Habitat selection and partitioning of the Black-bellied Sandgrouse (Pterocles orientalis), the Stone Curlew (Burhinus oedicnemus) and the Cream-coloured Courser (Cursorius cursor) in arid areas of North Africa

Niche theory predicts that coexisting species with similar trophic requirements should demonstrate resource partitioning, particularly where resources are scarce. Conversely, this is not expected between species that do not share primary resources. This study analyses the patterns of spatial coexistence and habitat selection, on two spatial scales, of three species of semidesert regions in Morocco: the Black-bellied Sandgrouse (Pterocles orientalis), the Stone Curlew (Burhinus oedicnemus) and the Cream-coloured Courser (Cursorius cursor). Co-occurrence analysis results point to between-species segregation on a macrohabitat scale. Hotelling's T test of the species-presence data showed a pattern of macrohabitat selection that diverged from habitat availability for the three species with differences among them. Both the classification tree and the pattern of microhabitat selection obtained by model averaging showed scant overlap between the Sandgrouse and the Courser, suggesting habitat partitioning between them on a fine scale. Our results confirm spatial segregation of the three species, especially between species with different trophic strategies: the Sandgrouse versus the Stone Curlew and the Courser. The latter two species were best segregated on a microhabitat scale, supporting the conclusions that macro- and microhabitat selection are major factors in bird community configuration in arid ecosystems and contributing to reduce potential competition.     

High to low velocity succession in the upper crust related to tectonic emplacement: Tras os Montes-Galicia (Iberia), Brittany and Limousin (France)

Summary. Seismic probing of the upper crust in a catazonal massif in Tras os Montes, Hercynian Iberia, demonstrates the absence of a root towards the lower crust and favours a mechanism of thrust and nappe emplacement. Similar high to low velocity successions in the upper crust are evidenced in particular segments of the Hercynian domain of France. All these occurrences are related to a type region to which a particular meaning has been given in a recent plate tectonics interpretation of the Hercynian orogenesis. This model, implying large-scale nappe displacement and intracrustal thrusts furnishes in turn a general mechanism for the tectonic formation of upper crustal high and low velocity layers of limited extent in orogenic cycles.     

Artificial Neural Networks in Proglacial Discharge Simulation: Application and Efficiency Analysis in Comparison to the Multivariate Regression; A Case Study of Waldemar River (Svalbard)

Artificial neural networks were applied to simulate runoff from the glacierized part of the Waldemar River catchment (Svalbard) based on hydrometeorological data collected in the summer seasons of 2010, 2011 and 2012. Continuous discharge monitoring was performed at about 1 km from the glacier snout, in the place where the river leaves the marginal zone. Averaged daily values of discharge and selected meteorological variables in a number of combinations were used to create several models based on the feed‐forward multilayer perceptron architecture. Due to specific conditions of melt water storing and releasing, two groups of models were established: the first is based on meteorological inputs only, while second includes the preceding day's mean discharge. Analysis of the multilayer perceptron simulation performance was done in comparison to the other black‐box model type, a multivariate regression method based on the following efficiency criteria: coefficient of determination (R²) and its adjusted form (adj. R²), weighted coefficient of determination (wR²), Nash–Sutcliffe coefficient of efficiency, mean absolute error, and error analysis. Moreover, the predictors' importance analysis for both multilayer perceptron and multivariate regression models was done. The performed study showed that the nonlinear estimation realized by the multilayer perceptron gives more accurate results than the multivariate regression approach in both groups of models.     

Recognition and palaeohydrologic significance of fossil black fly larvae,with a key to the Nearctic genera (Diptera: Simuliidae)

Fossil black fly larvae of late Pleistocene and Holocene ages are reported from lacustrine deposits of coastal British Columbia, including the first record of the genus Parasimulium Malloch from Canada. Features that distinguish fossil larvae from the remains of other organisms are reviewed, and a key to the Nearctic genera based on features of the hypostoma presented. Fossil black fly larvae have potential for providing information about changes in fluvial conditions, and provide direct evidence about the composition of past faunas. The palaeohydrologic significance of late Quaternary assemblages from coastal British Columbia is discussed.     

Quaternary tectonics and large-scale gravitational deformations with evidence of rock-slide displacements in the Central Apennines (central Italy)

Eight cases of large-scale gravitational movements (with evidence of rock-slide type displacements) evolving close to Quaternary faults have been analysed in the Central Apennines. Geomorphological and structural surveys have defined the relationship between the gravitational displacements and the tectonically-controlled modifications of the landscape. The evolution of all the investigated cases has been conditioned by the presence of fault planes located along the mountain slopes. In most cases (Mt. Cefalone, Cima della Fossa, Villavallelonga, Casali d'Aschi, Gioia dei Marsi), the faults played or are playing a primary role in increasing the local relief and their activity represents the main geomorphic factor conditioning the gravitational movements. This kind of relationship has been observed along mountain slopes bordering depressions which have not been drained for most of their geomorphic history or have been characterised by an evolution of the hydrographic network that has been conditioned only by the local tectonic subsidence. In such cases, the gravitational movements develop in the footwalls of the faults. In other cases (Fiamignano, Pescasseroli) the faults have played a passive role, since they only bound the sliding masses and coincide with the surficial expressions of the sliding planes. Therefore, the gravitational displacements develop in the hangingwall of the faults. The evolution is conditioned by the incision of the hydrographic network in response to regional Quaternary uplift. The illustrated case studies provide a wide range of examples of the gravitational response of slopes to the modifications of the landscape due to linear and areal tectonics. The identification of the geomorphic traces of the large-scale gravitational movements along fault-controlled mountain fronts has implications for hazard, particularly for the evolution of the displacement. The quantitative analysis of the vertical displacements and data on the characteristics of the surface breaking during historical earthquakes demonstrate that along-fault offsets strongly increases where the unstable large-scale rock masses are located. Therefore, the large coseismic vertical offset may represent a major problem for the displacement of utilities and may represent a potential cause for the sudden and catastrophic evolution of the gravitational movement.     

短期乔木林灌木林和草地演替的土壤剖面13C分布特征

以短期的植被更替如何影响土壤剖面的13C富集以及这些富集现象揭示的土壤碳循环机理为目的,采集云南省曲靖地区发生植被演替的山地土壤剖面5组,分别测定了稳定碳同位素比值(δ13C)、总有机碳含量(TOC)和碳密度,并比较了它们之间的差异。研究发现:短期植被改变(约10年)对土壤剖面中0~30 cm层的δ13C值具有显著影响,其中对0~10 cm层土壤影响最大。灌木更替为森林和草地后土壤有机质的δ13C变化分别达2.28‰和5.08‰。30~50 cm层土壤δ13C值对植被改变不敏感,该层可以作为土壤剖面的基准剖面层。大气δ13C值变化不是森林土壤0~50 cm剖面层中13C随深度减小而富集的主要原因。10年间,植被从灌木演替为人工种植的麻栎乔木或从灌木植被退化为草本植被,0~30 cm层土壤剖面的有机碳密度改变量分别为2.30 kg/m2和-1.00 kg/m2。而植被从灌木到人工种植麻栎的碳密度改变率为0.230 kg/m2/a,这对改变山地土壤的碳密度、短期增加碳储量具有重要意义。δ13C在C3植被的短期演替过程中具有很好的辨识力,可以作为土壤碳库更替和碳循环的研究工具。     

Small valley bottom deposits in the sandy districts of the Sarthe basin (France): climatic and/or human origin?

The study of the small valley bottom deposits in a sandy district where several recent erosional events have occurred makes it possible to distinguish deposits, which are caused by climatic oscillations from those induced by both climate and human activities. The coarse alluvium with flints, which reached the main valleys prior to the Subboreal, was transported by greater flows than those which resulted from later human-induced flood discharges, where flints were not evacuated from the small valleys. Radiocarbon dates of peat set those deposits in the Iron Age, in the transition from Antiquity to the Medieval period, at the end of the “optimum climatique de l'an Mil” and during the Little Ice Age. At the present time, human-induced flood discharges reach again the main valleys.     

Palaeomagnetism of Lower Cambrian sediments from the Olenek River section (northern Siberia): palaeopoles and the problem of magnetic polarity in the Early Cambrian

New palaeomagnetic data from the Lower and Middle Cambrian sedimentary rocks of northern Siberia are presented. During stepwise thermal demagnetization the stable characteristic remanence (ChRM) directions have been isolated for three Cambrian formations. Both polarities have been observed, and mean ChRM directions (for normal polarity) are: Kessyusa Formation (Lower Cambrian) D = 145°, I = -40°, N = 12, α₉₅= 12.8°; pole position: φ= 38°S, A = 165°E; Erkeket Formation (Lower Cambrian, stratigraphically highly) D = 152°, I = - 47°, N = 23, α₉₅= 6.8°; pole position: φ= 45°S, A = 159°E; Yunkyulyabit-Yuryakh Formation (Middle Cambrian) D = 166°, I = - 33°, N = 38, α₉₅= 4.6°; pole position: φ= 36°S, L = 140°E. These poles are in good agreement with the apparent polar wander path based on the bulk of existing Cambrian palaeomagnetic data from the Siberian platform. In Cambrian times, the Siberian platform probably occupied southerly latitudes stretching from about 35° to 0°, and was oriented 'reversely' with respect to its present position. Siberia moved northwards during the Cambrian by about 10° of latitude. This movement was accompanied by anticlockwise rotation of about 30°. The magnetostratigraphic results show the predominance of reversed polarity in the Early Cambrian and an approximately equal occurrence of both polarities in the part of the Middle Cambrian studied. These results are in good agreement with the palaeomagnetic polarity timescale for the Cambrian of the Siberian platform constructed previously by Khramov et al. (1987).     

The role of strong earthquakes and tsunami in the Late Holocene evolution of the Fortore River coastal plain (Apulia, Italy): A synthesis

Morphological analysis of the Fortore River coastal plain and the Lesina Lake coastal barrier integrated with radiocarbon age data indicates that the evolution of the coastal landscape has been strongly affected by a number of strong earthquakes and related tsunamis which occurred during the last 3000 years. The first seismic event struck this coastal area in the V century BC. It produced strong erosion of the Fortore River coastal plain and significant emersion of Punta delle Pietre Nere, as well as the large tsunami responsible for the development of the Sant'Andrea washover fan. The second event occurred in 493 AD; it induced severe erosion of the Fortore River coastal plain and triggered the large tsunami that hit the Lesina Lake coastal barrier, producing the Foce Cauto washover fan. Then later in 1627, an earthquake was responsible for the further coseismic uplift of Punta delle Pietre Nere, the subsidence of Lesina village area and the development of a tsunami which produced two washover fans.Morphological analysis points out that seismic events strong enough to control the morphological evolution of local coastal landscapes show a statistical return period of about 1000 years. These major events produced important coseismic vertical movements and large tsunamis. However, the correct identification of the tectonic structure responsible for the generation of these strong earthquakes is still an unsolved problem.     

Nest dynamics of Constrictotermes cyphergaster (Termitidae,Nasutitermitinae) and its association with the supporting vegetation in a semiarid area,northeast, Brazil

We evaluated growth, abandonment, decay and emergence of new nests of the Neotropical termite Constrictotermes cyphergaster (Termitidae) and its association with the supporting vegetation in an area of caatinga (arid thorn scrub in the state of Paraíba, northeastern Brazil). In an area of 1 ha, a total of 272 nests were observed monthly, from March 2005 to March 2007. Of these, 245 nests were small, 9 were of medium size, and 18 were large nests. During the rainy season (from June to February), nests grew 94.2 L, whereas during the dry season (March–May), their total growth was 23 L. The number of abandoned nests was positively correlated with rainfall. Decomposition of nests was greater during the rainy season. The pattern of nest distribution was associated with the distribution of the primary supporting plants. Rainfall appears to be one of the most important factors in the dynamics of growth of nests of C. cyphergaster in the caatinga.     

Evolution of clay mineral assemblages and organic matter in the late glacial-Holocene sedimentary infill of Lake Annecy, (northwestern Alps): paleoenvironmental implications

The basin fill of Lake Annecy was investigated from a 44 m core which reached down to glacial sediments of the last glaciation (called Würm in the alpine areas). We analyzed three main parameters: sediment texture (optical microscopy and laser microgranulometry), clay mineral assemblages (CMA by XRD), and organic matter (OM by Rock-Eval pyrolysis). Settling of suspended load, under variable hydrodynamic conditions is the main depositional process. Both CMA and OM provenances can be recognized for the different sedimentary and igneous-metamorphic formations (Carboniferous to Quaternary, and older crystalline basement) and corresponding areas, in the surrounding region of Lake Annecy. Oligocene-Miocene molasses, Early Cretaceous marls, and Early-Middle Jurassic marls and shales are the main sedimentary sources. Two distinct processes were operating: destruction of glacial sediments (till sensu largo) and reworking, or direct erosion and run-off from ice-free catchment areas. Clay minerals related to pedogenesis, and non-reworked terrestrial and lacustrine OM, were progessively added to these primary sources during the Late Würmian/Holocene transition to warmer climatic conditions. Rapid modifications of CMA and OM sources during the earlier phase of sedimentary infilling (Unit 2) suggest that valley glaciers connected to the lake basin almost completely disappeared within a few centuries.     

Oligocene to Early Miocene sedimentation and tectonics in the southern part of the Calabrian-Peloritan Arc (Aspromonte, southern Italy): a record of mixed-mode piggy-back basin evolution

The Calabrian-Peloritan Arc (southern Italy) represents a fragment of the European margin, thrusted onto the Apennines and Maghrebides during the Europe-Apulia collision in the late Early Miocene. A reconstruction of the pre-Middle Miocene tectono-sedimentary evolution of the southern part of the Calabrian-Peloritan Arc (CPA) is presented, based on a detailed analysis of the Stilo-Capo ?Orlando Formation (SCO Fm). Deposition of the SCO Fm occurred in a series of mixed-mode piggy-back basins. Basin evolution was controlled by two intersecting fault systems. A NW-SE oriented system delimited a series of sub-basins and fixed the position of feeder channels and submarine canyons, whereas a NE-SW oriented system controlled the axial dispersal of coarse-grained sediments within each of the sub-basins. From base to top, sedimentary environments change from terrestrial and lagoonal to upper bathyal over a timespan of approximately 12 Myr (late Early Oligocene-late Early Miocene). During this interval, extensional tectonic activity alternated with oblique backthrusting events, related to dextral transpression along the NW-SE oriented faults. This produced a characteristic pulsating pattern of basin evolution. Oligocene-Early Miocene evolution of the W. Mediterranean basin was dominated by ‘roll back’ of the Neotethyan oceanic lithosphere. Considerable extension in the overriding European Plate gave rise to the formation of a back arc-thrust system. The initial stages of Calabrian Basin evolution are remarkably similar to the evolution of rift basins in the back arc (Sardinia). The Calabrian basins, which are inferred to have originated as thin-skinned pull-apart basins, were subsequently incorporated into the Apennines-Maghrebides accretionary wedge by out-of-sequence thrusting, and became decoupled from the back arc. Periodic restabilization of the accretionary wedge, resulting in an alternation of backthrusting and listric normal faulting, provides an explanation for the structural evolution of these mixed-mode basins. The basins of the southern part of the CPA may be termed ‘spanner’ or ‘looper’ basins, in view of their characteristic pulsating structural evolution, superimposed upon their migration toward the foreland. This new term adequately accounts for the occurrence of tectonic inversions in long-lived piggy-back basins, as expected in the light of the dynamics of accretionary wedges.     

River and basin morphometric indexes to detect tectonic activity: a case study of selected river basins in the South Indian Granulite Terrain (SIGT)

Abstract

The effects and influence of tectonic processes on the Anjarakandy, Thalassery, Mahe, and Kuttiyadi watersheds and rivers of the South Indian Granulite Terrain in Kerala were examined to determine their spatial heterogeneity. Drainage basin asymmetry (Af), transverse topographic symmetry factor (T), hypsometric integral and curve (HI), longitudinal profile, stream length gradient index (SL), and stream concavity index (SCI) suggest heterogeneity in tectonic influence. Clusters of geomorphic anomalies in similar lithology rule out lithologic control on drainage development. However, the orientations of the drainage networks and predominant fractures/lineaments compare closely and reveal strong tectonic influence. Though the watersheds are considered to be in an advanced stage of erosion by the low HI (<30) and high values of SCI, variations in the shape of the hypsometric curves and differences in the SCI values indicate the different influence of tectonic process from watersheds in the north to the south. Among the watersheds, the Mahe and Kuttiyadi are more sensitive to tectonic processes than the Anjarakandy and Thalassery and indicate spatial heterogeneity in the influence of tectonic activity, confirming the grouping of watersheds based on structural and drainage patterns.     

Rock glacier dynamics in a marginal periglacial high mountain environment: Flow, movement (1991–2000) and structure of the Argualas rock glacier, the Pyrenees

The Argualas rock glacier is located on the southern side of the Central Pyrenees (Argualas massif). Vertical electric sounding, debris surface analysis and a topographic survey were performed on this rock glacier between 1991 and 2000. High precision measurement records were obtained using a total station. Horizontal and vertical movements of the rock glacier were measured by means of sixteen steel rods. Horizontal and vertical angles and distances to each rod were measured from three stations on a bedrock ridge. Total and annual average displacements were derived from the emergence value and the horizontal displacement of each rod. Then the horizontal and vertical displacement rates in different sectors of the rock glacier were compared. The inferred surface deformation was characterized by both extensional and compressive flows as well as thinning of the frozen body. The displacement rates showed temporal variations related to atmospheric thermal changes, pointing to a high sensibility of the rock glacier.     

Large rockslides in the Southern Central Andes of Chile (32–34.5°S): Tectonic control and significance for Quaternary landscape evolution

The distribution and age of large (> 0.1 km²) Pliocene to recent rockslides in the Chilean Cordillera Principal (32–34.5 S), the Southern Central Andes, has been analyzed to determine the rockslide triggering mechanisms and impact on regional landscape evolution. Most of the rockslides appear in the western Cordillera Principal and cluster along major geological structures. Variographic analyses show spatial correlation between rockslides, geological structures and shallow seismicity. A relative chronosequence was calibrated with existing ¹⁴C and ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar dates and new cosmogenic nuclide exposure ages for selected rockslides. Rockslide-induced sediment yield was estimated with empirical relations for rockslide area distributions. Throughout the Quaternary, rockslides have delivered sediment to streams at rates equivalent to denudation rates of 0.10 ±0.06 mm a^− 1, while estimates using short term (20 a) seismicity records are 0.3_− 0.2^+ 0.6 mm a^− 1. The estimates of sediment transfer and the spatial distribution of rockslides reflect a landscape in which tectonic and geological controls on denudation are more significant than climate.     

Crop water relationships and thermal adaptation of kathika beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) and green grams (Vigna radiata L. Wilczek) with special reference to temporal patterns of potential growth in the drylands of SE-Kenya

High soil temperatures influence seedling emergence as well as the performance of plant organs and yields. Temperatures of above 40°C were recorded in the topsoil of the Ferralsols of the semi-arid areas of SE-Kenya during the rainy season. Experiments were conducted in the climatological laboratory of the University of Trier, Germany, on two legumes (green grams and common beans var. kathika), grown by smallholder farmers in the study area under varying soil temperature conditions. The main objective was to examine the effect of soil temperature on various parameters: seedling emergence, crop water requirements, leaf area index and phenology of the two legumes. The simulated climatological laboratory conditions were similar to those at Kiboko, SE-Kenya. This study confirmed that under high soil temperature conditions, green grams are well adapted to semi-arid and hot tropical lowlands as well as lower midlands due to low water requirements, high seedling emergence rates and good yield performance. However, kathika beans were very susceptible to the simulated extreme climatic environment. By means of crop simulation modelling, a temporal differentiation for potential growth of green grams is presented for the long and short rains according to different rainfall conditions (ENSO, antiENSO, normal) over a period of 31 years.