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Disentangling the effects of cyclical variability in environmental forcing and long-term climate change on natural communities is a major challenge for ecologists, managers, and policy makers across ecosystems. Here we examined whether the vertical distribution of rocky intertidal taxa has shifted with sea-level variability occurring at multiple temporal scales and/or long-term anthropogenic sea-level rise (SLR). Because of the distinct zonation characteristic of intertidal communities, any shift in tidal dynamics or average sea level is expected to have large impacts on community structure and function. We found that across the Northeast Pacific Coast (NPC), sea level exhibits cyclical seasonal variability, tidal amplitude exhibits ecologically significant variability coherent with the 18.6-year periodicity of lunar declination, and long-term sea-level rise is occurring. Intertidal taxa largely do not exhibit significant vertical distribution shifts coherent with short-term (monthly to annual) sea-level variability but do exhibit taxa-specific vertical distribution shifts coherent with cyclical changes in lunar declination and long-term SLR at decadal timescales. Finally, our results show that responses to cyclical celestial mechanics and SLR vary among taxa, primarily according to their vertical distribution. Long-term SLR is occurring on ecologically relevant scales, but the confounding effects of cyclical celestial mechanics make interpreting shifts in zonation or community structure challenging. Such cyclical dynamics alternatingly amplify and dampen long-term SLR impacts and may modify the impacts of other global change related stressors, such as extreme heat waves and swell events, on intertidal organisms living at the edge of their physiological tolerances. As a result, intertidal communities will likely experience cyclical periods of environmental stress and concomitant nonlinear shifts in structure and function as long-term climate change continues. Our results demonstrate that consistent, large-scale monitoring of marine ecosystems is critical for understanding natural variability in communities and documenting long-term change.

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.

ABSTRACT Aim Location Taxa Methods Results Main Conclusions Surveying the demography of populations near species range edges may indicate their vulnerability to range contractions or local extinction as the climate changes. In the rocky intertidal, not only are latitudinal ranges constricted by thermal stress, but tides also create zonation or a ‘vertical range’ driven by sharp environmental gradients. By investigating demographics along the latitudinal and vertical ranges simultaneously, we can investigate whether populations may be vulnerable to a changing climate.Rocky intertidal habitats along west coast of the United States.Ochre sea star Pisaster ochraceus, six‐armed sea star Leptasterias spp., emarginate whelks (Nucella ostrina and N. emarginata) and channeled whelk N. canaliculata.In 2018, we surveyed the demographics of the taxa above at 33 sites spanning > 11° latitude from central Oregon to southern California, near the southern range limits of each taxon. We counted and sized individuals from the high to low intertidal zone. To understand how environmental stress changed with latitude, we evaluated intertidal temperatures in situ, as well as tidal extremes, tidal amplitude and wave exposure using offshore buoys.For all taxa, population density, the relative proportion of smaller individuals (except for emarginate whelks) and the upper vertical limits on the shore declined from north to south as temperatures increased and high tide height, tidal amplitude and wave heights decreased. In addition, smaller individual Leptasterias spp. generally inhabited lower shore levels while smaller individual emarginate whelks inhabited higher shore levels coastwide. For N. canaliculata, smaller animals were higher on shore northward, but lower on shore southward.While this study is a snapshot in time and cannot assess impacts of climate change, our surveys suggest environmentally‐related demographic limitation toward southern range limits and demographically vulnerable southern populations. Therefore, a warming climate may cause local extinctions or range contractions near southern limits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An analysis of 483 remotely operated vehicle (ROV) dives carried out along the Italian coast on hard substrata at mesophotic depths (40–200 m) allowed an overview of the rich sponge diversity (53 taxa) of the deep continental platform to be obtained for the first time. About 40% of the potential actual species diversity was recognisable using ROV, suggesting that this group is among the richest yet underestimated using this technology in contrast to other megabenthic taxa. Additionally, the study allowed us to gather data on the current basin-scale distribution and bathymetric limits of five common and easily identifiable demosponges with up to 55% occurrence in the explored sites: Aplysina cavernicola, the group Axinella damicornis/verrucosa, Chondrosia reniformis, Foraminospongia spp., and Hexadella racovitzai. Four of these latitudinal distributions were characterised by high occurrence in the Ligurian Sea and a progressive decrease towards the south Tyrrhenian Sea, with an occasional second minor peak of occurrence in the Sicily Channel. In contrast, Foraminospongia spp. showed a maximum occurrence on the offshore reliefs and a second one in the North–central Tyrrhenian Sea, while it was almost absent in the Ligurian Sea. Trophic and biogeographic reasons were discussed as possible causes of the double-peak distributions. The vertical distributions support a more consistent occurrence of all considered taxa in deeper waters than previously known. This suggests that they may more typically belong to the mesophotic realm than the shallow waters, owing to a more extensive sampling effort in the deeper depth range. The five target taxa are typical or associated species of seven reference habitats in the recently revised UNEP/SPA-RAC classification. However, they may create such dense aggregations that they should be listed as new facies in the abovementioned classification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In response to biodiversity declines worldwide, over 190 nations committed to protect 30% of their lands and waters by 2030 (hereafter, 30×30). Systematic conservation planning and return on investment analysis can be helpful tools for determining where protection efforts could deliver the most efficient and effective reserve design, and supporting decision‐making when trade‐offs among objectives are required. Here, we propose a framework for efficient "30×30" implementation and apply it to the state of California (USA). Because conservation of a region's full suite of biodiversity is the primary objective of the global initiative, we prioritized representation in our analysis. We used Zonation to identify networks that close the gap in representation of major habitat types in California's protected area network and that also conserve the places important for biodiversity or climate change mitigation. We identified networks that are efficient relative to metrics likely to be important in implementation including land acquisition cost, number of transactions, and conservation benefit per hectare, and we illustrate not only trade‐offs associated with these metrics but also differences in the co‐benefits achieved. Five of the eight major habitat types in California are not currently protected at a 30% level statewide, and if representation was achieved solely through private land acquisition, targets could be met for as little as $5.84 billion, with as few as 364 transactions, or with 2.18 million additional conserved hectares. Implementation of 30×30 will likely require more flexibility than a single network design. A "no regrets" action would be to protect properties that were prioritized across all networks and additional implementation should include properties with characteristics of any of the individual networks. Our analytical framework and implementation guidance can be applied to other geographies and jurisdictions to increase the likelihood of both meeting 30×30 targets and delivering the conservation benefits they aim to secure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In most organs, resources such as nutrients, oxygen and physiologically active substances are unevenly supplied within the tissue spaces. Consequently, different tissue functions are exhibited in each space. This spatial heterogeneity of tissue environments arises depending on the spatial arrangement of nutrient vessels and functional vessels, leading to continuous changes in the metabolic states and functions of various cell types from regions proximal to these vessels to distant regions. This phenomenon is referred to as 'zonation'. Traditional analytical methods have made it difficult to investigate this zonation in detail. However, recent advancements in intravital imaging, spatial transcriptomics and single-cell transcriptomics technologies have facilitated the discovery of 'zones' in various organs and elucidated their physiological roles. Here, we outline the spatial differences in the immune system within each zone of organs. This information provides a deeper understanding of organs' immune systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lichen biota of eastern North America is fairly well-documented with most taxa reported from terrestrial ecosystems. While some taxa are described as living near water bodies potentially subjected to inundation, no amphibious lichen communities have been described. To address this gap in our understanding of the region's lichen ecology, thirteen rocky river sites in two river basins of central North Carolina, U.S.A. were explored for amphibious and riparian lichen biotas during periods of low water level, restricted to saxicolous species subjected to inundation, however infrequent. Specimens of encountered taxa were collected and their heights above water level were measured during field visits. Three communities were discerned from field observations in increasing height from low water level, here termed: Mesic Fluvial, Xeric Fluvial and Riparian. These communities are described in terms of species number and composition, height above water, functional traits and taxonomic class composition, as well as characteristic species both in open riverscour and shaded rocky riverbank habitats. From measured heights, two trimlines are described separating the three communities: Fluvial Trimline, often co-occurring with a band of deposited silt, and Riparian Trimline. With the use of nearby stream gage height data, percent inundation for the 2023 water year was estimated for the three communities as 3–10 months for Mesic Fluvial, 0.5–4 months per year for Xeric Fluvial, and < 1–3 months for Riparian lichens. Environmental variables were explored for relationships with the three communities, finding the most significant positive relationships between Mesic Fluvial species richness and several stream physical and water chemistry variables. Recommendations for future stream lichen surveys are offered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Concerns about the durability of transportation infrastructure due to freeze–thaw (F–T) cycles are particularly significant in the Chinese plateau region, where concrete aging and performance deterioration pose substantial challenges. The current national standards for the frost resistance design of concrete structures are based predominantly on the coldest monthly average temperature and do not adequately address the comprehensive effects of the spatiotemporal variance, amplitude, and frequency of F–T cycles. To address this issue, this study introduced a spatiotemporal distribution model to analyze the long-term impact of F–T action on concrete structures by employing statistical analysis and spatial interpolation techniques. Cluster analysis was applied to create a nationwide zonation of F–T action level from data on the freezing temperature, temperature difference, and the number of F–T cycles. Furthermore, this study explored the similarity between natural environmental conditions and laboratory-accelerated tests using hydraulic pressure and cumulative damage theories. A visualization platform that incorporates tools for meteorological data queries, environmental characteristic analyses, and F–T action similarity calculations was designed. This research lays theoretical groundwork and provides technical guidance for assessing service life and enhancing the quantitative durability design of concrete structures in the Chinese plateau region.

Recent research has revealed the patterns of spatial and temporal variability of crop yields for the Polissia and the Forest-Steppe regions of Ukraine. In addition, the approaches to differentiating agroeconomic and agroecological components in the variability of the productive potential of the territories were developed. Approaches have been developed to quantify the spatial and temporal variability of soil erosion for individual areas of the region. The issue of assessing the impact of erosion processes on crop yields at the regional level remains unresolved. The diversity of landscapes and soil cover in Polissia and the Forest-Steppe of Ukraine was assessed in this article. The research covered 10 administrative regions of the north and northwest of Ukraine, which are located mainly within mixed forests (Polissia) and the eastern European forest steppe (Forest-Steppe). Part of the territory is tangential to the Carpathian mountain forests and the Pontic steppe. Within the study area, 30 WRB soils were identified. The largest area is occupied by Phaeozems Albic (21.7% of the total area of the region). These soils are located mainly in the southern and central parts of the region. In the north of the region, Phaeozems Albic form an almost continuous cover, and to the north, the areas of these soils become island-like. Phaeozems Luvic cover 12.1% of the region's territory. The Phaeozems group also includes Phaeozems Gleyic (0.93%), Phaeozems Haplic (0.13%), and Phaeozems Sodic (1.78%). Albeluvisols Umbric (17.1%) occupy a significant part of the region's territory. These soils occupy the north of the region and extend south along the Dnipro River floodplain. Spatially close to these soils are Albeluvisols Gleyic (12.8%). In the western part of the region, in Prykarpattia, there are Albeluvisols Stagnic (0.82%). The organic carbon content in the soils of the administrative districts of the region in the 0-5 cm layer was 5.2±3.3% and ranged 0.5% to 23.9%. In the layers of 5–15 and 15–30 cm, this figure decreased to 1.9 ± 1.1% and 1.9 ± 1.0%, respectively. In the 30–60 cm layer, the organic carbon content was 1.4 ± 0.8% and ranged 0.1% to 6.1%. The lowest organic carbon content was observed in the north central part of the region, and the highest content was observed in the north-east and north-west of the region. In the south of the region, there was found a strip of soils with moderate organic carbon content. The lowest content of organic carbon is characteristic of Albeluvisols and Podzols, which are located in the north of the region. In turn, the highest content of organic carbon is characteristic of organogenic Histosols, which, together with Albeluvisols and Podzols, form the basis of the soil cover structure of the territories in the northeast and northwest of the region. It should be noted that the agronomic role of these soils is insignificant, and their organic carbon content cannot be considered as a traditional indicator of fertility. Nevertheless, organic carbon is a reliable indicator of the anti-erosion properties of both natural and agricultural soils. The organic carbon content of Chernozems is quite high, which is a factor in the high fertility of these soils and their importance in agricultural production. The organic carbon content of Fluvisols and Gleysols is naturally high. The importance of these hydromorphic soils is due to their high productive potential, which ensures their use in agriculture. It is also worth noting their high seed protection potential. Phaeozems cover a large area of the region and contain a high level of organic carbon. These soils form the basis of agricultural production and forestry in the region. The silt content in the region's soils measured 45.6 ± 8.5%, ranging 19.1% to 57.6%. The north of the region is represented by soils with the lowest silt content (19–41%). In the center, in the west of the region, there is a zone with the highest silt content (53–58%). In other parts of the region, there are transitional levels of silt content in the soil. The clay content in the soils was 30.7 ± 13.8% and ranged 7.4% to 36.0%. The zone with the lowest clay content in soils has been formed in the north. The highest clay content in soils is typical for the southern part in the center of the region. The sand content in soils is highest in the northern part of the region, and the lowest in the southwestern and southern parts of the region.

The research of hydrographic variability can be performed using geospatial analyses of habitats that explicitly represent the distribution of physicochemical factors in different periods. In the present study, water characteristics were recorded monthly in four interdecadal sampling campaigns (1980, 1998, 2010, and 2016) in Terminos Lagoon. Based on these records, geostatistical methods and multivariate spatial analyses were conducted to describe the lagoon's spatiotemporal changes, testing the distribution of fish community attributes. Interpolation of physicochemical factors revealed directional trends of change indicative of an influence of environmental characteristics seasonality, represented in the principal components by spatial gradients on estuarine condition (PC1, salinity: 52%), habitat complexity (PC2, depth: − 63%), and water quality (PC3, pH: − 55%). The spatial classification of habitats by hierarchical clustering resulted in different environmental units representing discrete hydrographic zones (Ward's cut-off height: 0.004), such that five zones were formed in the cold fronts season (a highly hydrodynamic period) instead of four as in the rainy and dry seasons. Concordant distribution patterns of fish community attributes with the identified hydrographic zones were observed (p ≤ 0.05), suggesting that ichthyofauna responded differently to ecological variability at the seasonal scale and sorted spatially according to the local environmental heterogeneity. Overall, the continuous and discrete spatial structures found in the Terminos Lagoon provide spatially explicit scenarios of the estuarine seascape, a deep insight into the realized niche of the fish assemblages by zones in different seasons, and hydrographic characterization data to parameterize multiscale fishery models. [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.

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]

Recent research has revealed the patterns of spatial and temporal variability of crop yields for the Polissia and the Forest-Steppe regions of Ukraine. In addition, the approaches to differentiating agroeconomic and agroecological components in the variability of the productive potential of the territories were developed. Approaches have been developed to quantify the spatial and temporal variability of soil erosion for individual areas of the region. The issue of assessing the impact of erosion processes on crop yields at the regional level remains unresolved. The diversity of landscapes and soil cover in Polissia and the Forest-Steppe of Ukraine was assessed in this article. The research covered 10 administrative regions of the north and northwest of Ukraine, which are located mainly within mixed forests (Polissia) and the eastern European forest steppe (Forest-Steppe). Part of the territory is tangential to the Carpathian mountain forests and the Pontic steppe. Within the study area, 30 WRB soils were identified. The largest area is occupied by Phaeozems Albic (21.7% of the total area of the region). These soils are located mainly in the southern and central parts of the region. In the north of the region, Phaeo- zems Albic form an almost continuous cover, and to the north, the areas of these soils become island-like. Phaeozems Luvic cover 12.1% of the region's territory. The Phaeozems group also includes Phaeozems Gleyic (0.93%), Phaeozems Haplic (0.13%), and Phaeozems Sodic (1.78%). Albeluvisols Umbric (17.1%) occupy a significant part of the region's territory. These soils occupy the north of the region and extend south along the Dnipro River floodplain. Spatially close to these soils are Albeluvisols Gleyic (12.8%). In the western part of the region, in Prykarpattia, there are Albeluvisols Stagnic (0.82%). The organic carbon content in the soils of the administrative districts of the region in the 0-5 cm layer was 5.2±3.3% and ranged 0.5% to 23.9%. In the layers of 5-15 and 1530 cm, this figure decreased to 1.9 ± 1.1% and 1.9 ± 1.0%, respectively. In the 30-60 cm layer, the organic carbon content was 1.4 ± 0.8% and ranged 0.1% to 6.1%. The lowest organic carbon content was observed in the north central part of the region, and the highest content was observed in the north-east and north-west of the region. In the south of the region, there was found a strip of soils with moderate organic carbon content. The lowest content of organic carbon is characteristic of Albeluvisols and Podzols, which are located in the north of the region. In turn, the highest content of organic carbon is characteristic of organogenic Histosols, which, together with Albeluvisols and Podzols, form the basis of the soil cover structure of the territories in the northeast and northwest of the region. It should be noted that the agronomic role of these soils is insignificant, and their organic carbon content cannot be considered as a traditional indicator of fertility. Nevertheless, organic carbon is a reliable indicator of the anti-erosion properties of both natural and agricultural soils. The organic carbon content of Chernozems is quite high, which is a factor in the high fertility of these soils and their importance in agricultural production. The organic carbon content of Fluvisols and Gleysols is naturally high. The importance of these hydromorphic soils is due to their high productive potential, which ensures their use in agriculture. It is also worth noting their high seed protection potential. Phaeozems cover a large area of the region and contain a high level of organic carbon. These soils form the basis of agricultural production and forestry in the region. The silt content in the region's soils measured 45.6 ± 8.5%, ranging 19.1% to 57.6%. The north of the region is represented by soils with the lowest silt content (19-41%). In the center, in the west of the region, there is a zone with the highest silt content (53-58%). In other parts of the region, there are transitional levels of silt content in the soil. The clay content in the soils was 30.7 ± 13.8% and ranged 7.4% to 36.0%. The zone with the lowest clay content in soils has been formed in the north. The highest clay content in soils is typical for the southern part in the center of the region. The sand content in soils is highest in the northern part of the region, and the lowest in the southwestern and southern parts of the region. [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]

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]

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]

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]

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

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.

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]

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]

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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.

An analysis of 483 remotely operated vehicle (ROV) dives carried out along the Italian coast on hard substrata at mesophotic depths (40–200 m) allowed an overview of the rich sponge diversity (53 taxa) of the deep continental platform to be obtained for the first time. About 40% of the potential actual species diversity was recognisable using ROV, suggesting that this group is among the richest yet underestimated using this technology in contrast to other megabenthic taxa. Additionally, the study allowed us to gather data on the current basin-scale distribution and bathymetric limits of five common and easily identifiable demosponges with up to 55% occurrence in the explored sites: Aplysina cavernicola, the group Axinella damicornis/verrucosa, Chondrosia reniformis, Foraminospongia spp., and Hexadella racovitzai. Four of these latitudinal distributions were characterised by high occurrence in the Ligurian Sea and a progressive decrease towards the south Tyrrhenian Sea, with an occasional second minor peak of occurrence in the Sicily Channel. In contrast, Foraminospongia spp. showed a maximum occurrence on the offshore reliefs and a second one in the North–central Tyrrhenian Sea, while it was almost absent in the Ligurian Sea. Trophic and biogeographic reasons were discussed as possible causes of the double-peak distributions. The vertical distributions support a more consistent occurrence of all considered taxa in deeper waters than previously known. This suggests that they may more typically belong to the mesophotic realm than the shallow waters, owing to a more extensive sampling effort in the deeper depth range. The five target taxa are typical or associated species of seven reference habitats in the recently revised UNEP/SPA-RAC classification. However, they may create such dense aggregations that they should be listed as new facies in the abovementioned classification.

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]

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]

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.

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.

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]

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]