The desert hamster Phodopus roborovskii (Satunin, 1903) (Rodentia, Cricetidae) from north-western Tibetan plateau, Ladakh, India: an addition to the mammalian fauna of the Indian subcontinent

Mammalia ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 84 (3) ◽  
pp. 253-258
Author(s):  
Vivek Ramachandran ◽  
Mukta Joshi ◽  
Mayuresh Ambekar ◽  
Samina Amin Charoo ◽  
Uma Ramakrishnan
Keyword(s):  
Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Indian Subcontinent ◽  
Sampling Bias ◽  
The Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Mammalian Fauna ◽  
Niche Modelling ◽  
Bioclimatic Variables ◽  
Molecular Phylogenetic ◽  
Southward Extension ◽  
North Western

AbstractDuring a systematic survey of the small mammals in the relatively unexplored north-western regions of the Tibetan plateau in India, we captured and identified the desert hamster Phodopus roborovskii using molecular phylogenetic methods. We also provide revised distributional estimates for this species using niche modelling (Maxent and 19 bioclimatic variables), taking into account sampling bias. We evaluated suitable habitats for the species, identifying regions in the Trans-Himalayas that may harbour this species. This study improves the knowledge of the desert hamster’s range and is a new record and an addition to the Indian sub-continental mammalian fauna, ~750 km southward extension from its known range.

Palaeomagnetic constraints on Himalayan-Tibetan tectonic evolution

1988 ◽  
Vol 326 (1589) ◽  
pp. 177-188 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Tibetan Plateau ◽  
South China ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Indian Subcontinent ◽  
Eastern China ◽  
Crustal Thickening ◽  
The Tibetan Plateau ◽  
South China Block ◽  
The South ◽  
Palaeomagnetic Data

Palaeomagnetic data from the Lhasa, Qiangtang and Kunlun Terranes of the Tibetan Plateau are used with data from stable Eurasia, eastern China and Indochina, to test different models of crustal thickening in the Tibetan Plateau, to attempt a Carboniferous palaeogeographic reconstruction, and to calculate the relative motion between the South China Block and the Indochina Block. The data suggest that since the onset of the India—Eurasia collision, the Lhasa Terrane has moved 2000 + 800 km north with respect to stable Eurasia. This indicates that strong internal defomation must have taken place in southern Eurasia since the collision, and thus challenges the model of large-scale underthrusting of the Indian subcontinent beneath the Tibetan Plateau as the mechanism for crustal thickening in Tibet. Palaeomagnetic results from the Kunlun Terrane show that it was at 22° south latitude during the Carboniferous. A Carboniferous reconstruction is presented in which the Kunlun and Qiangtang Terranes, several Indochina terranes, and the North and South China Blocks are grouped together. These units of continental crust all share the specific tropical and subtropical Cathaysian flora, and the group is therefore called the Cathaysian composite continent. To test the model of propagating extrusion tectonics, we have used newly available palaeomagnetic results from South China and Indochina to calculate probable displacements. This exercise suggests a rotation of about 8° of Indochina with respect to the South China Block that is smaller than the predicted rotation of 40°, A large eastward translation of the South China Block relative to the Indochina Block of about 1500 km is consistent with the palaeomagnetic data.

scholarly journals Estimating ground-level CO concentrations across China based on national monitoring network and MOPITT: Potentially overlooked CO hotspots in the Tibetan Plateau

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dongren Liu ◽  
Baofeng Di ◽  
Yuzhou Luo ◽  
Xunfei Deng ◽  
Hanyue Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Monitoring Network ◽  
Ground Level ◽  
Sampling Bias ◽  
Kriging Model ◽  
The Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
National Monitoring ◽  
Model Training ◽  
Co Concentrations

Abstract. Given its relatively long lifetime in the troposphere, carbon monoxide (CO) is commonly employed as a tracer for characterizing airborne pollutant distributions. The present study aims to estimate the spatiotemporal distributions of ground-level CO concentrations across China during 2013–2016. A refined random-forest-spatiotemporal-kriging model (RF-STK) is developed to simulate daily gridded CO concentrations (0.1° grid with 98 341 cells) based on the extensive CO monitoring data and the Measurements of Pollution in the Troposphere CO retrievals (MOPITT-CO). The refined RF-STK model alleviates the negative effects of sampling bias and variance heterogeneity on the model training, resulting in cross-validation R2 of 0.51 and 0.71 for predicting daily and spatial CO concentrations, respectively. The national population-weighted CO concentrations were predicted to be (0.99 ± 0.30) mg m−3 (µ±σ) and showed decreasing trends over all regions of China at a rate of (−0.021 ± 0.004) mg m−3 per year. The CO pollution was more severe in North China (1.19 ± 0.30) mg m−3, and the predicted spatial pattern was roughly consistent with the MOPITT-CO. The hotspots in the Central Tibetan Plateau which were overlooked by the MOPITT were revealed by the refined RF-STK predictions. This information has an implication for improving the MOPITT-CO derivation procedure and air quality management.

Moisture Source Changes Contributed to Different Precipitation Changes over the Northern and Southern Tibetan Plateau

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 217-229 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chi Zhang ◽  
Qiuhong Tang ◽  
Deliang Chen ◽  
Ruud J. van der Ent ◽  
Xingcai Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Indian Subcontinent ◽  
Negative Trend ◽  
The Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Precipitation Trend ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Moisture Sources ◽  
Northern Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Southern Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Asian Monsoons

Abstract Precipitation on the Tibetan Plateau (TP) showed different spatial changes during 1979–2016, with an increasing trend over the northern Tibetan Plateau (NTP) and a slightly negative trend over the southern Tibetan Plateau (STP). The changes in precipitation moisture sources over the NTP and STP are investigated using the improved Water Accounting Model with an atmospheric reanalysis as well as observational precipitation and evaporation data. The results show the region in the northwest (region NW), ranging from the TP to Europe dominated by the westerlies, provides 38.9% of precipitation moisture for the NTP, and the region in the southeast (region SE), ranging from the TP to the Indian Ocean and Indochina dominated by the Asian monsoons, provides 51.4% of precipitation moisture for the STP. For the precipitation increase over the NTP, the SE and TP are the main contributors, contributing around 35.8% and 51.7% of the increase, respectively. The contributions from the SE and TP to the STP are, however, minor and insignificant. Meanwhile, the NW shows a negative trend of −4.2 ± 2.9 mm yr−1 decade−1 (significant at the 0.01 level), which contributes to the negative precipitation trend over the STP. Results during the wet season indicate that moisture sources from the areas dominated by the Asian monsoons have contributed more precipitated moisture for the NTP, but not for the STP. Further analysis reveals that precipitated moisture originating from the Indian subcontinent has increased for the NTP while it has decreased for the STP during 1979–2016.

scholarly journals A Dipole Pattern of Summertime Rainfall across the Indian Subcontinent and the Tibetan Plateau

2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (23) ◽  
pp. 9607-9620 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xingwen Jiang ◽  
Mingfang Ting
Keyword(s):  
Water Vapor ◽  
Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Indian Subcontinent ◽  
Wave Train ◽  
Water Vapor Transport ◽  
Interactive System ◽  
The Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Dipole Pattern ◽  
Northern Bay Of Bengal ◽  
Anomalous Anticyclonic Circulation

The Tibetan Plateau (TP) has long been regarded as a key driver for the formation and variations of the Indian summer monsoon (ISM). Recent studies, however, have indicated that the ISM also exerts a considerable impact on rainfall variations in the TP, suggesting that the ISM and the TP should be considered as an interactive system. From this perspective, the covariability of the July–August mean rainfall across the Indian subcontinent (IS) and the TP is investigated. It is found that the interannual variation of IS and TP rainfall exhibits a dipole pattern in which rainfall in the central and northern IS tends to be out of phase with that in the southeastern TP. This dipole pattern is associated with significant anomalies in rainfall, atmospheric circulation, and water vapor transport over the Asian continent and nearby oceans. Rainfall anomalies and the associated latent heating in the central and northern IS tend to induce changes in regional circulation that suppress rainfall in the southeastern TP and vice versa. Furthermore, the sea surface temperature anomalies in the tropical southeastern Indian Ocean can trigger the dipole rainfall pattern by suppressing convection over the central IS and the northern Bay of Bengal, which further induces anomalous anticyclonic circulation to the south of TP that favors more rainfall in the southeastern TP by transporting more water vapor to the region. The dipole pattern is also linked to the Silk Road wave train via its link to rainfall over the northwestern IS.

scholarly journals Estimating ground-level CO concentrations across China based on the national monitoring network and MOPITT: potentially overlooked CO hotspots in the Tibetan Plateau

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (19) ◽  
pp. 12413-12430
Author(s):  
Dongren Liu ◽  
Baofeng Di ◽  
Yuzhou Luo ◽  
Xunfei Deng ◽  
Hanyue Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Weighted Average ◽  
Monitoring Network ◽  
Ground Level ◽  
Sampling Bias ◽  
The Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
National Monitoring ◽  
Model Training ◽  
Co Concentrations

Abstract. Given its relatively long lifetime in the troposphere, carbon monoxide (CO) is commonly employed as a tracer for characterizing airborne pollutant distributions. The present study aims to estimate the spatiotemporal distributions of ground-level CO concentrations across China during 2013–2016. We refined the random-forest–spatiotemporal kriging (RF–STK) model to simulate the daily CO concentrations on a 0.1∘ grid based on the extensive CO monitoring data and the Measurements of Pollution in the Troposphere CO retrievals (MOPITT CO). The RF–STK model alleviated the negative effects of sampling bias and variance heterogeneity on the model training, with cross-validation R2 of 0.51 and 0.71 for predicting the daily and multiyear average CO concentrations, respectively. The national population-weighted average CO concentrations were predicted to be 0.99±0.30 mg m−3 (μ±σ) and showed decreasing trends over all regions of China at a rate of -0.021±0.004 mg m−3 yr−1. The CO pollution was more severe in North China (1.19±0.30 mg m−3), and the predicted patterns were generally consistent with MOPITT CO. The hotspots in the central Tibetan Plateau where the CO concentrations were underestimated by MOPITT CO were apparent in the RF–STK predictions. This comprehensive dataset of ground-level CO concentrations is valuable for air quality management in China.

Effect of Yunnan–Guizhou Topography at the Southeastern Tibetan Plateau on the Indian Monsoon

2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 1259-1272 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhengguo Shi ◽  
Yingying Sha ◽  
Xiaodong Liu
Keyword(s):  
Tibetan Plateau ◽  
General Circulation ◽  
Indian Monsoon ◽  
Indian Subcontinent ◽  
Circulation Model ◽  
Summer Precipitation ◽  
Monsoon Circulation ◽  
The Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Southeastern Margin ◽  
Open Question

Abstract Topographic insulation is one of the primary origins for the influence of the Tibetan Plateau (TP) on Asian climate. The Yunnan–Guizhou (YG) Plateau, at the southeastern margin of the TP, is known to block the northern branch of the Indian monsoon circulation in summer. However, it is an open question whether this blocking feeds back to the monsoon. In this study, the effect of the YG topography on the Indian monsoon and its comparison with that of the TP were evaluated using general circulation model experiments. The results showed that the TP strengthens the monsoon precipitation, especially during the onset. However, the YG topography significantly weakens the monsoon. With the YG topography, strengthened low-level airflow around the YG Plateau induces anomalous anticyclonic winds to the southwest, and the changes remodulate the whole circulation structure over Asia. As a result, the Indian monsoon becomes weakened from the Bay of Bengal to the Indian subcontinent and Arabian Sea, as does the associated precipitation. In addition, the YG topography affects the anomalous warming center over the TP and the precipitation during the monsoon onset. The YG-reduced summer precipitation occupied approximately one-third of the total increment compared to the entire TP. The Indian monsoon weakened by YG topography distinctly opposes the traditional paleoclimatic viewpoint that all of the TP topography contributes to the monsoon strengthening. In fact, the climatic effect of the TP depends closely upon both its central and marginal topography, and the topography of its subterrains does not necessarily play a similar role.

Liochlaena sichuanica—a new species from the Tibetan Spur and diversification in Liochlaena (Jungermanniaceae, Marchantiophyta)

Phytotaxa ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 371 (5) ◽  
pp. 283
Author(s):  
VADIM BAKALIN ◽  
ANNA VILNET ◽  
WEN ZHANG MA
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Leaf Surface ◽  
Integrative Taxonomy ◽  
The Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Limited Data ◽  
The Third ◽  
Phylogenetic Studies ◽  
Molecular Phylogenetic ◽  
A New Species

Liochlaena sichuanica is described using an integrative taxonomy approach including morphological, geographical and molecular phylogenetic studies. The species is characterized by dioicous sexuality, distinctly papillose leaf surface and large cells in the midleaf. This is the third known taxon in the genus and, with the limited data in hand, also has a narrow geographic distribution. It may represent a diploid derivative of L. subulata, as does L. lanceolata, but with a narrower area of distribution that seems to be restricted to the northern part of the southeastern spur of the Tibetan Plateau. The distribution of Liochlaena sichuanica could be treated both as the result of recent speciation and as the result of a drastic decrease in area.

scholarly journals Modelling the Bioclimatic Niche and Distribution of the Steppe Mouse, Mus Spicilegus (Rodentia, Muridae), in Ukraine

2019 ◽  
Vol 53 (6) ◽  
pp. 471-482
Author(s):  
V. M. Tytar ◽  
I. I. Kozinenko ◽  
S. V. Mezhzherin
Keyword(s):  
Home Range ◽  
Learning Algorithm ◽  
Winter Season ◽  
Sampling Bias ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Niche Modelling ◽  
Mus Spicilegus ◽  
Presence Data ◽  
Bioclimatic Variables ◽  
Wintering Conditions

Abstract The Steppe mouse, Mus spicilegus, is endemic to Europe and found to be expanding its home range in recent years. In Ukraine there are indications a north- and eastwards expansion and/or reestablishment of M. spicilegus. We suggest that climatic conditions may be the primary factors that foster or limit the range expansion of M. spicilegus in Eastern Europe. Our objective was to complement the knowledge about the distribution of the species with an estimation of the potential distribution of the species in Ukraine using known occurrence sites (in Ukraine and neighbouring areas) and environmental variables in an ecological niche modelling algorithm. After accounting for sampling bias and spatial autocorrelation, we retained 73 occurrence records. The algorithm used in this paper, Maxent (Phillips et al., 2006), is a machine learning algorithm and only needs presence data, besides the environmental layers. Using this approach, we have highlighted the importance and significance of a number of bioclimatic variables, particularly those characterizing wintering conditions, under which higher mean temperatures enhance habitat suitability, whereas increased precipitation leads to an opposite effect. The broadly northwards shift of the home range of the species in Ukraine could generally be due to the increasing (since the 1980s) mean temperature of the winter season. We expect this expansion process will continue together with the changing climate and new records of locations of the species may be used for monitoring such change.

scholarly journals The uplift of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau: The driver behind the scene

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruohan Zheng ◽  
Wentao Jin ◽  
Ting Zeng ◽  
Xiaoyong Lu ◽  
Haili Ran ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Northern Hemisphere ◽  
Indian Subcontinent ◽  
Horizontal Component ◽  
Tibet Plateau ◽  
The Tibetan Plateau ◽  
The Sun ◽  
Qinghai Tibet Plateau

During the summer months, the northern hemisphere is tilted to the sun, and the Tibetan plateau and the Indian subcontinent are subjected to the solar pull. It is apparent that the upward component where the Tibetan plateau is subjected to is larger than that of the Indian subcontinent. In contrast, the horizontal component of the solar pull to the Indian subcontinent is larger than that of the Tibetan plateau. Additionally, large masses decelerate more slowly than smaller masses. Collectively these forces propel the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau upward and northeastward.

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