A trait-based approach to assess climate change sensitivity of freshwater invertebrates across Swedish ecoregions

Freshwater habitats and organisms are among the most threatened on Earth, and freshwater ecosystems have been subject to large biodiversity losses. We developed a Climate Change Sensitivity （CCS） indicator based on trait information for a selection of stream- and lake-dwelling Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera taxa. We calculated the CCS scores based on ten species traits identified as sensitive to global climate change. We then assessed climate change sensitivity between the six main ecoregions of Sweden as well as the three Swedish regions based on lilies. This was done using biological data from 1,382 stream and lake sites where we compared large-scale （ecoregional） patterns in climate change sensitivity with potential future exposure of these ecosystems to increased temperatures using ensemble-modelled future changes in air temperature. Current （1961-1990） measured temperature and ensemble-modelled future （2100） temperature showed an increase from the northernmost towards the southern ecoregions, whereas the predicted temperature change increased from south to north. The CCS indicator scores were highest in the two northernmost boreal ecoregions where we also can expect the largest global climate change-induced increase in temperature, indicating an unfortunate congruence of exposure and sensitivity to climate change. These results are of vital importance when planning and implementing management and conservation strategies in freshwater ecosystems, e.g., to mitigate increased temperatures using riparian buffer strips. We conclude that traits information on taxa specialization, e.g., in terms of feeding specialism or taxa having a preference for high altitudes as well as sensitivity to changes in temperature are important when assessing the risk from future global climate change to freshwater ecosystems [Current Zoology 60 （2）： 221-232, 2014].

Morphometry and Mineral Content in the Seeds and Soil of Two Species of Argemone L.(Papaveraceae)in the Central Part of the Chihuahuan Desert

The genus Argemone L.(Papaveraceae)is found widely distributed in Mexico’s Chihuahuan Desert(CD).Some species of this genus are of phytochemical or ethnobotanical interest.They are inedible plants considered as scrubs.To date they have not been broadly studied;thus,their ecology is,to our knowledge,unknown.The present work was centered around carrying out a morphometric analysis and the determination of minerals in the soil and seeds of the wild populations of Argemone at sites belonging to two ecoregions of the CD in Mexico.In April 2021 and April 2022,seeds of Argemone spp.,and soil samples were collected at 10 sites of the CD.The seeds were selected under a randomized design,and weight,length,diameter,thickness,buoyancy,and mineral content were determined.The soil samples were obtained under the Mexican regulation NOM-021-RECNAT-2000,and determinations of mineral content,electrical conductivity,apparent density,and soluble anions were performed.The information obtained was grouped by variable,species,and place of precedence.The statistical tests consisted of an ANOVA,Tukey means tests considering p≤0.05,and a Principal Components Analysis.Argemone pleiacantha exhibited differences in terms of weight(F=54.79,p=0.001),length(F=90.83,p=0.001),thickness(F=104.89,p=0.001),and diameter(F=155.82,p=0.001),and the differences in Argemone mexicana were in weight(F=46.71,p=0.001),thickness(F=187.49,p=0.001),length(F=191.56,p=0.001),and diameter(F=215.83,p=0.001).The evaluated seeds reached their maximal imbibition velocity at 24 h of evaluation.The content of the micro-and macro-nutrients analyzed in the seeds and soil suggest a tight relation with the morphometric characteristics of the seeds.

Arsenic fractionation and contamination assessment in sediments of thirteen lakes from the East Plain and Yungui Plateau Ecoregions, China

Arsenic（As） fractions in the sediments of seven lakes from East Plain Ecoregion and six lakes from Yungui Plateau Ecoregion, China, were investigated. Results indicated that the total As concentrations in sediment samples of lakes of the East Plain Lake Ecoregion are higher than those of Yungui Plateau Lake Ecoregion. Residual As is the main fraction in sediment samples of lakes from both ecoregions, followed by reducible As and soluble or oxidizable As. The total As is correlated to oxidizable As and residual As in sediment samples from both lake ecoregions. As distribution in sediment samples of lakes of the East Plain Ecoregion appears to be affected by human activity, while the As origin mainly comes from natural sources in sediment samples of lakes in the Yungui Plateau Ecoregion. The potential ecological risk index and geoaccumulation index values suggest ＂low to moderate＂ risk degree and ＂unpolluted to moderately polluted＂ for As in the studied lake sediments.

Historical and current climates affect the spatial distribution of herbivorous tree insects in China

Historical and current climate impacts reshape the evolutionary trajectory and ecological dynamics of entire vegetative communities,which can drive insect species distribution.Understanding the spatial distribution of insects can enhance forest management effectiveness.The effects of historical and current climates in the spatial distribution of herbivorous tree insects in China were explored.A species distribution model simulated insect spatial distribution based on 596 species and the distribution probability and richness of these species were assessed in forest ecoregions.The explanatory power of the historical climate was stronger than that of the current climate,particularly historical annual precipitation and annual mean temperatures,for the distribution of herbivorous insects.Under both historical and current climatic conditions,herbivorous tree insects were and are mainly distributed in the North China Plain and the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River Plain,namely in the Huang He Plain mixed forests,Changjiang Plain evergreen forests,and Sichuan Basin evergreen broadleaf forests.The Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau and northeast China are regions with large impact differences between historical and current climates.The findings of this study provide valuable insights into herbivorous insect responses to sustained climate change and may contribute to long-term biodiversity conservation activities.

Natural variations and geographical distributions of seed carotenoids and chlorophylls in 1167 Chinese soybean accessions

Understanding the composition and contents of carotenoids in various soybean seed accessions is important for their nutritional assessment.This study investigated the variability in the concentrations of carotenoids and chlorophylls and revealed their associations with other nutritional quality traits in a genetically diverse set of Chinese soybean accessions comprised of cultivars and landraces.Genotype,planting year,accession type,seed cotyledon color,and ecoregion of origin significantly influenced the accumulation of carotenoids and chlorophylls.The mean total carotenoid content was in the range of 8.15–14.72μg g–1 across the ecoregions.The total carotenoid content was 1.2-fold higher in the landraces than in the cultivars.Soybeans with green cotyledons had higher contents of carotenoids and chlorophylls than those with yellow cotyledons.Remarkably,lutein was the most abundant carotenoid in all the germplasms,ranging from 1.35–37.44μg g–1.Carotenoids and chlorophylls showed significant correlations with other quality traits,which will help to set breeding strategies for enhancing soybean carotenoids without affecting the other components.Collectively,our results demonstrate that carotenoids are adequately accumulated in soybean seeds,however,they are strongly influenced by genetic factors,accession type,and germplasm origin.We identified novel germplasms with the highest total carotenoid contents across the various ecoregions of China that could serve as the genetic materials for soybean carotenoid breeding programs,and thereby as the raw materials for food sectors,pharmaceuticals,and the cosmetic industry.

Patterns of floristic inventory and plant collections in Myanmar

Myanmar is one of the most biodiverse countries in the Asia-Pacific region due to a wide range of climatic and environmental heterogeneity.Floristic diversity in Myanmar is largely unknown,resulting in a lack of comprehensive conservation plans.We developed a database of higher plants in Myanmar derived from herbarium specimens and literature sources,and analyzed patterns of diversity inventories and collection inconsistencies,aiming to provide a baseline floristic data of Myanmar and act as a guide for future research efforts.We collected 1,329,354 records of 16,218 taxa.Results show that the collection densities at the township level was variable,with 5% of townships having no floristic collections.No ecoregion had an average collection density of greater than 1 specimen/km2and the lowest collection density was found in the Kayah-Karen Montane Rainforests,which covered 8% of Myanmar’s total area.The highest sampling densities were found in Mandalay Region,Chin State,and Yangon Region.Despite floristic collections over the past three centuries,knowledge of the distribution of the vast majority of plant taxa remained limited,particularly for gymnosperms,pteridophytes,and bryophytes.More botanical surveys and further analyses are needed to better describe Myanmar’s floristic diversity.An important strategy to promote knowledge of the biodiversity patterns in Myanmar is to improve the collection and digitalization of specimens and to strengthen cooperation among countries.

Are Polyploid Species Less Vulnerable to Climate Change? A Simulation Study in North American Crataegus

Understanding the mechanisms underlying plant responses to climate change is an important step toward developing effective mitigation strategies. Polyploidy is an important evolutionary trait that can influence the capacity of plants to adapt to climate change. The environmental flexibility of polyploids suggests their resiliency to climate change, however, such hypotheses have not yet received empirical evidence. To understand how ploidy level may influence response to climate change, we modeled the current and future distribution of 54 Crataegus species under moderate to severe environments and compared the range change between diploids and polyploids. The majority of studied species are predicted to experience considerable range expansion. We found a negative interaction between ploidy and ecoregions in determining the response to climate change. In extreme environments, polyploids are projected to experience a higher range expansion than diploids with climate change, while the opposite is true for moderate environments. The range expansion of Crataegus species can be attributed to their tolerance for a wide range of environmental conditions. Despite the higher tolerance of polyploids to extreme environments, they do not necessarily outperform diploids in moderate environments, which can be attributed to the varying nature of species interactions along a stress gradient.

Development of ecoregion-based merchantable volume systems for Pinus brutia Ten. and Pinus nigra Arnold. in southern Turkey

Estimating individual tree volume is one of the essential building blocks in forest growth and yield models. Ecologically based taper equations provide accurate vol- ume predictions and allow classification by mer- chantable sizes, assisting in sustainable forest management. In the present study, ecoregion-based compatible volume systems for brutian pine and black pine in the three ecoregions of southern Turkey were developed. Several well-known taper functions were evaluated. A second- order continuous-time autoregressive error structure was used to correct the inherent autocorrelation in the hierar- chical data, allowing the model to be applied to irregularly spaced and unbalanced data. The compatible segmented model of Fang et al. （For Sci 46：1-12, 2000） best described the experimental data. It is therefore recommended for estimating diameter at a specific height, height to a specific diameter, merchantable volume, and total volume for the three ecoregions and two species analyzed. The nonlinearextra sum of squares method indicated differences in ecoregion and tree-specific taper functions. A different taper function should therefore be used for each pine spe- cies and ecoregion in southern Turkey. Using ecoregion- specific taper equations allows making more robust esti- mations and, therefore, will enhance the accuracy of diameter at different heights and volume predictions.

Ecoregional variations of aboveground biomass and stand structure in evergreen broadleaved forests

Biotic and abiotic factors control aboveground biomass(AGB)and the structure of forest ecosystems.This study analyses the variation of AGB and stand structure of evergreen broadleaved forests among six ecoregions of Vietnam.A data set of 1731-ha plots from 52 locations in undisturbed old-growth forests was developed.The results indicate that basal area and AGB are closely correlated with annual precipitation,but not with annual temperature,evaporation or hours of sunshine.Basal area and AGB are positively correlated with trees>30 cm DBH.Most areas surveyed(52.6%)in these old-growth forests had AGB of 100–200 Mg ha^-1;5.2%had AGB of 400–500 Mg ha^-1,and 0.6%had AGB of>800 Mg ha^-1.Seventy percent of the areas surveyed had stand densities of 300–600 ind.ha^-1,and 64%had basal areas of 20–40 m^2 ha^-1.Precipitation is an important factor influencing the AGB of old-growth,evergreen broadleaved forests in Vietnam.Disturbances causing the loss of large-diameter trees(e.g.,>100 cm DBH)affects AGB but may not seriously affect stand density.

Patterns of forest composition and their long term environmental drivers in the tropical dry forest transition zone of southern Africa

Background： Tropical dry forests cover less than 13 % of the world＇s tropical forests and their area and biodiversity are declining. In southern Africa, the major threat is increasing population pressure, while drought caused by climate change is a potential threat in the drier transition zones to shrub land. Monitoring climate change impacts in these transition zones is difficult as there is inadequate information on forest composition to allow disentanglement from other environmental drivers. Methods： This study combined historical and modern forest inventories covering an area of 21,000 km2 in a transition zone in Namibia and Angola to distinguish late succession tree communities, to understand their dependence on site factors, and to detect trends in the forest composition over the last 40 years. Results： The woodlands were dominated by six tree species that represented 84 % of the total basal area and can be referred to as Bdikioea - Pterocarpus woodlands. A boosted regression tree analysis revealed that late succession tree communities are primarily determined by climate and topography. The Schinziophyton rautanenfi and Baikiaea plurijuga communities are common on slightly inclined dune or valley slopes and had the highest basal area （5.5 - 6.2 m^2 ha＆-1）. The Burkea africana - Guibourtia coleosperma and Pterocarpus angolensis - Diafium englerianum communities are typical for the sandy plateaux and have a higher proportion of smaller stems caused by a higher fire frequency. A decrease in overall basal area or a trend of increasing domination by the more drought and cold resilient B. africana community was not confirmed by the historical data, but there were significant decreases in basal area for Ochna pulchra and the valuable fruit tree D. englerianum. Conclusions： The slope communities are more sheltered from fire, frost and drought but are more susceptible to human expansion. The community with the important timber tree P. angolensis can best withstand high fire frequency but shows signs of a higher vulnerability to climate change. Conservation and climate adaptation strategies should include protection of the slope communities through refuges. Follow-up studies are needed on short term dynamics, especially near the edges of the transition zone towards shrub land.

Coastal Biomass Mapping Through Subpixel Classification Technique—A Technique of Segregating Materials Within Pixel

World Wide Fund for Nature(WWF)scientists in collaboration with regional experts around the world, have developed the Global 200 Ecoregions Program, the first comparative analysis of biodiversity to cover biologically outstanding terrestrial,freshwater and marine habitats,spanning five continents and all the world’s oceans.Due to its immense importance,Indus Delta Ecoregion is one of the G200 Ecoregions of

Climate change under CMIP5-RCP scenarios in Ethiopia:The Bale mountains ecoregion

The Bale mountains ecoregion in Ethiopia provides a number of benefits for the local communities mainly in terms of water supply,power generation,tourism activity,and irrigation development.Notwithstanding,the ecoregion has been characterized primarily by recurring floods and droughts,as well as crop failure due to a variety of natural and human-activity-driven change factors.As a matter of fact,the purpose of this study would be to examine long-term changes and fluctuation in precipitation(PCP),maximum temperature(T_(max)),and minimum temperature(T_(min))in the Bale mountains ecoregion using ensembles of three climate models with three representative concentration pathways(RCPs)scenarios from the coupled model inter-comparison project phase five(CMIP5)dataset.Statistical downscaling model(SDSM)was applied to project PCP,T_(max),and T_(min)in the forthcoming period considering three RCPs:low emission(RCP2.6),intermediate(RCP4.5),and high emission(RCP8.5).SDSM's performance in capturing historical daily PCP,T_(max),and T_(min)has been validated using standard statistical metrics such as coefficient of determination(R^(2)),Nash Sutcliff efficiency(NSE),and root mean square error(RMSE).SDSM has the potential to generate a statistical transfer function between large-scale variables and local climate,allowing PCP,T_(max),and T_(min) to be downscaled to a point scale for the ecoregion.The magnitude of mean yearly changes in PCP,T_(max),and T_(min) were investigated throughout three thirty-year time slices,corresponding to the 2020s,2050s,and 2080s.The Mann-Kendall non-parametric test was used to analyse trends in PCP,T_(max),and T_(min) from 2011 to 2100.Inter-annual variability in PCP,T_(max),and T_(min) were investigated for the aforementioned period,taking standard deviation into account under each RCP scenarios.The results reveal that mean annual PCP,T_(max),and T_(min) are rising in all three time slices and in all three CMIP5 RCP scenarios as compared to the baseline scenario.Mean annual PCP is projected to increase within the uncertainty range of 6.68% to 17.93%(RCP2.6),7.45% to 21.94%(RCP4.5),and 19.70% to 33.69%(RCP4.5)(RCP8.5).T_(max) increases from 0.04℃ to 0.24℃(RCP2.6),0.05℃ to 0.31℃(RCP4.5),and 0.04℃ to 0.42℃(RCP8.5),whereas T_(min) increases from 0.22℃ to 0.52℃(RCP2.6),0.23℃ to 0.67℃(RCP4.5),and 0.26℃ to 1.14℃(RCP8.5)(RCP8.5).For future projections at the end of the 21^(st) century,the mean annual PCP,T_(max),and T_(min) for all three analysed climate models and RCPs have shown a positive trend.The inter-annual variability of PCP,T_(max),and T_(min) is higher in the RCP8.5 than RCP4.5 and RCP2.6 in all climate models.The findings clearly implied that prior understanding of long-term climate change and variability need to be addressed to plan effective and efficient mitigation strategies,as well as to maintain adequate quantity and quality of water supplies to the communities residing in the ecoregion.

Ecoregional height-diameter models for Scots pine in Turkiye

Ecoregion-based height-diameter models were developed in the present study for Scots pine(Pinus sylves-tris L.)stands in Turkiye and included several ecological factors derived from a pre-existing ecoregional classification system.The data were obtained from 2831 sample trees in 292 sample plots.Ten generalized height–diameter models were developed,and the best model(HD10)was selected according to statistical criteria.Then,nonlinear mixed-effects modeling was applied to the best model.The R2 for the generalized height‒diameter model(Richards function)modified by Sharma and Parton is 0.951,and the final model included number of trees,dominant height,and diameter at breast height,with a random parameter associated with each ecoregion attached to the inverse of the mean basal area.The full model predictions using the nonlinear mixed-effects model and the reduced model(HD10)predictions were compared using the nonlinear sum of extra squares test,which revealed significant differences between ecore-gions;ecoregion-based height–diameter models were thus found to be suitable to use.In addition,using these models in appropriate ecoregions was very important for achieving reliable predictions with low prediction errors.

Changes in climate regimes over China based on a high-resolution dataset

During the 20th century the global climate has been shifted towards warmer and drier regimes, mainly due to anthropogenic warming [1,2]. Climate changes can notably disrupt the environment and ecosystems. To evaluate the impacts of climate change on ecoregions, the Kdppen-Trewartha (K-T) climate classification [3] is widely used because it was constructed on the basis of surface vegetation. The K-T classification system combines temperature, precipitation, and their seasonality into a single metric. Six major climate types and several sub-climate types are defined (A: tropical, B: dry, C: subtropical, D: temperate, E: subpolar, F: polar). Each K-T climate type is consistent with certain prevalent plant species. Definitions and criteria of K-T climate types were outlined by Feng et al.[4].

Regionalization Methodology Systems of Aquatic Ecosystems in China and the Case Study of Huaihe River Basin

本文提出的水生态区划方法体系包括指导思想、基本原则、分区方法、命名与编码规则几个部分。其核心指导思想是科学发展观及人与自然和谐的理念;基本原则有区域相关性原则、协调原则、主导功能原则和分及区划原则;分区方法、命名与编码规则则随分区等级和研究尺度而异。本文采用2级分区的思路,提出了全国水生态区划分方案,包括6个水生态一级区和34个水生态二级区。基于以下3类7种水生态服务功能:水生态保育类(包括水源涵养、水土保持和物种保护),水生态调控类(包括洪水调蓄和生境维持),水生态服务类(包括产品提供和景观保障),以淮河流域为例,将3级水生态区划方法应用于流域尺度。在实例区共划分出2个水生态一级区、3个水生态二级区和21个水生态三级区。

Investigating bee dietary preferences along a gradient of floral resources:how does resource use align with resource availability?

Bee dietary preferences,or the floral resources that they consistently collect,likely impact where a species can persist.For this reason it is likely that bee dietary preferences are dependent upon the composition of the plant community.In this study,we evaluated floral visits and pollen loads of the mining bee,Andrena angustitarsata Viereck,across a 630 km north-south range to understand dietary preferences along a floral resource gradient.Previous research,in a more geographically limited area,suggested this species was an eclectic oligolege on predominantly Apiaceae and in part Rosaceae.In the present study we found the species predominately visited and collected pollen from Apiaceae and Rosaceae,but visited 12 flower families and collected pollen from 32,distinguishing them as generalist foragers.The frequency of Apiaceae pollen on the bees and the species-level specialization index(a measure of visit specialization)were higher in regions with higher Apiaceae abundance.In addition Apiaceae and Rosaceae were the only plant families significantly preferred for pollen collection,regardless of floral abundance.We conclude that across our study region A.angustitarsata has a generalist dietary breadth,but also has dietary preference for Apiaceae and Rosaceae.Our study indicates that while bees may overall make generalist foraging decisions they may still prefer and likely benefit from selecting fewer flower taxa.

Correlation analysis between vegetation coverage and climate drought conditions in North China during 2001–2013

Climate change is one of the most important factors that affect vegetation distribution in North China. Among all climatic factors, drought is considered to have the most significant effect on the environment. Based on previous studies, the climate drought index can be used to assess the evolutionary trend of the ecological environment under various arid climatic conditions. It is necessary for us to further explore the relationship between vegetation coverage（index） and climate drought conditions. Therefore, in this study, based on MODIS-NDVI products and meteorological observation data, the Palmer Drought Severity Index（PDSI） and vegetation coverage in North China were first calculated. Then, the interannual variations of PDSI and vegetation coverage during 2001–2013 were analyzed using a Theil-Sen slope estimator. Finally, an ecoregion perspective of the correlation between them was discussed. The experimental results demonstrated that the PDSI index and vegetation coverage value varied over different ecoregions. During the period 2001–2013, vegetation coverage increased in the southern and northern mountains of North China, while it showed a decreasing trend in the Beijing-Tianjin-Tangshan City Circle area and suburban agricultural zone located in Hebei Province and Henan Province）. Over 13 years, the climate of the northeastern part of North China became more humid, while in the southern part of North China, it tended to be dry. According to the correlation analysis results, 73.37% of North China showed a positive correlation between the vegetation coverage and climate drought index. A negative correlation was observed mainly in urban and suburban areas of Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei Province, and Henan Province. In most parts of North China, drought conditions in summer and autumn had a strong influence on vegetation coverage.

The effects of nutrients on stream invertebrates:a regional estimation by generalized propensity score

Introduction:The effects of nutrients on stream conditions within individual streams or small areas have been studied extensively,but the same effects over a large region have rarely been examined due to the difficulty of applying large-scale manipulative experiments.In this study,we estimated the causal effects of nutrients within the Western United States on invertebrate richness,an important biological indicator of stream conditions,by using observational data.Methods:We used the generalized propensity score method to avoid the common problem of statistical inference using observational data,i.e.,correlation established based on observational data does not imply a causal relationship because the effects of confounding factors are not properly separated.Results:Our analysis showed a subsidy-stress relationship between nutrients and invertebrate taxon richness in the whole Western United States and in its sub-ecoregions.The magnitude of the relationship varies among these subecoregions,suggesting a varying nitrogen effect on macroinvertebrates due,in large part,to the varying natural and anthropogenic conditions from ecoregion to ecoregion.Furthermore,our analysis confirmed that causal estimation results using regression can be sensitive to the imbalance of confounding factors.Conclusions:Stratifying data into ecoregions with relatively homogeneous environmental conditions or adjusting data by generalized propensity score can improve the balance of confounding factors,thereby allowing more reliable causal inference of nutrient effects.Invertebrates respond to the same nutrient levels differently across different site conditions.

Analysing urban dynamics using multi-temporal satellite images in the case of a mountain area, Sinaia (Romania)

The purpose of this study is to produce an analysis of the urban expansion in the case of a mountain resort in the Romanian Carpathians through the integration of different cartographic and ancillary material in the remote sensing imagery processing.The spatial pattern analysis of the changes underwent by the urban landscape was based on multi-temporal information sources,covering 28 years,which highlighted the major turning points in landscape evolution,meaning industrial development under the communist production planning and residential expansion in recent years.To fully exploit the combination of satellite image processing in IDRISI,the manual image classification and database interrogation in ArcGis,we used a uniform grid,representing a set of vector data for each year available from the Landsat image archive.The image comparison was completed by using appropriate quantitative techniques.In conclusion the urban landscape evolution was linked to the socio-economic context.At a historic scale the main phenomenon identified is the concentration of mass tourism facilities,located in contiguity to a protected area,a situation reflected in the constant fragmentation of surfaces covered with vegetation at the urban fringe.In the digital earth science,the interplay between mountain ecosystems and human activities encompasses a key role in the management of viable mountain landscapes.

Regional-scale relationship among biological soil crusts,invasive annual grasses,and disturbance

Introduction:Sagebrush ecosystems in western North America are being replaced by the invasion of annual grasses,particularly Bromus tectorum.In experimental situations and in localized landscapes,prior studies have documented that biological soil crusts(biocrusts)can reduce annual grass presence and that biocrusts are highly vulnerable to physical disturbance.Practical conservation would benefit from verification of these patterms at scales that matter to local economies.This study tests if these patterns appear at a regional scale.Methods:A previously collected data set of vegetation provided sampling of biocrust cover across the Great Basin within the state of Nevada,USA Data were analyzed with non-par ametric methods including odds ratios and generalized aditive models(GAM).Results:From a data set of 608 vegetation plots within the Great Basin ecoregion,proportion of plots with high annual grass cover differed between sites with high versus low biocrust cover(p=0.0015).A negative relationship between annual grass cover and biocrust cover was confirmed with GAM(p=0.009).For a model of biocrust cover,cattle disturbance was found to be an explanatory variable(p<0.00001).Conclusions:The patterns do appear at the regional scale,with high levels of cattle activity corresponding to low cover of biocrusts,and low cover of biocrusts corresponding to high cover of annual grasses.