Effects of an Omnivorous Katydid,Salinity, and Nutrients on a Planthopper-<Emphasis Type="Italic">Spartina</Emphasis> Food Web

Top–down and bottom–up effects interact to structure communities, especially in salt marshes, which contain strong gradients in bottom–up drivers such as salinity and nutrients. How omnivorous consumers respond to variation in prey availability and plant quality is poorly understood. We used a mesocosm experiment to examine how salinity, nutrients, an omnivore (the katydid Orchelimum fidicinium) and an herbivore (the planthopper Prokelisia spp.) interacted to structure a simplified salt marsh food web based on the marsh grass Spartina alterniflora. Bottom–up effects were strong, with both salinity and nutrients decreasing leaf C/N and increasing Prokelisia abundance. Top–down effects on plants were also strong, with both the herbivore and the omnivore affecting S. alterniflora traits and growth, especially when nutrients or salt were added. In contrast, top–down control by Orchelimum of Prokelisia was independent of bottom–up conditions. Orchelimum grew best on a diet containing both Spartina and Prokelisia, and in contrast to a sympatric omnivorous crab, did not shift to an animal-based diet when prey were present, suggesting that it is constrained to consume a mixed diet. These results suggest that the trophic effects of omnivores depend on omnivore behavior, dietary constraints, and ability to suppress lower trophic levels, and that omnivorous katydids may play a previously unrecognized role in salt marsh food webs.     

Glacier recession and human vulnerability in the Yanamarey watershed of the Cordillera Blanca, Peru

Glaciers in the Cordillera Blanca, Peru, are undergoing rapid retreat, in large part due to climate change. These changes are significantly altering water availability in the region and pose critical risks to local populations that are highly dependent on these resources for livelihoods. We examine these issues through an interdisciplinary and linked evaluation of hydrological change and livelihood vulnerability in the Yanamarey watershed. Physical observations of the Yanamarey glacier show acceleration in frontal retreat at a rate of 8 m decade^???1 since 1970, accompanied by total volume loss on the order of 0.022 km³. Hydrological and hydrochemical analyses document a possible transformation of stream flow over the past decade as the seasonal storage capacity of the glacier has degraded. Recent stream discharge measurements from the proglacial lake below the glacier are more coincident with the highly variable seasonal precipitation than they were during the 1998?C1999 hydrological year. Local household perceptions of glacier recession and seasonal hydrological variability agree with this trend, which is increasing human vulnerability in the watershed. Household case-study survey results demonstrate that shifting water resources, increasing weather extremes and climate-related threats to tourism are all new vectors of vulnerability for household livelihoods.     

New induction sounding tested in Central Europe

The hourly data of nine geomagnetic observatories situated in Central Europe have been analyzed using the generalized magnetovariation (GMV) method designed recently for induction soundings of inhomogeneous media. In this method, impedance is one of transfer functions in the differential relation between spectra of the magnetic components and their derivatives. The peculiarity of this impedance is its correspondence to the magnetotelluric one estimated from the linear relations. Three transfer functions have been estimated simultaneously for data of geomagnetic observatories, using three different routines working in the period range from three hours up to two days. Noises in the source field components have been compared with noise in the estimated plane field divergence. The multivariate errors-in-variables method was used to extract spatially and temporally coherent geomagnetic field structure from the partially incoherent geomagnetic variations. This method allows estimating reliably impedances and gradient tippers for each observatory, taking into consideration the Earth’s sphericity. The obtained responses have been used for induction soundings and for detecting a deep inhomogeneity in the region.     

Extending the double-difference location technique to mining applications part I: Numerical study

The location of the seismic event hypocenter is the very first task undertaken when studying any seismological problem. The accuracy of the solution can significantly influence consecutive stages of analysis, so there is a continuous demand for new, more efficient and accurate location algorithms. It is important to recognize that there is no single universal location algorithm which will perform equally well in any situation. The type of seismicity, the geometry of the recording seismic network, the size of the controlled area, tectonic complexity, are the most important factors influencing the performance of location algorithms. In this paper we propose a new location algorithm called the extended double difference (EDD) which combines the insensitivity of the double-difference (DD) algorithm to the velocity structure with the special demands imposed by mining: continuous change of network geometry and a very local recording capability of the network for dominating small induced events. The proposed method provides significantly better estimation of hypocenter depths and origin times compared to the classical and double-difference approaches, the price being greater sensitivity to the velocity structure than the DD approach. The efficiency of both algorithms for the epicentral coordinates is similar.     

Effects of Oxbow Reconnection Based on the Distribution and Structure of Benthic Macroinvertebrates

This study focuses on the assessment of relationships between flow and macrozoobenthos structure that was performed in a reconnected oxbow lake located in the S?upia River floodplain (northern Poland). The lake was created during river straightening at the beginning of 20th century by cutting off the right‐bank meander. The oxbow restoration was performed to enhance the ecological viability of this water body and restore riverine wetland. In July 2000 the oxbow was connected with the river channel through PVC pipes which enabled free water movement. Macrozoobenthos sampling, as well as chemical analyses of water and hydrological measurements, took place both before and after the oxbow reconnection. Before the oxbow reconnection, the dominant species was Asellus aquaticus, whereas after the reconnection the structure of benthic species changed significantly. During the first year it was replaced by bivalves and Chironomidae larvae and then A. aquaticus. After the reconnection, macrozoobenthos mean density was 5‐fold higher and the mean wet biomass was 77‐fold higher than before the reconnection. The number of taxa increased from 4 before the oxbow reconnection to 17 during the first year after the performed works and 20 in the next year. We stated that the revitalization process of the reconnected oxbow lake has long‐term consequences for the benthic communities. The most significant feature of the oxbow reconnection is the qualitative and quantitative recolonization by riverine macrozoobenthos species. The performed restoration significantly improved ecological status of the oxbow lake by the increase in biodiversity and water quality.     

Gold solubility in oxidized and reduced, water-saturated mafic melt

We have performed experiments to evaluate Au solubility in natural, water-saturated basaltic melts as a function of oxygen fugacity. Experiments were carried out at 1000 °C and 200 MPa, and oxygen fugacity was controlled at the fayalite-magnetite-quartz (FMQ) oxygen fugacity buffer and FMQ + 4. All experiments were saturated with a metal-chloride aqueous solution loaded initially as a 10 wt% NaCl eq. fluid. The stable phase assemblage at FMQ consists of basalt melt, olivine, clinopyroxene, a single-phase aqueous fluid, and metallic Au. The stable phase assemblage at FMQ + 4 consists of basalt melt, clinopyroxene, magnetite-spinel solid solution, a single-phase aqueous fluid, and metallic Au. Silicate glasses (i.e., quenched melt) and their contained crystalline material were analyzed by using both electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) and laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). Measured Au concentrations in the quenched melt range from 4.8 μg g⁻¹ to 0.64 μg g⁻¹ at FMQ + 4, and 0.54 μg g⁻¹ to 0.1 μg g⁻¹ at FMQ. The measured solubility of Au in olivine and clinopyroxene was consistently below the LA-ICP-MS limit of detection (i.e., 0.1 μg g⁻¹). These melt solubility data place important limitations on the dissolved Au content of water-saturated, Cl- and S-bearing basaltic liquids at geologically relevant fO₂ values. The new data are compared to published, experimentally-determined values for Au solubility in dry and hydrous silicate liquids spanning the compositional range from basalt to rhyolite, and the effects of melt composition, oxygen fugacity, pressure and temperature are discussed.     

Composition and origin of organic matter in surface sediments of Lake Sarbsko: A highly eutrophic and shallow coastal lake (northern Poland)

We present an organic geochemical study of surface sediments of Lake Sarbsko, a shallow coastal lake on the middle Polish Baltic coast. The aim was to provide evidence concerning the origin of the organic matter (OM) and its compositional diversity in surface deposits of this very productive, highly dynamic water body. The content and composition of the OM in the bottom sediments were investigated at 11 sampling stations throughout the lake basin. OM sources were assigned on the basis of bulk indicators [total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN), δ¹³C_TOC and δ¹⁵N and extractable OM yield], biomarker composition of extractable OM and compound-specific C isotope signatures. The source characterization of autochthonous compounds was verified via phytoplankton analysis. The distribution of gaseous hydrocarbons in the sediments, as well as temporal changes in lake water pH, the concentration of DIC (dissolved inorganic carbon) and δ¹³C_DIC were used to trace OM decomposition.The sedimentary OM is composed mainly of well preserved phytoplankton compounds and shows minor spatial variability in composition. However, the presence of CH₄ and CO₂ in the bottom deposits provides evidence for microbial degradation of sedimentary OM. The transformation of organic compounds in surface, bottom and pore waters via oxidative processes influences carbonate equilibrium in the lake and seasonally favours precipitation or dissolution of CaCO₃.The data enhance our understanding of the relationships between the composition of sedimentary OM and environmental conditions within coastal ecosystems and shed light on the reliability of OM proxies for environmental reconstruction of coastal lakes.     

Application of organic petrology and geochemistry to coal waste studies

Coal wastes produced during mining activities are commonly deposited in nearby dumps. These wastes mostly composed of minerals and variable amounts (usually 20-30%) of organic matter start to weather immediately after deposition. Oxidation of the organic matter can lead to self heating and self combustion as a result of organic and mineral matter transformations. The degree of alteration depends on the properties of the wastes, i.e., the maceral and microlithotype composition of the organic matter and its rank.Alteration of wastes also depends on the heating history, i.e., the rate of heating, final heating temperature, duration of heating, and the degree of air access. Although air is probably necessary to initiate and drive the heating processes, these usually take place under relatively oxygen depleted conditions. With slow heating, color of organic matter particles changes, irregular cracks and oxidation rims develop around edges and cracks, and bitumen is expelled. As a result, massive and detritic isotropic and strongly altered organic matter forms. On the other hand, higher heating rates cause the formation of devolatilization pores, oxidation rims around these pores and along cracks, vitrinite-bands-mantling particles, and bitumen expulsions.Organic compounds generated from the wastes include n-alkanes, iso-alkanes, alkylcyclohexanes, acyclic isoprenoids, mainly pristane, phytane and, in some cases, farnesane, sesquiterpanes, tri- and tetracyclic diterpanes, tri- and pentacyclic triterpanes, and steranes, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (mostly with two- to five rings, rarely six rings), and phenols. The compounds formed change during the heating history. The fact that phenols are found in dumps where heating has not yet been completed, but are absent in those where heating ceased previously suggests the presence of water washing. The organic compounds formed may migrate within the dumps. However, when they migrate out of the dumps, they become a hazard to environment.This paper is a review on transformations of organic matter (both maceral composition and reflectance and chemical composition) in coal wastes deposited in coal waste dumps. Immediately after deposition the wastes are exposed to weathering conditions and sometimes undergo self heating processes.     

By design: The architecture of microbial redox cycling

The authors’ work on mine systems, combines field and laboratory integrated microbial geochemical investigation with high-resolution techniques enabling characterization and visualization at the bacterium scale (i.e. STXM). The results indicate a repeated motif of socially organized microbial cooperation occurring within microbial consortial macrostructures (pods). The pod structure directly enables the specific geochemical processes linked to the metabolic function of the consortial members. These microbially linked geochemical processes have important ramifications for bulk system geochemistry that were previously unknown. Results from two examples: (1) microbial metal interactions within AMD biofilms and (2) sulfur redox cycling by a novel consortia within mine waters, illustrate how the ecology of the pod consortia is linked to pod biogeochemical macrostructure as well as to the resulting geochemistry associated with pod metabolism. In both instances the pod structures enabled the associated consortia to carry out reactions not predicted by classic geochemical understanding of these systems. Investigation of AMD biofilm biogeochemical architecture capturing the micro-scale linkages amongst geochemical gradients, metal dynamics and depth resolved micro-organism community structure, illustrated a novel biomineralization process driven by biofilm associated pods controlling biofilm metal capture. Similarly, the groups’ recent discovery of an environmental S redox cycling, pod-forming, consortium revealed ecologically driven S cycling with previously unknown implications for both AMD mitigation and AMD carbon flux modeling. These results highlight how microbes cooperatively orchestrate their geochemical environment, underscoring the need to consider syntrophic community activity in environmental processes and the requirement for integrated, high-resolution techniques spanning geochemistry, molecular microbiology and imaging to reveal the biogeochemistry involved.