The Biology of Medicinal Resource Substitution in Salvia

Background: The decrease of wild reserves and the sharp increase of market demand have led to resource substitution, but it is still not clear how to discover medicinal alternative resources. Here we reveal the biology of medicinal resource substitution in the case of Salvia.Methods: A hypothesis was put forward that phylogeny and ecology were the main factors which determined alternative species selection. Phylogenetic analysis was performed based on chloroplast genomes. Spatial climatic pattern was assessed through three mathematical models. Results: S. miltiorrhiza and alternative species were mainly located in Clade 3 in topology, and their growth environment was clustered into an independent group 3 inferred from Principal Component analysis. Correlation and Maxent major climate factor analyses showed that the ecological variations within each lineage were significantly smaller than the overall divergent between any two lineages. Mantel test reconfirmed the inalienability between phylogeny and ecology (P = 0.002). Only the species that are genetically and ecologically related to S. miltiorrhiza can form a cluster with it. Conclusion: Phylogenetic relationship and geographical climate work together to determine which species has the potential to be selected as substitutes. Other medicinal plants can learn from this biology towards developing alternative resources.

Topoclimate Mapping Using Landsat ETM+ Thermal Data: Wolin Island, Poland

Variations in climatic pattern due to boundary layer processes at the topoclimatic scale are critical for ecosystems and human activity, including agriculture, fruit harvesting, and animal husbandry. Here, a new method for topoclimate mapping based on land surface temperature (LST) computed from the brightness temperature of Landsat ETM+ thermal bands (band6) is presented. The study was conducted in a coastal lowland area with glacial landforms (Wolin Island). The method presented is universal for various areas, and is based on freely available remote sensing data. The topoclimatic typology obtained was compared to the classical one based on meteorological data. It was proven to show a good sensitivity to changes in topoclimatic conditions (demonstrated by changes in LST distribution) even in flat, agricultural areas with only small variations in topography. The technique will hopefully prove to be a convenient and relatively fast tool that can improve the topoclimatic classification of other regions. It could be applied by local authorities and farmer associations for optimizing agricultural production.

Impact Of Lithology and Regional Climate Variability on Spring Characteristics Between Uttarkashi and Harsil, Garhwal Himalaya, India

Spring characteristics are dependent upon the nature of lithology and precipitation in the region. The area is divided into two zones based on their lithological characters, viz: lesser Himalayan zone and Central Crystalline Zone for the hydrogeological study. Forty-five springs and four hot springs under different lithological controls were studied to understand spring discharges' response to regional climate variability. Four types of springs, fracture jointrelated springs, colluvial springs, Karst and seepages, and contact springs identified, which emanates from two geohydrological zones with in the study area. Colluvial springs yield are higher in comparison to the fracture jointrelated springs. The study revealed that the regional climatic pattern and precipitation pattern has a direct impact on spring hydrology.

Spatiotemporal Analysis of Land Use / Land Cover in Swat, Pakistan Using Supervised Classification in Remote Sensing: 2000 to 2015

Changes in land use and land cover affect the social, economic and natural aspects of any area. Mostly land use and land cover (LULC) changes are the result of population growth and human activities in the form of urban agglomerations and industrialization etc. Physical factors like soil structure and type, slope condition, topography are main aspects. Land use change defines the historical pattern that how people used that specific land which depends on the availability of resources and economic conditions. LULC changes may trigger the detrimental effects like increase in natural hazard events and changes in climatic patterns. Climatic pattern directly affects the precipitation, groundwater recharge, the amount of evapotranspiration and runoff generation. On regional and local scale, LULC change is a far-reaching issue because environment and climate condition depend on it

Palaeoenvironmental expression of humid phases in the western Nefud Desert over the past c. 500,000 years

<p>Orbitally-driven humid phases in arid regions such as the Arabian and Saharan Deserts have played an important biogeographic role in ancient human dispersals, range expansions/contractions and population structure. The timing and regional climatic pattern of humid phases has been shown by multiple long-term continuous palaeoenvironmental records from both marine and terrestrial (speleothems and long palaeolake cores) archives. These attest to episodic humid phases across this region in line with peak interglacial periods over the Pleistocene. However, these records lack detailed information at the scale at which humans interact with the environment, meaning these interactions are poorly understood. To address this, we apply multi-proxy palaeoenvironmental analysis to interdunal carbonate/siliceous sediment beds that formed during episodic humid phases over the past c. 500,000 years in the western Nefud Desert, Saudi Arabia. While such deposits are short relative to many marine, speleothem and palaeolake records, they provide “snapshots” of the palaeoenvironmental conditions experienced by ancient humans. Importantly, these deposits are often directly associated with Lower and Middle Palaeolithic archaeology, demonstrating they were an important locus for ancient human activity during humid phases.</p><p>Our analysis demonstrates that humid intervals related to MIS 11, 9, 5e and 5a follow a simple environmental pattern where relatively stable interdunal lake bodies existed through a single humid phase. In contrast, MIS 7 is climatically complex as the sediment record demonstrates a dynamic hydrological system fluctuating between lacustrine and palustrine conditions within a single humid interval. Where available, diatom or invertebrate palaeoecology data consistently indicate predominantly fresh waters across multiple humid intervals, and this is supported by a lack of evaporitic minerals (i.e. gypsum and halite) through all sequences. We therefore argue that the western Nefud Desert has repeatedly provided vital freshwater resources for ancient humans and other fauna over the past c. 500,000 years.</p>

SPONTANEOUSLY DISPERSING VASCULAR PLANTS OF PROTECTED GROUND WITH LIMITED MIGRATION

Floristic diversity, locality and reproduction characters of spontaneously dispersing vascular plants of pro-tected ground with limited migration were studied in the separate greenhouses and phytotron of the Main botanical garden, Russian Academy of Sciences (Moscow). These species have limited spontaneous dis-persal within 1-2 greenhouses with tropical or subtropical climatic pattern and do not grow on all sub-strates. A total of 21 taxa of such terrestrial vascular plants were identified, belonging to 16 genera from 13 families. Some of them - 11 species are representatives of systematic collections that «escape» from pots. The remaining 10 species were previously specially planted as ornamental plants, and spontaneously grew nearby. Several identified species have the potential to become more widespread in the future, so ef-fective methods of phytosanitary control are needed

BALANÇO HÍDRICO COMO FERRAMENTA DE GERENCIAMENTO DE RECURSOS HÍDRICOS: APLICAÇÃO NA ÁREA DE INFLUÊNCIA DIRETA DO AÇUDE CASTANHÃO - CE

O semiárido nordestino é caracterizado historicamente como uma região onde o conflito pelo acesso e uso da água sempre esteve presente no cotidiano de sua população. Por uma série de fatores como: escassez hídrica crônica gerada pelo padrão climático da região, estruturação fundiária que privilegia apenas o desenvolvimento econômico dos grandes proprietários de terra e seus projetos agropecuários, ineficiência do estado em promover políticas públicas de gestão e conservação dos recursos hídricos, e intervenções pontuais de mitigação dos efeitos da seca, apenas em episódios extremos de déficit hídrico, causando pouca efetividade na solução do quadro de miséria e abandono da população. Diante do quadro histórico e socioeconômico de grandes prejuízos e degradação ambiental ocasionados pela seca e pela má gestão dos recursos hídricos no Ceará. Muitas pesquisas e projetos com o intuito de compreender o regime hidroclimático dos seus municípios surgiram como forma de entender as potencialidades e limitações das diferentes áreas, e dessa forma auxiliar a criação e a manutenção de políticas públicas de desenvolvimento socioeconômico e preservação ambiental. Diante deste contexto a pesquisa se propõe a realizar o balanço hídrico da Área de Influência do Açude Castanhão -CE, como uma ferramenta de gerenciamento e planejamento de recursos hídricos.Palavras-chave :Balanço Hídrico; Gestão; Recursos hídricos. ABSTRACTThe Northeastern semi-arid region is historically characterized as a region where conflict over access and use of water has always been present in the daily life of its population. For a series of factors such as: chronic water shortage generated by the region's climatic pattern, land tenure structuring that privileges only the economic development of large landowners and their agricultural projects, inefficiency of the state in promoting public policies for the management and conservation of water resources, and occasional interventions to mitigate the effects of drought, only in extreme episodes of water deficit, causing little effectiveness in solving the misery and abandonment of the population. In view of the historical and socioeconomic picture of great damages and environmental degradation caused by drought and the poor management of water resources in Ceará. Many researches and projects aimed at understanding the hydroclimatic regime of their municipalities have emerged as a way of understanding the potentialities and limitations of the different areas, and in this way help to create and maintain public policies for socioeconomic development and environmental preservation. In this context, the research proposes to carry out the water balance of the Area of Influence of the Castanhão-EC, as a tool for management and planning of water resources.Keywords: Hydric balance; Management; Water resources