Recolonization dynamics in a mixed seagrass meadow: The role of clonal versus sexual processes

Recolonization dynamics from disturbance on a Philippine mixed seagrass meadow, containing species spanning more than 10-fold in rhizome elongation rates and reproductive effort, was examined by following the recovery of a 1,200 m² gap over 2.5 yr. The objective was to assess the contribution of contrasting species to the recovery process and to evaluate the importance of sexual versus vegetative colonization. Large, slow-growing species,Thalassia hemprichii andEnhalus acoroides, that produce large, broadly-dispersed seeds dominated sexual colonization with a total of 2,643 and 210 seedlings, respectively, recruiting to the area. Despite very rapid turnover of sexual recruits, the high frequency of seedling establishment ensured successful development of new patches in areas devoid of vegetation, leading to a scattered and evenly distributed presence of vegetation inside the gap. The small seagrass speciesCymodocea rotundata andHalodule uninervis, characterized by fast rhizome elongation rates but low reproductive output and limited seed dispersal, were the major contributors to the overall 450 m² increase in vegetation cover through fast lateral extension (144±6 cm yr⁻¹) from meadow edge and surviving patches, forming a compact vegetation cover in one edge of the denuded area. We conclude that contrasting recruitment strategies in the mixed-species seagrass community examined have implications for colonization potential at different spatial scales. Fast clonal growth is only an efficient mechanism for colonization of disturbances within established meadows (small gaps), whereas the large species, which combined high reproductive output with high seed dispersal capacity, may act to accelerate the colonization process in large gaps or distant from established meadows.     

Faunal colonization of artificial seagrass plots: The importance of surface area versus space size relative to body size

An index of structural habitat complexity was devised: the average inter-structural space size within a habitat/the width of the prey organism of concern (Sp/Py). Prey survivorship should be low at Sp/Py<1 as the prey will be effectively excluded from using the habitat as refuge (they cannot maneuver through the spaces). At Sp/Py near to 1, survivorship should be high, as the spaces within the habitat are ideal for the prey and their predators are excluded (assuming they are larger than the prey). As Sp/Py increases, prey survivorship should drop rapidly until reaching a lower plateau where no predators are excluded by the structure. Sp/Py is dimensionless, and is potentially applicable across different scales and habitat types. Some of the predictions of this model were tested using artificial seagrass plots deployed in a seagrass bed in the York River, Virginia. The plots had 5 different structural treatments: control (a base with no ribbon), low, medium and high densities, as well as a heterogeneous treatment (composed of 1/3 low, medium and high density in a single treatment). The abundance of 2 mobile fauna size classes (<3.5 mm width and 3.5 to 9.5 mm width) and total species richness were compared among the different density treatments. The abundance of the smaller fauna increased with increasing density, and this response was proportional to the total surface area of the plots. The small fauna apparently did not respond to the smaller, ideal space sizes associated with the higher density plots. The larger fauna responded to the treatments as well, with the highest abundances occurring in the heterogeneous and high density treatments. The larger fauna did not respond to the structure proportional to the surface area within the plots, and its is possible that they responded to the inter-structural space sizes appropriate to their body sizes, although the results do not clearly support this conclusion. The different treatments did not affect species richness when the effect of total abundance on richness was controlled.     

Assessing the age of relief growth in the Andes of northern Chile: Magneto-polarity chronologies from Neogene continental sections

The Andes of northern Chile currently experience a phase of relief rejuvenation as indicated by valleys that are >1000 m dissected into pediplains. However, it has been unclear when this phase of relief enhancement started. This paper discusses the use of palaeomagnetic chronologies from four sections in the Taracapá-Region (northern Chile) to assess this age. The sections are located in distal and proximal positions. Sediment accumulation occurred between c. 22.5 and 8/7.5 Ma with a hiatus that possibly spans a time interval between c. 19.5 and 11 Ma. The magnetic polarity chronologies suggest a preferred age between 8.0 and 7.5 Ma for the time when relief growth started. In proximal positions, however, alternative correlations suggest an age of 8.5 Ma. In addition, the palaeomagnetic data reveal no rotation of the analysed strata, suggesting a minimum age of c. 22.5 Ma for the tectonic block rotation south of the Arica deflection.     

On the waterfront: Quaternary environments and the formative occupation of Southwestern Ecuador

The occurrence of tectonic uplift in coastal South American prehistory is discussed and evidence of emerged shoreline features is presented for the area of the Santa Elena Peninsula in Ecuador. It is hypothesized that this activity, once thought to be exclusively Pleistocene in timing, continued on into the Holocene. Given this perspective and field data, the role of the Early Formative Period Valdivia phase (3500-1500 B.C.) site of Real Alto is examined, as is the economic structure of Real Alto society. the pattern of site distribution and data from geological units indicate a long period of tectonic activity that restructured the Ecuadorian coastline and affected northern Andean prehistory. the implications for the origins of Valdivia and New World pottery are reconsidered in light of new information on the Quaternary environments of Ecuador.     

Cordierite III: the site occupation and concentration of Fe3+

Cordierite has the ideal formula (Mg,Fe)₂Al₄Si₅O₁₈ ^.x(H₂O,CO₂), but it must contain some Fe³⁺ to account for its blue color and strong pleochroism. The site occupation and concentration of Fe³⁺ in two Mg-rich natural cordierites have been investigated by EPR and ⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy. In addition, powder IR spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and TEM examination were used to characterize the samples. Single-crystal and powder EPR spectra indicate that Fe³⁺ is located on T₁1 in natural cordierites and not in the channels. The amount in Mg-rich cordierites is very small with an upper limit set by Mössbauer spectroscopy giving less than 0.004 cations per formula unit (pfu). Fe³⁺ in cordierite can, therefore, be considered insignificant for most petrologic calculations. Heat-treating cordierite in air at 1,000?°C for 2?days causes an oxidation and/or loss of Fe²⁺ on T₁1, together with an expulsion of Na⁺ from the channels, whereas heating at the Fe–FeO buffer produces little Fe³⁺ in cordierite. Heating at 1,000?°C removes all class I H₂O, but small amounts of class II H₂O remain as shown by the IR measurements. No evidence for channel Fe²⁺ or Fe³⁺ in the heat-treated samples was found. The blue color in cordierite arises from a broad absorption band (E//b and weaker with E//a) around 18,000?cm^?1 originating from charge-transfer between Fe²⁺ in the octahedron and Fe³⁺ in the edge-shared T₁1 tetrahedron. It therefore appears that all natural cordierites contain some tetrahedral Fe³⁺. The brown color of samples heated in air may be due to the formation of very small amounts of submicroscopic magnetite and possibly hematite. These inclusions in cordierite can only be identified through TEM study.     

Assessing statistical hurricane risks: nonlinear regression and time-window analysis of North Atlantic annual accumulated cyclonic energy rank profile

Natural Hazards - The ranking of events is a powerful tool to evaluate risks of catastrophic events. Here we analyze the rank-statistical profile of the North Atlantic annual accumulated cyclone...     

Small-scale heterogeneity in the geochemistry of seagrass vegetated and non-vegetated estuarine sediments: causes and consequences

In addition to nutrient and light availability, sedimentary biogeochemical processes can play an essential role in seagrass productivity. Previous investigations of the interactions between seagrasses and their underlying sediments have failed to clearly identify the spatio-temporal variability of the major geochemical parameters involved. Dissolved and solid phase chemical parameters in eelgrass vegetated and nearby non-vegetated sediments were investigated in this study to determine their vertical, lateral, and temporal distributions. Solid-state microelectrodes were used to investigate dissolved O₂, ΣH₂S, Fe²⁺, and Mn²⁺ on mm space scales. In this study, spatial heterogeneity was assessed and diurnal “ventilation” by seagrass productivity (i.e., the translocation of photosynthetically produced oxygen to the anoxic sedimentary environment) was not observed probably because benthic infaunal activity (bioturabation and bioirrigation) and microzones established by microbial processes led to highly heterogeneous sediment geochemistry where temporal variability was obscured by small-scale spatial variability. Non-vegetated sediments were less geochemically variable laterally than vegetated sediments, however, in some cases, they had similar vertical variability, possibly because they had been vegetated at an earlier time. This study demonstrates that in vegetated sediments where there is also substantial benthic macrofaunal activity it is difficult to separate the impacts of the two types of biota on sediment geochemistry and their spatial patterns, and it also raises the question of the applicability of traditional one-dimensional diagenetic models for such spatially–temporally complex sediments.     

Moist baroclinic instability and the growth of monsoon depressions— linear and nonlinear studies

The objective of this study was two-fold: the first to investigate the role of moist convection and nongeostrophic effects on the growth of the monsoon depressions using a linearized multi-level moist primitive equation (PE) model and quasi-geostrophic (QG) model with only vertical shear. The second was to study the nonlinear evolution, growth, movement and detailed energetics of the monsoon depressions using a nonlinear moist global spectral model. Our linear studies using both models revealed lower as well as upper tropospheric growing modes. For the lower tropospheric modes the shorter scales were found to grow faster. While the PE model showed faster growth rate for shorter scales, as compared to longer scales, the QG model showed less tendency for scale selection. The shorter scales in PE model had phase speeds ranging from 4 to — 1 ms−1 and in QG model from 8 to — 4 ms−1. The nongeostrophic effects were found to be, in general, important. One of the lower tropospheric modes with wavelength 2500 km was found to have many features similar to the observed monsoon depression of the Bay of Bengal. In the upper troposphere the PE model showed much faster growth rates compared to the QG model. Also the fastest growing mode with a doubling time of 2.5 days had a scale of 6000 km. This was shorter than the scale predicted in the QG model. This mode had many characteristics similar to the observed features of the monsoon upper tropospheric easterly waves. Using a nonlinear global spectral model, we simulated the monsoon depression around 21°N starting from an antisymmetric heating distribution (with respect to the equator) and with a specific vertical structure with and without basic flows. The model was integrated for a period of five days incorporating a simple form of cumulus heating. The simulated model disturbance showed a pronounced growth and a westward movement in the presence of cumulus heating. The detailed energetics calculations revealed that the baroclinic energy exchange is the primary energy exchange process and cumulus heating is the driving force for the generation of available potential energy.     

The influence of salinity on seagrass growth,survivorship, and distribution within Biscayne Bay,Florida: Field,experimental, and modeling studies

We evaluate if the distribution and abundance ofThalassia testudinum, Syringodium filiforme, andHalodule wrightii within Biscayne Bay, Florida, are influenced by salinity regimes using, a combination of field surveys, salinity exposure experiments, and a seagrass simulation model. Surveys conducted in June 2001 revealed that whileT. testudinum is found throughout Biscayne Bay (84% of sites surveyed),S. filiforme andH wrightii have distributions limited mainly to the Key Biscayne area.H. wrightii can also be found in areas influenced by canal discharge. The exposure of seagrasses to short-term salinity pulses (14 d, 5–45‰) within microcosms showed species-specific susceptibility to the salinity treatments. Maximum growth rates forT testudinum were observed near oceanic salinity values (30–40‰) and lowest growth rates at extreme values (5‰ and 45‰).S. filiforme was the most susceptible seagrass species; maximum growth rates for this species were observed at 25‰ and dropped dramatically at higher and lower salinity.H. wrightii was the most tolerant, growing well at all salinity levels. Establishing the relationship between seagrass abundance and distribution and salinity is especially relevant in South Florida where freshwater deliveries into coastal bays are influenced by water management practices. The seagrass model developed by Fong and Harwell (1994) and modified here to include a shortterm salinity response function suggests that freshwater inputs and associated decreases in salinity in nearshore areas influence the distribution and growth of single species as well as modify competitive interactions so that species replacements may occur. Our simulations indicate that although growth rates ofT. testudinum decrease when salinity is lowered, this species can still be a dominant component of nearshore communities as confirmed by our surveys. Only when mean salinity values are drastically lowered in a hypothetical restoration scenario isH. wrightii able to outcompeteT. testudinum.     

Changes in the distribution of seagrass species along Florida's Central Gulf Coast: Iverson and Bittaker revisited

A broad-scale survey of seagrass species composition and distribution along Florida's central Gulf Coast (known as the Big Bend region) was conducted in the summer of 2000 to address growing concerns over the potential effects of increased nutrient loading from adjacent coastal rivers. Iverson and Bittaker (1986) originally surveyed seagrass distribution in this region between 1974–1980. We revisited 188 stations from the original survey, recording the presence or absence of all seagrass species. Although factors such as accuracy of station relocation, differences in sampling effort among studies, and length of time between surveys preclude statistical comparisons, several interesting patterns emerged. While the total number of stations occupied by the three most common seagrass species,Thalassia testudinum, Syringodium filiforme, andHalodule wrightii, was similar between the two time periods, we observed a change in the number of records of each species as well as changes in distribution with depth.T. testudinum andHalophila engelmanni occurrence declined in the deepest areas of the region, while the number of stations occupied byS. filiforme andH. wrightii increased in nearby areas. We observed several localized areas of seagrass loss, frequently associated with the mouths of coastal rivers. These results suggest that increased nutrient loading to coastal rivers that discharge into the Big Bend area may be affecting seagrasses by increasing phytoplankton abundance in the water column, thus changing water clarity characteristics of the region.     

Albian-Paleocene flora of the north pacific: Systematic composition, palaeofloristics and phytostratigraphy

Principal attention is focused on phytostratigraphy and comparative palaeofloristics of the Anadyr-Koryak (AKSR) and Northern Alaska (NASR) subregions of the North Pacific Region. The high-resolution Upper Albian-Paleocene phytostratigraphic schemes of these subregions are based on perceived stages of their floral evolution. In the AKSR the scheme includes seven subdivisions of subregional extent: the Early Ginter (upper Albian), Grebenka (upper Albian-Cenomanian-lower Turonian), Penzhina (upper Turonian), Kaivayam (Coniacian), Barykov (Santonian-lower to ?middle Campanian), Gornorechenian (?upper Campanian-lower Maastrichtian), and Koryak (lower to upper Maastrichtian-?Danian) phytostratigraphic horizons. The phytostratigraphic scheme of the NASR includes three subregional phytostratigraphic horizons and five plant-bearing beds. These are the Kukpowruk (?lower to middle-?upper Albian), Niakogon (upper Albian-Cenomanian), Kaolak (Turonian) horizons and beds with the Tuluvak (Coniacian), Early Kogosukruk (upper Santonian-Campanian), Late Kogosukruk (Campanian-Maastrichtian), Early Sagwon (Danian-Selandian), and Late Sagwon (Selandian-Thanetian) floras. The comparative analysis of coeval (or close in age) floras distinguished in the AKSR and NASR shows that they are either similar to each other (floras Early Ginter and Kukpowruk, Grebenka and Niakogon, Penzhina and Kaolak, Koryak and Early Sagwon) or different in systematic composition (floras Kaivayam and Tuluvak, Gornorechenian and Kogosukruk). Similarities between the floras imply that plant assemblages of two subregions evolved under comparable climatic conditions and freely intercommunicated via the Bering Land Bridge during the Albian-Turonian and terminal Maastrichtian-Paleocene. Floras of the AKSR and NASR, which are of different composition, existed in particular intervals of geological history when trans-Beringian plant migrations were limited or even ceased because of palaeoclimatic difference between the subregions. Floras of the AKSR and NASR survived crisis at the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary without essential evolutionary consequence which does not support a hypothesis of a global ecological crisis at this boundary. From the analysis of the Arctic end-Cretaceous flora and palaeoclimate we conclude that the large Northern Alaskan dinosaurs were driven by lack of resources (food and shelter) to migrate 1200–1300 kilometres to the South to find forage, warmer temperatures and better light conditions before winter set in. A scenario of the Albian-Late Cretaceous florogenesis in the North Pacific Region is proposed. A primary driver of Albian-Late Cretaceous florogenesis was the gradual invasion by novel angiosperm-rich plant communities into the Asiatic continental interiors and a replacement of pre-existing vegetation dominated by ancient ferns and gymnosperms. Plant fossils representing Mesophytic and Cenophytic communities usually do not mix in the individual assemblages.     

Detecting trends in seagrass abundance using aerial photograph interpretation: Problems arising with the evolution of mapping methods

In the late 1970s and early 1980s an inventory of seagrass distribution in southeast Australia was made from multiscale aerial photographs using a simple analog mapping method, referred to here as theCamera lucida technique. Four priority estuaries were remapped in 2003, also using multi-scale aerial photographs, but using a geographic information system (GIS)-based analog mapping technique. We quantified the degree of error that arose when estimates of seagrass distribution were compared for the two techniques be ressessing. with GIS, the same aerial photographs used earlier for four estuaries: Port Hacking, Bermagui River, Merimbula Lake, and St Georges Basin.Camera lucida produced a larger estimate of total seagrass area than GIS in all four locations: 8% of total seagrass area or 12.9 ha in Port Hacking, 15% or 5 ha in Bermagui River, 20% or 38.0 ha in Merimbula Lake, and 243% or 502.2 ha in St Georges Basin. The consistent and moderate discrepancy in Port Hacking, Bermagui River, and Merimbula Lake was attributed mainly to differences betweenCamera lucida and GIS, such as the tendency ofCamera lucida to overestimate seagrass area by amalgamating disjunct seagrass patches into continuous meadows. The large discrepancy at St Georges Basin was attributed to interoperator error; i.e., the operators who mapped photographs taken in 1979 had widely differing interpretations of the aerial photographs. A 20-yr trend was calculated for each estuary using either theCamera lucida or revised GIS value as the start point. Perceived management status of the seagrass depended greatly on the initial data used. In St Georges Basin, a catastrophic decline (65%, 553.9 ha) occurred based on theCamera lucida-GIS comparison but only a small decline (14.7%, 51.8 ha) when all photos were GIS assessed, In view of the technical developments in habitat mapping, evaluation of change in seagrass abundance using remote sensing needs an assessment of intra-operator error, inter-operator error, and systemic error before maps produced by superseded technology are considered useful baselines.     

Human occupation of the continental shelf during the late pleistocene/early Holocene: Methods for site location

Archaeological sites containing significant information not available from terrestrial sites occur along former land surfaces now submerged and buried on the continental shelf. Although sites may occur anywhere along these former land surfaces, factors essential to man's survival, such as fresh water and food resources, make site locations somewhat predictable. Landforms such as rivers, lakes, and bays represent locations where one or more of the basic subsistence factors are provided. These relict landforms on the continental shelf can be detected easily using high-resolution seismic profilers. Physical sampling of landforms targeted as potential site areas is usually the only method for confirming the presence of an archaeological site. Sediment samples from a potential site are subjected to a series of sedimentary analyses which discriminate between archaeological deposits and natural sedimentary deposits. These methods for locating inundated and buried archaeological sites on the continental shelf were tested in a Gulf of Mexico study funded by the United States Department of the Interior, Minerals Management Service. The study suggests that at least two locations sampled along the ancient Sabine River Valley represent archaeological deposits dating from the Late Wisconsinan period of lower sea stand.     

Lessons learned: The effects of nutrient enrichment on the support of nekton by seagrass and salt marsh ecosystems

Coastal ecosystems such as eelgrass beds and salt marshes have always been valued for their high productivity and rich bounty of fish and shellfish. High plant productivity, complex physical structure, and suitable environmental characteristics combine to create areas of high production of important recreational and commercial species. If we are to successfully manage and restore these ecosystems, it is important to understand the mechanisms by which support of nekton may be affected by nutrient enrichment. A review of the literature suggests that there are some similarities and differences in the effects of nutrient enrichment on the support of nekton by seagrass and salt marsh ecosystems. Nutrient enrichment may compromise the ability of these habitats to support fish and invertebrates before the habitat itself is gone. In both ecosystems, alteration of characteristics within the ecosystem (for example, stem density in seagrass and food webs in marshes) affect the support of nekton, even though the basic ecosystem is still clearly extant. Because of differences in natural ecosystem characteristics, loss of ecosystem function does not occur through the same mechanisms. In seagrass systems, physical structure is usually lost first, followed by alteration of food webs and finally changes in dissolved oxygen. In salt marsh systems, loss of dissolved oxygen may occur early in the process, followed by food web alterations and eventually changes in the physical structure may occur. For both seagrass and salt marsh ecosystems, the mechanisms suggested to operate at the ecosystem-level are often based on relatively small-scale plot experiments that have been conducted in only a few locations. A better understanding of how these ecosystems function across broad geographic regions will be needed to ensure functioning coastal ecosystems.     

Assessing the determinants of territorial cohesion: Evidence from Colombian departments

Territorial cohesion is a concept that is generating growing interest in both the academic-scientific and political arenas. This paper presents an approach to the analysis of territorial cohesion and, more specifically, proposes a definition of the concept and its dimensions in order to empirically test the approach on the Colombian departmental model. To this effect, a methodology was designed that, by using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) to calculate composite indices, measures and evaluates the level of territorial cohesion in Colombian departments from a multidimensional and integrative perspective, and identifies the factors that influence that cohesion. The results could provide useful data for policy makers in the design of public policies to influence factors that facilitate more balanced and inclusive territorial development. This is especially relevant in light of the recent signing and ratification of the Peace Agreement in November 2016, given that the Colombian Government is currently in the process of designing policies that have the potential to promote cohesion within its territories.     

Faunal communities in seagrass beds: A review of the influence of plant structure and prey characteristics on predator-prey relationships

When compared with nearby unvergetated areas, seagrass meadows contain a dense and strikingly rich assemblage of vertebrates and invertebrates. Most recent literature has focused on evaluating the role of predation in structuring seagrass faunal communities; however, habitat complexity, abundance of food and sediment stability may also be important. This paper summarizes studies relating predator-prey relationships to different features of the seagrass system. This review suggests that the abundance of many species, both epifauna and infauna, is positively correlated with two distinct aspects of plant morphology: 1) the root-rhizome mat, and 2) the plant canopy. A scheme was developed that defines the conditions under which any particular species will be abundant or rare in a seagrass assemblage. This scheme is based on prey and predator characteristics (e.g., epifaunal vs. infaunal, tube-dweller vs. nontube dweller, burrowers vs. nonburrowers, and large vs. small as adult) and on characteristics of the seagrasses (e.g., leaf morphology, shoot density, shoot biomass, structural complexity of the meadow, and root-rhizome density and standing crop).     

Palaeolithic archaeology of the Bytham River: human occupation of Britain during the early Middle Pleistocene and its European context

The Early and early Middle Pleistocene archaeological record in Britain from c. 900 to 500 ka marks a critical shift in human occupation of northwest Europe, from occasional pioneer populations with simple core and flake technology to more widespread occupation associated with the appearance of Acheulean technology. Key to understanding this record are the fluvial deposits of the extinct Bytham River in central East Anglia, where a series of Lower Palaeolithic sites lie on a 15 km stretch of the former river. In this paper we present the results of new fieldwork and a reanalysis of historical artefact collections of handaxes and scrapers to: 1) establish the chronostratigraphic context of the Bytham archaeological record; 2) examine variability in lithic artefact typology and technology through time; and 3) explore the implications for understanding variation in lithic technology in the European record. Six phases of occupation of Britain are identified from at least marine isotope stage (MIS) 21 to MIS 13, with the last three phases characterised by distinctive lithic technology. We argue that this relates to the discontinuous occupation of Britain, where each phase represents the arrival of new groups derived from different European populations with distinctive material culture.     

Contrasting the geochemistry of oxic sediments across ecosystems: a synthesis

The geochemistry of oxic sediments was contrasted across a range of Canadian aquatic ecosystems; 7 freshwater lakes, (3 circumneutral and 4 acidic), 15 peatlands (5 mineral-rich, 5 moderately-poor and 5 mineral-poor), 9 wetlands (3 oligosaline, 3 mesosaline and 3 euryhaline), an estuary (deposited and suspended sediments) and an intertidal region. Sediments were characterized by a simultaneous extraction that separated sediments into easily reducible (ER) metal (oxyhydroxides of Mn and easily reducible amorphous oxyhydroxides of Fe) and reducible (R) metal (more crystalline forms of oxyhydroxides of Fe), organic matter, and, the concentrations and partitioning of Zn, Cu and Cd associated with these 3 sediment components. Ecosystems were distinct with respect to ER Fe and organic matter [canonical variate analysis (CVA)] with 53% of among system variation in geochemistry attributed to these 2 components. Sediments of peatlands and wetlands contained greater amounts of organic matter whereas sediments of lakes, intertidal and estuarine deposited and suspended sediments were characterized by greater amounts of ER Fe. A further 21% of among system variation could be ascribed to organically bound Fe that was greater in acidic lakes and mineral-rich peatlands as compared to other systems. Concentration and partitioning of Cd within sediments was regionally dependent with 41% of among system variation (CVA) attributed to differences in ER Cd and R Cd. Cadmium from peatlands and lakes located in Ontario was recovered from all 3 sediment components whereas sediment from wetlands, the estuary and the intertidal regions of British Columbia (BC) contained no organically bound Cd with amounts recovered occurring mostly as ER Cd. Lakes and peatlands located in Ontario contained 3–5-fold total Cd as compared to ecosystems located in BC. A further 21% of among ecosystem variation was attributed to Zn partitioning. Zinc in peatland and wetland sediments occurred as R Zn as compared to lake and estuarine deposited sediments where Zn was recovered both as ER and R Zn. Total Zn was also 3–5-fold greater in sediments of systems in Ontario as compared to those sampled in BC. Concentration and partitioning of Cu was similar across all systems with Cu recovered from the organic component of sediment. The geochemistry of surficial oxic sediments with respect to ER Mn, R Fe and organic matter and the geochemical associations among these sediment components is ecosystem and region dependent. For assessing impacts of metals on sediment dwelling biota the geochemical characteristics of the system under study should first be defined.