the streams' riparian zone to the uplands. Such landscape transition poses a challenge for policy makers and implies a strong societal change. Therefore, a framework is provided with building blocks that help to find a suitable balance in practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single-cell transcriptomics of brain vascular cells reveals distinct subtypes of endothelial and mural cells, as well as transcriptomic profiles defining their organization and zonation in the embryonic and adult brain. Mutual interactions between angiogenesis and neurogenesis promote the formation of the blood–brain barrier and coordinate the proliferation, differentiation, and migration of neural progenitors. A full repertoire of endothelial and mural cell subtypes can be identified in the ventricular and subventricular zones of the cerebral cortex and germinal matrix during embryonic development, as early as the second trimester in humans. Vascularized brain organoids recapitulate many key features of neurovascular coupling during angiogenesis and neurogenesis, including the cell-fate specification of vascular cells, cortical neuron differentiation, and the reduction of cellular stress. Single-cell transcriptomics reveals profound dysfunction in neurovascular and gliovascular coupling as key features in several neurodegenerative diseases. The vasculature is increasingly recognized to impact brain function in health and disease across the life span. During embryonic brain development, angiogenesis and neurogenesis are tightly coupled, coordinating the proliferation, differentiation, and migration of neural and glial progenitors. In the adult brain, neurovascular interactions continue to play essential roles in maintaining brain function and homeostasis. This review focuses on recent advances that leverage single-cell transcriptomics of vascular cells to uncover their subtypes, their organization and zonation in the embryonic and adult brain, and how dysfunction in neurovascular and gliovascular interactions contributes to the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases. Finally, we highlight key challenges for future research in neurovascular biology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction and Objective Floods and earthquakes are the most common and unpredictable natural events that harm communities by affecting life and property and affect the landforms of the basin. Therefore, in ways to reduce the effects of natural events, The main goal has changed to public awareness and emphasis on informing the people in line with preventive measures before the occurrence of abnormal events. Considering these explanations and the need to compare and evaluate the effectiveness of probabilistic statistical methods, The main goal of this research is to investigate the morphological, hydrological and climatic factors affecting the occurrence of floods, Modeling and evaluation of land sensitivity potential in Gorganrood watershed to flood occurrence. Also, the most important innovation of the current research compared with to the previous researches related to risk zonation in the country, the comparison of two probabilistic methods of Shannon entropy and weight of evidence in order to determine the most efficient model and increase the accuracy of flood prediction maps.Materials and Methods 1- Selection of the study area, Collecting and preparing maps of effective factors as independent variables, 15 factors were considered in this research. 2- The flood event distribution map was prepared using the information received from the Ministry of Energy and field observations as a dependent variable, and it was divided into two groups of test points (30%) and training points (70%). 3- Quantifying the effective factors with the help of the frequency ratio index and also performing the multilinear test (independence of the effective factors). 4- Implementation of entropy and weight of evidence models, Preparation of flood sensitivity zoning maps and classifying them into five categories: very low, low, medium, high and very high. 5- Assessing the accuracy of classification and validation of zoning maps and predicting sensitivity to flood events. 6- Determining the importance of effective factors and choosing the most suitable model.Results and Discussion In total, based on the calculated weights of both entropy index and weight of evidence models, in the order of factors land use, altitude, Normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), soil, Topographic Wetness Index (TWI), Drainage density, Stream power index, slope (SPI), Topographic position index (TPI), lithology, average annual precipitation, Infiltration number, Profile curvature, Stream frequency and Intensity of daily rainfall are effective in flood occurrence. In this research, the land use factor and then the vegetation cover factor have a high priority in the occurrence of floods due to land use changes. The intensity of rainfall is in the last rank, but its importance and influence should not be ignored along with other factors. The maps resulting from flood risk zonation by both models indicate the high accuracy of zone classification and proper distribution of flood points in high and very high zone. Also, based on the receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve and accuracy classification levels, the efficiency of both models is in the very good category (0.8-0.9) In terms of comparing the models to each other, the results of the area under the curve (AUC) values of the Shannon entropy model show a higher score accuracy in both testing and training situations (0.94 and 0.98) than the Bayesian weighting method (83.83). 0 and 0.88) which indicates a high correlation between the prepared flood sensitivity map and the distribution map of the number of flood events.Conclusion and SuggestionsIn this research, in order to prepare a map of flood event zoning, 368 flood zones with a repetition number of 782 flood events and 15 factors affecting flood events were used. Based on the fitting of both models and the prioritization of the factors affecting the occurrence of floods, it was determined altogether that land use, altitude and vegetation factors have importance and priority in the occurrence of floods in the study area and Profile curvature, Stream power index and Intensity of daily rainfall factors were placed in the last priorities. The results showed that Shannon's entropy model has the appropriate class threshold in classification, and by using 30% of flood occurrence zones, it has more priority for zonation and flood occurrence prediction. But in general, both models are effective in zoning and predicting flood occurrences.

The impact of changes in regional development along with the construction of Yogyakarta International Airport in Kulon Progo Regency may affect land use changes as the activities of the surrounding population. Galur– Lendah area, which is located near the city of Yogyakarta and acts as the entrance to Kulon Progo, will also develop. Along with these developments, the determination of the groundwater recharge–discharge area is needed to ensure the availability of groundwater at this site. The purpose of this study was to determine the zonation of groundwater recharge–discharge areas to support the availability of groundwater. The method of research is a spatial analysis using a geographic information system (GIS) based on ratings and weighting values for six parameters, including slope, rainfall, groundwater table depth, soil type, rock permeability, and land use. The field hydrogeological was also conducted to find out rock permeability and groundwater quality (pH, EC, TDS). The results showed that areas with potential for groundwater recharge were in the central and northeastern parts of the study area and the discharge zones in the north and south were with potential infiltration values of 26–43 and 44–59, respectively. However, the recharge area can still function as a discharge zone.

The ecological conservation and restoration of drylands is a global challenge, which is always under resources constraints and in competition with land developments. Here, we aim to identify ecological conservation and restoration priority areas based on the objectives of maximizing ecological values and minimizing opportunity costs with zonation as a heuristic spatial optimization tool. We take the Inner Mongolia (IM) of China as a typical dryland region. Results reveal that the efficiency of multi-objectives for ecological restoration is often better than a single objective. IM should focus on ecological conservation supplemented by restoration. Conserving 36.9% and restoring 13.1% of IM can provide an average of 72% of ecosystem functions while consuming 20% of opportunity costs. Our framework aligns with the need for nature-based solutions and rationalizes the allocation of resources for ecological conservation and restoration projects in complex dryland regions.

Comprehending invasive alien species’ potential habitat area and spread trend are of great importance for effective prevention and control strategy and prevention of spread. However, previous studies have mainly been based on large regional scales (national or global level). Research on the smaller regional scale of ecologically fragile karst makes the prevention and control measures more feasible and targeted, it is of great significance to protect mountainous region species diversity and maintain national nature reserves. In this study, based on the distribution point data of Solidago canadensis in Guizhou Province and environmental factors, Pearson correlation analysis and contribution rate analysis of environmental factors were carried out by SPSS and knife cutting method, and current and future potential distribution vector maps were obtained by MaxEnt model, and then imported into ArcGIS for reclassification and visualization. The results show that, (1) the main drivers of S canadensis distribution were precipitation changes and human activities, the total contribution rate more than 70%; (2) S canadensis occurrence probability initially increased, and then decreased with increased precipitation variables, and increased rapidly initially, then gradually with increasing human footprint; (3) under current climate conditions, S canadensis suitable area is 8.13 × 10 ^4 km ^2 , with the highly suitable area concentrated in Guiyang, east of Bijie, Zunyi, Anshun and Qiannan. Under climate conditions of the 2050s, the suitable area drops slightly to 8.00 × 10 ^4 km ^2 , mainly in the west and north of Zunyi, Anshun and other areas reduced. Under climate conditions of the 2070s, the suitable area expands to 8.31 × 10 ^4 km ^2 , it expands in the adjacent areas of Anshun, Qiannan and Qianxinan and the junction of Zunyi, Tongren, Qiannan and Qiandongnan. And move toward the south within the study area; (4) finally, using the spatial optimization software ZONATION, according to the landscape loss proportion curve, the key monitoring area of 79,857 km ^2 was obtained, including a primary monitoring area mainly distributed in Guiyang, east of Bijie, northeast of Anshun and northwest of Qiannan, a secondary monitoring area mainly outside the primary monitoring area, and a third-level monitoring area widely distributed in Zunyi, Tongren, Qiannan, west of Qiandongnan and Anshun and east of Bijie. Linking our results with this specie’s invasive power, we thus recommended to increase the prevention and control sites in the first-level monitoring area, and continue to pay attention to the risk of the southward spread of this species.

Abstract The conservation of migratory birds poses a fundamental challenge, their conservation requires coordinated action across the hemisphere, but those actions must be designed and implemented locally. To address this challenge, we describe a multilevel framework for linking broad‐scale, full annual cycle prioritizations to local conservation actions for migratory birds. We developed hemisphere‐scale spatial prioritizations for the full annual cycle of migratory birds that breed in six different ecosystems in North America. The full annual cycle prioritizations provide a hemispheric context within which regional priorities can be identified. Finer resolution, regional prioritizations can then inform local conservation actions more effectively. We describe the importance of local conservation practitioner contributions at each level of the process and provide two examples of regional spatial prioritizations that were developed to guide local action. The first example focused on coastal North and South Carolina, USA, and used information on marsh birds, shorebirds, ecological integrity, and co‐benefits for people to identify Cape Romain, South Carolina as a high‐priority site for conservation action. The second example in Colombia used information on migrant and resident birds to identify the Cauca Valley as a high‐priority site. The multilevel conceptual framework we describe is one pathway for identifying sites for implementation of local conservation actions that are guided by conservation priorities for migratory birds across their full annual cycle.

Summary: Background: Tissues such as the liver lobule, kidney nephron, and intestinal gland exhibit intricate patterns of zonated gene expression corresponding to distinct cell types and functions. To quantitatively understand zonation, it is important to measure cellular or genetic features as a function of position along a zonal axis. While it is possible to manually count, characterize, and locate features in relation to the zonal axis, it is labor-intensive and difficult to do manually while maintaining precision and accuracy. Methods: We addressed this challenge by developing a deep-learning-based quantification method called the “Tissue Positioning System” (TPS), which can automatically analyze zonation in the liver lobule as a model system. Findings: By using algorithms that identified vessels, classified vessels, and segmented zones based on the relative position along the portal vein to central vein axis, TPS was able to spatially quantify gene expression in mice with zone specific reporters. Interpretation: TPS could discern expression differences between zonal reporter strains, ages, and disease states. TPS could also reveal the zonal distribution of cells previously thought to be positioned randomly. The design principles of TPS could be generalized to other tissues to explore the biology of zonation. Funding: CPRIT (RP190208, RP220614, RP230330) and NIH (P30CA142543, R01AA028791, R01CA251928, R01DK1253961, R01GM140012, 1R01GM141519, 1R01DE030656, 1U01CA249245). The Pollack Foundation, Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center Cancer & Obesity Translational Pilot Award, and the Emerging Leader Award from the Mark Foundation For Cancer Research (#21-003-ELA).