A digitized global flood inventory (1998–2008): compilation and preliminary results

Floods have profound impacts on populations worldwide in terms of both loss of life and property. A global inventory of floods is an important tool for quantifying the spatial and temporal distribution of floods and for evaluating global flood prediction models. Several global hazard inventories currently exist; however, their utility for spatiotemporal analysis of global floods is limited. The existing flood catalogs either fail to record the geospatial area over which the flood impacted or restrict the types of flood events included in the database according to a set of criteria, limiting the scope of the inventory. To improve upon existing databases, and make it more comprehensive, we have compiled a digitized Global Flood Inventory (GFI) for the period 1998–2008 which also geo-references each flood event by latitude and longitude. This technical report presents the methodology used to compile the GFI and preliminary findings on the spatial and temporal distributions of the flooding events that are contained in the inventory.     

Differences in the Feeding Ecology of Two Seagrass-Associated Snails

Grazing by small epifauna on live seagrass leaves was formerly viewed as unimportant in controlling plant biomass and growth, instead researchers focused on the indirect benefits of small invertebrates that crop algal competitors. Recent evidence shows that the emerald nerite Smaragdia viridis preferentially ingests seagrass leaf tissue. In contrast, the button snail Modulus modulus feeds on epiphytes and periphyton coating the leaves. We conducted laboratory microcosm and field experiments to investigate how the different feeding preferences of these seagrass-associated snails affect turtlegrass Thalassia testudinum primary production. Data revealed that after 24 h S. viridis reduced foliar biomass (25%) and chlorophyll (30%) and injured the equivalent of 50% of daily seagrass growth per shoot. Conversely, M. modulus did not affect these variables. Our results emphasize that in subtropical seagrass communities not all small epifauna browse off leaf surfaces and some can have important direct negative impacts on their seagrass host.     

Back to the Future? Planning for environmental outcomes and the new Caring for our Country program

The Australian government Caring for our Country (CfoC) program, first announced in 2008, has sought to build on and enhance previous experience with Australian natural resource management policy. This paper critically examines the initial design, planned delivery, and first round of competitive funding outcomes of the new program. This analysis shows that the initial design and delivery of the CfoC model was ad hoc, politicised, and lacking in transparency. The paper concludes that a more systematic and transparent approach for achieving sustainable environmental outcomes is required in order for this new program to achieve its intended objectives. These implications are of interest to Australian and international geographers, natural resource planners, scientists and policy makers concerned with the design, delivery and outcomes of large natural resource and environmental management programs.     

The genus Pseudo-nitzschia (Bacillariophyceae) in New Zealand: analysis of the last decade's monitoring data

The diatom genus Pseudo-nitzschia blooms throughout New Zealand's coastal waters. More than a decade of monitoring data were analysed in this study and seasonality was a significant factor in the appearance of Pseudo-nitzschia blooms. Austral spring and summer were the main bloom periods, although there were regional differences. Between January 2000 and August 2011, 8.4% of 29,000 seawater samples analysed for Pseudo-nitzschia exceeded the voluntary trigger level for biotoxin testing (10×10⁴ cells l^?1), and these were analysed by fluorescent in situ hybridisation (FISH) assays. Pseudo-nitzschia fraudulenta and P. pseudodelicatissima (low domoic acid [DA] producers) were the dominant bloom formers throughout New Zealand (each contributing 25%) followed by the highly toxic P. australis (10%). Shellfish flesh testing for DA was triggered on 8477 occasions between 2000 and 2011, but no samples exceeded the regulatory limit (20 mg/kg); the maximum concentration was 13 mg/kg (Marlborough Sounds, mid-winter 2010).     

Eiszeitklima in Nordafrika

Zusammenfassung Die gewöhnlich angenommene Wechselbeziehung zwischen den europäischen Glazialen und den nordafrikanischen Regenperioden trifft nur zu im Hinblick auf die Küstenländer des Mittelmeeres. Das Studium der Nil-Ablagerungen (gemessen mit C¹⁴-Werten) zeigt, da\ die tropischen Regen nahezu zum Stillstand kamen während des Spät-Würms, und da\ Sahara-Dünen mindestens 1000 km südlicher lagen, verglichen mit ihrer heutigen Lage, was auf einen allgemeinen Rückgang der tropischen Monsune hindeutet.Vor etwa 7–11000 Jahren traten starke interglaziale Regenperioden auf. Vereinzelte Sommerregen, d. h. Monsunregenfälle, wanderten 2000–3000 km nach Norden, verglichen mit ihrer Grenze in der Eiszeit, bis zur nordafrikanischen Küste (begleitet von Tieren savannenähnlicher Biotope). Der dauernde Rückgang der Nil-Gewässer und die zunehmende Austrocknung Nordafrikas gaben dem späteren Holozän sein Gepräge, was man als eine Abkühlungsphase nach dem postglazialen Klimaoptimum bezeichnen kann.

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The traditional correlation of European ice ages with North African pluvial phases is only correct with respect to the Mediterranean coastal land. Studies of Nile sedimentation (with C¹⁴ dates) show that tropical rainfall nearly ceased during the Late Würm and that Sahara dune systems lay at least 1000 km. S. of the present, indicating a general retreat of the tropical monsoon.Strong interglacial pluvial phases occurred between 11000 and 7000 years ago. Sporadic summer rain and the monsoon rains migrated 2000–3000 km. north of their ice-age limit, to reach the north African coast (accompanied by savannah-type animals). Sporadic summer rains returned to Alexandria 2000 years ago. Steady drop of the Nile volume and progressive dessication of North Africa has marked the Late Holocene, which is interpreted as showing a postinterglacial cooling trend.