Comparison of heat and bromide as ground water tracers near streams

Heat and bromide were compared as tracers for examining stream/ground water exchanges along the middle reaches of the Santa Clara River, California, during a 10-hour surface water sodium bromide injection test. Three cross sections that comprise six shallow (<1 m) piezometers were installed at the upper, middle, and lower sections of a 17 km long study reach, to monitor temperatures and bromide concentrations in the shallow ground water beneath the stream. A heat and ground water transport simulation model and a closely related solute and ground water transport simulation model were matched up for comparison of simulated and observed temperatures and bromide concentrations in the streambed. Vertical, one-dimensional simulations of sediment temperature were fitted to observed temperature results, to yield apparent streambed hydraulic conductivities in each cross section. The temperature-based hydraulic conductivities were assigned to a solute and ground water transport model to predict sediment bromide concentrations, during the sodium bromide injection test. Vertical, one-dimensional simulations of bromide concentrations in the sediments yielded a good match to the observed bromide concentrations, without adjustment of any model parameters except solute dispersivities. This indicates that, for the spatial and temporal scales examined on the Santa Clara River, the use of heat and bromide as tracers provide comparable information with respect to apparent hydraulic conductivities and fluxes for sediments near streams. In other settings, caution should be used due to differences in the nature of conservative (bromide) versus nonconservative (heat) tracers, particularly when preferential flowpaths are present.     

Effects of trace metal and exposure to air on serotonin and dopamine levels in tissues of the mussel Perna perna

We evaluated levels of serotonin (5HT) and dopamine (DOPA) in muscle and digestive glands of the mussel, Perna perna, collected at different times of day; exposed to air for 24 h, followed by re-submersion; and after exposure to different metals. Mussels collected at different periods of day showed little oscillation in 5HT and DOPA levels. Mussels exposed to metals showed significant changes in 5HT and DOPA levels in digestive gland and muscle, as did mussels exposed to air. Our data suggest that analyses of 5HT and DOPA in tissues of mussels could serve as a tool to evaluate the presence and effects of heavy metal contamination in mussels. Care in data interpretation is required, however, since other environmental factors such as exposure of mussels to air (i.e. at low tides) can also cause changes in DOPA and 5HT levels. Additional research is necessary to separate such natural environmental effects from effects of contaminants.     

Multivariate statistical analysis of some recent volcanics from the Central Andes of Southern Peru

The application of Principal Component and Discriminant analysis to the major and minor oxides of recent volcanics from the Central Andes (S-Peru, N-Chile, Bolivia and Argentina) illustrates a variation in chemical composition related to geographical distribution, mainly in terms of TiO₂ and K₂O. A relationship between chemistry and distance from the Peru-Chile trench, dependent on P, Ti and Sr content of some cenozoic lavas from Southern Peru is also illustrated, by means of Multilinear Standardized Regressions and Partial Correlation analysis.

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Zusammenfassung Die Anwendung zweier statistischer Methoden (Principal Component und Discriminant Analysis) zur Erfassung der Oxidverteilung in den rezenten Vulkaniten der zentralen Anden (S-Peru, N-Chile, Bolivien und Argentinien) hat gezeigt, daß die Variation der chemischen Zusammensetzung, hauptsächlich bei TiO₂ und K₂O, abhängig von der geographischen Position der Ausbruchzentren ist.Eine Beziehung zwischen Geochemie und Entfernung vom Peru-Chile Tief-Seegraben für die rezenten Laven in S-Peru wird ferner mit multilinearen standardisierten Regressionen und Korrelationsanalysen, mit Schwerpunkt bei den Elementen P, Ti und Sr, aufgezeigt.

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Resume L'application de deux méthodes statistiques multivariées (Principal Component et Discriminant Analysis) à la distribution des éléments majeurs et mineurs dans les roches volcaniques récentes des Andes centrales (S-Pérou, N-Chili, Bolivie et Argentine) montre une variation de la composition chimique en fonction de la distribution géographique, surtout en ce qui concerne TiO₂ et K₂O.Une relation entre la variation de composition chimique de quelques laves récentes du Pérou du Sud et la distance du fossé océanique du Pérou-Chili est aussi montrée, à l'aide des Regressions Multilinéaires Standardisées et de l'Analyse de Corrélation partielle. Cette relation concerne spécialment les teneurs en P, Ti et Sr des laves étudiées.

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— Principal Component, Discriminant Analysis ( , , ) , . . . iO₂, K₂, . - . T Sr

     

Quaternary palaeoecology and nature conservation: a general review with examples from the neotropics

Palaeoecology, as an ecological discipline, is able to provide relevant inputs for conservation science and ecosystem management, especially for issues involving long-term processes, such as ecological succession, migration, adaptation, microevolution, and extinction. This use of palaeoecology has been noted for several decades, and it has become widely accepted, especially in the frame of ongoing and near-future global warming and its potential biotic consequences. Selected palaeoecological insights of interest for conservation include the following: 1) species respond in an individualistic manner to environmental changes that lead to changes in community composition, suggesting that future ecosystems would have no modern analogues; 2) in the short-term, acclimation is more likely a response of species that are expected to persist in the face of global warming, but the possibility of evolutionary change linked to the existence of pre-adapted genomes cannot be dismissed; 3) species unable to acclimate or adapt to new conditions should migrate or become extinct, which has been observed in past records; 4) current extinction estimates for the near-future should be revised in light of palaeoecological information, which shows that spatial reorganisations and persistence in suitable microrefugia have been more common than extinction during the Quaternary; 5) biotic responses to environmental changes do not necessarily follow the rules of equilibrium dynamics but depend on complex and non-linear processes that lead to unexpected “surprises”, which are favoured by the occurrence of thresholds and amplifying positive feedbacks; 6) threshold responses can cause the movement of ecosystems among several potentially stable states depending on their resilience, or the persistence of transient states; 7) species and their communities have responded to environmental changes in a heterogeneous fashion according to the local and regional features, which is crucial for present and future management policies; 8) the global warming that occurred at the end of the Younger Drays cold reversal (ca 13.0 to 11.5 cal kyr BP) took place at similar rates and magnitudes compared to the global warming projected for the 21st century, thus becoming a powerful past analogue for prediction modelling; 9) environmental changes have acted upon ecosystems in an indirect way by modifying human behaviour and activities that, in turn, have had the potential of changing the environment and enhancing the disturbance effects by synergistic processes involving positive feedbacks; 10) the collapse of past civilisations under climate stress has been chiefly the result of inadequate management procedures and weaknesses in social organisation, which would be a warning for the present uncontrolled growth of human population, the consequent overexploitation of natural resources, and the continuous increase of greenhouse gas emissions; 11) the impact of fire as a decisive ecological agent has increased since the rise of humans, especially during the last millennia, but anthropic fires were not dominant over natural fires until the 19th century; 12) fire has been an essential element in the development and ecological dynamics of many ecosystems, and it has significantly affected the worldwide biome distribution; 13) climate–fire–human synergies that amplify the effects of climate, or fire alone, have been important in the shaping of modern landscapes. These general paleoecological observations and others that have emerged from case studies of particular problems can improve the preservation of biodiversity and ecosystem functions. Nature conservation requires the full consideration of palaeoecological knowledge in an ecological context, along with the synergistic cooperation of palaeoecologists with neoecologists, anthropologists, and conservation scientists.     

LMWOA (low molecular weight organic acid) exudation by salt marsh plants: Natural variation and response to Cu contamination

This work aimed to evaluate, in vitro, the capability of roots of two salt marsh plants to release low molecular weight organic acids (LMWOAs) and to ascertain whether Cu contamination would stimulate or not organic acids exudation. The sea rush Juncus maritimus and the sea-club rush Scirpus maritimus, both from the lower Douro river estuary (NW Portugal), were used. Plants were collected seasonally, four times a year in 2004, during low tide. After sampling, plant roots were washed for removal of adherent particles and immersed for 2 h in a solution that matched salinity (3) and pH (7.5) of the pore water from the same location to obtain plant exudates. In one of the seasons, similar experiments were carried out but spiking the solution with different amounts of Cu in order to embrace the range between 0 and 1600 nM. In the final solutions as well as in sediment pore water LMWOAs were determined by high performance liquid chromatography. Plants were able to release, in a short period of time, relatively high amounts of LMWOAs (oxalate, citrate, malate, malonate, and succinate). In the sediment pore water oxalate, succinate and acetate were also detected. Therefore, plant roots probably contributed to the presence of some of these organic compounds in pore water. Exudation differed between the plant species and also showed some seasonally variation, particularly for S. maritimus. The release of oxalate by J. maritimus increased with Cu increase in the media. However, exudation of the other LMWOAs did not seem to be stimulated by Cu contamination in the media. This fact is compatible with the existence of alternative internal mechanisms for Cu detoxification, as denoted by the fact that in media contaminated with Cu both plant species accumulated relatively high amounts (29–83%) of the initially dissolved Cu. This study expands our knowledge on the contribution of globally dominant salt marsh plants to the release of LMWOAs into the environment.     

Metabolic conversion of cyclohexane by Pacific salmon microsomal preparations

Hydrocarbons are being introduced into the marine environment from a variety of sources including combustion processes, crude oil spills, fuel oil spills, and controlled disposal such as processed ballast water. Even in the relatively clean waters of Alaska hydrocarbons are being released at an alarming rate. The purpose of this study was to determine the optimum conditions for the metabolism of a representative hydrocarbon by Coho Salmon Oncorhynchus kisutch liver microsomes. The product of cyclohexane metabolism in the salmon microsomal system was identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry as cyclohexanol. Conditions of the microsome incubation were varied systematically to determine the optimum temperature, pH, and ionic strength for cyclohexanol production. Cyclohexanol was quantified by capillary column gas chromatography. Maximum cyclohexanol formation was achieved at 20°C, a pH of 8·0–8·5 and an ionic strength of 0·026. A linear rate of cyclohexanol formation is seen from 0–60 min of incubation and there is an apparent decrease in the rate from 60–90 min. Poor stability of the microsomal preparation from the species studied was also identified and several stability studies have been undertaken using cyclohexane metabolism as a monitor.     

An integrated 1D–2D hydraulic modelling approach to assess the sensitivity of a coastal region to compound flooding hazard under climate change

Coastal regions are dynamic areas that often lie at the junction of different natural hazards. Extreme events such as storm surges and high precipitation are significant sources of concern for flood management. As climatic changes and sea-level rise put further pressure on these vulnerable systems, there is a need for a better understanding of the implications of compounding hazards. Recent computational advances in hydraulic modelling offer new opportunities to support decision-making and adaptation. Our research makes use of recently released features in the HEC-RAS version 5.0 software to develop an integrated 1D–2D hydrodynamic model. Using extreme value analysis with the Peaks-Over-Threshold method to define extreme scenarios, the model was applied to the eastern coast of the UK. The sensitivity of the protected wetland known as the Broads to a combination of fluvial, tidal and coastal sources of flooding was assessed, accounting for different rates of twenty-first century sea-level rise up to the year 2100. The 1D–2D approach led to a more detailed representation of inundation in coastal urban areas, while allowing for interactions with more fluvially dominated inland areas to be captured. While flooding was primarily driven by increased sea levels, combined events exacerbated flooded area by 5–40% and average depth by 10–32%, affecting different locations depending on the scenario. The results emphasise the importance of catchment-scale strategies that account for potentially interacting sources of flooding.

     

An indurated Pleistocene coastal barrier on the inner shelf of the Gulf of Valencia (western Mediterranean): evidence for a prolonged relative sea-level stillstand

The objective of this study is to document and interpret a recently discovered carbonate-cemented coastal barrier on the inner shelf of the Gulf of Valencia (western Mediterranean Sea). The coastal barrier was identified in a high-resolution digital bathymetric model based on a cartographic survey of the study area using a multibeam echosounder. Moreover, radiocarbon dating and petrographic analyses were performed on a rock sample recovered from the seabed. The data reveal the submerged coastal barrier to be approx. 1.7 km wide and 70 km long, and incised by channels of various dimensions. Aligned more or less parallel to the modern coastline, it is interpreted as corresponding to the shoreline of a former sea-level stillstand. The barrier and lagoon system became stranded above sea level in the course of a subsequent forced regression, which also caused the incision of the river courses. Age dating of the cemented rock suggests that the fossil coastal barrier most probably formed during the prolonged Tyrrhenian (Eemian) sea-level highstand, induration taking place by carbonate cementation at the contact between freshwater and seawater (beach-rock formation). The fact that the fossil barrier is today submerged below modern sea level is explained by the sustained subsidence affecting the region.