An assessment of monitoring requirements and costs of 'Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation'

Background  

Negotiations on a future climate policy framework addressing Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD) are ongoing. Regardless of how such a framework will be designed, many technical solutions of estimating forest cover and forest carbon stock change exist to support policy in monitoring and accounting. These technologies typically combine remotely sensed data with ground-based inventories. In this article we assess the costs of monitoring REDD based on available technologies and requirements associated with key elements of REDD policy.     

The liver of wrasse - morphology and function as a mirror of point source chemical impact.

Corkwing wrasse (Symphodus melops L.), a protogynous, non-migratory lipfish species, living close to rocky shores was chosen as an indicator species for the monitoring of biological effects of contaminants. Fish were caught by local fisherman at the Norwegian west coast in fjord sites within the framework of the EU BEEP project. The sites represented different point source impacts of (I) copper (a former copper mine), (II) polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs, aluminium smelter discharge), (III) formaldehyde plus PAHs (kelp-factory and influence of the aluminium smelter). Livers of wrasse were studied for histopathological alterations and compared to healthy livers of fish from a reference location. Besides liver morphology, different functional and metabolic parameters were measured to link pathological alterations to functional disorders. The integrity of the lysosomal compartment was tested by the assessment of lysosomal membrane stability (lys), and the accumulation of neutral lipids and lipofuscin. Activity and intracellular localisation of the NADPH-producing enzymes in the liver were assessed histochemically and measured by computer-assisted image analysis. Histopathological alterations were most severe at the site impacted by formaldehyde and PAHs. These findings were associated with highest tumor prevalence, lowest membrane stabilities in hepatocytes and highest accumulation rates of lipofuscin in the liver. The activities of the NADPH-producing enzymes phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (PGDH) and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) were significantly lower compared to unimpacted reference fish. Histopathological alterations showed clear differences dependent on the input source. Potential links between specific contaminant impact and functional and morphological disorders are discussed.     

Indices for the assessment of environmental pollution of the Baltic Sea coasts: integrated assessment of a multi-biomarker approach

Two mathematical methods to assess the "health status" of flounder (Platichthys flesus), eelpout (Zoarces viviparus) and blue mussel (Mytilus spp.) populations of the Baltic Sea were applied on selected biomarker data collected during the EU project "BEEP" (Biological Effects of Environmental Pollution on Marine Coastal Ecosystems). The Bioeffect Assessment Index (BAI) and the Integrated Biomarker Index (IBR) combine different biomarkers to single values, which can be used to describe the toxically-induced stress level of populations in different areas. Both indices determined here produced essentially similar results, which in most cases agreed with the known contamination levels in the different study areas. Advantages and limitations of index applications and interpretations are critically discussed. The use of indices provides comprehensive information about biological effects of pollution in marine organisms and may therefore serve as a useful tool for environmental management by ranking the pollution status of marine coastal areas.     

Multi-isotope (Ba,C, O) partitioning during experimental carbonatization of a hyper-alkaline solution

Carbonates formed from hyperalkaline aqueous solutions at the Earth?s surface are known to bear the most extreme disequilibrium isotope signatures reported so far in nature. We present here the results for stable carbon (C), oxygen (O), and barium (Ba) isotope fractionation during the precipitation of witherite (BaCO₃) induced by the chemical absorption of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂) into an aqueous hyper-alkaline solution (at 4° and 21?°C; 1?atm total pressure). Independent from temperature, the barium carbonate formation was associated with a substantial enrichment of the lighter C and O isotopes in the solid compared to the atmosphere (C, O), close to previous results found in experiments and nature. A new approach is introduced to explain oxygen isotope fractionation upon hydroxylation of CO₂. With Ba isotope enrichment factors between ?0.45 and ?0.53‰ (^138/134ε) or ?0.34 and ?0.40‰ (^137/134ε), respectively, the synthesized BaCO₃ displays the highest kinetic enrichment of the light Ba isotope in the carbonate solid reported so far.     

Biomarker responses as indication of contaminant effects in blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) and female eelpout (Zoarces viviparus) from the southwestern Baltic Sea

During a field study performed in spring and autumn 2001 and 2002, blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) and female eelpout (Zoarces viviparus) were collected at three locations in the Wismar Bay (Baltic Sea), and several biomarkers of contaminant effects were analysed. Besides seasonal and inter-annual variations, biomarker signals were most pronounced at the location closest to Wismar Harbour (Wendorf) in both species. Lysosomal membrane stability (LMS) was lowest and acetylcholinesterase activity (AChE) was significantly reduced. Frequency of micronuclei (MN) was significantly higher (in blue mussels), indicating mutagenic effects. In eelpout elevated levels of DNA adducts, EROD induction and PAH-metabolites were measured. Metallothionein (MT), biomarker for trace metal exposure, showed a gradient only in spring. Organochlorine contaminant analyses (PCBs, DDTs) corresponded to the observed biomarker levels. The results obtained clearly demonstrate pollution effects in the southwestern Baltic Sea. Moreover, they show that a multibiomarker approach is also applicable in a brackish water environment.     

New model calculations for the production rates of cosmogenic nuclides in iron meteorites

Abstract— Here we present the first purely physical model for cosmogenic production rates in iron meteorites with radii from 5 cm to 120 cm and for the outermost 1.3 m of an object having a radius of 10 m. The calculations are based on our current best knowledge of the particle spectra and the cross sections for the relevant nuclear reactions. The model usually describes the production rates for cosmogenic radionuclides within their uncertainties; exceptions are ⁵³Mn and ⁶⁰Fe, possibly due to normalization problems. When an average S content of about 1 ± 0.5% is assumed for Grant and Carbo samples, which is consistent with our earlier study, the model predictions for ³He, ²¹Ne, and ³⁸Ar are in agreement. For ⁴He the model has to be adjusted by 24%, possibly a result of our rather crude approximation for the primary galactic α particles. For reasons not yet understood the modeled ³⁶Ar/³⁸Ar ratio is about 30–40% higher than the ratio typically measured in iron meteorites. Currently, the only reasonable explanation for this discrepancy is the lack of experimentally determined neutron induced cross sections and therefore the uncertainties of the model itself. However, the new model predictions, though not yet perfect, enable determining the radius of the meteoroid, the exposure age, the sulphur content of the studied sample as well as the terrestrial residence time. The determination of exposure ages is of special interest because of the still open question whether the GCR was constant over long time scales. Therefore we will discuss in detail the differences between exposure ages determined with different cosmogenic nuclides. With the new model we can calculate exposure ages that are based on the production rates (cm³STP/(gMa)) of noble gases only. These exposure ages, referred to as noble gas exposure ages or simply ^3,4He, ²¹Ne, or ^36,38Ar ages, are calculated assuming the current GCR flux. Besides calculating noble gas ages we were also able to improve the ⁴¹K‐⁴⁰K‐and the ³⁶Cl‐³⁶Ar dating methods with the new model. Note that we distinguish between ³⁶Ar ages (calculated via ³⁶Ar production rates only) and ³⁶Cl‐³⁶Ar ages. Exposure ages for Grant and Carbo, calculated with the revised ⁴¹K‐⁴⁰K method, are 628 ± 30 Ma and 841 ± 19 Ma, respectively. For Grant this is equal to the ages obtained using ³He, ²¹Ne, and ³⁸Ar but higher than the 3⁶Ar‐ and ³⁶Cl‐³⁶Ar ages by ?30%. For Carbo the ⁴¹K‐⁴⁰K age is ?40% lower than the ages obtained using ³He, ²¹Ne, and ³⁸Ar but equal to the ³⁶Ar age. These differences can either be explained by our still insufficient knowledge of the neutron‐induced cross sections or by a long‐term variation of the GCR.     

Iron isotope fractionation in a buoyant hydrothermal plume, 5°S Mid-Atlantic Ridge

Fe isotopes are a potential tool for tracing the biogeochemical redox cycle of Fe in the ocean. Specifically, it is hypothesized that Fe isotopes could enable estimation of the contributions from multiple Fe sources to the dissolved Fe budget, an issue that has received much attention in recent years. The first priority however, is to understand any Fe isotope fractionation processes that may occur as Fe enters the ocean, resulting in modification of original source compositions. In this study, we have investigated the Fe inputs from a basalt-hosted, deep-sea hydrothermal system and the fractionation processes that occur as the hot, chemically reduced and acidic vent fluids mix with cold, oxygen-rich seawater.The samples collected were both end-member vent fluids taken from hydrothermal chimneys, and rising buoyant plume samples collected directly above the same vents at 5°S, Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Our analyzes of these samples reveal that, for the particulate Fe species within the buoyant plume, 25% of the Fe is precipitated as Fe-sulfides. The isotope fractionation caused by the formation of these Fe-sulfides is δ_Fe(II)–FeS = +0.60 ± 0.12‰.The source isotope composition for the buoyant plume samples collected above the Red Lion vents is calculated to be −0.29 ± 0.05‰. This is identical to the value measured in end-member vent fluids collected from the underlying “Tannenbaum” chimney. The resulting isotope compositions of the Fe-sulfide and Fe-oxyhydroxide species in this buoyant plume are −0.89 ± 0.11‰ and −0.19 ± 0.09‰, respectively. From mass balance calculations, we have been able to calculate the isotope composition of the dissolved Fe fraction, and hypothesize that the isotope composition of any stabilised dissolved Fe species exported to the surrounding ocean may be heavier than the original vent fluid. Such species would be expected to travel some distance from areas of hydrothermal venting and, hence, contribute to not only the dissolved Fe budget of the deep-ocean but also it’s dissolved Fe isotope signature.     

Sorption of Np(V) and Np(IV) onto kaolinite: Effects of pH,ionic strength,carbonate and humic acid

The sorption of Np(V) and Np(IV) onto kaolinite has been studied in the absence and presence of humic acid (HA) in a series of batch equilibrium experiments under different experimental conditions: [Np]₀: 1.0 × 10^-6 or 1.0 × 10^-5 M, [HA]₀: 0 or 50 mg/L, I: 0.01 or 0.1 M NaClO₄, solid to liquid ratio: 4 g/L, pH: 6–11, anaerobic or aerobic conditions, without or with carbonate. The results showed that the Np(V) sorption onto kaolinite is affected by solution pH, ionic strength, Np concentration, presence of carbonate and HA. In the absence of carbonate, the Np(V) uptake increased with pH up to ∼96% at pH 11. HA further increased the Np(V) sorption between pH 6 and 9 but decreased the Np(V) sorption between pH 9 and 11. In the presence of carbonate, the Np(V) sorption increased with pH and reached a maximum of 54% between pH 8.5 and 9. At higher pH values, the Np(V) sorption decreased due to the presence of dissolved neptunyl carbonate species with a higher negative charge that were not sorbed onto the kaolinite surface which is negatively charged in this pH range. HA again decreased the Np(V) uptake in the near-neutral to alkaline pH range due to formation of aqueous neptunyl humate complexes. The decrease of the initial Np(V) concentration from 1.0 × 10⁻⁵ M to 1.0 × 10⁻⁶ M led to a shift of the Np(V) adsorption edge to lower pH values. A higher ionic strength increased the Np(V) uptake onto kaolinite in the presence of carbonate but had no effect on Np(V) uptake in the absence of carbonate.     

Noble gases in Grant and Carbo and the influence of S‐ and P‐rich mineral inclusions on the 41K‐40K dating system

Abstract— Cosmogenic He, Ne, and Ar were measured in the iron meteorites Grant (IIIAB) and Carbo (IID) to re‐determine their preatmospheric geometries and exposure histories. We also investigated the influence of sulphur‐ and/or phosphorus‐rich inclusions on the production rates of cosmogenic Ne. Depth profiles measured in Grant indicate a preatmospheric center location 117 mm left from the reference line and 9 mm below bar B, which is clearly different (?10 cm) from earlier results (?165 mm left from the reference line on bar F). For Carbo the preatmospheric center location was found to be 120 mm right of the reference line and 15 mm above bar J, which is in agreement with literature data. The new measurements indicate a spherical preatmospheric shape for both meteorites and, based on literature ³⁶C1 data, the radii were estimated to be about 32 cm and 70 cm for Grant and Carbo, respectively. We demonstrate that minor elements like S and P have a significant influence on the production rates of cosmogenic Ne. In our samples, containing on average 0.5% S and/or P, about 20% of ²¹Ne was produced from these minor elements. Using measured ²¹Ne concentrations and endmember ²²Ne/²¹Ne ratios for Fe + Ni and S + P, respectively, we show that it is possible to correct for ²¹Ne produced from S and/or P. The thus corrected data are then used to calculate new ⁴¹K‐⁴⁰K exposure ages—using published K data—which results in 564 ± 78 Ma for Grant and 725 ± 100 Ma for Carbo. The correction always lowers the ²¹Ne concentrations and consequently decreases the ⁴¹K‐⁴⁰K exposure ages. The discrepancies between ³⁶Cl‐³⁶Ar and ⁴¹K‐⁴⁰K ages are accordingly reduced. The existence of a significant long‐term variation of the GCR, which is based on a former 30–50% difference between ⁴¹K‐⁴⁰K and ³⁶Cl‐³⁶Ar ages, may warrant re‐investigation.