This study analyses pollen and fungal assemblages from 64 samples- including moss, soil surface, root, and dung- collected along an elevational gradient extending from the Santa Barbara and Ventura coasts to the Transverse Mountains near Mount Pinos (up to ~2600 m asl) in Kern County, southern California, USA. Through a palynological investigation of key sites representative of the region’s landscape diversity, structure, and connectivity, we identify five major findings: (1) modern pollen and fungi distribution patterns across the explored elevational zones in relation with their associated plant communities; (2) pollen reference values indicative of the local presence of corresponding plant taxa; (3) reference values for palynological richness and evenness, reflecting floristic diversity and landscape homogeneity and patchiness; 4) fungi associated with plant roots, revealing potential host plants and providing the first refinement of plant community reconstructions in the US Southwest; and (5) the most reliable coprophilous fungi, which improve the characterization of human- and animal-induced disturbances (e.g., herbivore activity and grazing pressure). The resulting dataset was further evaluated for its utility in interpreting long-term vegetation dynamics and landscape shaping inferred from palynological analyses of sedimentary records. Additionally, these findings offer much-needed insights for guiding landscape conservation strategies—such as connectivity restoration and mycoremediation—in southern California.
Microplastics have emerged as persistent anthropogenic particles in modern riverine sedimentary systems. Yet, how natural grain-size sorting influences their partitioning, enrichment and retention remains poorly understood, particularly in high-energy mountain rivers. Using microscopy and μ-Raman spectroscopy, this study quantified and characterized microplastics in size-segregated sediment fractions from four Himalayan rivers (Beas, Parvati, Uhl, and Suketi) in a tourism-rich Indian western Himalayan region. Grain-size-weighted microplastic abundance (mean ± SD) was 7 ± 6 (Parvati), 14 ± 6 (Beas), 15 ± 12 (Suketi), and 29 ± 15 (Uhl) particles g⁻¹ of bulk sediment, calculated by weighting the microplastic abundance of each sediment fraction by its corresponding mass proportion. The majority of the microplastic particles (60%) were in the size range of 5 – 20 μm, and fragments were the dominant morphology, and 24 polymer types were identified. Microplastic abundance generally increased with decreasing sediment grain size, although the magnitude and statistical support varied among rivers. Statistically resolved grain-size-dependent differences were observed only in the Beas River after Holm correction, whereas Uhl and Suketi showed significant omnibus effects without significant pairwise differences after correction, and Parvati showed no significant grain-size effect. Greater microplastic enrichment in finer sediment fractions indicates that sediment grain size is an important factor influencing microplastic partitioning within high-energy fluvial systems. Differences among rivers may further reflect contrasting sediment composition and hydrogeomorphic context, although these controls were not directly measured. These findings highlight sediment grain-size as an important physical framework for interpreting the spatial distribution and potential sediment-associated storage of microplastics in dynamic mountain river systems.
Former field relics (FFR) are microtopographic features: ridge and furrow, lynchets, terraces, headland ridges, stone walls, and stone heaps, inherited from past farming practices. In Europe, they are often described as being “everywhere”, particularly in landscapes that have escaped modern agricultural intensification. In this review, we provide quantitative support for this assumption by synthesizing over 150 studies on FFR across Europe. We also mapped the spatial distribution of the reviewed FFR, with a particular focus on Central Temperate Europe. We successively examine the definitions of the most common FFR, their detection issues, chronology, legacy in contemporary landscapes, and protection status. Finally, we highlight the need for a better understanding of FFR, more harmonised research at the continental scale, and stronger measures for their protection.
