Spatiotemporal Structure Features of a Pine Stand on the South Slope of the Eastern Sayan Mountain

Due to relatively long development and long life of forest-forming species most of the conclusions on stand dynamics are based on the data collected by indirect methods of comparative research and analysis of cenosis forming theoretically temporal and spatial succession sequences and need to be verified and clarified. The most reliable results on the stand dynamics can be received on stationary objects such as permanent sample areas. The article presents the analysis results of long-term monitoring (1968–2012) of a pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) stand in low-mountain Eastern Sayan on the south slope with a steepness of 7–8º. The intermittent test of morphometric indicators of trees mapped on the permanent sample area was used. It is shown that the sum of tree trunk cross-section areas at breast height (1.3 m) varied by no more than 10 % with timber reserves on the lower, central and upper equal sites of the sample area during the entire observation period. At the same time heterogeneity of ecological conditions, taking place even on a small section of a smooth slope, influences the plantation self-thinning intensity. In the 42-year-old stand density ratio at lower, central and upper sites was 1:1.5:2.1. Stand density difference along the slope had been decreasing gradually over time, although it remained around 30 % at the time of the last observation. Over the years of observation, 53, 47, and 32 % of pines on the lower, central, and upper sites, respectively, have survived. The calculated average age of the died trees showed that in all groups of natural diameter classes, there was an earlier die-off of pines at the bottom of the slope with an increase in dying age up to the slope. Trees with larger trunk diameter (first telling) died later. All this led to a rearrangement of the horizontal structure of the plantation, a decrease in the average diameter and average volume of trees up to the slope. Typical for mountain forests clinal tree distribution, which affects their morphological indicators, is important to consider when studying and modeling forest ecosystems, as well as when implementing forest management measures. For citation: Ovchinnikova N.F. Spatiotemporal Structure Features of a Pine Stand on the South Slope of the Eastern Sayan Mountains. Lesnoy Zhurnal [Russian Forestry Journal], 2021, no. 5, pp. 34–47. DOI: 10.37482/0536-1036-2021-5-34-47

Daya Tarik Wisata Rohani Gua Kerep Ambarawa

Central Jawa Province obviously one of the tourist destinations in Indonesia either nature or historical and cultural attractions. The existence of Mary Cave Kerep Ambarawa also contributes to tourism in Central Jawa as the attraction of spiritual tourism. The objectives of this research are to acknowledge how to access the location of Mary Cave Kerep Ambarawa as well as to recognize how are the facilities that support Mary Cave Kerep Ambarawa. The methods of research being used are observation, interview and book study. Mary Cave Kerep Ambarawa resides in Jl. Tentara Pelajar, Dusun Kerep, Panjang Sub-district, Ambarawa District, Semarang Regency, Central Jawa Province. Geographically Mary Cave Kerep Ambarawa is located on the south slope hill of Ungaran mountain. The attraction of Mary Cave Kerep Ambarawa appeals from its Mary Cave views. It is the highest Mother Mary statue in the world and its inscriptions. Mary Cave Kerep Ambarawa is shaped in an artificial cave with a stacked stone bonded with cement, sand and lime. The cave overlooks to the east and is shaded by tall trees and lush. From one of the caves, there is a statue of Mother Mary Lourdes style without a crown. Viewed from the access, to object of religious tourism in Mary Cave Keep with an area around 5 hectares or more is not stiff. When leaving the city of Semarang the visitor can be able to grab a Yogyakarta line bus. Vice versa, when leaving from Yogyakarta select bus to Semarang, down to Ambarawa terminal. Similarly, when using personal vehicle travel to Semarang- Yogyakarta route, arrive at Ambarawa terminal bus, there is a signpost for the entrance to the tourist attraction, which is the entrance to the west and down to the ramp about 1KM. The facilities are provided in Mary Cave Keep Ambarawa specifically: hall, transit building, and prayer room, parking lot, shops object spiritual, church, food stalls around the area of the Cave, and accommodation, such as hotels and homestay.

A sheep in wolf's clothing: Elaphe xiphodonta sp. nov. (Squamata, Colubridae) and its possible mimicry to Protobothrops jerdonii

Based on combined morphological and osteological characters and molecular phylogenetics, we describe a new species of the genus Elaphe that was discovered from the south slope of the Qinling Mountains, Shaanxi, China, namely Elaphe xiphodontasp. nov. It is distinguished from the other congeners by a combination of the following characters: dorsal scales in 21-21-17 rows, the medial 11 rows keeled; 202–204 ventral scales, 67–68 subcaudals; two preoculars (including one subpreocular); two postoculars; two anterior temporals, three posterior temporals; reduced numbers of maxillary teeth (9+2) and dentary teeth (12); sharp cutting edges on the posterior or posterolateral surface of the rear maxillary teeth and dentary teeth; dorsal head yellow, three distinct markings on the head and neck; a distinct black labial spot present in supralabials; dorsum yellow, 46–49 complete (or incomplete) large black-edged reddish brown blotches on the body and 12–19 on the tail, two rows of smaller blotches on each ventrolateral side; ventral scales yellow with mottled irregular black blotches, a few irregular small red spots dispersed on the middle of the ventral. Based on molecular phylogenetic analyses, the new species forms the sister taxon to E. zoigeensis. The discovery of this new species increases the number of the recognized species in the genus Elaphe to 17.

Monitoring the Spatiotemporal Difference in Glacier Elevation on Bogda Mountain from 2000 to 2017

The difference in glacier surface elevation is a sensitive indicator of climate change and is also important for disaster warning and water supply. In this paper, 25 glaciers on Bogda Mountain, in the eastern Tianshan Mountains, are selected as the study object as they are typical of glaciers in arid or semi-arid areas with importance for water supply. The Repeat Orbit Interferometry (ROI) method is used to survey the surface elevation of these glaciers using Sentinel-1A Radar data from 2017. Using data from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) and a Digital Elevation Model (DEM), the difference in the glacier surface elevation between 2000 and 2017 is obtained. A scheme to evaluate the accuracy of estimated variations in glacier surface elevation is proposed in this article. By considering the surfaces of lakes in the study region as ideal horizontal planes, the average standard deviation (SD) value of the lake elevation is taken as the error caused by the radar sensor and observing conditions. The SD of the lake elevation is used as an index to evaluate the error in the estimated variation of the glacier surface elevation, and the obtained SD values indicate that the result obtained using the ROI method is reliable. Additionally, the glacier surface elevation variation pattern and a Logarithmic Fitting Model (LFM) are used to reduce the error in high-altitude glacial accumulation areas to improve the estimation of the difference in the glacier surface elevation obtained using ROI. The average SD of the elevation of the 12 lakes is ±2.87 m, which shows that the obtained glacier surface elevations are reliable. This article concludes that, between 2000 and 2017, the surface elevation of glaciers on Bogda Mountain decreased by an average of 11.6 ± 1.3 m, corresponding to an average decrease rate of 0.68 m/a, and glaciers volume decreased by an average of 0.504 km3. Meanwhile, the surface elevations of the lakes increased by an average of 8.16 m. The decrease of glacier surface elevation leads to the expansion of glacial lakes. From the north slope clockwise to the south slope, the glacier elevation variation showed a decreasing trend, and the elevation variation gradually increased from the south slope to the north slope. With the increase of glacier altitude, the variation of glacier surface elevation gradually changed from negative to positive. The findings of this article suggest that the rate of glacier retreat on Bogda Mountain increased from 2000 to 2017.

Study of factors influencing the transformation of mountain geosystems on the southern slope of the Greater Caucasus

In the article touched such issues as anthropogenic changes in the landscapes of the south slope of the Greater Caucasus, ecological study of enviromental impact, landscape optimization. There are also suggestions for more efficient use of rapidly growing anthropogenically affected landscapes. Key words: anthropogenic changes, Greater Caucasus, south slope, optimization, landscape Azərbaycanın şimal-şərq hissələrini əhatə edən təbii iqlim şəraiti, heyvanat və bitki aləminə, turizm və istirahət üçün əvəzolunmaz məziyyətlərinə, həm də zəngin yeraltı sərvətlərinə görə respublikamızın nadir ərazilərindən biri olan Böyük Qafqazın cənub yamacı getdikcə daha da intensivləşən antropogen təsirlərə məruz qalan bir tədqiqat obyekti kimi nəzəri cəlb edir.

Optimization of Land Saving and Loss Reducing and Slope Stability Variation Patterns in Open-Pit Mine

This study presents different land saving and loss reducing schemes. Comprehensively compare the economic benefits of the schemes. It is shown that the optimal scheme can recover tons of coal resources on the south slope, creating significant economic benefits. Numerical simulation was utilized to analyze the changes of slope stability, deformation, and shear strain increment in the process of land saving and loss reducing. Results found that the slope stability decreases rapidly, and the toe of the slope has to be internally discharged in time to compress the slope. Timely follow-up of in-slope rows can improve slope stability. The position of the slope shear exit changes with the increase of the distance of the inner row, and its stability increases gradually. When the distance of the lower inner row exceeds 120 m, the increase of the internal row distance has little influence on the slope stability. When the inner distance exceeds 60 m in the process of internal dumping of upper platform, the position of potential sliding plane gradually changes from the lower dump to the upper and lower dump with the increase of inner dumping distance. It shows that the stability of the dump will be damaged if the upper dump continues to be discharged. Therefore, the distance between the upper and lower dump sites is more important than 60 m. The stability of the south slope is good in the process of mining and internal drainage, and the overall stability of the south slope is controllable, based on slope radar monitoring.

Geophysical and geomatic recent surveys at Whymper hanging Glacier (Aosta Valley – Italy)

<p>The Grandes Jorasses Massif culminates at 4203m at the Punta Walker summit on the border between France and Italy. The south slope of Grandes Jorasses is widely glaciated and overlies a populated and highly frequented area, the Val Ferret, presenting the main infrastructure being the road in the valley bottom and different hamlets the most important being Planpincieux village. Located at an altitude between 3900 and 4100 m, the Whymper Serac is a hanging glacier that undergoes periodic gravity-driven instabilities. On 1<sup>st</sup> June of 1998, 150.000m<sup>3</sup> of ice fell, and the resulting ice avalanche reached 1750m, at a mere 400m from houses of the Le Pont village and the main Road. The monitoring activity started in 1997: a  series of boreholes had been drilled to assess the basal thermal regime of the Serac and subsequently install a monitoring system for failure prediction time. Since then, no other thermal investigation was repeated.</p><p>In September 2020, three thermistor chains in three different boreholes were installed by means of hot water diesel-powered drill machine on Whymper Serac. Geophysical and topographic reconstructions at Whymper Serac are crucial for the volume estimation of possible instabilities; therefore, to assess ice thickness changes and morphological modifications, different geophysical soundings and topographical surveys were performed in 2020. The ice thicknesses were estimated employing a first airborne GPR survey on the 4<sup>th</sup> of July 2020 using a pair of orthogonal 25 MHz antennas; a second airborne GPR survey was performed using a single 40 MHz antenna on 14/12/2020. Moreover, an in-situ measure was performed through passive seismic sounding later processed as HVSR analysis to assess ice thickness estimation.</p><p>The geomatic analysis was performed by aero photogrammetric UAV surveys, and additional GCPs were materialized. The first assessment of thermal regime variation on the Serac suggests that risk scenarios, as well as monitoring possibilities, are rapidly evolving. According to these findings, bigger volumes could be involved in the destabilization of the Serac, and the evolution of the Serac from cold-based to polythermal poses a big challenge in the monitoring of deformations for the possibility of time prediction of failures. Therefore, experimentation of a long-range GB-InSAR surface deformations measures has begun to implement the existing monitoring network based on a robotized total station with reflective prisms used on the Serac. The installation of more thermistor chains is planned for summer 2021, to validate the previous results. Ground-based GPR soundings and more HVSR seismic measurements have as well been planned for 2021 for the more robust reconstruction of the bedrock geometry.</p>