Prospects for the Wind Energy Use for Power and Heat Supply to Decentralized Consumers in the Western Sector of the Russian Arctic

An issue of the possible involvement of wind turbines in the power and heat supply of remote dispersed consumers in the Arctic (meteorological stations, lighthouses, border outposts, army and navy facilities, hunting seats, fishermen and geophysical explorers’ bases, etc.) is considered. The need for the functioning of the consumers remains in the long term. The study of the wind energy potential in the western sector of the Russian Arctic showed emerging prerequisites to be favourable for the efficient use of this renewable energy source in the coastal areas of the Barents and White Seas. Average annual wind speed at a height of 10 m in the areas mentioned are 6-8 m/s. There is a pronounced seasonal wind intensity maximum, which coincides with the seasonal maximum of the consumer’s demand for power and heat. Exemplified by facilities located in the coastal Kola Peninsula, it is shown that it is possible to save a significant amount of expensive imported fuel combusted at diesel power plants and boiler rooms, and thereby to reduce the generated electricity and heat costs by 25-40%, when implementing wind turbines.

Phytosociology of Atractylis cancellata and Micromeria microphylla communities in southern Italy with insights on the xerothermic steno-Mediterranean grasslands high-rank syntaxa

In the present paper a phytosociological study on the dry grassland communities identified in the western sector of the Murgia Plateau (Murgia delle Gravine) and in the Lucanian badlands territory is presented. Forty vegetation releves were carried out using the Braun-Blanquet phytosociological approach. Two new associations characterized by a therophytic dominance, namely Lysimachio foeminae-Atractylidetum cancellatae and Campanulo erini-Micromerietum microphyllae, are described and discussed from a syntaxonomic and biogeographic viewpoint. In addition, new phytosociological data concerning the Petrosedum ochroleucum communities developed on limestone outcrops, the perennial Hyparrhenia hirta steppe-like grasslands of the low-altitude areas of the Murgia hills and the small-size Brachypodium distachyum therophytic communities are presented.

Logistic Basis for Organizing Weekend Recreation for the Population of the Arkhangelsk Urban Agglomeration

Weekend rest is an important part of a person's recreational cycle. Northerners need a good rest to maintain their health. The choice of a place for vacation is associated with restrictions on the time of movement, since its period should not be longer than 2–3 days. The purpose of the research is to select the most suitable transport areas for residents of the Arkhangelsk urban agglomeration, taking into account the landscape and tourist resources. Based on the study of vehicles and the geographical location of tourist services, three sectors were identified, limited by five–hour transport accessibility from the cities of the Arkhangelsk agglomeration. The most promising for priority development is the southern sector, the centers of which can be the villages of Kholmogory and Emetsk. Excursion, relaxation, ecological and sports tourism can be offered there at any time of the year. The transit position of the main roads of the region gives this sector the advantages of attracting tourists from other regions. The western and eastern sectors have significant recreational potential, but their use is constrained by poor transport accessibility. The western sector with the center in the city of Onega is promising for the development of seaside relaxation tourism in summer and sports tourism in winter. The eastern sector with two centers in the villages of Pinega and Karpogory is promising for ecological, sports and excursion tourism throughout the year.

Contribution to the knowledge of Mediterranean wetland vegetation: Lemnetea and Potamogetonetea classes in Western Sicily

The freshwater aquatic vegetation of the Lemnetea and Potamogetonetea classes in Western Sicily was surveyed and analyzed. 85 lakes and small pools were investigated collecting 147 phytosociological unpublished relevés to integrate the very scarce available data (only 3 relevés). By applying statistical analyses on abundances data and on the bases of physiognomy and dominant species, two alliances (Lemnion minoris and Stratiotion) and four different coenoses have been identify for the Lemnetea class; while 11 associations, assigned to two orders (Potamogetonetalia pectinati and Callitricho hamulatae-Ranunculetalia aquatilis) and four alliances (Potamogetonion, Nymphaeion albae, Ranunculion aquatilis and Ranunculion omiophyllo-hederacei) have been recognized for the Potamogetonetea class. A new association (Junco bufonii-Ranunculetum omiophylli ass. nov.) and a new subassociation (Ranunculetum peltati ranunculetosum rionii subass. nov.) have been proposed, whereas other six vegetation units were found to be new for the study area (Potamogetono-Ceratophylletum submersi, Potamogetonetum pusilli, Ranunculetum aquatilis, Ranunculetum peltati and Ranunculetum rionii, Lemno-Callitrichetum obtusangulae). For all the coenoses recognized, new insights on the floristic composition, syntaxonomy, synphiognomy, synecology and synchorology are reported, offering a reasoned overview of the aquatic vegetation of the western sector of the main Mediterranean island.

China–India Rivalry: The Saga of Game Changers

China and India have surprised the world by their military brinkmanship since mid-2020 amid the global coronavirus pandemic. Also surprising was their sudden disengagement at a key site, Pangong Tso Lake area in the western sector of their disputed boundary, in February 2021. But the continuing crisis has eroded their summit-level consensus reached in 2018 and 2019 that they were neighbourly partners, not rivals. The genesis of this crisis is the clash of their new perspectives on the Kashmir issue which, originally an India–Pakistan affair, has now become a major Chinese concern as well. Two new game changers in the troubled Sino–Indian engagement have caused this crisis. The author suggests a nuanced agreement on mutual military accommodation. Such an accord could create the ambience for serious negotiations to settle the intractable Sino–Indian boundary disputes.

New records of fleas and ticks in armadillos (Xenarthra: Chlamyphoridae) from the Espinal and Monte ecoregions of La Pampa province, Argentina

La Pampa province is divided into two clearly distinguishable fractions: a small northeastern humid sector corresponding to the Pampas ecoregion and a drier western sector, represented by the Monte de Llanuras y Mesetas (termed Monte region in this paper) and Espinal ecoregions (sensu Brown et al. 2006). These three ecoregions are visibly distinguishable from an edaphological and phytogeographic point of view, while the mammalian fauna composition is homogeneous. The study area was located in the central part of the province, comprising the Monte and Espinal ecoregions (Fig. 1). In that area three species of armadillos are recorded (Soibelzon et al. 2015). Two of these (Zaedyus pichiy Desmarest, 1804 and Chaetophractus villosus Desmarest, 1804) (Xenarthra: Chlamyphoridae) are the most common and widely distributed armadillos both in the province and in the country, while the third species, Chlamyphorus truncatus Harlan, 1825, has a more restricted distribution and is one of the most cryptic and least known armadillos in the country. For this reason, in our fieldwork ectoparasites were obtained only from the first two species mentioned.

Lithic Raw Material in the Cantabrian Region: Dialectical relationship between flint and quartzite in the Palaeolithic record

The increase, in quantitative and qualitative terms, of research attending to the geological nature of rocks found in archaeological contexts is changing our perspectives about social and economic territories articulated by Palaeolithic societies in the Cantabrian Region. Practically the only raw material researched in a solid geoarchaeological approach in this area is flint. This paper addresses how the near absence of in-depth geoarchaeological research into raw materials other than flint is modifying our perception of the procurement and management mechanism of raw material in the Cantabrian Region during the Palaeolithic. To consider this matter in depth, we present the bibliographic and quantitative analysis of 30 representative archaeological sites from the Cantabrian Region whose assemblages were described lithologically using basic and primary categories. The state of play depicts a geographic distribution of raw material in the Cantabrian Region where quartzite is associated with the western sector and flint with the east. Interconnected with this axis, there is a chronological tendency that promotes standardisation in the use of flint by Palaeolithic societies following a chronological order, from the older to the more recent periods. This information, and its contextualisation with the new perspectives resulting from the application of the geoarchaeological proposal used to understand flint procurement, allows us to understand the general tendencies of raw material distribution of the region. Especially, we can detect how the absence of geoarchaeological methodologies of other raw materials than flint has modified the perception of the economic and social dynamics articulated around raw material by Palaeolithic people. This bias does not only affect the geographical and chronological axes, emphasising information from the regions and periods where flint is represented, but also promotes the over-interpretation of long-distance procurement, therefore, building up narratives exclusively based on human mobility. This situation has generated an incomplete and unbalanced picture of the procurement and management strategies followed by Palaeolithic societies because quartzite, the second most-often used lithic raw material, and other raw materials have only been studied using geoarchaeological methods within the last few years. This research finally points to the continuation of in-depth research of quartzite and other raw materials as the next steps to re-interpret the current paradigms about procurement and management of raw material by Palaeolithic societies, and, therefore, modify our perspectives of social and economic territories. The research presented here addresses this situation and proposes the in-depth research of quartzite as the next step to re-interpret the current paradigms about procurement and management of raw material by Palaeolithic societies, and, therefore, modify our perspectives of social and economic territories. To do so, we have proposed a general raw material framework in the Cantabrian Region based on the 30 most representative sites whose assemblages were described lithologically using basic and primary categories. The state of the art depicted a geographic distribution of raw material in the Cantabrian Region where quartzite is associated with the western sector and flint with the east. Interconnected with this axis, there is a chronological tendency that promotes standardisation in the use of flint by Palaeolithic societies following a chronological order, from the older to the more recent periods. This information, and its contextualisation with the new perspectives resulting from the application of the geoarchaeological proposal used to understand flint procurement, allows us to understand the bias derived by the absence of geoarchaeological methodologies of other raw materials than flint. These biases are not only related with the geographical and chronological axes, emphasising information from the regions and periods where flint is represented, but also with the overinterpretation of long-distance procurement, therefore, promoting narratives exclusively based on human mobility.

National geological and hazardous systematic cartography of the coastal zone as a contribution to the promotion of sustainability, defence and valorisation of the Portuguese coastal area

<p>The Portuguese coastal zone, where ¾ of the population lives and where the contribution to GNP is estimated at 85%, assumes an important role in the national economic context, which is not only presently reflected on the budget dedicated to the management and mitigation of current risks associated to climate change, but also for its strategic importance in environmental, social and leisure industry perspectives.</p><p>The geological and hazardous cartography of the coastal zone, of mainland Portugal, on a 1:3000 scale, has been developed, at LNEG, as an instrument to support the sustainability, protection and enhancement of the coastline [<em>2018, JCC, 22:1031-1043</em>].</p><p>The increase in knowledge concerning coastal hazard, based on the historical evolution of the shoreline, expressed on a systematic and digital cartographic basis at a scale of detail, in addition to the important contribution to the development of regional geology, is a vital contribution for the correct use and sustainable development of the coast. So far, shoreline evolution evaluation has been determined for two coastal sectors covering approximately 140 km of coastline: the western sector of Figueira da Foz to Nazaré and the southern sector of Algarve between Faro and Vila Real de Santo António [<em>2021, JCC, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11852-020-00791-3</em>].</p><p>The western sector evolutionary trend, from 1947 to 2015, shows an overall erosional behaviour, even though a prograding tendency is observed in some areas. Coastline evolution assessment reveals an average retreat of -13.6 m and a 702,558 m<sup>2</sup> land loss area. However, when looking only for the sectors where erosion occurred, a total of 1,164,888 m<sup>2</sup> of land loss was observed. Erosion, that is more severe in the northern part, reaching a maximum coastal retreat of -145 m and an erosion rate of 2.46 my<sup>-1</sup>, seems to be induced by a reduction of the littoral drift, but also by human interference in coastal dynamics, namely by the introduction and enlargement of the original rigid constructions and groins installation.</p><p>Regarding the south eastern Algarve coastline displacement, from 1950 to 2015, a seaward shift prevails, with a prograding coastline occupying approximately 54% of the studied sector. However, this progradation is mostly associated to human intervention on the coast, being related to up-drift accumulation against inlet jetties / groins. The erosional trend prevails predominantly in the central barrier island system of Ria Formosa, namely in the Culatra (with a maximum displacement of -163 m), Armona (maximum displacement of -83 m), the Tavira, (maximum displacement of -116 m), and the Cabanas islands, where maximum displacement observed is up to -235 m. Regarding land area changes, some sectors lost and others gained area due to coastline displacement. However, the overall analysis showed an area increase of 1.05 × 10<sup>6</sup> m<sup>2</sup> for this south-eastern coastal fringe.</p><p>The achievement of high-resolution, continuous and updated data, at a regional scale, likely favour successful application of the needed mitigation measures (as beach/dune nourishment, sand-shots and others) at the exact key target locations.</p>