The colonization success of an exotic Poaceae is related to native macrophyte richness, wind disturbance and riparian vegetation

Biotic and abiotic factors are filters that prevent invasions in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. In this investigation we tested the hypothesis that the success of a non-native Poaceae (Urochloa subquadripara) is positively correlated with the richness of native macrophytes and negatively correlated with wind disturbance (fetch) and presence of riparian vegetation on coarse spatial scales. Our samplings were carried out in a tropical reservoir (Rosana Reservoir, Brazil). We first compared competing models using the Akaike criterion to find the main combinations of explanatory variables (native macrophyte richness, fetch, and presence of riparian vegetation) associated with the success of U. subquadripara. Then, we applied multiple regressions to assess the coefficient of determination of the best models selected according to the Akaike criterion. The probability of occurrence of U. subquadripara increased significantly with increases in the number of native macrophyte species, but decreased with fetch and the presence of riparian vegetation. Stand width and maximum depth of occurrence (indicators of the success of this Poaceae) were also positively related with native richness and negatively with fetch and riparian vegetation. Our results supported our expectation that wave disturbance is an important variable explaining U. subquadripara success. Because the less exposed sites are also more favorable for colonization by natives, positive relationships between the success of non-native species and native diversity emerge at the coarse scale. Taken together, our results support the theory of “biotic acceptance”; that is, favorable sites are more prone to colonization by both native and non-native species.     

Geochemical study of submicron particulate matter(PM1)in a metropolitan area

Air pollution has become a major problem in urban areas due to increasing industrialization and urbanization.In this study ambient concentrations of PM1 and metal concentrations as well as source contributions were identified and quantified by using Positive Matrix Factorization(PMF)in receptor modeling in the Metropolitan Area of Porto Alegre,Brazil.The PM1 samples were collected on PTFE filters from December 2012 to December 2014 in two sampling sites.Major ion and trace element concentrations were assessed.The average concentrations were 12.8 and 15.2μg/m³ for Canoas and Sapucaia do Sul sites,respectively.Major ion contributions of PM1 were secondary pollutants such as sulfate and nitrate.Trace elements,especially Cu,Pb,Zn,Cd,and Ni also made important contributions which are directly associated with anthropogenic contributions.Our results show significantly higher levels in winter than in summer.Most of the PM1 and the analyzed PM species and elements originated from anthropogenic sources,especially road traffic,combustion processes and industrial activities,which are grouped in 7 major contributing sources.A back-trajectory analysis showed that the long-range transport of pollutants was not relevant in relation to the contribution to PM1 and metal concentrations.This work highlights the importance of urban planning to reduce human health exposure to traffic and industrial emissions,combined with awareness-raising actions for citizens concerning the impact of indoor sources.     

Homogeneity assessment of a station climate series (1933–2005) in the Metropolitan Area of S?o Paulo: instruments change and urbanization effects

This work assessed homogeneity of the Institute of Astronomy, Geophysics and Atmospheric Sciences (IAG) weather station climate series, using various statistical techniques. The record from this target station is one of the longest in Brazil, having commenced in 1933 with observations of precipitation, and temperatures and other variables later in 1936. Thus, it is one of the few stations in Brazil with enough data for long-term climate variability and climate change studies. There is, however, a possibility that its data may have been contaminated by some artifacts over time. Admittedly, there was an intervention on the observations in 1958, with the replacement of instruments, for which the size of impact has not been yet evaluated. The station transformed in the course of time from rural to urban, and this may also have influenced homogeneity of the observations and makes the station less representative for climate studies over larger spatial scales. Homogeneity of the target station was assessed applying both absolute, or single station tests, and tests relatively to regional climate, in annual scale, regarding daily precipitation, relative humidity, maximum (TMax), minimum (TMin), and wet bulb temperatures. Among these quantities, only precipitation does not exhibit any inhomogeneity. A clear signal of change of instruments in 1958 was detected in the TMax and relative humidity data, the latter certainly because of its strong dependence on temperature. This signal is not very clear in TMin, but it presents non-climatic discontinuities around 1953 and around 1970. A significant homogeneity break is found around 1990 for TMax and wet bulb temperature. The discontinuities detected after 1958 may have been caused by urbanization, as the observed warming trend in the station is considerably greater than that corresponding to regional climate.     

Climate change scenarios for precipitation extremes in Portugal

Precipitation indices are commonly used as climate change indicators. Considering four Climate Variability and Predictability-recommended indices, this study assesses possible changes in their spatial patterns over Portugal under future climatic conditions. Precipitation data from the regional climate model Consortium for Small-Scale Modelling–Climate version of the Local Model (CCLM) ensemble simulations with ECHAM5/MPI-OM1 boundary conditions are used for this purpose. For recent–past, medians and probability density functions of the CCLM-based indices are validated against station-based and gridded observational dataset from ENSEMBLES-based (gridded daily precipitation data provided by the European Climate Assessment & Dataset project) indices. It is demonstrated that the model is able to realistically reproduce not only precipitation but also the corresponding extreme indices. Climate change projections for 2071–2100 (A1B and B1 SRES scenarios) reveal significant decreases in total precipitation, particularly in autumn over northwestern and southern Portugal, though changes exhibit distinct local and seasonal patterns and are typically stronger for A1B than for B1. The increase in winter precipitation over northeastern Portugal in A1B is the most important exception to the overall drying trend. Contributions of extreme precipitation events to total precipitation are also expected to increase, mainly in winter and spring over northeastern Portugal. Strong projected increases in the dry spell lengths in autumn and spring are also noteworthy, giving evidence for an extension of the dry season from summer to spring and autumn. Although no coupling analysis is undertaken, these changes are qualitatively related to modifications in the large-scale circulation over the Euro-Atlantic area, more specifically to shifts in the position of the Azores High and associated changes in the large-scale pressure gradient over the area.     

Treatment of Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) in South Brazil: Comparative active processes and water reuse

This work describes AMD techniques of neutralization, with lime, flocculation of the precipitates and comparative flocs/liquid separation by flotation with microbubbles or by lamellar settling (LS). The AMD treated water was characterized by its quality for recycling in terms of inorganic or organic elements, suspended or dissolved solids, among others. Two types of flocs were formed, “aerated” or not, in a special flocculation reactor, patented by this research group (RGF^®). Aerated flocs formed (within seconds) entered into contact with microbubbles under high shearing and raised-up at rates > 120 mh^− 1 allowing a rapid solid–liquid separation by flotation (HR-high rate), at about 13–15 m³m^− 2 h^− 1 loading capacity. Conversely, the non-aerated flocs settled at about 5–6 m h^− 1 in a lamella settler. Both AMD treatment techniques showed similar efficiencies (removal of ions > 90%) but the separation by lamella settling presented advantages, namely less reagents (no flotation collector required), lower power requirements and easier to operate. The operating costs (approximate values) of the AMD treatment by LS at pH 9 reaches about 0.3 US$ m^− 3 against 0.6 US$ m^− 3 for the HR-flotation process. Results found were proved to be similar to those found in recent ADM treatment installations in South Brazil. The quality of the treated water is fairly good, nearly free of heavy metals ion, low BOD (biological oxygen demand) and TOC (total organic content), low solids content and may be readily reused for irrigation, industrial processes and as wash water (among others, streets, vehicles, dust control). However, there is a need to extend the use of this treated water resource, but this, at least in Brazil, has not been legislated properly. It is concluded that this research will contribute in the discussion of this old and complex problem in acid mining effluents worldwide.     

Particulate matter geochemistry of a highly industrialized region in the Caribbean:Basis for future toxicological studies

Air pollution has become an important issue,especially in Caribbean urban areas,and,particulate matter(PM)emitted by different natural and anthropogenic sources causes environmental and health issues.In this work,we studied the concentrations of PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 sources in an industrial and port urban area in the Caribbean region of Colombia.PM samples were collected within 48-h periods between April and October 2018 by using a Partisol 2000 i-D sampler.Elemental geochemical characterization was performed by X-ray fluorescence(XRF)analysis.Further,ionic species and black carbon(BC)were quantified by ion chromatography and reflectance spectroscopy,respectively.Using the Positive Matrix Factorization(PMF)receptor model,the contributions of PM sources were quantified.The average concentration of PM₁₀ was 46.6±16.2μg/m³,with high concentrations of Cl and Ca.For PM_2.5,the average concentration was 12.0±3.2μg/m³,and the most abundant components were BC,S,and Cl.The receptor model identified five sources for PM₁₀ and PM_2.5.For both fractions,the contributions of marine sea spray,re-suspended soil,and vehicular traffic were observed.In addition,PM_2.5 included two mixed sources were found to be fuel oil combustion with fertilizer industry emissions,and secondary aerosol sources with building construction emissions.Further,PM₁₀ was found to also include building construction emissions with re-suspended soil,and metallurgical industry emissions.These obtained geochemical atmospheric results are important for the implementation of strategies for the continuous improvement of the air quality of the Caribbean region.     

A high-resolution Holocene record on the Southern Brazilian shelf: Paleoenvironmental implications

A high-resolution, multi-proxy record has been used to determine the environmental changes during the Holocene on the southern Brazilian shelf. Present oceanographic conditions reveal wind and freshwater input as the determinants of short-term productivity changes in the study area. Magnetic susceptibility and grain-size variations, together with proxies of productivity (organic carbon, carbon accumulation rate, Ba, Sr, and Ca content, Ba/Al, Ba/Ti, and Al/Ti ratios) were analyzed and compared with proxies of redox condition (V/Ti ratio), terrigenous input (Fe/Ca and Ti/Ca ratios), as well as other Element/Ti ratios, to evaluate the paleoceanographic and paleoclimatic changes over the period.The core covers a time interval of about 7650 years, with sedimentation rates varying from 0.025 to 0.250 cm a⁻¹, which represent time intervals of between 8 and 80 a per sample. There is a clear change in the sedimentation rate at about 2800 B.P.All grain-size and elemental results indicate the occurrence of conspicuous changes between 5200 and 5000 cal. B.P., as well as between 3000 and 2800 cal. B.P. A comparison of the results with the palynological information available from the adjacent continental areas suggests that the sedimentary changes in this last interval may be correlated with the onset of modern climatic conditions in South America, and especially, with the onset of the Plata Plume Water, a water mass that carries cold, less saline waters towards the north. However, minor changes are observed at ca. 1500 B.P. and are correlated with an increase in the atmospheric humidity. Furthermore, a time-series analysis undertaken using several proxies indicated the occurrence of Sub-Milankovitch cycles, which may be compared with those reported worldwide.     

Embedded beam element with interaction surface for lateral loading of piles

This paper presents a numerical formulation of a three dimensional embedded beam element for the modeling of piles, which incorporates an explicit interaction surface between soil and pile. The formulation is herein implemented for lateral loading of piles but is able to represent soil–pile interaction phenomena in a general manner for different types of loading conditions or ground movements. The model assumes perfect adherence between beam and soil along the interaction surface. The paper presents a comparison of the results obtained by means of the present formulation and by means of a previously formulated embedded pile element without interaction surface, as well as reference semi‐analytical solutions and a fully 3D finite element (FE) model. It is seen that the proposed embedded element provides a better convergence behavior than a previously formulated embedded element and is able to reproduce key features of a full 3D FE model. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Correction to: Observational Investigation of the Statistical Properties of Surface-Layer Turbulence in a Suburban Area of São Paulo,Brazil: Objective Analysis of Scaling-Parameter Accuracy and Uncertainties

Boundary-Layer Meteorology -     

Collaborative fisheries management in the Northeast US: Emerging initiatives and future directions

The nature of participation by fishing organizations in fisheries management in the Northeast US is changing. Evidence of this is the number of groups that are actively seeking opportunities for group governance of marine resources. This article explores emerging collaborative or co-management arrangements in this region (a process whereby decision-making is shared between federal/council level and fishery stakeholder groups) and the shift towards an ecosystem-based approach to the management of marine fisheries.This research suggests that it is an opportune time for the development of a regional policy in the Northeast that provides an enabling environment in support of decentralized governance of federally managed marine fisheries. It also suggests that these initiatives can play a key role in operationalizing ecosystem-based management.