This study focuses on the new archaeobotanical materials recovered from the Tiaotou site dating from the Late Neolithic to the Early Bronze Age to explore changes of agriculture in the Hangjiahu Plain, southeastern China. The stratigraphic succession at Tiaotou spans from the Late Liangzhu Culture (3300-2300 BC) to Western Zhou Dynasty (1046-771 BC), providing a long sequence of macrobotanical evidence. The results show that, compared with the Liangzhu Culture period (3300-2300 BC), the intensity of rice farming at the Tiaotou area likely declined during the Maqiao Culture period (1900-1200 BC). However, during the Late Shang period (1200-1000 BC), coinciding with the introduction of bronze technology, signs of a revival in the rice agricultural economy may have emerged at Tiaotou. Based on the identification and statistical analysis of charred crop remains from the Tiaotou site, along with comparative analysis of previous archaeobotanical findings from nearby sites, this research provides new insights into understanding the developmental trajectory of ancient agricultural societies in the Hangjiahu Plain.
The distribution and abundance of species is a product of the interplay of climatic and environmental factors, both past and present, natural, and anthropogenic. In the most recent stage of the Anthropocene, these changes have been extremely rapid and abrupt. The objective of this work is to discuss some socio-environmental problems of northern Patagonia by comparing micromammal archeological and paleontological sequences attributable to the final Late-Holocene and post-Hispanic period with current samples from the region. Several sites in northern Patagonia, from the Andean forest, the Steppe and Monte regions, and their ecotone, were selected as study cases. The comparison of the species composition from the final Late-Holocene and post-Hispanic assemblages with local small mammal communities indicates species extinctions, considerable reductions in their distributional ranges, and an increase in the abundance of opportunistic taxa. The causes have been attributed to the accelerated deterioration of natural ecosystems due to anthropogenic factors, including habitat destruction caused by the expansion of agriculture and livestock farming, the introduction of exotic plant and animal species, soil compaction, and other factors. Paleoecology, as a historical science of nature, inevitably requires the use of modern analogues in its interpretations, a situation that became increasingly difficult and challenging in the times of the Anthropocene, where current communities are constantly changing due to anthropogenic causes.
Several Argentine mammals were last recorded more than half a century ago. This could mean that more sampling efforts are needed, that they are possible synonyms of other extant taxa, or that they have gone extinct (locally or globally). We reviewed literature on the 372 native continental mammal species from Argentina to identify those lacking recent observations (<50 years), assessing year and context of the last record, considering possible causes for the absence of recent data, and concluding with a distinction between those that can be assumed as extant and those that are most likely extinct. After identifying 20 species (one didelphimorph marsupial, one sloth, one bat, 14 rodents and three carnivores), we ruled out extinction for eight: seven come from undersampled areas and/or have habits that tend to elude sampling (thus, they may still be extant and more fieldwork could lead to their rediscovery), three would be cases of synonymy, and probable new specimens were recently collected for two. For the remaining 12 species, we found sufficient information, such as habitat destruction and failed sampling efforts, to believe they have gone extinct: five regionally for Argentina (although one’s type locality is uncertain, meaning it may have never dwelled in this country) and seven globally. Among them, all small mammals are listed as extant by the IUCN. Our assessment proposes a significant increase in the number of regional and global extinctions, while highlighting the need of increasing sampling efforts and the importance of museum collections to determine species’ current status.
Small mammals are highly sensitive bioindicators widely used to reconstruct paleoenvironmental conditions. This study analyzes modern and archeological assemblages from Northern Córdoba province (central Argentina) to evaluate changes in community structure from the Holocene to the present. Modern data derive from raptor pellet samples across different environmental units (Espinal, Mountain Chaco and Arid Chaco), while archeological data span ca. 6000–400 years BP and come from the Mountain Chaco. Taxonomic richness, diversity, and evenness were assessed, and assemblage composition was examined in relation to environmental and taphonomic factors. Archeological assemblages show moderate to high diversity and reflect heterogeneous landscapes, with gradual compositional changes through time. The presence of taxa such as Holochilus brasiliensis in currently unsuitable environments suggests past conditions of greater moisture. In contrast, modern assemblages are dominated by opportunistic and introduced species, indicating a marked ecological reorganization. These results suggest long-term stability during the Holocene, followed by recent, human-drive changes linked to land-use intensification, habitat transformation, and biotic homogenization.
The coastal districts of Bangladesh and the Sundarbans mangrove forest region are experiencing increasing cyclone impacts, as well as sea level rise and ocean warming. The study uses Sentinel-2 multispectral imagery with a resolution of ~10 m and Sentinel-1 Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) to estimate vegetation loss and inundation by storm surge due to Cyclones Fani (2019), Bulbul (2019), and Amphan (2020). Changes in vegetation and storm surge inundation were quantified by NDVI and mapped with Sentinel-1 VV backscatter and scene-specific threshold-based classification, respectively. The cyclone-induced dense canopy loss is the highest in Cyclone Fani (~554 km 2 ), and the storm surge inundation is the highest in Cyclone Amphan (~1416 km 2 ) over seven coastal districts, as revealed in the results. The accuracy of classification was over 92%, with kappa >0.80 for methodological robustness. The multi-cyclone approach is multi-sensor and provides a replicable procedure for deltaic risk assessment. In the interest of enhancing resilience, we recommend focusing on cyclone-resistant mangrove reforestation, institutionalizing the tracking of flood through SAR and making geospatial analytics an integral part of local disaster preparedness. There is also a need for hybrid embankment systems and enhanced drainage infrastructure in the long-term for adaptation support by policymakers.
