scholarly journals The Evolutionary History, Diversity, and Ecology of Willows (Salix L.) in the European Alps

Diversity ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 146
Author(s):  
Natascha D. Wagner ◽  
Li He ◽  
Elvira Hörandl
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Preferences ◽  
Introgressive Hybridization ◽  
Ecological Factors ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Secondary Contact ◽  
European Alps ◽  
Climatic Fluctuations ◽  
History Of ◽  
European Mountain ◽  
The Alps

The genus Salix (willows), with 33 species, represents the most diverse genus of woody plants in the European Alps. Many species dominate subalpine and alpine types of vegetation. Despite a long history of research on willows, the evolutionary and ecological factors for this species richness are poorly known. Here we will review recent progress in research on phylogenetic relationships, evolution, ecology, and speciation in alpine willows. Phylogenomic reconstructions suggest multiple colonization of the Alps, probably from the late Miocene onward, and reject hypotheses of a single radiation. Relatives occur in the Arctic and in temperate Eurasia. Most species are widespread in the European mountain systems or in the European lowlands. Within the Alps, species differ ecologically according to different elevational zones and habitat preferences. Homoploid hybridization is a frequent process in willows and happens mostly after climatic fluctuations and secondary contact. Breakdown of the ecological crossing barriers of species is followed by introgressive hybridization. Polyploidy is an important speciation mechanism, as 40% of species are polyploid, including the four endemic species of the Alps. Phylogenomic data suggest an allopolyploid origin for all taxa analyzed so far. Further studies are needed to specifically analyze biogeographical history, character evolution, and genome evolution of polyploids.

The Alpine context of the development of Polish mountaineering up to 1914

2019 ◽  
Vol 24 ◽  
pp. 7-16
Author(s):  
Ewa Roszkowska
Keyword(s):  
Mountain Climbing ◽  
Origin And Evolution ◽  
National Pride ◽  
History Of ◽  
European Mountain ◽  
The Alps ◽  
Western European ◽  
Characteristic Features ◽  
Ideological Dimension ◽  
The Tatra Mountains

Polish Tatra tourism and its specialised form – mountaineering, experienced a dynamic period of their development in the second half of the 19th and at the beginning of the 20th century, at a period when Poland did not exist on world maps. At that time, the Tatra Mountains for Poles, were more than a place of fascination with mountains or implementation of mountain passion, they were a symbol of freedom, a kind of sacrum, „altars of freedom” and a testimony of national pride. Perhaps for this reason, the history of mountain climbing was viewed from a local, Polish perspective. In this article, it is shown that the development of tourist activity in the Tatras as well as the origin and evolution of mountain climbing were largely conditioned by inspirations fl owing from Western European mountaineering. This infl uence was manifested in the theoretical (ideological) dimension conditioned by knowledge of mountaineering literature, direct contact between mountaineers and mountaineering achievements during climbing trips to the Alps and the Dolomites, and the support received by Polish mountaineers from active mountaineers in the Tatras. As a consequence of these inspirations, mountain climbing, with the characteristic features of Western European mountain eering, was born.

scholarly journals Gehören die Alpen dem Fremdenverkehr? 150 Jahre Tourismuskritik

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
pp. 71-83
Author(s):  
Jon Mathieu
Keyword(s):  
Nineteenth Century ◽  
Public Space ◽  
Rapid Development ◽  
Mountain Range ◽  
The Public ◽  
Mass Tourism ◽  
European Languages ◽  
History Of ◽  
European Mountain ◽  
The Alps

The term “tourist” appeared in English in the late eighteenth century and spread to other European languages in the first half of the nineteenth century. The corresponding sector first appeared in German as Fremdenverkehr. Since the 1970s, the neutral, internationally used term “tourism” has become the standard for the mobility industry. The industry is unique and in some aspects unlike any other industry. Foreign buyers of tourist services are not only customers of specific tourism companies, but also guests of tourist regions. They move within an environment created by others and sometimes appropriate the public space of this area, especially by participating in the expansive mass tourism. This has recently led to the emergence of the term “overtourism”. It is associated with a need to reduce the burden of some fashionable tourist regions caused by an excessive influx of tourists. The Alps are one of those regions in which tourism developed as an industry already in the nineteenth century. The number of tourists in this European mountain range — initially especially in Switzerland — grew considerably particularly after 1850. The period was marked by a rapid development of infrastructure in the form of modern forms of transport, accommodation and other services. Tourism became an indicator and factor in civic “progress”. Yet at the same time there appeared voices questioning this development. The author of the present article discusses three examples from various spheres, periods and regions illustrating the history of the growth of tourism in the Alps. The first part is devoted to literature, specifically to a satirical journal of a journey to Switzerland, published for the first time in 1880. The second part deals with science, drawing mainly on the work of a French geographer and her writings from 1956–1971. The third part concerns tourism policy in recent years in a fashionable Austrian village in the Alps. 

scholarly journals Little Ice Age glacier history of the Central and Western Alps from pictorial documents

2018 ◽  
Vol 44 (1) ◽  
pp. 115 ◽  
Author(s):  
H.J. Zumbühl ◽  
S.U. Nussbaumer
Keyword(s):  
Little Ice Age ◽  
Western Alps ◽  
Ice Age ◽  
European Alps ◽  
Huge Number ◽  
Valley Bottom ◽  
Valley Glacier ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Alps ◽  
The 19Th Century

The Lower Grindelwald Glacier (Bernese Oberland, Switzerland) consists of two parts, the Ischmeer in the east (disconnected) and the Bernese Fiescher Glacier in the west. During the Little Ice Age (LIA), the glacier terminated either in the area of the “Schopffelsen” (landmark rock terraces) or advanced at least six times (ten times if we include early findings) even further down into the valley bottom forming the “Schweif” (tail). Maximal ice extensions were reached in 1602 and 1855/56 AD. The years after the end of the LIA have been dominated by a dramatic melting of ice, especially after 2000. The Mer de Glace (Mont Blanc area, France) is a compound valley glacier formed by the tributaries Glacier du Tacul, Glacier de Léschaux, and Glacier de Talèfre (disconnected). During the LIA, the Mer de Glace nearly continuously reached the plain in the Chamonix Valley (maximal extensions in 1644 and 1821 AD). The retreat, beginning in the mid-1850s, was followed by a relatively stable position of the front (1880s until 1930s). Afterwards the retreat has continued until today, especially impressive after 1995. The perception of glaciers in the early times was dominated by fear. In the age of Enlightenment and later in the 19th century, it changed to fascination. In the 20th century, glaciers became a top attraction of the Alps, but today they are disappearing from sight. With a huge number of high-quality pictorial documents, it is possible to reconstruct the LIA history of many glaciers in the European Alps from the 17th to the 19th centuries. Thanks to these pictures, we get an image of the beauty and fascination of LIA glaciers, ending down in the valleys. The pictorial documents (drawings, paintings, prints, photographs, and maps) of important artists (Caspar Wolf, Jean-Antoine Linck, Samuel Birmann) promoted a rapidly growing tourism. Compared with today’s situations, it gives totally different landscapes – a comparison of LIA images with the same views of today is probably the best visual proof for the changes in climate.

scholarly journals Evolutionary History of Lake Tanganyika’s Predatory Deepwater Cichlids

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul C. Kirchberger ◽  
Kristina M. Sefc ◽  
Christian Sturmbauer ◽  
Stephan Koblmüller
Keyword(s):  
Phylogenetic Trees ◽  
Lake Tanganyika ◽  
Introgressive Hybridization ◽  
Secondary Contact ◽  
Aflp Data ◽  
Cichlid Species ◽  
Mitochondrial Data ◽  
Allopatric Divergence ◽  
Molecular Phylogenetic ◽  
History Of

Hybridization among littoral cichlid species in Lake Tanganyika was inferred in several molecular phylogenetic studies. The phenomenon is generally attributed to the lake level-induced shoreline and habitat changes. These allow for allopatric divergence of geographically fragmented populations alternating with locally restricted secondary contact and introgression between incompletely isolated taxa. In contrast, the deepwater habitat is characterized by weak geographic structure and a high potential for gene flow, which may explain the lower species richness of deepwater than littoral lineages. For the same reason, divergent deepwater lineages should have evolved strong intrinsic reproductive isolation already in the incipient stages of diversification, and, consequently, hybridization among established lineages should have been less frequent than in littoral lineages. We test this hypothesis in the endemic Lake Tanganyika deepwater cichlid tribe Bathybatini by comparing phylogenetic trees of Hemibates and Bathybates species obtained with nuclear multilocus AFLP data with a phylogeny based on mitochondrial sequences. Consistent with our hypothesis, largely congruent tree topologies and negative tests for introgression provided no evidence for introgressive hybridization between the deepwater taxa. Together, the nuclear and mitochondrial data established a well-supported phylogeny and suggested ecological segregation during speciation.

scholarly journals Interannual variability of winter precipitation in the European Alps: relations with the North Atlantic Oscillation.

2009 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Bartolini ◽  
P. Claps ◽  
P. D'Odorico
Keyword(s):  
Water Resources ◽  
North Atlantic Oscillation ◽  
Interannual Variability ◽  
North Atlantic ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Mechanistic Explanation ◽  
Winter Precipitation ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
European Alps ◽  
The Alps

Abstract. The European Alps rely on winter precipitation for various needs in terms of hydropower and other water uses. Major European rivers originate from the Alps and depend on winter precipitation and the consequent spring snow melt for their summer base flows. Understanding the fluctuations in winter rainfall in this region is crucially important to the study of changes in hydrologic regime in river basins, as well as to the management of their water resources. Despite the recognized relevance of winter precipitation to the water resources of the Alps and surrounding regions, the magnitude and mechanistic explanation of interannual precipitation variability in the Alpine region remains unclear and poorly investigated. Here we use gridded precipitation data from the CRU TS 1.2 to study the interannual variability of winter alpine precipitation. We found that the Alps are the region with the highest interannual variability in winter precipitation in Europe. This variability cannot be explained by large scale climate patterns such as the Arctic Oscillation (AO), North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) or the East Atlantic/West Russia (EA/WR), even though regions below and above the Alps demonstrate connections with these patterns. Significant trends were detected only in small regions located in the Eastern part of the Alps.

scholarly journals Czy Alpy są dla turystyki? 150 lat krytyki ruchu turystycznego

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
pp. 84-94
Author(s):  
Jon Mathieu
Keyword(s):  
Nineteenth Century ◽  
Public Space ◽  
Rapid Development ◽  
Mountain Range ◽  
The Public ◽  
Mass Tourism ◽  
European Languages ◽  
History Of ◽  
European Mountain ◽  
The Alps

The term “tourist” appeared in English in the late eighteenth century and spread to other European languages in the first half of the nineteenth century. The corresponding sector first appeared in German as Fremdenverkehr. Since the 1970s, the neutral, internationally used term “tourism” has become the standard for the mobility industry. The industry is unique and in some aspects unlike any other industry. Foreign buyers of tourist services are not only customers of specific tourism companies, but also guests of tourist regions. They move within an environment created by others and sometimes appropriate the public space of this area, especially by participating in the expansive mass tourism. This has recently led to the emergence of the term “overtourism”. It is associated with a need to reduce the burden of some fashionable tourist regions caused by an excessive influx of tourists. The Alps are one of those regions in which tourism developed as an industry already in the nineteenth century. The number of tourists in this European mountain range — initially especially in Switzerland — grew considerably particularly after 1850. The period was marked by a rapid development of infrastructure in the form of modern forms of transport, accommodation and other services. Tourism became an indicator and factor in civic “progress”. Yet at the same time there appeared voices questioning this development. The author of the present article discusses three examples from various spheres, periods and regions illustrating the history of the growth of tourism in the Alps. The first part is devoted to literature, specifically to a satirical journal of a journey to Switzerland, published for the first time in 1880. The second part deals with science, drawing mainly on the work of a French geographer and her writings from 1956–1971. The third part concerns tourism policy in recent years in a fashionable Austrian village in the Alps. 

A Well-Ordered Thing

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael D. Gordin
Keyword(s):  
Nineteenth Century ◽  
History Of Science ◽  
Periodic Table ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Classic Work ◽  
Hot Air ◽  
History Of ◽  
First Time

Dmitrii Mendeleev (1834–1907) is a name we recognize, but perhaps only as the creator of the periodic table of elements. Generally, little else has been known about him. This book is an authoritative biography of Mendeleev that draws a multifaceted portrait of his life for the first time. As the book reveals, Mendeleev was not only a luminary in the history of science, he was also an astonishingly wide-ranging political and cultural figure. From his attack on Spiritualism to his failed voyage to the Arctic and his near-mythical hot-air balloon trip, this is the story of an extraordinary maverick. The ideals that shaped his work outside science also led Mendeleev to order the elements and, eventually, to engineer one of the most fascinating scientific developments of the nineteenth century. This book is a classic work that tells the story of one of the world's most important minds.

Distribution, systematics and nomenclature of the three taxa of Common Stonechats (Aves, Passeriformes, Muscicapidae, Saxicola) that breed in the Caucasian region

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-57
Author(s):  
V.M. Loskot ◽  
G.B. Bakhtadze
Keyword(s):  
Geographic Distribution ◽  
Habitat Preferences ◽  
Junior Synonym ◽  
Type Locality ◽  
Diagnostic Features ◽  
Western Turkey ◽  
Geographical Variations ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Individual ◽  
North Western

Geographic distribution and habitat preferences of Saxicola rubicola rubicola (Linnaeus, 1766), S. maurus variegatus (S.G. Gmelin, 1774), and S. m. armenicus (Stegman, 1935) inhabiting the Caucasian Isthmus and adjacent areas are described in detail. We examined the individual, sexual, age, seasonal and geographical variations of seven main diagnostic features of both plumage and morphometrics (exactly, the length of wing and tail) using 381 skin specimens. Substantially improved diagnoses of S. m. variegatus and S. m. armenicus are provided. After a thorough examination of the materials and history of the expedition of Samuel Gmelin in 1768–1774, and his description of Parus variegatus, it was concluded that the type locality of this taxon was the vicinity of Shamakhi in Azerbaijan not Enzeli in North-Western Turkey. It is also shown the fallacy of the recently proposed attribution of the holotype of the northern subspecies S. m. variegatus to the southern taxon S. m. armenicus and synonymisation of these names, as well as the replacement of the name S. m. variegatus by its junior synonym S. m. hemrichii Ehrenberg, 1833 for the northern subspecies.

scholarly journals Holocene polynya dynamics and their interaction with oceanic heat transport in northernmost Baffin Bay

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca Jackson ◽  
Anna Bang Kvorning ◽  
Audrey Limoges ◽  
Eleanor Georgiadis ◽  
Steffen M. Olsen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sediment Cores ◽  
Active Role ◽  
Atlantic Water ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Baffin Bay ◽  
The North ◽  
North Water ◽  
History Of ◽  
Ocean Conditions

AbstractBaffin Bay hosts the largest and most productive of the Arctic polynyas: the North Water (NOW). Despite its significance and active role in water mass formation, the history of the NOW beyond the observational era remains poorly known. We reconcile the previously unassessed relationship between long-term NOW dynamics and ocean conditions by applying a multiproxy approach to two marine sediment cores from the region that, together, span the Holocene. Declining influence of Atlantic Water in the NOW is coeval with regional records that indicate the inception of a strong and recurrent polynya from ~ 4400 yrs BP, in line with Neoglacial cooling. During warmer Holocene intervals such as the Roman Warm Period, a weaker NOW is evident, and its reduced capacity to influence bottom ocean conditions facilitated northward penetration of Atlantic Water. Future warming in the Arctic may have negative consequences for this vital biological oasis, with the potential knock-on effect of warm water penetration further north and intensified melt of the marine-terminating glaciers that flank the coast of northwest Greenland.

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