A systematic regional approach for climate change adaptation to protect biodiversity

Developing appropriate climate change adaptations to protect biodiversity requires taking into account the dynamics of agro-ecological and socio-economic change. A framework for approaching this problem was proposed, but not applied in detail, as part of a major biodiversity and climate change report prepared in Australia. This paper describes the first trial application of the method. It was applied across Vietnam as the Government is interested in identifying adaptation options and detailed data are readily available for its 65 provinces. The process involves identifying ecoregions and collating information for each region based on the current conditions and trends in biodiversity, population, income and agricultural production. Climate change scenarios are identified for each region, together with governance options. Educational needs and key adaptation actions are then identified for each region taking into account the agro-ecological and socio-economic input data. It is concluded that the framework could easily be applied in other countries and should assist the development of strategic adaptation options.     

Local surface temperature change due to expansion of oil palm plantation in Indonesia

A high world demand for crude palm oil has caused a reduction in the area of Indonesia’s tropical rainforests over the past several decades. Our hypothesis is that the expansion of the area devoted to oil palm plantations at the expense of primary and secondary tropical rainforests will increase the local surface temperature. While similar studies of other crops have been reported, this is the first time this particular hypothesis has been investigated and reported using the remote sensing methods described in this paper. In this study, we used remotely sensed data to quantify land use changes from tropical rainforests to oil palm plantations, calculated the surface temperature from thermal infrared data supplied by band 6 of the Landsat 5 Thematic Mapper (TM) and Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+), examined the correlations of surface temperature to foliage cover, and conducted field work to verify the results obtained using the remotely sensed data. For this study, we used a new spectral index, Principal Polar Spectral Greenness (PPSG), that is potentially more sensitive than other index to small changes in foliage cover at high cover levels. The outcome of satellite image processing is only 0.2 °C different from direct temperature measurement in the field. Our study indicated that less density of the closed-canopy composition of oil palm trees resulted in higher surface temperature.     

Effect of Vertical Wind Shear on Concentration Fluctuation Statistics in a Point Source Plume

Measurements of concentration fluctuation intensity, intermittency factor, and integral time scale were made in a water channel for a plume dispersing in a well-developed, rough surface, neutrally stable, boundary layer, and in grid-generated turbulence with no mean velocity shear. The water-channel simulations apply to full-scale atmospheric plumes with very short averaging times, on the order of 1–4 min, because plume meandering was suppressed by the water-channel side walls. High spatial and temporal resolution vertical and crosswind profiles of fluctuations in the plume were obtained using a linescan camera laser-induced dye tracer fluorescence technique. A semi-empirical algebraic mean velocity shear history model was developed to predict these concentration statistics. This shear history concentration fluctuation model requires only a minimal set of parameters to be known: atmospheric stability, surface roughness, vertical velocity profile, and vertical and crosswind plume spreads. The universal shear history parameter used was the mean velocity shear normalized by surface friction velocity, plume travel time, and local mean wind speed. The reference height at which this non-dimensional shear history was calculated was important, because both the source and the receptor positions influence the history of particles passing through the receptor position.     

Major Miocene geological events in southern Tibet and eastern Asia induced by the subduction of the Ninetyeast Ridge

Cenozoic adakitic rocks in the Gangdese changed from barren continental melts to ore-forming slab melts at ~ 23 Ma. The distribution and chemical characteristics of the ore-forming adakites point to an association with the Ninetyeast Ridge. The subduction of the thick, rigid Ninetyeast Ridge changed the geometry and rheology of the eastern Tibetan Plateau lithosphere and asthenosphere, restrained the eastward escape of asthenospheric mantle as well as continental fragments, and promoted the uplift and building of the Tibetan Plateau, which consequently changed the tectonic and climatic regimes in eastern Asia.     

The closed system pyrolysis of β-O-4 lignin substructure model compounds

Lignin substructure model compounds having a β-O-4 linkage were synthesized. These were guaiacylglycerol-β-guaiacyl ether (GGE) and guaiacylglycerol-β-syringyl ether (GSE) which model guaiacyl and syringyl units respectively. Closed system microscale pyrolysis of GGE and GSE was carried out at 300 °C both in the presence and absence of water vapour. The laboratory degradation of GSE occurred predominantly by breaking the C_β–O bond of the β-O-4 linkage to form the ring B fragment of the model compound. This was followed by demethylation of the aromatic methoxyl groups. Char formation was another significant process during pyrolysis. There are structural features of the char formed during the heating of GGE which indicate incorporation of the remaining fragment of the model compound (ring A coupled with the propyl segment of the aryl ether linkage).     

Discarded containers on a kent beach

Winter beach surveys of discarded containers at Sandwich Bay showed a wide range of fabrication materials and contents. These were manufactured world-wide and probably distributed by seaborne disposal from local shipping. Although blow moulded polyethylene bottles containing toilet cleansers were commonly observed, there was no evidence to indicate an accumulation of these items in the marine environment.     

Partial substitution of peat moss with biochar for sustainable cultivation of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Durio zibethinus L</Emphasis>. in nurseries

The extensive use of peat moss as potting medium in nurseries worldwide is not sustainable causing peatland depletion and greenhouse gas emissions. This research seeks to explore whether wood biochar produced by the environment-friendly flame curtain method can partially substitute peat moss in plant nurseries without affecting plant growth and health. Biochar was produced from durian wood logs in a top-quenched Kon-Tiki earth kiln, crushed, and mixed with peat moss at dosages of 0, 1, 2.5 and 5% (w/w). Durian seedlings were grown in 2.5 L polybags arranged in randomised complete block design with 4 replicates per treatment. Plant height, collar diameter, pH, moisture content, number of branches and leaves, and plant health were monitored weekly for 94 days. Liquid fish fertiliser was used as organic fertiliser. Our results demonstrated that biochar can substitute at least 5% (w/w) peat moss without negatively affecting plant height, collar diameter, number of leaves and branches, and plant health. In addition, organic fertiliser is not required during the first 3 months of cultivation resulting in cost savings to the nursery operator. Plant height was found to be the most accurate yet simple monitoring parameter studied. A better understanding of the effect of higher biochar application rates as well as the number of times the potting medium can be reused without loss of potting medium properties and health can help to further cut nursery cost and reduce reliance on peat moss.     

An evaluation of trace metal distribution, enrichment factors and risk in sediments of a coastal lagoon (Ria de Aveiro, Portugal)

This paper describes a sediment survey undertaken to unravel patterns of distribution and dispersion of trace metals in an Iberian Peninsula northwestern coastal lagoon (Ria de Aveiro). Cadmium, lead, chromium, copper and zinc were analyzed in bottom sediments. Geochemical normalization is performed and two different regression models for each metal versus aluminum are tested and compared using the respective enrichment factors (EF), an estimation of the relative importance of anthropogenic contributions to the studied sediments. Mean sediment quality guideline quotients (mSQGQ) are used to evaluate sediment quality and associated potential risk to biota with effects range low as empirical sediment quality guideline (SQG) in the basis for mSQGQ calculation. Additionally, the geoaccumulation index is calculated to compare studied sediment levels to global baseline levels. The application of SQGs revealed insufficient characterization capability, especially when contrasted to EF calculated from the regression methods. These pointed a mildly enriched system with localized ??hot spot?? areas. Therefore, it can be considered that bottom sediments in the Ria de Aveiro system are in their majority unpolluted, zinc being the only metal of concern, presenting enrichment in all four main channels. The major rivers outlets (Caster, Antu?, and Vouga) constitute point sources, thus presenting potential risk for biota. Yet, the strong tidal influence creates a damping effect by efficiently redistributing sediment bound metals.     

Stuck in a mess (again): A response to Johnston, Fairbrother, Hayes, Hoare and Jones

A response to Johnston et al.’s criticisms of my earlier paper about the Cold War and geography’s quantitative revolution that I am overly deterministic and fail to prove my case.