Explaining NDVI trends in northern Burkina Faso

Many studies have shown a ‘greening of the Sahel’ on the basis of analysis of time series of satellite images and this has shown to be, at least partly, explained by changes in rainfall. In northern Burkina Faso, an area stands out as anomalous in such analysis, since it is characterized by a distinct spatial pattern and strongly dominated by negative trends in Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). The aim of the paper is to explain this distinct pattern. When studied over the period 2000–2012, using NDVI data from the MODIS sensor the spatial pattern of NDVI trends indicates that non-climatic factors are involved. By relating NDVI trends to landscape elements and land use change we demonstrate that NDVI trends in the north-western parts of the study area are mostly related to landscape elements, while this is not the case in the south-eastern parts, where rapidly changing land use, including. expansion of irrigation, plays a major role. It is inferred that a process of increased redistribution of fine soil material, water and vegetation from plateaus and slopes to valleys, possibly related to higher grazing pressure, may provide an explanation of the observed pattern of NDVI trends. Further work will focus on testing this hypothesis.     

An in situ study of presolar grains and the fine-grained matrices of the Meteorite Hills 00526 and Queen Alexandra Range 97008 unequilibrated ordinary chondrites

Here we report in situ structural and chemical analyses of four presolar grains and the matrices of the Meteorite Hills (MET) 00526 L3.05 and Queen Alexandra Range (QUE) 97008 L3.05 unequilibrated ordinary chondrites (UOCs). The presolar grains in MET 00526 include one Fe-rich single crystal olivine, and one olivine grain that contains both amorphous and polycrystalline material. The single crystal olivine likely has origins in the circumstellar envelope (CSE) of a red giant branch (RGB) or asymptotic giant branch (AGB) star, and the amorphous/polycrystalline olivine has an O-isotopic composition consistent with origins in a type II supernova. The presolar grains from QUE 97008 are Fe rich and include one crystalline, stoichiometric olivine that contains a Ca-rich core and one crystalline, stoichiometric pyroxene grain, both of which have O-isotopic compositions consistent with origins in the CSEs of low-mass AGB/RGB stars. The matrices of both UOCs are mineralogically diverse with evidence for unaltered material in the form of amorphous silicates and a C-rich nanoglobule and altered material in the form of Ni-rich sulfides, abundant Fe-rich olivine, and Fe-Mg zoning in matrix silicates. No phyllosilicates were observed. The Fe-rich olivine grains are the dominant alteration phase in both UOCs and likely replaced primary amorphous silicates in the presence of an Fe-rich fluid during parent body alteration. Our work suggests that the ordinary and carbonaceous chondrites received a similar inventory of dust with comparable structures and chemistries.     

Mycobiota associated with the rhodophyte alien species Asparagopsis taxiformis (Delile) Trevisan de Saint‐Léon in the Mediterranean Sea

This study is the first to investigate and characterize the mycobiota associated with the alien species Asparagopsis taxiformis, a rhodophyte classified as one of the ‘100 worst invasive species’ in the Mediterranean Sea by the Hellenic Center for Marine Research, as it threatens biodiversity. Fungal endophyte and epiphyte communities were investigated on algal specimens from two sampling sites on the island of Linosa (Marine Protected Area Isole Pelagie, Italy). 87% of the 24 specimens that were analysed for epiphytes displayed a microfungal colonization. No endophytes were found. Only a small amount of microfungi was found to be associated with this alga. Only five fungal taxa were isolated; two of which are sporadically associated with the alga, while three, Eurotium rubrum, Cladosporium cladosporioides and Cladosporium pseudocladosporioides, seem to be related to A. taxiformis. This scarcity could be related to algal chemical composition.     

Abundance,distribution and habitat preference of Hippocampus guttulatus and Hippocampus hippocampus in a semi‐enclosed central Mediterranean marine area

Population abundance, distribution and habitat preference of the Mediterranean sympatric seahorses Hippocampus guttulatus and Hippocampus hippocampus were investigated in a semi‐enclosed sea system (Apulian coast, Ionian Sea). A total of 242 individuals of seahorses were sighted in the 11 transects surveyed in summer 2011. Hippocampus guttulatus (n = 225) were 14 times more abundant than H. hippocampus (17). The mean abundance of H. guttulatus for all the pooled sites was 0.018 m^?2 (SE ± 0.003) ranging from a maximum of 0.035 (SE ± 0.007) to a minimum of 0.008 (SE ± 0.002). The size structure of long‐snouted seahorse shows a population ranging from 7 to 14 cm (SL) with a peak at 10 cm (TL). Juveniles (96.0 ± 8.0 mm) represent a significant fraction of the population, accounting more than 21% of the sighted individuals. In Mar Piccolo, H. guttulatus is able to shelter both in monotonous habitats, including the algal beds, and diversified ones, such as the rich filter‐feeder communities that colonize hard substrates. By contrast, H. hippocampus is mainly associated with habitats of low complexity. Today, the Mar Piccolo di Taranto is among the most heavily polluted water bodies in South Italy, with trace metals, hydrocarbons, pesticides and organic wastes affecting both biotic and abiotic matrices. However, despite the high level of degradation, the presence of a large mussel farm has avoided the impact of towed fishing gears, and eutrophication of water bodies has ensured a high trophic level that supports large crustacean populations, potential prey for seahorses.     

Tracking suitable habitat for tree populations under climate change in western North America

An important criticism of bioclimate envelope models is that many wide-ranging species consist of locally adapted populations that may all lag behind their optimal climate habitat under climate change, and thus should be modeled separately. Here, we apply a bioclimate envelope model that tracks habitat of individual populations to estimate adaptational lags for 15 wide-ranging forest tree species in western North America. An ensemble classifier modeling approach (RandomForest) was used to spatially project the climate space of tree populations under observed climate trends (1970s to 2000s) and multi-model projections for the 2020s, 2050s and 2080s. We find that, on average, populations already lag behind their optimal climate niche by approximately 130 km in latitude, or 60 m in elevation. For the 2020s we expect an average lag of approximately 310 km in latitude or 140 m in elevation, with the most pronounced geographic lags in the Rocky Mountains and the boreal forest. We show that our results could in principle be applied to guide assisted migration of planting stock in reforestation programs using a general formula where 100 km north shift is equivalent to approximately 44 m upward shift in elevation. However, additional non-climatic factors should be considered when matching reforestation stock to suitable planting environments.     

Tsunami impact to Washington and northern Oregon from segment ruptures on the southern Cascadia subduction zone

This paper explores the size and arrival of tsunamis in Oregon and Washington from the most likely partial ruptures of the Cascadia subduction zone (CSZ) in order to determine (1) how quickly tsunami height declines away from sources, (2) evacuation time before significant inundation, and (3) extent of felt shaking that would trigger evacuation. According to interpretations of offshore turbidite deposits, the most frequent partial ruptures are of the southern CSZ. Combined recurrence of ruptures extending ~490 km from Cape Mendocino, California, to Waldport, Oregon (segment C) and ~320 km from Cape Mendocino to Cape Blanco, Oregon (segment D), is ~530 years. This recurrence is similar to frequency of full-margin ruptures on the CSZ inferred from paleoseismic data and to frequency of the largest distant tsunami sources threatening Washington and Oregon, ~M _w 9.2 earthquakes from the Gulf of Alaska. Simulated segment C and D ruptures produce relatively low-amplitude tsunamis north of source areas, even for extreme (20 m) peak slip on segment C. More than ~70 km north of segments C and D, the first tsunami arrival at the 10-m water depth has an amplitude of <1.9 m. The largest waves are trapped edge waves with amplitude ≤4.2 m that arrive ≥2 h after the earthquake. MM V–VI shaking could trigger evacuation of educated populaces as far north as Newport, Oregon for segment D events and Grays Harbor, Washington for segment C events. The NOAA and local warning systems will be the only warning at greater distances from sources.     

Estimating the hydraulic properties of an aquitard from in situ pore pressure measurements

A workflow is described to estimate specific storage (S _s) and hydraulic conductivity (K) from a profile of vibrating wire piezometers embedded into a regional aquitard in Australia. The loading efficiency, compressibility and S _s were estimated from pore pressure response to atmospheric pressure changes, and K was estimated from the earliest part of the measurement record following grouting. Results indicate that S _s and K were, respectively, 8.8?×?10^?6 to 1.2?×?10^?5 m^?1 and 2?×?10^?12 m s^?1 for a claystone/siltstone, and 4.3?×?10^?6 to 9.6?×?10^?6 m^?1 and 1?×?10^?12 to 5?×?10^?12 m s^?1 for a thick mudstone. K estimates from the pore pressure response are within one order of magnitude when compared to direct measurement in a laboratory and inverse modelled flux rates determined from natural tracer profiles. Further analysis of the evolution and longevity of the properties of borehole grout (e.g. thermal and chemical effects) may help refine the estimation of formation hydraulic properties using this workflow. However, the convergence of K values illustrates the benefit of multiple lines of evidence to support aquitard characterization. An additional benefit of in situ pore pressure measurement is the generation of long-term data to constrain groundwater flow models, which provides a link between laboratory scale data and the formation scale.     

Characterizing snowmelt anomalies in hydrochemographs of a karst spring,Cumberland Valley,Pennsylvania (USA): evidence for multiple recharge pathways

Conductivity, water level, air temperature, and depth of snowpack were monitored during a 26-day melt period of 88-cm-deep snowpack at a karst spring to characterize internal runoff and diffuse infiltration. Chloride from road salt provided a tracer and the snowpack a recharge source during the melt period. The melt period was divided into phases based on air temperature and chemograph pattern. For the first and third phases, mean air temperatures were below freezing, but above freezing during the second and fourth phases. During the first phase when the temperature peaked above freezing, conductivity typically spiked 10–50 μS/cm, suggesting input of road salt from conduits. When the snowpack continuously melted, conductivity and water-level trends were upward with smaller daily spikes in conductivity indicating infiltration from the dilute snowpack. This pattern suggests that road salt input continued when snowmelt recharged through the epikarst, but at lower concentrations than the conduit input. Refreezing of the snowpack and shallow subsurface for a brief period interrupted the recharge, and there was no longer a sawtooth pattern of conductivity. It is apparent that frozen conditions did not cease recharge because a dual recharge process was evident. While dual recharge from internal runoff and diffuse infiltration occurred, the portions varied because of changing melting rates. Observed patterns indicated internal runoff dominated during frozen periods because recharge water moved as overland flow across a frozen surface to focused pathways. Diffuse infiltration became available during warmer periods because subsurface thawing allowed the snowmelt to penetrate the epikarst. Results of snowmelt monitoring in spring discharge indicated the transient nature of karst recharge.     

Biomarkers in croakers Micropogonias furnieri (Teleostei: Sciaenidae) from polluted and non-polluted areas from the Patos Lagoon estuary (Southern Brazil): evidences of genotoxic and immunological effects

Biomarkers of exposure and effect of pollutants were analyzed in croakers Micropogonias furnieri (Teleostei: Sciaenidae) captured in winter and summer in a polluted and in a non-polluted site at the Patos Lagoon estuary (Southern Brazil). Catalase and glutathione S-transferase activities (exposure biomarkers) and lipid peroxidation (effect biomarker) were analyzed in liver samples. Other two effect biomarkers were also studied: blood cells DNA damage (through comet assay and micronucleus test) and respiratory burst measurements. In a broad view, results point to an important seasonal variation of the biochemical biomarkers analyzed. However, data obtained clearly indicate that croakers collected in winter at the polluted site were subjected to a level of clastogenic agents sufficient to generate irreversible genetic damages (mutations) and impair the fish immune system.     

Spatial Distribution of Nitrous Oxide (N<Subscript>2</Subscript>O) in the Reloncaví Estuary–Sound and Adjacent Sea (41°–43° S), Chilean Patagonia

Fjords and estuaries exchange large amounts of solutes, gases, and particulates between fluvial and marine systems. These exchanges and their relative distributions of compounds/particles are partially controlled by stratification and water circulation. The spatial and vertical distributions of N₂O, an important greenhouse gas, along with other oceanographic variables, are analyzed from the Reloncaví estuary (RE) (~41° 30′ S) to the gulf of Corcovado in the interior sea of Chiloé (43° 45′ S) during the austral winter. Freshwater runoff into the estuary regulated salinity and stratification of the water column, clearly demarking the surface (<5 m depth) and subsurface layer (>5 m depth) and also separating estuarine and marine influenced areas. N₂O levels varied between 8.3 and 21 nM (corresponding to 80 and 170 % saturation, respectively), being significantly lower (11.8 ± 1.70) at the surface than in subsurface waters in the Reloncaví estuary (14.5 ± 1.73). Low salinity and NO₃ ^?, NO₂ ^?, and PO₄ ^3? levels, as well as high Si(OH)₄ values were associated with low surface N₂O levels. Remarkably, an accumulation of N₂O was observed in the subsurface waters of the Reloncaví sound, associated with a relatively high consumption of O₂. The sound is exposed to increasing anthropogenic impacts from aquaculture and urban discharge, occurring simultaneously with an internal recirculation, which leads to potential signals of early eutrophication. In contrast, within the interior sea of Chiloé (ISC), most of water column was quasi homohaline and occupied by modified subantarctic water (MSAAW), which was relatively rich in N₂O (12.6 ± 2.36 nM) and NO₃ ^? (18.3 ± 1.63 μM). The relationship between salinity, nutrients, and N₂O revealed that water from the open ocean, entering into ISC (the Gulf of Corcovado) through the Guafo mouth, was the main source of N₂O (up to 21 nM), as it gradually mixed with estuarine water. In addition, significant relationships between N₂O excess vs. AOU and N₂O excess vs. NO₃ ^? suggest that part of N₂O is also produced by nitrification. Our results show that the estuarine and marine waters can act as light source or sink of N₂O to the atmosphere (air–sea N₂O fluxes ranged from ?1.57 to 5.75 μmol m^?2 day^?1), respectively; influxes seem to be associated to brackish water depleted in N₂O that also caused a strong stratification, creating a barrier to gas exchange.