Use of plants in the European Palaeolithic: A review of the evidence

The varied evidence available for the different uses to which plant materials were put during the European Palaeolithic is summarised. Actual remains of plants are more abundant than is generally realised, while the indirect clues provided by tools, human teeth and artistic depictions help to fill out the picture.     

Error covariance modeling in sequential data assimilation

 The efficiency of a sequential data assimilation scheme relies on the capability to describe the error covariance. This aspect is all the more relevant if one needs accurate statistics on the estimation error. Frequently an ad hoc function depending on a few parameters is proposed, and these parameters are tuned, estimated or updated. This usually requires that the covariance is second-order stationary (i.e. depends only on the distance between two points). In this paper, we discuss this feature and show that even in simple applications (such as one-dimensional hydrodynamics), this assumption does not hold and may lead to poorly described estimation errors. We propose a method relying on the analysis of the error term and the use of the hydrodynamical model to generate one part of the covariance function, the other part being modeled using a second-order stationary approach. This method is discussed using a twin experiment in the case where a physical parameter is erroneous, and improves significantly the results: the model bias is strongly reduced and the estimation error is well described. Moreover, it enables a better adaptation of the Kalman gain to the actual estimation error.     

Rare earth and trace element geochemistry of a fragment of jurassic seafloor,Point Sal,California

A suite of rocks from the Point Sal ophiolite, California, were analyzed for rare earth elements (REE), Sc, Co, Na₂O, Cr, Zn and FeO. The lavas all have either flat or slightly light REE (LREE) depleted profiles relative to chondrites. The lavas contain smectite or greenschist facies mineralogy and some have radiogenically enriched ${}^{87}\text{Sr}{}^{86}\text{Sr}$ ratios. This is interpreted as evidence of basaltseawater interaction (Hopsonet al., 1975; Davis and Lass, 1975). The smectite and zeolite bearing lavas that have been exposed to seawater for prolonged periods have anomalous Ce abundances. At higher grades of metamorphism, the lavas show no marked changes in light REE. The plutonic igneous rocks vary from early cumulus dunite to late stage, noncumulus diorite. All the plutonic rocks are light REE depleted with total REE abundance varying by a factor of 100 × between the dunites and diorites. Analyses of clinopyroxene and hornblende separates indicate that these two minerals strongly influence the REE characteristics of the early cumulates and late stage fractionates, respectively.In general, REE contents are: hornblende > clinopyroxene > plagioclase > orthopyroxene > olivine. Estimates of the REE compositions of parental lavas were obtained by calculating the REE contents of liquids in equilibrium with early cumulate clinopyroxenes. This reveals that the parent to the stratiform sequence was more depleted in light REE than the parent to the lava pile.     

Major,minor, and trace element compositions of peridotitic and basaltic komatiites from the precambrian crust of Southern Africa

Major and trace element compositional data are reported for nine mafic and ultramafic rock samples from the Barberton greenstone belt. Rocks from this province are among the oldest fragments of the Earth's crust (3.5 b.y.). The data are consistent with an oceanic crust related origin for these rocks. The high abundances of Ni in these samples make their origin by fractional crystallization of a primitive magma unlikely but are consistent with their generation by partial melting of an upper mantle source. The basaltic samples from the Komati formation can be related by small degrees of partial melting of a primitive upper mantle source to the peridotitic komatiite which probably derived from much more extensive partial melting of a similar source. REE and especially Ni abundances limit the proportion of olivine that is permitted in the residue.     

Productivity response of climax temperate forests to elevated temperature and carbon dioxide: a north american comparison between two global models

We assess the appropriateness of using regression- and process-based approaches for predicting biogeochemical responses of ecosystems to global change. We applied a regression-based model, the Osnabruck Model (OBM), and a process-based model, the Terrestrial Ecosystem Model (TEM), to the historical range of temperate forests in North America in a factorial experiment with three levels of temperature (+0 °C, +2 °C, and +5 °C) and two levels of CO₂ (350 ppmv and 700 ppmv) at a spatial resolution of 0.5° latitude by 0.5° longitude. For contemporary climate (+0 °C, 350 ppmv), OBM and TEM estimate the total net primary productivity (NPP) for temperate forests in North America to be 2.250 and 2.602 × 10¹⁵ g C ? yr^?1, respectively. Although the continental predictions for contemporary climate are similar, the responses of NPP to altered climates qualitatively differ; at +0 °C and 700 ppmv CO₂, OBM and TEM predict median increases in NPP of 12.5% and 2.5%, respectively. The response of NPP to elevated temperature agrees most between the models in northern areas of moist temperate forest, but disagrees in southern areas and in regions of dry temperate forest. In all regions, the response to CO₂ is qualitatively different between the models. These differences occur, in part, because TEM includes known feedbacks between temperature and ecosystem processes that affect N availability, photosynthesis, respiration, and soil moisture. Also, it may not be appropriate to extrapolate regression-based models for climatic conditions that are not now experienced by ecosystems. The results of this study suggest that the process-based approach is able to progress beyond the limitations of the regression-based approach for predicting biogeochemical responses to global change.     

Constraints and perspectives in aquaculture development

Aquaculture can be considered as a rapidly growing industry in many parts of the world. The impressive overall upward trend in production is likely to continue for the rest of the century. However, aquaculture will still be a minor contributor to the world's protein supply, even though the projected annual output of about 30 million tons can be realized by the year 2000. Nevertheless, aquaculture can play an important role in many developing countries not only within the context of rural development, but also as a commercial activity that focuses on export markets. Progress in aquaculture will always be accompanied by a number of constraints that occur with or through expansion of this industry. Some of the most important problem areas are briefly addressed, including those related to environmental degradation, disease control, human health and competition for resources. Finally, gaps in science and technology as well as research priorities are identified.     

Assessment of transmission losses and groundwater recharge from runoff events in a wadi under shortage of data on lateral inflow,Negev, Israel

A hydrological–lithostratigraphical model was developed for assessment of transmission losses and groundwater recharge from runoff events in arid water courses where hydrological and meteorological records are incomplete. Water balance equations were established for reaches between hydrometric stations. Because rainfall and tributary flow data are scarce, lateral inflow, which is an essential component of the water balance equation, could not be estimated directly. The solution was obtained by developing a method which includes a hydrological–lithostratigraphical analogy. This is based on the following assumptions: (a) runoff resulting from a given rainfall event is related to the watershed surface lithology; (b) for a given event, the spatial distribution of runoff reflects the distribution of rainfall: and (c) transmission losses are uniquely related to the total inflow to the reach. The latter relationship, called the loss function, and the water balance equation comprise a model which simultaneously assesses lateral inflow and transmission losses for runoff events recorded at the terminal stations. The model was applied to three reaches of the arid Nahal Tsin in Israel. In this case study, the transmission losses were of the same order of magnitude as the flow at the major hydrometric stations. The losses were subdivided into channel moistening, which subsequently evaporates, and deep percolation, which recharges groundwater. For large runoff events, evaporation was substantially smaller than the losses. The mean annual recharge of groundwater from runoff events in the Tsin watershed was 4·1×10⁶ m³, while the mean annual flow volume at the major stations ranged from 0·6 to 1·5×10⁶ m³. Once in 100 years, the annual recharge may be seven times higher than the mean annual value, but the recharge during most years is very small. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.