Southern Carpathian ultramafic grasslands within the central-southeast European context: syntaxonomic classification and overall eco-coenotic patterns.

BACKGROUND: Previous investigations carried out in ultramafic habitats emphasized the greater importance of site conditions over soil toxic metal content for vegetation composition. Very little is known about the floristic structure of the Southern Carpathian ultramafic grasslands and there is no information on the local environmental drivers of their composition and coenotic features. Here, we aim to fill these knowledge gaps by referring to similar phytocoenoses described in the Balkan Peninsula and central Europe. In particular, we searched for: (i) floristic and ecological patterns supporting the classification and taxonomic assignment of these grasslands, and (ii) simple relationships between serpentine vegetation characteristics and its physiographic environment. A total of 120 phytosociological relevés, of which 52 performed in the Southern Carpathians, were analysed through cluster, ordination and regression procedures. RESULTS: Despite some floristic similarities with their Balkan counterparts, the Southern Carpathian ultramafic grasslands were clustered into four distinct groups, which were assigned to as many new syntaxa: Plantago serpentinae-Armerietum halleri, Asplenio serpentini-Achnatheretum calamagrostis, Minuartio frutescentis-Plantaginetum holostei and Sileno saxifragae-Plantaginetum holostei. The latter was best individualised through the occurrence of several Carpathian endemic taxa. The first two ordination axes were significantly related with the terrain slope/presence of xerophilous species and respectively, with site elevation/presence of calcifugous species. The total plant cover showed a unimodal relationship with respect to site elevation. While controlling for the effect of the sampled area, species richness showed a unimodal response to both elevation and slope of the terrain, although their effects were not singular. CONCLUSIONS: The syntaxonomic distinctiveness of the Southern Carpathian ultramafic grasslands is mainly supported by their overall species composition rather than regional differential species. The main limiting factors driving the composition, cover and species richness of all studied ultramafic grasslands are the water deficit at low elevation and on steep slopes, and the low soil fertility at higher elevations. Our results confirm the previous findings according to which physiographic conditions and, to a lesser extent, soil base nutrients are more important than heavy metal concentrations in structuring the ultramafic vegetation.

Limitations of using surrogates for behaviour classification of accelerometer data: refining methods using random forest models in Caprids.

BACKGROUND: Animal-attached devices can be used on cryptic species to measure their movement and behaviour, enabling unprecedented insights into fundamental aspects of animal ecology and behaviour. However, direct observations of subjects are often still necessary to translate biologging data accurately into meaningful behaviours. As many elusive species cannot easily be observed in the wild, captive or domestic surrogates are typically used to calibrate data from devices. However, the utility of this approach remains equivocal. METHODS: Here, we assess the validity of using captive conspecifics, and phylogenetically-similar domesticated counterparts (surrogate species) for calibrating behaviour classification. Tri-axial accelerometers and tri-axial magnetometers were used with behavioural observations to build random forest models to predict the behaviours. We applied these methods using captive Alpine ibex (Capra ibex) and a domestic counterpart, pygmy goats (Capra aegagrus hircus), to predict the behaviour including terrain slope for locomotion behaviours of captive Alpine ibex. RESULTS: Behavioural classification of captive Alpine ibex and domestic pygmy goats was highly accurate (> 98%). Model performance was reduced when using data split per individual, i.e., classifying behaviour of individuals not used to train models (mean ± sd = 56.1 ± 11%). Behavioural classifications using domestic counterparts, i.e., pygmy goat observations to predict ibex behaviour, however, were not sufficient to predict all behaviours of a phylogenetically similar species accurately (> 55%). CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrate methods to refine the use of random forest models to classify behaviours of both captive and free-living animal species. We suggest there are two main reasons for reduced accuracy when using a domestic counterpart to predict the behaviour of a wild species in captivity; domestication leading to morphological differences and the terrain of the environment in which the animals were observed. We also identify limitations when behaviour is predicted in individuals that are not used to train models. Our results demonstrate that biologging device calibration needs to be conducted using: (i) with similar conspecifics, and (ii) in an area where they can perform behaviours on terrain that reflects that of species in the wild.

Longitudinal associations between neighbourhood physical environments and depressive symptoms of older adults in Hong Kong: The moderating effects of terrain slope and declining functional abilities.

Little is known about the accumulative impacts of neighbourhood physical environments on older adults' depressive symptoms over time. Based on a cohort study of 2081 older adults in Hong Kong, this study examined longitudinal relationships between neighbourhood physical environments and depressive symptoms among older adults, with a particular focus on the moderating effects of terrain slope and individual functional ability using latent growth curve modelling. Results indicated that the availability of community centres and passive leisure facilities reduced depressive symptoms over time. The protective effects of residential surrounding greenness on depressive symptoms among older adults differed by the terrain slope types. Longitudinal associations between neighbourhood physical environments and depressive symptoms varied between older adults with and without functional limitations. This study has implications for the Ecological Theory of Ageing by identifying the dynamic interplay of environment demands and individual functional ability. Planning policies for building age-friendly neighbourhoods are discussed.

Effect of altitude and terrain aspect on the chemical composition of Coffea canephora cherries and sensory characteristics of the beverage.

BACKGROUND: The terrain slope and field altitude where the plant is cultivated influence the composition of coffee cherries. The aim of this study was to analyze the effects of different levels of altitude and terrain slope on the Coffea canephora cherries, as well as on the quality of the final beverage. C. canephora harvested in fields with 300 and 600 m altitude and with southeast- and northwest-facing slopes was evaluated. RESULTS: Lower pH values were observed for cherries cultivated at higher altitudes. The highest percentage of soluble solids (525.00 g kg-1 ) was found on northwest-facing slopes at 300 m. The highest values of phenolic compounds were observed at 600 m. Significant differences were found in the moisture of coffee cherries grown in different terrain slope and in the fiber content at different altitudes. The results do not enable us to conclude how the altitude and terrain slope influence the mineral content of cherries. Acidity, proteins, lipids, and carbohydrates were not influenced by altitude or terrain slope. The scores of cup quality were significantly affected by the altitude but not by the terrain slope. Coffees from cherries harvested in fields with 600 m altitude obtained the higher scores. CONCLUSION: Results show that altitude and terrain slope influence some compounds of coffee fruits, whereas others remain unaffected. The findings are important because, during coffee fruits processing, these compounds are used to produce others that will have an influence on the bean and coffee beverage quality. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.