The anurans and squamates assemblage from Final Natufian Eynan (Ain Mallaha, Israel) with an emphasis on snake-human interactions

During the Natufian period, more than 12,000 years ago, Eynan (Ain Mallaha) was an important human settlement in the Hula Valley, Israel. This study concentrates on the anuran and squamate assemblage from the ultimate stage of the Natufian period at the site, the Final Natufian. Over five thousand bones assigned to at least sixteen taxa were studied from a sampled segment of the excavated open-air site. Relative species abundance, spatial distribution, taphonomic observations and ecological considerations all pointed to the conclusion that the inhabitants of Eynan intensively exploited three large “colubrine” snakes species: the Large Whip Snake (Dolichophis jugularis), the Eastern Montpellier Snake (Malpolon insignitus) and an Eastern Four-lined Ratsnake (Elaphe cf. sauromates). These snakes were the most desired and were intensively gathered, while other snakes and lizards could have been opportunistically collected when encountered. We raise questions about whether the large “colubrines” exploitation should be interpreted as additional evidence of increasing diet breadth. We suggest challenging this line of reasoning and offer possible alternative motives.

Download Full-text

MICROGEOGRAPHIC SONG DIALECTS IN THE ORANGE-TUFTED SUNBIRD (NECTARINIA OSEA)

Behaviour ◽

10.1163/156853900502745 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 137 (12) ◽

pp. 1613-1627 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

Noam Leader ◽

Yoram Yom-Tov ◽

Jonathan Wright

Keyword(s):

Spatial Distribution ◽

Peak Frequency ◽

Sharp Boundary ◽

Human Settlement ◽

Terminal Part ◽

Urban Neighborhood ◽

Song Variation ◽

Historical Processes ◽

Song Dialects ◽

Occupied Territories

AbstractIn a study of male song in the orange-tufted sunbird (Nectarinia osea) in an urban neighborhood in Ramat-Aviv, Israel, we discovered the occurrence of song variation on a microgeographic scale in the form of two distinct dialects with a sharp boundary between them. The main distinction between the two song dialects is the frequency of the trill, which comprises the terminal part of the song. A large difference of 2-3 kHz in the peak frequency of the trill was discovered between the two dialects, which could be easily distinguished by ear. Thirtyseven males were recorded singing the 'low' dialect and 21 birds sang the 'high' dialect. Four other birds sang both dialects or 'hybrid' songs. Along the boundary that separated the two dialect populations, neighboring birds sang different dialect songs, although they were only 20-30 meters apart. All four 'bilingual' birds occupied territories near the dialect boundary. The historical processes leading to the formation of this dialect system may result from the pattern of human settlement at the time of the establishment of this neighborhood in the early 1950's. The spatial distribution of the two sunbird dialect populations, and the apparent low dispersal rates of birds from their natal dialect area, suggest the existence of a mechanism, which currently maintains these dialects at the current boundaries.

Download Full-text

Adaptability Evaluation of Human Settlements in Chengdu Based on 3S Technology

10.21203/rs.3.rs-207391/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Wende Chen ◽

kun zhu ◽

QUN WU ◽

Yankun CAI ◽

Yutian LU ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Spatial Distribution ◽

Development Planning ◽

Residential Environment ◽

Vegetation Coverage ◽

High Grade ◽

Human Settlement ◽

Human Settlements ◽

Suitability Index ◽

Correlation Degree

Abstract Taking Chengdu as the research object, the natural eco-environmental factors such as topography, climate, vegetation, land use and vegetation cover were selected, together with human disturbance factors such as traffic and GDP, and the index weights were calculated by AHP. Based on 3S technology, projection transformation, remote sensing interpretation, information extraction and analysis are carried out, and evaluation model of Chengdu's residential environment adaptability is constructed, which reflects the zoning and spatial distribution characteristics of Chengdu's residential environment adaptability. The results show that: 1) The adaptability index of Chengdu's human settlement environment is between 15.98 and 76.75, and the suitability of human settlement environment is gradually decreasing from the middle to the east and west of Chengdu, and most areas are restricted by human production activities and natural conditions. 2) According to the actual situation, the suitability index can be divided into High-grade suitable areas (284.36 km2, 2.01%), relatively High-grade suitable areas (1802.13 km2, 12.71%), moderately suitable areas (3721.49 km2, 26.24%) and low suitable areas (3731.49 km2, 26.31%). 3) The correlation degree between the spatial distribution of Chengdu population and each index factor is as follows: per capita GDP> topographic relief > temperature and humidity > vegetation coverage > traffic network density > land use > hydrological factors. 4) There is a good correlation between Chengdu human settlements suitability index and the current population density grid layer, and its correlation coefficient is 0.7326. 5) The leading impact indicators of human settlements in different regions are different. The results show that the natural environment conditions in Chengdu are superior and the ecological environment quality is relatively stable, but the human settlement suitability index in the southeast and Longmenshan areas of Chengdu is relatively low. Therefore, in the future development planning of Chengdu, it is necessary to combine the actual environmental conditions and resource carrying capacity, and rationally carry out urban optimization and beautiful countryside construction.

Download Full-text

China National Flash Flood Disasters Investigation and Assessment

10.29007/7zjd ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Xiaolei Zhang ◽

Liang Guo ◽

Ronghua Liu ◽

Qi Liu ◽

Qiuling Yao ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Spatial Distribution ◽

Flood Control ◽

Flash Flood ◽

Site Investigation ◽

Flood Management ◽

Information Support ◽

Future Application ◽

Human Settlement ◽

Rainfall Index ◽

Flood Disasters

National Flash Flood Disasters Investigation and Assessment project is the largest non-engineering projects in water conservancy industry in China, and also the largest scale of general census on disasters’ background in flood management and mitigation fields. Through general census, on-site investigation, field measurement, hydrological analysis and calculation, the spatial distribution, human settlement, underground situations, social and economic impacts, hazard zoning, warning indicators of flash flood disasters were collected, the storm flood characters in mountainous areas were analyzed, the flood control ability of selected villages were assessed, the critical rainfall index of these villages were obtained, and the hazard zones were finally identified, all of which provided a strong information support for flash flood early-warning and forecast and residential safety transfer. This paper systematically introduced the key technical focuses, made a general review on the data and information collected, and discussed the spatial distribution pattern of these elements. Based on these survey data, the characteristics of flash flood disaster prevention areas, the human settlement features and storm flood spatial distribution situation were further analyzed. In the end of this paper, future application and analysis on diversified utilization of national flash flood disasters investigation and assessment results were proposed.

Download Full-text

Description and ecology of a new species of the cricket genus Endecous (Orthoptera: Grylloidea: Phalangopsidae) in the speleological province of Arcos-Pains-Doresópolis, Southeastern Brazil

Zootaxa ◽

10.11646/zootaxa.4821.2.4 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4821 (2) ◽

pp. 305-332

Author(s):

RODRIGO ANTÔNIO CASTRO-SOUZA ◽

VITOR GABRIEL PEREIRA JUNTA ◽

RODRIGO LOPES FERREIRA

Keyword(s):

Spatial Distribution ◽

New Species ◽

Species Abundance ◽

Bilateral Symmetry ◽

Environmental Stability ◽

Southeastern Brazil ◽

Mining Activities ◽

Key Factors ◽

Horizontal Projection ◽

A New Species

A new cricket species of the genus Endecous Saussure, 1878 is described in the present work found in the speleological province of Arcos-Pains-Doresópolis, which belongs to the limestone group Bambuí, Brazil. Moreover, the spatial distribution of the new species was related to the species Eidmanacris sp., which co-occurs with the former in several caves. Relationships between species abundance and horizontal projection, number of entrances and environmental stability of the caves where these species coexist were evaluated. The presence of bilateral symmetry in individuals of Endecous painensis n. sp. perhaps due to environmental stress caused by mining activities surrounding the cave was also tested. Endecous crickets are commonly observed in the caves, for which the preference by distinct microhabitats and generalist strategies may be key factors explaining colonization and segregation in relation to other cricket species in subterranean habitats. The generalist lifestyle of the here described species may attenuate the effects environmental stresses over development.

Download Full-text

Species-area relationship: separating the effects of species abundance and spatial distribution

Journal of Ecology ◽

10.1111/j.1365-2745.2008.01433.x ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 96 (6) ◽

pp. 1141-1151 ◽

Cited By ~ 38

Author(s):

Even Tjørve ◽

William E. Kunin ◽

Chiara Polce ◽

Kathleen M. Calf Tjørve

Keyword(s):

Spatial Distribution ◽

Species Abundance ◽

Species Area ◽

Species Area Relationship

Download Full-text

Principles and Applications of the Global Human Settlement Layer as Baseline for the Land Use Efficiency Indicator—SDG 11.3.1

ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information ◽

10.3390/ijgi8020096 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 8 (2) ◽

pp. 96 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

Michele Melchiorri ◽

Martino Pesaresi ◽

Aneta Florczyk ◽

Christina Corbane ◽

Thomas Kemper

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Sustainable Development ◽

Spatial Distribution ◽

Distribution Density ◽

Census Data ◽

Spatial Information ◽

Human Settlement ◽

Land Use Efficiency ◽

Multi Temporal ◽

Use Efficiency

The Global Human Settlement Layer (GHSL) produces new global spatial information, evidence-based analytics describing the human presence on the planet that is based mainly on two quantitative factors: (i) the spatial distribution (density) of built-up structures and (ii) the spatial distribution (density) of resident people. Both of the factors are observed in the long-term temporal domain and per unit area, in order to support the analysis of the trends and indicators for monitoring the implementation of the 2030 Development Agenda and the related thematic agreements. The GHSL uses various input data, including global, multi-temporal archives of high-resolution satellite imagery, census data, and volunteered geographic information. In this paper, we present a global estimate for the Land Use Efficiency (LUE) indicator—SDG 11.3.1, for circa 10,000 urban centers, calculating the ratio of land consumption rate to population growth rate between 1990 and 2015. In addition, we analyze the characteristics of the GHSL information to demonstrate how the original frameworks of data (gridded GHSL data) and tools (GHSL tools suite), developed from Earth Observation and integrated with census information, could support Sustainable Development Goals monitoring. In particular, we demonstrate the potential of gridded, open and free, local yet globally consistent, multi-temporal data in filling the data gap for Sustainable Development Goal 11. The results of our research demonstrate that there is potential to raise SDG 11.3.1 from a Tier II classification (manifesting unavailability of data) to a Tier I, as GHSL provides a global baseline for the essential variables called by the SDG 11.3.1 metadata.

Download Full-text

An Improved Method of Determining Human Population Distribution Based on Luojia 1-01 Nighttime Light Imagery and Road Network Data—A Case Study of the City of Shenzhen

Sensors ◽

10.3390/s20185032 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 20 (18) ◽

pp. 5032 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Qiang Zhou ◽

Yuanmao Zheng ◽

Jinyuan Shao ◽

Yinglun Lin ◽

Haowei Wang

Keyword(s):

Spatial Distribution ◽

Population Density ◽

Spatial Resolution ◽

Urban Population ◽

Road Network ◽

Population Distribution ◽

Small Scale ◽

Human Settlement ◽

Nighttime Light ◽

The City

Previously published studies on population distribution were based on the provincial level, while the number of urban-level studies is more limited. In addition, the rough spatial resolution of traditional nighttime light (NTL) data has limited their fine application in current small-scale population distribution research. For the purpose of studying the spatial distribution of populations at the urban scale, we proposed a new index (i.e., the road network adjusted human settlement index, RNAHSI) by integrating Luojia 1-01 (LJ 1-01) NTL data, the enhanced vegetation index (EVI), and road network density (RND) data based on population density relationships to depict the spatial distribution of urban human settlements. The RNAHSI updated the high-resolution NTL data and combined the RND data on the basis of human settlement index (HSI) data to refine the spatial pattern of urban population distribution. The results indicated that the mean relative error (MRE) between the population estimation data based on the RNAHSI and the demographic data was 34.80%, which was lower than that in the HSI and WorldPop dataset. This index is suitable primarily for the study of urban population distribution, as the RNAHSI can clearly highlight human activities in areas with dense urban road networks and can refine the spatial heterogeneity of impervious areas. In addition, we also drew a population density map of the city of Shenzhen with a 100 m spatial resolution for 2018 based on the RNAHSI, which has great reference significance for urban management and urban resource allocation.

Download Full-text

COMMUNITY STRUCTURE AND SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION OF FISH JUVENILE IN MANGROVE AND SEAGRASS HABITATS IN PRAMUKA ISLAND

Jurnal Ilmu dan Teknologi Kelautan Tropis ◽

10.28930/jitkt.v8i1.12715 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Fathul Amin ◽

M Mukhlis Kamal ◽

Am Azbas Taurusman

Keyword(s):

Spatial Distribution ◽

Community Structure ◽

Fish Species ◽

Species Abundance ◽

Fish Distribution ◽

Line Transect ◽

Observation Area ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Line Transect Method ◽

Distribution Of Fish

This study was aimed to investigate the community structure of fish juvenile, spatial distribution and similarity from both adjacent habitats of mangrove and seagrass. This study was conducted in the eastern part of Pramuka island from April to June 2015. The samples were collected by using line transect method in three observation areas that were spatially connected i.e., mangrove, transition and seagrass zones. The result of the study from three observation zones revealed that there were found 24 species of fishes from 15 families i.e., Siganidae (4 species), Apogonidae (3 species), Ger-reidae (2 species), Terapontidae (2 species), Gobiidae (2 species), Labridae (2 species), Mugilidae, Nemipteridae, Hemiramphidae, Sphyraenidae, Monacanthidae, Atherinidae, Pomacentridae, Lut-janidae, and Lethrinidae (each of them 1 species). According to community structure, the adjacent ob-servation zones did not show a significant difference in the number of species, abundance, and bio-mass. According to fish distribution, fish species in transition zone and seagrass zone were relatively similar and dominated by Gerres oblongus, Fibramia lateralis, and Siganus canaliculatus. Mean-while, in mangrove zone revealed a significant different of fish species than in transition and seagrass zones. In mangrove zone, fish species was dominated by Gerres oblongus and Siganus guttatus. Keywords: spatial distribution, juvenile, mangrove, seagrass, pramuka Island, Siganidae

Download Full-text