Late Pleistocene and Holocene Afromontane vegetation and headwater wetland dynamics within the Eastern Mau Forest,Kenya

The Mau Forest Complex is Kenya's largest fragment of Afromontane forest, providing critical ecosystem services, and has been subject to intense land use changes since colonial times. It forms the upper catchment of rivers that drain into major drainage networks, thus supporting the livelihoods of millions of Kenyans and providing important wildlife areas. We present the results of a sedimentological and palynological analysis of a Late Pleistocene–Holocene sediment record of Afromontane forest change from Nyabuiyabui wetland in the Eastern Mau Forest, a highland region that has received limited geological characterization and palaeoecological study. Sedimentology, pollen, charcoal, X-ray fluorescence and radiocarbon data record environmental and ecosystem change over the last ~16 000 cal a bp. The pollen record suggests Afromontane forests characterized the end of the Late Pleistocene to the Holocene with dominant taxa changing from Apodytes, Celtis, Dracaena, Hagenia and Podocarpus to Cordia, Croton, Ficus, Juniperus and Olea. The Late Holocene is characterized by a more open Afromontane forest with increased grass and herbaceous cover. Continuous Poaceae, Cyperaceae and Juncaceae vegetation currently cover the wetland and the water level has been decreasing over the recent past. Intensive agroforestry since the 1920s has reduced Afromontane forest cover as introduced taxa have increased (Pinus, Cupressus and Eucalyptus).     

Fishing rights and small communities: Alaska halibut IFQ transfer patterns

In the Alaska halibut individual fishing quota (IFQ) fishery, small remote fishing communities (SRFCs) have disproportionately lost fishing rights. Our analysis of quota market participation from 1995 to 1999 confirms that SRFC residents are more likely to sell than buy quota. Alaska Native heritage is another important predictor of quota market behavior. Residents of Alaska Native villages have an increased likelihood of selling quota. Loss of fisheries participation in small indigenous communities can be an unintended consequence of quota systems. Mitigation measures should take into account the social factors that can lead to such a redistribution of fishing rights in privatized access fisheries.     

The potential role of roots and rhizomes in structuring salt-marsh benthic communities

The density of the Carolina marsh clam,Polymesoda caroliniana (Bosc), was determined in three adjacent tidal marsh communities which differed only in plant species composition. Clam density was inversely related to the density (biomass) of plant roots and rhizomes in sediments and directly related to density of plant stems (numbers). Clam abundance was not related to the basal area of plant stems. Each plant community contained clams of various ages from juvenile to adult indicating continued recruitment and survival. These data suggest thatP. caroliniana is most abundant inJuncus roemerianus marshes because there are fewer roots and rhizomes (mean of 2.5 kg m^?2) to hamper burrwing as compared toSpartina alterniflora andcynosuroides (5.1 and 6.3 kg m^?2, respectively) dominated marshes. Salinity, floding frequency, distance from flooding water, and sediment type were essentially constant among the three plant communities. Root/rhizome density should be collected along with other environmental parameters during studies of benthic organisms on marshes because it potentially limits the occurrence or abundance of some species.     

Belowground productivity of roots and rhizomes in a giant cordgrass marsh

Belowground production of roots and rhizomes in the top 20 cm of soil was 2.2 kg m^?2 yr^?1 based on a maximum minus minimum estimation procedure in a giant cordgrass (Spartina cynosuroides (L.) Roth) marsh in Mississippi. Approximately 1.9 kg m^?2 (86%) of this production occurred in late spring-summer and 0.3 kg m^?2 in late fall. This estimate ignores any production below 20 cm depth and is thus an underestimate. Production values increased to 4.0 kg m^?2 yr^?1 using Smalley’s technique and accounting for decomposition. Aboveground tissues (leaves and stems) were depleted in nitrogen in July which corresponded to peaks in both above- and belowground biomass. The low root/shoot ratio (2.6) on this marsh does not suggest that growth is nutrient limited. Indeed, total productivity (above- and belowground) for this marsh was high (between 4.4 and 6.2 kg m^?2 yr^?1).     

The relative performance of various cup anemometers in a gusty wind

Summary Wind data collected during the Great Plains Turbulence Field Experiment of 1953 are used to study the relative performances of various types of cup anemometers subjected to air flow of known gustiness. Scatter diagrams which relate differences in the indicated mean speeds of two anemometers to gustiness are prepared. Although the instruments compared represent a wide range of moments of inertia, no relationship between gustiness and anemometer performance is noted. This result is examined in light of Schrenk's parameter which describes anemometer performance.

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Zusammenfassung Windbeobachtungen, welche während des Great Plains Turbulence Field Program im Jahre 1953 gewonnen wurden, werden zu einem Vergleich verschiedener Typen von Schalenkreuzanemometern in einem Windfeld von bekannter Böigkeit verwendet. Die Ergebnisse werden in Form von Streubildern veranschaulicht, in denen die Geschwindigkeits-unterschiede von verschiedenen Anemometern als Funktion des Böigkeitsgrades aufgetragen sind. Obgleich die verglichenen Anemometer erheblich verschiedene Trägheitsmomente besitzen, ergibt sich keine Abhängigkeit der Anzeigedifferenzen von der Böigkeit des Windes. Dieser Befund wird mit Hilfe des Schrenkschen Parameters näher beleuchtet.

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Résumé Les observations anémométriques effectuées dans le cadre du Great Plains Turbulence Field Program en 1953 sont utilisées ici dans le but de comparer différents types d'anémomètres à cupules placés dans un champ de mouvement de turbulence connue. Les résultats sont donnés sous forme d'essaims de points dans un système de référence: écarts individuels de l'indication et degré de turbulence. Bien que les instruments comparés présentent des moments d'inertie notablement différents, les écarts observés ne dépendent pas de la turbulence du vent. Ce résultat est encore examiné à l'aide du paramètre de Schrenk.

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With 4 Figures