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Mountainous Areas (mountainous + area)
Selected AbstractsOn the climate and weather of mountain and sub-arctic lakes in Europe and their susceptibility to future climate changeFRESHWATER BIOLOGY, Issue 12 2009R. THOMPSON Summary 1.,The complex terrain and heterogeneous nature of the mountain environment coupled with remoteness from major centres of human activity makes mountains challenging locations for meteorological investigations. Mountainous areas tend to have more varied and more extreme weather than lowlands. 2.,The EMERGE program has the primary aim of assessing the status of remote mountain and sub-arctic lakes throughout Europe for the first time. In this study, we describe the main features of the climate, ice-cover durations and recent temperature trends of these areas. The main weather characteristics of European mountain and sub-arctic lakes are their cold temperatures and year-round precipitation. Mean annual temperatures are generally close to 0 °C, and maximum summer temperatures reasonably close to 10 °C. 3.,Maritime versus continental settings determine the main differences in annual-temperature range among lake districts (10.5 °C in Scotland to 26.7 °C in Northern Finland), and a similar factor for ice-cover duration. Radiation ranges from low (120 W m,2) in the high latitude sub-arctic and high (237 W m,2) in the southern ranges of the Pyrenees and Rila. Similarly, precipitation is high in the main Alpine chain (250 cm year,1 in the Central Southern Alps) and low in the continental sub-arctic (65 cm year,1 in Northern Finland). 4.,The main temporal patterns in air temperature follow those of the adjacent lowlands. All the lake districts warmed during the last century. Spring temperature trends were highest in Finland; summer trends were weak everywhere; autumn trends were strongest in the west, in the Pyrenees and western Alps; while winter trends varied markedly, being high in the Pyrenees and Alps, low in Scotland and Norway and negative in Finland. 5.,Two new, limnological case studies on Lake Redon, in the Pyrenees, highlight the sensitivity of remote lakes to projected changes in the global climate. These two case studies involve close linkages between extreme chemical-precipitation events and synoptic wind-patterns, and between thermocline behaviour and features of the large-scale circulation. 6.,Individual lakes can be ultra-responsive to climate change. Even modest changes in future air temperatures will lead to major changes in lake temperatures and ice-cover duration and hence probably affect their ecological status. [source] Rainfall network design using kriging and entropyHYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES, Issue 3 2008Yen-Chang Chen Abstract The spatial distribution of rainfall is related to meteorological and topographical factors. An understanding of the weather and topography is required to select the locations of the rain gauge stations in the catchment to obtain the optimum information. In theory, a well-designed rainfall network can accurately represent and provide the needed information of rainfall in the catchment. However, the available rainfall data are rarely adequate in the mountainous area of Taiwan. In order to provide enough rainfall data to assure the success of water projects, the rainfall network based on the existing rain gauge stations has to be redesigned. A method composed of kriging and entropy that can determine the optimum number and spatial distribution of rain gauge stations in catchments is proposed. Kriging as an interpolator, which performs linear averaging to reconstruct the rainfall over the catchment on the basis of the observed rainfall, is used to compute the spatial variations of rainfall. Thus, the rainfall data at the locations of the candidate rain gauge stations can be reconstructed. The information entropy reveals the rainfall information of the each rain gauge station in the catchment. By calculating the joint entropy and the transmitted information, the candidate rain gauge stations are prioritized. In addition, the saturation of rainfall information can be used to add or remove the rain gauge stations. Thus, the optimum spatial distribution and the minimum number of rain gauge stations in the network can be determined. The catchment of the Shimen Reservoir in Taiwan is used to illustrate the method. The result shows that only seven rain gauge stations are needed to provide the necessary information. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] The impact of migration on rural poverty and inequality: a case study in ChinaAGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS, Issue 2 2010Nong Zhu Migration; Poverty; Inequality; China Abstract Large numbers of agricultural labor moved from the countryside to cities after the economic reforms in China. Migration and remittances play an important role in transforming the structure of rural household income. This article examines the impact of rural-to-urban migration on rural poverty and inequality in a mountainous area of Hubei province using the data of a 2002 household survey. Since migration income is a potential substitute for farm income, we present counterfactual scenarios of what rural income, poverty, and inequality would have been in the absence of migration. Our results show that, by providing alternatives to households with lower marginal labor productivity in agriculture, migration leads to an increase in rural income. In contrast to many studies that suggest that the increasing share of nonfarm income in total income widens inequality, this article offers support for the hypothesis that migration tends to have egalitarian effects on rural income for three reasons: (1) migration is rational self-selection,farmers with higher expected return in agricultural activities and/or in local nonfarm activities choose to remain in the countryside while those with higher expected return in urban nonfarm sectors migrate; (2) households facing binding constraints of land supply are more likely to migrate; (3) poorer households benefit disproportionately from migration. [source] Exploitation of food resources by badgers (Meles meles) in the Swiss Jura MountainsJOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY, Issue 2 2005C. Fischer Abstract In our study three badger Meles meles populations separated by only a few km but subjected to different environmental conditions were compared. Differences are especially marked for climatic factors, the three areas being located at different altitudes, and for intensivity of soil use by people. The diet of the three populations was significantly different, with one or two dominant items in each area: mammals and cereals in the mountain, maize in the mid-mountain and in the lowland areas. In the most intensively cultivated area, maize was the most consumed item in autumn and spring, several months after harvesting. Earthworms had only a secondary importance in the diet in the mountainous area, but were negligible in the mid-mountain and lowland areas. Soil management seemed to play a preponderant role, mostly owing to soil quality and topography. Climate seemed to have a secondary effect only. [source] Ticks and Lyme borreliosis in an alpine area in northeast ItalyMEDICAL AND VETERINARY ENTOMOLOGY, Issue 3 2010F. NAZZI A 2-year study was conducted in a mountainous area of northeast Italy to evaluate the occurrence and distribution of ticks, as well as to assess the prevalence of the spirochaete Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato. All ticks collected were Ixodes ricinus L. (Parasitiformes: Ixodidae). In general, most nymphs and adult ticks were collected from April to July. Tick density was highly variable among sites; however, two areas with different infestation levels were recognized. Prevalences of B. burgdorferi s.l. in nymphal stages were rather variable between sites; overall the prevalence of infected nymphs in the whole area was slightly higher than 20%. The prevalence of B. burgdorferi s.l. in nymphs does not seem to be correlated with nymph density. The correlation between the incidence of Lyme borreliosis (reported human cases/1000 inhabitants/year) and Borrelia prevalence in nymphs was not significant, although a significant correlation was found between borreliosis incidence and nymph density. [source] Permafrost distribution from BTS measurements (Sierra de Telera, Central Pyrenees, Spain): assessing the importance of solar radiation in a mid-elevation shaded mountainous areaPERMAFROST AND PERIGLACIAL PROCESSES, Issue 2 2007Asunción Julián Abstract Permafrost distribution was predicted from measurements of basal temperatures of the winter snow cover using a GIS-based empirical,statistical modelling approach in a mid-elevation mountainous area, the northern slope of the Sierra de Telera (central Pyrenees, Spain). A total of 223 basal temperature of snow (BTS) measurements were made over 3 years and a multiple linear regression analysis was performed to model the relationship between BTS measurements and three predictor variables: May solar radiation, elevation and snow-cover persistence. The snow-cover persistence factor proved non-significant and was excluded from the final regression analysis. The model used was statistically significant, and predicted permafrost distribution moderately well (K,=,0.52) and with an overall accuracy of 0.79. The results show the importance of solar radiation as an explanatory variable for permafrost conditions in a mid-elevation mountain area with steep topography. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Mitochondrial diversity of native pigs in the mainland South and South-east Asian countries and its relationships between local wild boarsANIMAL SCIENCE JOURNAL, Issue 4 2008Kazuaki TANAKA ABSTRACT In this study, we analyzed DNA sequence of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control regions on the 130 native domestic pigs and eight wild boars in the mainland South and South-east Asian countries including Bhutan, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam. Forty-four haplotypes were found in the 138 individuals, 41 were in the domestic and four were in wild boars. Only one haplotype was shared by domestic and wild population in Bhutan. In other cases, mtDNA of wild boars did not show close affinity to that of the domestic pigs in the same location, indicating that the native domestic pigs in these countries did not originate in the present habitat. Phylogenetic analyzes of mtDNA haplotypes recapitulated several major clusters identified in other studies, but 11 haplotypes were grouped in a new cluster we named MTSEA. In most cases, more than one lineage group were present in a sampling station, indicating that the present indigenous domestic pigs may have multiple origins. The MTSEA haplotypes were present in relatively high frequencies in domestic pigs in the mountainous area of mainland South-east Asia (Cambodia and Laos), with a few found in Myanmar and Bhutan. The distributions of MTSEA haplotypes are in great conformity with the distribution of present-day Mon-Khmer language and indicated the existence of yet another independent domestication. The D2 haplotypes that distribute high frequency (almost 100%) throughout the Chinese breeds were dominant in Bhutan, Myanmar, and Vietnam. These results suggest an existence of human-mediated dispersal of domestic pigs from north to the south during the historical expansion of Sino-Tibetan and Tai peoples. The D3 haplotypes previously reported in north India were found in sympatric domestic and wild pigs in Bhutan. The D3 haplotype is an important proof of independent domestication event and/or great gene flow between wild and domestic pigs in the foot of Himalaya. [source] The geography of climate change: implications for conservation biogeographyDIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS, Issue 3 2010D. D. Ackerly Abstract Aim, Climate change poses significant threats to biodiversity, including impacts on species distributions, abundance and ecological interactions. At a landscape scale, these impacts, and biotic responses such as adaptation and migration, will be mediated by spatial heterogeneity in climate and climate change. We examine several aspects of the geography of climate change and their significance for biodiversity conservation. Location, California and Nevada, USA. Methods, Using current climate surfaces (PRISM) and two scenarios of future climate (A1b, 2070,2099, warmer-drier and warmer-wetter), we mapped disappearing, declining, expanding and novel climates, and the velocity and direction of climate change in California and Nevada. We also examined fine-scale spatial heterogeneity in protected areas of the San Francisco Bay Area in relation to reserve size, topographic complexity and distance from the ocean. Results, Under the two climate change scenarios, current climates across most of California and Nevada will shrink greatly in extent, and the climates of the highest peaks will disappear from this region. Expanding and novel climates are projected for the Central Valley. Current temperature isoclines are projected to move up to 4.9 km year,1 in flatter regions, but substantially slower in mountainous areas because of steep local topoclimate gradients. In the San Francisco Bay Area, climate diversity within currently protected areas increases with reserve size and proximity to the ocean (the latter because of strong coastal climate gradients). However, by 2100 of almost 500 protected areas (>100 ha), only eight of the largest are projected to experience temperatures within their currently observed range. Topoclimate variability will further increase the range of conditions experienced and needs to be incorporated in future analyses. Main Conclusions, Spatial heterogeneity in climate, from mesoclimate to topoclimate scales, represents an important spatial buffer in response to climate change, and merits increased attention in conservation planning. [source] Interpolation processes using multivariate geostatistics for mapping of climatological precipitation mean in the Sannio Mountains (southern Italy)EARTH SURFACE PROCESSES AND LANDFORMS, Issue 3 2005Nazzareno Diodato Abstract The spatial variability of precipitation has often been a topic of research, since accurate modelling of precipitation is a crucial condition for obtaining reliable results in hydrology and geomorphology. In mountainous areas, the sparsity of the measurement networks makes an accurate and reliable spatialization of rainfall amounts at the local scale difficult. The purpose of this paper is to show how the use of a digital elevation model can improve interpolation processes at the subregional scale for mapping the mean annual and monthly precipitation from rainfall observations (40 years) recorded in a region of 1400 km2 in southern Italy. Besides linear regression of precipitation against elevation, two methods of interpolation are applied: inverse squared distance and ordinary cokriging. Cross-validation indicates that the inverse distance interpolation, which ignores the information on elevation, yields the largest prediction errors. Smaller prediction errors are produced by linear regression and ordinary cokriging. However, the results seem to favour the multivariate geostatistical method including auxiliary information (related to elevation). We conclude that ordinary cokriging is a very flexible and robust interpolation method because it can take into account several properties of the landscape; it should therefore be applicable in other mountainous regions, especially where precipitation is an important geomorphological factor. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Testing a model for predicting the timing and location of shallow landslide initiation in soil-mantled landscapesEARTH SURFACE PROCESSES AND LANDFORMS, Issue 9 2003M. Casadei Abstract The growing availability of digital topographic data and the increased reliability of precipitation forecasts invite modelling efforts to predict the timing and location of shallow landslides in hilly and mountainous areas in order to reduce risk to an ever-expanding human population. Here, we exploit a rare data set to develop and test such a model. In a 1·7 km2 catchment a near-annual aerial photographic coverage records just three single storm events over a 45 year period that produced multiple landslides. Such data enable us to test model performance by running the entire rainfall time series and determine whether just those three storms are correctly detected. To do this, we link a dynamic and spatially distributed shallow subsurface runoff model (similar to TOPMODEL) to an in,nite slope model to predict the spatial distribution of shallow landsliding. The spatial distribution of soil depth, a strong control on local landsliding, is predicted from a process-based model. Because of its common availability, daily rainfall data were used to drive the model. Topographic data were derived from digitized 1 : 24 000 US Geological Survey contour maps. Analysis of the landslides shows that 97 occurred in 1955, 37 in 1982 and ,ve in 1998, although the heaviest rainfall was in 1982. Furthermore, intensity,duration analysis of available daily and hourly rainfall from the closest raingauges does not discriminate those three storms from others that did not generate failures. We explore the question of whether a mechanistic modelling approach is better able to identify landslide-producing storms. Landslide and soil production parameters were ,xed from studies elsewhere. Four hydrologic parameters characterizing the saturated hydraulic conductivity of the soil and underlying bedrock and its decline with depth were ,rst calibrated on the 1955 landslide record. Success was characterized as the most number of actual landslides predicted with the least amount of total area predicted to be unstable. Because landslide area was consistently overpredicted, a threshold catchment area of predicted slope instability was used to de,ne whether a rainstorm was a signi,cant landslide producer. Many combinations of the four hydrological parameters performed equally well for the 1955 event, but only one combination successfully identi,ed the 1982 storm as the only landslide-producing storm during the period 1980,86. Application of this parameter combination to the entire 45 year record successfully identi,ed the three events, but also predicted that two other landslide-producing events should have occurred. This performance is signi,cantly better than the empirical intensity,duration threshold approach, but requires considerable calibration effort. Overprediction of instability, both for storms that produced landslides and for non-producing storms, appears to arise from at least four causes: (1) coarse rainfall data time scale and inability to document short rainfall bursts and predict pressure wave response; (2) absence of local rainfall data; (3) legacy effect of previous landslides; and (4) inaccurate topographic and soil property data. Greater resolution of spatial and rainfall data, as well as topographic data, coupled with systematic documentation of landslides to create time series to test models, should lead to signi,cant improvements in shallow landslides forecasting. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] First report of the brown root rot disease caused by Phellinus noxius, its distribution and newly recorded host plants in the Amami Islands, southern JapanFOREST PATHOLOGY, Issue 3 2007N. Sahashi Summary To determine whether the brown root rot disease caused by Phellinus noxius is present in the Amami islands, which are situated near Okinawa, we conducted six field surveys from 1999 to 2005. The brown root rot disease was found in 22 tree species in 17 plant families at 25 different sites in all the islands surveyed. Sixteen of these species were newly recorded as host plants of P. noxius. The disease was more common in the low elevation plains and on hills less than 100 m above sea level than in mountainous areas. This is the first report of the brown root rot disease caused by P. noxius in the Amami Islands, Japan, and Ohshima Island is currently the northern-most distribution point of the disease in the northern hemisphere. [source] Estimating the evolution of vegetation cover and its hydrological impact in the Mekong River basin in the 21st centuryHYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES, Issue 9 2008Hiroshi Ishidaira Abstract The terrestrial biosphere plays a key role in regional energy and water cycles. Thus, for long-term hydrological predictions, possible future changes in vegetation cover must be understood. This study examined the evolution of vegetation cover in the 21st century and its estimated impact on river discharge in the Mekong River basin. Based on climatic predictions (TYN SC 2·03) under the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Special Report on Emissions Scenarios (IPCC SRES) A1FI, A2, B1, and B2, changes in vegetation type and the leaf area index (LAI) were simulated using a Lund-Potsdam-Jena-Dynamic Global Vegetation Model (LPJ-DGVM) and Terrestrial Biogeochemical Cycle Model (BIOME-BGC). The estimated LAI was then used in the rainfall-runoff analysis in the Yamanashi Distributed Hydrological Model (YHyM). The simulation results indicated a significant change in vegetation type mainly on the Tibetan Plateau and in mountainous areas, with the degree of change differing for each SRES scenario; LAI increases around the edge of the Tibetan Plateau and decreases in the lower reaches of the basin; and more conspicuous changes in river discharge in upstream areas than in the middle to lower reaches, mainly due to increases in precipitation in the plateau region. After the 2050s, the results suggested changes in river discharge will be slowed due to changes in evapotranspiration. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Water resources in mountain regions: a methodological approach to assess the water balance in a highland-lowland-systemHYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES, Issue 5 2007Rolf Weingartner Abstract Mountains and highlands are typically areas that provide considerable quantities of water, the latter being an important resource for the lowlands. These run-off quantities remain discernible in the superior-scale river systems and significantly contribute to the global water resources. Therefore, mountain regions ought to be given specific consideration with regard to management endeavours. Although well known in principle, details of water resources originating from mountains remain under discussion. A new approach has been introduced, which depicts the water balance of Switzerland in a spatially distributed manner, based on catchments of about 150 km2. The main feature of this approach is the areal precipitation, which is calculated using run-off, evaporation and storage change of glaciers, instead of being derived from gauged precipitation values. This methodology was selected because measurement and regionalization of precipitation remain subject to large uncertainties in mountainous areas. Subsequently, the view is widened to the European Alps, which, as compared with the surrounding lowlands, contribute considerably higher annual discharge, especially in the summer months. Finally, the focus is put on the hydrological significance of mountains in general. In dry regions, mountains, in particular, are indispensable contributors to the water resources downstream. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Developing a post-fire flood chronology and recurrence probability from alluvial stratigraphy in the Buffalo Creek watershed, Colorado, USA,HYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES, Issue 15 2001John G. Elliott Abstract Stratigraphic and geomorphic evidence indicate floods that occur soon after forest fires have been intermittent but common events in many mountainous areas during the past several thousand years. The magnitude and recurrence of these post-fire flood events reflects the joint probability between the recurrence of fires and the recurrence of subsequent rainfall events of varying magnitude and intensity. Following the May 1996 Buffalo Creek, Colorado, forest fire, precipitation amounts and intensities that generated very little surface runoff outside of the burned area resulted in severe hillslope erosion, floods, and streambed sediment entrainment in the rugged, severely burned, 48 km2 area. These floods added sediment to many existing alluvial fans, while simultaneously incising other fans and alluvial deposits. Incision of older fans revealed multiple sequences of fluvially transported sandy gravel that grade upward into charcoal-rich, loamy horizons. We interpret these sequences to represent periods of high sediment transport and aggradation during floods, followed by intervals of quiescence and relative stability in the watershed until a subsequent fire occurred. An alluvial sequence near the mouth of a tributary draining a 0·82 km2 area indicated several previous post-fire flood cycles in the watershed. Dendrochronologic and radiocarbon ages of material in this deposit span approximately 2900 years, and define three aggradational periods. The three general aggradational periods are separated by intervals of approximately nine to ten centuries and reflect a ,millennium-scale' geomorphic response to a closely timed sequence of events: severe and intense, watershed-scale, stand-replacing fires and subsequent rainstorms and flooding. Millennium-scale aggradational units at the study site may have resulted from a scenario in which the initial runoff from the burned watershed transported and deposited large volumes of sediment on downstream alluvial surfaces and tributary fans. Subsequent storm runoff may have produced localized incision and channelization, preventing additional vertical aggradation on the sampled alluvial deposit for several centuries. Two of the millennium-scale aggradational periods at the study site consist of multiple gravel and loam sequences with similar radiocarbon ages. These closely dated sequences may reflect a ,multidecade-scale' geomorphic response to more frequent, but aerially limited and less severe fires, followed by rainstorms of relatively common recurrence. Published in 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Very high resolution interpolated climate surfaces for global land areasINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CLIMATOLOGY, Issue 15 2005Robert J. Hijmans Abstract We developed interpolated climate surfaces for global land areas (excluding Antarctica) at a spatial resolution of 30 arc s (often referred to as 1-km spatial resolution). The climate elements considered were monthly precipitation and mean, minimum, and maximum temperature. Input data were gathered from a variety of sources and, where possible, were restricted to records from the 1950,2000 period. We used the thin-plate smoothing spline algorithm implemented in the ANUSPLIN package for interpolation, using latitude, longitude, and elevation as independent variables. We quantified uncertainty arising from the input data and the interpolation by mapping weather station density, elevation bias in the weather stations, and elevation variation within grid cells and through data partitioning and cross validation. Elevation bias tended to be negative (stations lower than expected) at high latitudes but positive in the tropics. Uncertainty is highest in mountainous and in poorly sampled areas. Data partitioning showed high uncertainty of the surfaces on isolated islands, e.g. in the Pacific. Aggregating the elevation and climate data to 10 arc min resolution showed an enormous variation within grid cells, illustrating the value of high-resolution surfaces. A comparison with an existing data set at 10 arc min resolution showed overall agreement, but with significant variation in some regions. A comparison with two high-resolution data sets for the United States also identified areas with large local differences, particularly in mountainous areas. Compared to previous global climatologies, ours has the following advantages: the data are at a higher spatial resolution (400 times greater or more); more weather station records were used; improved elevation data were used; and more information about spatial patterns of uncertainty in the data is available. Owing to the overall low density of available climate stations, our surfaces do not capture of all variation that may occur at a resolution of 1 km, particularly of precipitation in mountainous areas. In future work, such variation might be captured through knowledge-based methods and inclusion of additional co-variates, particularly layers obtained through remote sensing. Copyright © 2005 Royal Meteorological Society. [source] Characteristics of wind variations on Jeju Island, KoreaINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENERGY RESEARCH, Issue 1 2010Kyungnam Ko Abstract In order to clarify the long-term variability of the wind in complex terrain, an investigation was conducted on Jeju Island, Korea. The four coastal areas and the three mountainous areas were selected and wind data for 8,11 years from meteorological observatories were collected for this work. Inter-annual variations, monthly variations and diurnal variations in wind characteristics were calculated from the long-term wind data. As a result, it was found that wind speed is higher in the winter season while it is lower in the summer season. Wind at all sites blew strongly in the daytime and weakly at night. Also, wind energy and the range of variation in wind energy varied significantly from region to region on Jeju Island. Inter-annual variations in wind energy on Jeju Island occurred a little greater than seen in the results of earlier works conducted in other place. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Genetic differentiation and natural hybridization between the Sardinian endemic Maniola nurag and the European Maniola jurtinaJOURNAL OF EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY, Issue 4 2007A. GRILL Abstract The Mediterranean island of Sardinia is known for its multitude of unique genetic lineages. We view one of them in a larger phylogeographic context. The endemic Sardinian Meadow Brown butterfly, Maniola nurag, is restricted to the mountainous areas of the island, whereas its widespread close relative, Maniola jurtina, also occurs on the coast. At intermediate altitudes the species' distributions overlap. There, a number of individuals exhibit phenotypic characteristics intermediate between the two species. We examined patterns of intra- and interpopulation variation in 10 M. nurag populations from Sardinia and 16 M. jurtina populations from Sardinia and continental Europe, as well as 17 intermediate individuals, sampled in 1999,2002, by means of allozyme markers, combining it with a morphometric analysis based on 18 wing-characters of 52 males. At the 15 loci studied (aldolase, aat-1, aat-2, g6pdh, gpd, idh-1, idh-2, mdh-1, mdh-2, mpi, me, leu-ala, pgi, pgm, and 6pgdh), 76 different alleles were detected, 63 of which were shared by M. nurag and M. jurtina. None of the loci was found to be alternatively fixed between the two species. In that respect, this study testifies to the difficulties that may arise when trying to identify hybrids from genotypic data. Levels of genetic variation in island populations (M. jurtina: HO = 0.137,0.189; M. nurag: HO = 0.141,0.270) were comparable to those of mainland M. jurtina (HO = 0.141,0.236). A Bayesian admixture analysis supported the hypothesis of mixed (hybrid) ancestry of individuals occurring at intermediate altitudes. Similarly, neighbour-joining and unweighted pair-group method with arithmetic averaging (UPGMA) analyses, as well as morphometrics hinted at the existence of a Maniola -hybrid zone in Sardinia at intermediate altitudes. We discuss the results in the light of the phylogeography of other Sardinian taxa with the aim to reach a general understanding of the biogeographic history of this island's endemic species. [source] Studying the effects of Mahonia aquifolium populations on small-scale mountain agro-ecosystems in Hungary with the view to minimise land degradationLAND DEGRADATION AND DEVELOPMENT, Issue 3 2009C. Hudek Abstract After the political changeover in Hungary in 1989, many farm owners faced problems typical of a small sized farm (<1,ha) as well as a lack of various resources. This led to many farms with great horticultural backgrounds being abandoned, especially in mountainous areas where erosion control is essential for soil conservation. Severe changes can occur on soil through property abandonment. The local socio-economic aspects must be taken into consideration as well as the problem of soil degradation as this will be a motivating factor in preservation initiatives. Under horticultural management, Mahonia aquifolium was tested to determine its efficiency in water erosion control in mountainous conditions in Hungary. Soil loss and water runoff were measured after every rainfall event at six different plots: four cultivated M. aquifolium populations with different ages (4, 12, 20 and 25 years old) and two control plots. A bare soil field and a grass field represented the control plots. The results show that as the age of the M. aquifolium populations increase, the cumulative runoff and sediment values decrease. It also showed that 2 years after setting up a new M. aquifolium plantation, the cumulative runoff decreased by 69 per cent and the cumulative soil loss decreased by 74 per cent. This indicates that a M. aquifolium population could play a significant role in erosion control within a short period of time. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Validation of precipitable water from ECMWF model analyses with GPS and radiosonde data during the MAP SOPTHE QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL METEOROLOGICAL SOCIETY, Issue 612 2005Olivier Bock Abstract Precipitable water vapour contents (PWCs) from European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) analyses have been compared with observations from 21 ground-based Global Positioning System receiving stations (GPS) and 14 radiosonde stations (RS), covering central Europe, for the period of the Mesoscale Alpine Programme experiment special observing period (MAP SOP). Two model analyses are considered: one using only conventional data, serving as a control assimilation experiment, and one including additionally most of the non-operational MAP data. Overall, a dry bias of about ,1 kg m,2 (,5.5% of total PWC), with a standard deviation of ,2.6 kg m,2 (13% of total PWC), is diagnosed in both model analyses with respect to GPS. The bias at individual sites is quite variable: from ,4 to ,0 kg m,2. The largest differences are observed at stations located in mountainous areas and/or near the sea, which reveal differences in representativeness. Differences between the two model analyses, and between these analyses and GPS, are investigated in terms of usage and quality of RS data. Biases in RS data are found from comparisons with both model and GPS PWCs. They are confirmed from analysis feedback statistics available at ECMWF. An overall dry bias in RS PWC of 4.5% is found, compared to GPS. The detection of RS biases from comparisons both with the model and GPS indicates that data screening during assimilation was generally effective. However, some RS bias went into the model analyses. Inspection of the time evolution of PWC from the model analyses and GPS occasionally showed differences of up to 5,10 kg m,2. These were associated with severe weather events, with variations in the amount of RS data being assimilated, and with time lags in the PWCs from the two model analyses. Such large differences contribute strongly to the overall observed standard deviations. Good confidence in GPS PWC estimates is gained through this work, even during periods of heavy rain. These results support the future assimilation of GPS data, both for operational weather prediction and for mesoscale simulation studies. Copyright © 2005 Royal Meteorological Society. [source] Modelling the wet deposition of reduced nitrogen over the British Isles using a Lagrangian multi-layer atmospheric transport modelTHE QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL METEOROLOGICAL SOCIETY, Issue 606 2005N. Fournier Abstract Wet deposition of reduced nitrogen is estimated for the United Kingdom using a Lagrangian long-term, long-range atmospheric transport model. Such long-range transport models are used to develop emission-control strategies to combat environmental acidification in the sensitive regions of the United Kingdom and Europe. These models currently consider the wet deposition as a loss term using scavenging rates and a simple seeder,feeder effect. The seeder,feeder effect is assumed to be the main process producing orographic precipitation since the majority of British Isles annual rainfall falls in frontal events. This paper focuses on the analysis of different parametrizations of the removal process by wet deposition. It is shown that the seeder,feeder effect is very dependent on flow direction. Therefore, a model of directional orographic enhancement of precipitation is developed to simulate this effect. A revised formulation of the wet deposition parametrization is suggested, incorporating the directional orographic precipitation produced with this model. This new formulation also takes into account the larger concentrations of ions dissolved in rain water measured in mountainous areas. Moreover, a new representation of the wet deposition process is developed by considering explicitly the mixing layer's depth calculated in the model. The results from the atmospheric model, with these revised parametrizations of the wet deposition, are then compared with measured wet deposition of reduced nitrogen. Firstly, with the new directional orographic rainfall, the modelled United Kingdom reduced nitrogen wet deposition budget is still underestimated but an increased correlation with measurements is obtained. Secondly, the inclusion of the calculated mixing layer's depth leads to a considerable improvement in the modelled reduced nitrogen wet deposition budget compared with measurements. Copyright © 2005 Royal Meteorological Society. [source] Front and Back Covers, Volume 22, Number 4.ANTHROPOLOGY TODAY, Issue 4 2006August 200 Front and back cover caption, volume 22 issue 4 Front cover Destruction and fertility meet in this photograph of a swidden ('slash and burn') field cultivated by the Rmeet in highland Laos, illustrating Guido Sprenger's article in this issue. After the secondary forest has been burned from the plots, fresh rice stalks grow between charred stumps during the weeding season in June. A field hut, built each year on the newly cleared plot, can be seen in the background. The author's main informant, one of Takheung's village elders, waits for the author to catch up on the slippery paths. Although denigrated as unsustainable by governments and development agencies worldwide, and hotly debated by agricultural experts and policy-makers, swidden agriculture persists in mountainous areas where wet rice cultivation is difficult. Swiddening involves much more than mere subsistence, and anthropologists have been concerned for many decades with questions of its sustainability, as it forms a central focus for a way of life that integrates all aspects of community life, from economy to cosmology and the reproduction of social relations, including families and marriage ties, ritual and exchange, relations between humans and spirits and also identity. Guido Sprenger seeks to remind those with the power to make decisions over swidden agriculture of the importance of being well informed, as their decisions may radically influence an entire way of life. Back cover Islamic Charities Islamic charities are found all over the world and are mostly uncontroversial. Our back cover shows an appeal, with detachable banker's order form, for the orphan programme of the Beit Al-Khair ('house of charity') Society, a domestic charity in the United Arab Emirates launched in 1989. Almost every Islamic charity operates an orphan programme. Islamic charities have been subjected to close scrutiny, especially by the US Treasury, since 9/11, and are the subject of two books recently published by the university presses of Yale (by Matthew Levitt) and Cambridge (by J. Millard Burr and Robert O. Collins), which belong to the genre of counter-terrorism studies. Such studies emulate the methods of police investigators and financial regulators, making ample use of intelligence websites and newspaper reports and seeking to identify associative networks of culpable individuals and entities. The drawback of these studies is that they do scant justice to the positive aspects of Islamic charities and often attribute guilt by association, since charities blacklisted by the US Treasury have only limited rights of defence and appeal, though very few have been successfully prosecuted. Scrupulous social research, by contrast, tries to understand the words and deeds of charities and charity workers in the widest context. The social research published so far on Islamic charities has focused on their political aspects, including Western-Islamic relations, divisions among Muslims, and connections with opposition movements. In this issue of ANTHROPOLOGY TODAY Jonathan Benthall, who has been studying Islamic charities for 13 years, turns his attention to analysing the special opportunities that international Islamic charities can take advantage of in majority Muslim countries. His article outlines the work of the British-based Islamic Relief in the north of Mali, one of the world's poorest countries, with the implicit suggestion that more in-depth residential ethnographic fieldwork in such settings could yield valuable insights. [source] Distribution and status of medicinal leeches (genus Hirudo) in the Western Palaearctic: anthropogenic, ecological, or historical effects?AQUATIC CONSERVATION: MARINE AND FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEMS, Issue 2 2010Serge Utevsky Abstract 1. Distribution and status of medicinal leeches were re-considered in the light of the new taxonomy recognizing four Western Palaearctic species: Hirudo medicinalis, Hirudo verbana, Hirudo orientalis and Hirudo troctina. 2. Recent records and new data obtained on expeditions to Ukraine, Russia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and the Western Balkans were mapped to obtain an up-to-date overview of the distribution. 3. Three hypotheses explaining the current ranges of all Hirudo species were tested. The ecological hypothesis, suggesting a strong impact of large-scale environmental factors, received the highest support, while anthropogenic influence was minimal, and no historical patterns of refugia and colonization were detected. 4. Mapped localities of all Hirudo species show extensive, belt-shaped ranges extending from east to west. H. medicinalis is distributed from Britain and southern Norway to the southern Urals and probably as far as the Altai Mountains, occupying the deciduous arboreal zone. H. verbana has been recorded from Switzerland and Italy to Turkey and Uzbekistan, which largely corresponds to the Mediterranean and sub-boreal steppe zone. H. orientalis is associated with mountainous areas in the sub-boreal eremial zone and occurs in Transcaucasian countries, Iran and Central Asia. H. troctina has been found in north-western Africa and Spain in the Mediterranean zone. 5. Based on the data gathered, and considering real and potential threats, global IUCN category Near Threatened is proposed for H. medicinalis, H. verbana, and H. orientalis, while H. troctina can only be assigned to category Data Deficient. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||