Where Carbohydrates Were Key

2019 ◽  
pp. 98-134 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristina M. Gill ◽  
Jon M. Erlandson ◽  
Ken Niessen ◽  
Kristin M. Hoppa ◽  
Dustin Merrick
Keyword(s):  
Plant Communities ◽  
Historical Ecology ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Terrestrial Ecosystems ◽  
Archaeological Sites ◽  
Plant Resources ◽  
Island Ecosystems ◽  
Macrobotanical Remains ◽  
Heavy Soil ◽  
Native Weeds

The terrestrial ecosystems of California's islands have long been described as depauperate, with island peoples relying more heavily on marine resources and trading for plant resources with mainland neighbors. Island plant communities were decimated by more than a century of overgrazing, however, with heavy soil erosion and the introduction of non-native weeds. Since the removal of livestock, island plant communities are recovering dramatically, showing an unparalleled richness in plant taxa. Macrobotanical remains from island archaeological sites provide valuable data about plant use for the past 10,000 years, showing that island geophytes and grassland/forb fields were much more abundant and productive than previously thought. Island plants provided ample food, medicine, fuel, and raw materials for island peoples. This research has implications for understanding the archaeology and historical ecology of other islands or archipelagos where humans have heavily altered island ecosystems.

Design and Application about System of Plant Science Popularization Based on the QR Code

2015 ◽  
Vol 738-739 ◽  
pp. 1303-1308
Author(s):  
Jing Hua Han ◽  
Ming Jia Li
Keyword(s):  
New Media ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
General Public ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Plant Science ◽  
Qr Code ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Plant Resources ◽  
Science Popularization ◽  
The World

Plant is not only closely related to human beings’ life, but also an integral part of raw materials in production. Protection of nature and plant resources is an increasingly urgent needs around the world. Cognition is a prerequisite for the protection of plant. But the way of plant science popularization is old, the knowledge of plant is too obscure to the general public. The system of plant science popularization based on the QR code spreads the knowledge of plant with illustrations interactively, to facilitate ordinary users to learn, understand and identify plant species. The article will detail all aspects of development of the system, allowing more scholars to understand the digitized plant science popularization under the new media.

scholarly journals Soil–landform–plant-community relationships of a periglacial landscape on Potter Peninsula, maritime Antarctica

Solid Earth ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 583-594 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. L. Poelking ◽  
C. E. R. Schaefer ◽  
E. I. Fernandes Filho ◽  
A. M. de Andrade ◽  
A. A. Spielmann
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Plant Communities ◽  
Terrestrial Ecosystems ◽  
Maritime Antarctica ◽  
Climate Change Effects ◽  
Ornithogenic Soils ◽  
Physical Environmental Factors ◽  
Potter Peninsula

Abstract. Integrated studies on the interplay between soils, periglacial geomorphology and plant communities are crucial for the understanding of climate change effects on terrestrial ecosystems of maritime Antarctica, one of the most sensitive areas to global warming. Knowledge on physical environmental factors that influence plant communities can greatly benefit studies on the monitoring of climate change in maritime Antarctica, where new ice-free areas are being constantly exposed, allowing plant growth and organic carbon inputs. The relationship between topography, plant communities and soils was investigated on Potter Peninsula, King George Island, maritime Antarctica. We mapped the occurrence and distribution of plant communities and identified soil–landform–vegetation relationships. The vegetation map was obtained by classification of a QuickBird image, coupled with detailed landform and characterization of 18 soil profiles. The sub-formations were identified and classified, and we also determined the total elemental composition of lichens, mosses and grasses. Plant communities on Potter Peninsula occupy 23% of the ice-free area, at different landscape positions, showing decreasing diversity and biomass from the coastal zone to inland areas where sub-desert conditions prevail. There is a clear dependency between landform and vegetated soils. Soils that have greater moisture or are poorly drained, and with acid to neutral pH, are favourable for moss sub-formations. Saline, organic-matter-rich ornithogenic soils of former penguin rookeries have greater biomass and diversity, with mixed associations of mosses and grasses, while stable felsenmeers and flat rocky cryoplanation surfaces are the preferred sites for Usnea and Himantormia lugubris lichens at the highest surface. Lichens sub-formations cover the largest vegetated area, showing varying associations with mosses.

scholarly journals Experimental analysis of lime putty and pozzolan-based mortar for interventions in archaeological sites

2021 ◽  
Vol 54 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesca Autiero ◽  
Meera Ramesh ◽  
Miguel Azenha ◽  
Marco Di Ludovico ◽  
Andrea Prota ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Raw Materials ◽  
Load Capacity ◽  
Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity ◽  
Ultrasonic Pulse ◽  
Pulse Velocity ◽  
Archaeological Sites ◽  
Volcanic Area ◽  
Masonry Structures ◽  
Natural Pozzolan ◽  
Complementary Method

AbstractThe study aims at defining and characterizing a specific restoration mortar for archaeological masonry structures made with traditional materials and to assess the suitability of the mixture compared to other mortars; such a goal is crucial to develop and define interventions in the archaeological sites. The mixture was defined to ensure compatibility with ancient materials and following frequently adopted recommendations at the site, specifically by using: (1) raw materials as similar as possible to the ancient ones; (2) traditional mix design. Therefore, the mixture was made with commercial lime putty CL 90-S type and natural Phlegrean pozzolan, i.e. volcanoclastic material collected from the volcanic area located in the West of Naples in Italy. The precious and limitedly available natural pozzolan used in the experiments resulted in an exclusive mortar which is very similar to the archaeological ones. The mortar has a binder to aggregate ratio 1:3 by volume, according to traditional techniques typically encountered in the ancient Roman city of Pompeii and Vesuvius surrounding area. The evolution of the flexural and compressive strength, elastic modulus, bulk density, open porosity and ultrasonic pulse velocity has been monitored for up to 200 days, based on standard procedures. Moreover, the hardening process was monitored with Differential Thermal Analysis up to 90 days, through the evaluation of phase transitions associated with dehydroxylation and decarboxylation, considering different depths from the external surface of the mortar. The achieved mechanical properties were compatible with those of lime-based mixtures for repair interventions of ancient masonry structures. Moreover, the mortar was found to be well-suited to mitigate cracking, showing a low ratio between its stiffness and load capacity compared to other typologies of mortars used for masonry restoration. Ultrasonic pulse velocity test proved to be a reasonable complementary method to monitor the evolution of the hardened properties of the mortar. Carbonation was found to be still progressing at 90 days. The data presented provide useful and reliable information to approach the complex process of restoration in archeological sites.

scholarly journals A ocupação humana antiga (11-7 mil anos atrás) do Planalto Meridional Brasileiro: caracterização geomorfológica, geológica, paleoambiental e tecnológica de sítios arqueológicos relacionados a três distintas indústrias líticas

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 2553
Author(s):  
Pedro Michelutti Cheliz ◽  
João Carlos Moreno de Sousa ◽  
Gabriela Sartori Mingatos ◽  
Mercedes Okumura ◽  
Astolfo Gomes de Mello Araujo
Keyword(s):  
Significant Variation ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Archaeological Sites ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Human Settlement ◽  
Human Occupation ◽  
Natural Landscapes ◽  
Lithic Artifacts ◽  
The Relationship

Com o objetivo de ponderar conexões entre quadros naturais e a ocupação humana pré-colonial, caracterizou-se os artefatos e a contextualização geomorfológica e ambiental de quatro sítios líticos vinculados a antigos registros de grupos caçadores-coletores do sul e sudeste do Brasil, associados a três distintas indústrias líticas. Elencou-se associação dos sítios com terrenos de baixos declives e altimetrias em seus respectivos contextos (terrenos mais estáveis para fixação humana), adjacentes a córregos e próximos de faixas do terreno que registram maiores inclinações e desníveis verticais, mais propensas a apresentarem afloramentos rochosos (fontes potenciais de matérias-primas para a confecção de ferramentas lascadas). Elencou-se fontes de matérias-primas nos entornos de cada sítio e as matérias-primas associadas aos artefatos, e ponderou-se a correlação entre os dois conjuntos de dados. Analisou-se a relação dos padrões tecnológicos de artefatos líticos com a caracterização petrográfica das matérias-primas, verificando-se quais silcretes semelhantes foram usadas para produção de artefatos distintos. Ainda, verificou-se que alguns dos produtos líticos de um dos sítios analisados mostram padrões tecnológicos semelhantes, mesmo quando obtidos a partir de silcretes distintos. Caracterizou-se ausência de variação significativa dos atributos tecnológicos dos artefatos registrados em diferentes posicionamentos verticais nos perfis das unidades de escavação nas quais foram registrados, mesmo quando mostram-se associados a registros paleoambientais distintos (alternâncias entre climas mais secos que os atuais e condições caracterizadas por incrementos de umidade no intervalo de 11 a 7 mil anos atrás).Palavras chave: sítios arqueológicos líticos; Holoceno Inicial, paleoclimas, ameríndios, geoarqueologia The ancient human occupation (11-7 thousand years ago) of the Southern Brazilian Plateau: geomorphological, geological, paleoenvironmental and technological characterization of archaeological sites related to three distinct lithic industries A B S T R A C T In order to discuss connections between the natural landscapes and pre-colonial human occupation, were characterized the artifacts and the geomorphological and environmental contextualization of four lithic sites linked to ancient records of hunter-gatherer groups from the south and southeast of Brazil, associated with three distinct lithic industries. The association of sites with low slopes and altimetry in their respective contexts (more stable terrains for human settlement), adjacent to rivers and close to terrains that register greater inclinations and vertical unevenness, more likely to present rocky outcrops (potential sources of raw materials for making chipped tools) was listed. Were characterized sources of raw materials in the surroundings of each site, the raw materials associated with the artifacts, and the correlation between the two data sets was considered. The relationship between the technological standards of lithic artifacts and the petrographic characterization of the raw materials was analyzed, verifying which similar raw materials were used to produce different artifacts. Also, it was found that some of the lithic products from one of the analyzed sites show similar technological patterns, even when obtained from different raw materials. There was a lack of significant variation in the technological attributes of the artifacts recorded in different vertical positions in the profiles of the excavation units in which they were recorded, even when they are associated with different paleoenvironmental records (alternations between drier climates than current and others characterized by increments in the moisture between 11 to 7 thousand years ago).Keywords: lithic archaeological sites; Initial Holocene, paleoclimates, amerindians, geoarchaeology 

Why Translocate?

2019 ◽  
pp. 248-272 ◽  
Author(s):  
Torben C. Rick ◽  
Courtney A. Hofman ◽  
Leslie A. Reeder-Myers
Keyword(s):  
Stable Isotope ◽  
Cultural Practices ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Ground Squirrels ◽  
Primary Factor ◽  
Food Sources ◽  
Island Ecosystems ◽  
Hunter Gatherers ◽  
Alta California ◽  
Stable Isotope Data

Worldwide, prehistoric hunter-gatherers and horticulturalists translocated a variety of animals and plants to islands. Translocations enhanced island ecosystems, introducing animals and plants used for food or raw materials. We review recent zooarchaeology, genetics, and stable isotope data to evaluate the evidence for ancient translocations to the islands of Baja and Alta California. Native peoples likely translocated foxes, mice, ground squirrels, domesticated dogs, iguanids, and possibly skunks to some California Islands. Although some animal translocations were for subsistence or broader environmental enhancement, others were either unintentional (mice) or more closely associated with ritual and other cultural practices. The dearth of translocations tied directly to subsistence suggests that marginal island food sources were not a primary factor driving translocation.

Experimental implement manufacture and use; a case study from Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania

1981 ◽  
Vol 292 (1057) ◽  
pp. 189-195 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Raw Materials ◽  
Stone Tools ◽  
Technical Level ◽  
Archaeological Sites ◽  
Olduvai Gorge

Experiments involving the manufacture and use of stone tools are described. The original tools that served as models came from two sites in upper bed IV at Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania. The following conclusions are drawn. Widespread use of terms such as ‘crude’ or ‘refined’ in describing stone tools tells us nothing of the technical level achieved by the makers of the assemblages. The different qualities of the available raw materials, the forms in which they occur and how they function when used may have influenced the tool maker’s designs and the morphology of the tools. The experiments suggest uses for the tools that are relevant to our understanding of what is found on some archaeological sites.

scholarly journals Plant communities as drivers of soil respiration: pathways, mechanisms, and significance for global change

2011 ◽  
Vol 8 (8) ◽  
pp. 2047-2061 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. B. Metcalfe ◽  
R. A. Fisher ◽  
D. A. Wardle
Keyword(s):  
Plant Community ◽  
Plant Communities ◽  
Plant Traits ◽  
Terrestrial Ecosystems ◽  
Climate Impacts ◽  
Individual Species ◽  
Global Changes ◽  
Individual Plant ◽  
Vegetation Types ◽  
Species Invasions

Abstract. Understanding the impacts of plant community characteristics on soil carbon dioxide efflux (R) is a key prerequisite for accurate prediction of the future carbon (C) balance of terrestrial ecosystems under climate change. However, developing a mechanistic understanding of the determinants of R is complicated by the presence of multiple different sources of respiratory C within soil – such as soil microbes, plant roots and their mycorrhizal symbionts – each with their distinct dynamics and drivers. In this review, we synthesize relevant information from a wide spectrum of sources to evaluate the current state of knowledge about plant community effects on R, examine how this information is incorporated into global climate models, and highlight priorities for future research. Despite often large variation amongst studies and methods, several general trends emerge. Mechanisms whereby plants affect R may be grouped into effects on belowground C allocation, aboveground litter properties and microclimate. Within vegetation types, the amount of C diverted belowground, and hence R, may be controlled mainly by the rate of photosynthetic C uptake, while amongst vegetation types this should be more dependent upon the specific C allocation strategies of the plant life form. We make the case that plant community composition, rather than diversity, is usually the dominant control on R in natural systems. Individual species impacts on R may be largest where the species accounts for most of the biomass in the ecosystem, has very distinct traits to the rest of the community and/or modulates the occurrence of major natural disturbances. We show that climate vegetation models incorporate a number of pathways whereby plants can affect R, but that simplifications regarding allocation schemes and drivers of litter decomposition may limit model accuracy. We also suggest that under a warmer future climate, many plant communities may shift towards dominance by fast growing plants which produce large quantities of nutrient rich litter. Where this community shift occurs, it could drive an increase in R beyond that expected from direct climate impacts on soil microbial activity alone. We identify key gaps in knowledge and recommend them as priorities for future work. These include the patterns of photosynthate partitioning amongst belowground components, ecosystem level effects of individual plant traits, and the importance of trophic interactions and species invasions or extinctions for ecosystem processes. A final, overarching challenge is how to link these observations and drivers across spatio-temporal scales to predict regional or global changes in R over long time periods. A more unified approach to understanding R, which integrates information about plant traits and community dynamics, will be essential for better understanding, simulating and predicting patterns of R across terrestrial ecosystems and its role within the earth-climate system.

scholarly journals Global signal of top-down control of terrestrial plant communities by herbivores

2018 ◽  
Vol 115 (24) ◽  
pp. 6237-6242 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shihong Jia ◽  
Xugao Wang ◽  
Zuoqiang Yuan ◽  
Fei Lin ◽  
Ji Ye ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plant Communities ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Terrestrial Ecosystems ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Basic Site ◽  
Plant Interactions ◽  
Top Down ◽  
Plant Abundance ◽  
Terrestrial Plant ◽  
Positive Effects

The theory of “top-down” ecological regulation predicts that herbivory suppresses plant abundance, biomass, and survival but increases diversity through the disproportionate consumption of dominant species, which inhibits competitive exclusion. To date, these outcomes have been clear in aquatic ecosystems but not on land. We explicate this discrepancy using a meta-analysis of experimental results from 123 native animal exclusions in natural terrestrial ecosystems (623 pairwise comparisons). Consistent with top-down predictions, we found that herbivores significantly reduced plant abundance, biomass, survival, and reproduction (allP< 0.01) and increased species evenness but not richness (P= 0.06 andP= 0.59, respectively). However, when examining patterns in the strength of top-down effects, with few exceptions, we were unable to detect significantly different effect sizes among biomes, based on local site characteristics (climate or productivity) or study characteristics (study duration or exclosure size). The positive effects on diversity were only significant in studies excluding large animals or located in temperate grasslands. The results demonstrate that top-down regulation by herbivores is a pervasive process shaping terrestrial plant communities at the global scale, but its strength is highly site specific and not predicted by basic site conditions. We suggest that including herbivore densities as a covariate in future exclosure studies will facilitate the discovery of unresolved macroecology trends in the strength of herbivore–plant interactions.

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