Conservation of challenging endemic plant species at high risk of extinction in arid mountain ecosystems:a case study of Rosa arabica Crép.in Egypt

Rosa arabica Crép.is a perennial shrub belonging to the family Rosaceae.It is endemic to the high mountain area of St.Catherine Protected Area(SCPA)in southern Sinai,Egypt,and is listed as one of the most 100 threatened plants in the world.Recently,it has been listed as critically endangered by IUCN Red List due to its small extent of occurrence and tiny population size.We reported the continuous decline in habitat quality for this species and the urgent need to carry out on-ground conservation actions.So,this research aims to conserve Rosa arabica through in situ practices by implementing the following steps,respectively:a)evaluate the current conservation status through IUCN Red List to extract the environmental factors controlling the species’distribution necessary for establishing the recovery program,b)determine the potential species habitat suitability under the current climate conditions using Maxent,and c)based on the previous two steps,the translocation process for R.arabica in the suitable habitat will be done after the simple layering process as one of the most effective traditional vegetative methods for wild cultivation for this species.These steps aimed to reduce the impact of threats and the risk of extinction through increasing the population size,the Extent of Occurrence(EOO),and the Area of Occupancy(AOO).We extracted the environmental factors controlling the target species’distribution and habitat suitability range using the IUCN Red List assessment and Species Distribution Model(SDM).The most suitable habitat for R.arabica is predicted in the middle northern parts of SCPA,with the highest suitability in the High Mountains.Precipitation of driest quarter,precipitation of wettest month,precipitation of coldest quarter,and aspect are the highest mean contributors determining the distribution of R.arabica in SCPA.Rosa arabica potential distribution covers 324.4 km^(2)(7.46%)of the total SCPA area(4350 km^(2)).This area is divided into:18.1 km^(2)high probability,124.3 km^(2)moderate probability,and 182 km^(2)low probability.After one year of the simple layering process,ten branches rooted and were translocated into three sites that had been previously identified to cover three habitat suitability ranges(high,moderate,and low suitability).After a year of translocation in the wild,the survival rate ranged from 66%to 100%,the geographical range increased by 65%,and the population size by 6.8%.Therefore,if the new individuals continue to grow and adapt it may lead to the expansion of other environmental factors such as climatic and topographical factors that probably increase the resilience of the global population of the species to adverse events.Detailed information is provided in this research about the recovery program,from planning to implementation and monitoring,and recommendations for best practices.

Hydrochemistry of Umm Er Radhuma Groundwater

Umm Er Radhuma Aquifer (UER) is the most important groundwater aquifer in Saudi Arabia, extending over 1.6 M·km2 in the eastern part of the Arabian Peninsula, forming the main aquifer throughout the Rub’ Al-Khali (RAK). Groundwater salinity increased from west to east, reaching more than 27,000 mg/L near the border with the United Arab Emirates, where a Na+-Ca2+Clˉ- water type dominated. Gibbs diagrams indicated that the dissolution/precipitation of carbonates and evaporation/precipitation of minerals, especially anhydrite, gypsum, and halite account for the solutes and salinity in groundwater. Most of the samples plot above the 1:1 line of (Ca2+ + Mg2+) against , indicating other sources of Ca2+ and Mg2+ in the groundwater along with dolomite and calcium carbonate minerals. Phreeqc model indicated that the main clay minerals are kaolinite and gibbsite which had major effect on the cation exchange process as indicated by the Chloro-Alkaline index (CAI), where most of groundwater samples had values greater than zero which indicated the occurrence of reverse ion exchange between the groundwater and its host aquifer. The water type Na+-Ca2+Clˉ-dominated in the eastern part of the aquifer as the anaerobic conditions prevailed and the reduction of sulphate took place.

Trump's Economic Security Strategy and Its Implications

Trump's economic security strategy, as a product of the United States' rising domestic contradictions and relative decline, marks a major adjustment of US international economic policy. With the implementation of relevant policies, it will have a far-reaching impact on the integration of the world economy and China-US bilateral cooperation.

Geochemistry and Origin of the Hyper Salinity of Groundwater in Wasia-Biyadh Aquifer, Saudi Arabia

The origin of the hyper saline groundwater in aquifers all over the world is still unclear till today. The current paper is an attempt to interpret a possible origin of the hyper salinity in the groundwater of the Wasia-Biyadh Aquifer system in Saudi Arabia. The result indicated that the major factors contributing salinity to groundwater are silicate weathering and evaporite dissolution/and or evaporation, as indicated by the Na+-normalized Ca2+ VS HCO3-plot. However, some groundwater samples showed hyper salinity that had been attributed to the presence of a naturally-occurring-hydrothermal system, due to the high concentration of the radionuclides within the aquifer. The high-salinity samples (Na-Cl type) plot under the evaporation line on the Na+/Cl- vs. Cl- relationship, suggesting deep heating that resulted in hyper salinity. The geochemical reactions in the eastern part of the aquifer included the precipitation of pyrite, dolomite, clay, and the incongruent dissolution of plagioclase.

Closing the Gaps in Disaster Management and Response:Drawing on Local Experiences with Cyclone Idai in Chimanimani,Zimbabwe

Cyclone Idai in Zimbabwe exposed deficiencies in the country's disaster management system.This study uses a phenomenological case exploration of the experiences of local residents in Rusitu Valley following cyclone-induced floods that affected the area in March 2019.Through capturing narratives of participants who were recruited through chain referrals,the research intends to understand how local actors,utilizing their local-based response systems,managed to fill in the voids that characterize disaster management practice in Zimbabwe.Results show that the participation of local"heroes"and"Samaritans,"by deploying their social networks,norms,relationships,practices,and modest ingenuity,helped to speed up response times and minimize threats to lives and livelihoods.Documentation of the stories of local actors about their disaster experiences also gives a richer picture of the Cyclone Idai disaster.Although the community response system also facilitated the operation of external disaster management agencies,their premature withdrawal tended to weaken the trust and values existing in the area,and created tensions between the disaster-affected people and other villagers.Given the delays in formal responses by the government and other external relief agencies,the practices of local actors,although spontaneous and largely uncoordinated,offer rich insights into the design and development of disaster management regimes.