Photosynthetic responses to Cu exposure are independent of light acclimation and uncoupled from growth inhibition in Fucus serratus (Phaeophyceae)

We have studied the effect of light acclimation on photosynthetic responses and growth during Cu²⁺ exposure (0–0.84 μM) in the brown seaweed Fucus serratus. Measurements of chlorophyll fluorescence parameters showed that Cu²⁺ exposure amplified ETR, reduced the chlorophyll content at the cellular level and that there was no effect of light adaptation on the Cu²⁺ resistance of the algae. In contrast to the inhibitory effects of Cu²⁺ on chlorophyll fluorescence, O₂ evolution and the total content of chlorophyll and carotenoid of the algae was unaffected by Cu²⁺. We conclude that photoinhibition and perhaps pigment degradation in the meristoderm was compensated for by cells deeper in the thallus with the result that the overall photosynthetic fitness of the algae was maintained. The pronounced inhibitory effects of Cu²⁺ on algae growth was not a consequence of photoinhibition and could be attributed to direct inhibitory effects on the growth process.     

Supply regimes in fisheries

Supply in fisheries is traditionally known for its backward bending nature, owing to externalities in production. Such a supply regime, however, exist only for pure open access fisheries. Since most fisheries worldwide are neither pure open access, nor optimally managed, rather between the extremes, the traditional understanding of supply regimes in fisheries needs modification. This paper identifies through a case study of the East Baltic cod fishery supply regimes in fisheries, taking alternative fisheries management schemes and mesh size limitations into account. An age-structured Beverton–Holt based bio-economic supply model with mesh sizes is developed. It is found that in the presence of realistic management schemes, the supply curves are close to vertical in the relevant range. Also, the supply curve under open access with mesh size limitations is almost vertical in the relevant range, owing to constant recruitment. The implications are that the effects on supply following from e.g. trade liberalisation and reductions of subsidies are small in several and probably most fisheries worldwide.     

Late Cenozoic prograding wedges on the NW European continental margin: their formation and relationship to tectonics and climate

During late Pliocene to Pleistocene times, prominent prograding wedges were deposited along the continental margin of NW Europe, resulting in seaward shelf break migration of up to 150 km. Much of the sediment accumulation occurred marginal to the former mid- to high-latitude ice sheets. The geographical distribution, and stratigraphical and chronological data may suggest that the instigation of the wedges was variously related to tectonic uplift as well as a response to the late Pliocene to Pleistocene climate deterioration and onset of major northern hemisphere glaciations. The onset of wedge growth on the NW UK and Irish margins was initiated at about 4 Ma in response to tectonic tilting of the margin in that region. However, glacially derived sediments here comprise a significant proportion of the wedges, especially since 0.44 Ma. For the Faroe margin, no detailed chronology is available; however, it may be inferred that onset of glacigenic wedge growth here did not post-date that observed on the NW UK and Irish margins. Offshore Norway, wedge growth has largely occurred since ca. 2.7 Ma in response to northern hemisphere glaciations, also recording a major change in sediments transport routes at 0.8–1.1 Ma (reflecting larger Fennoscandian Ice Sheets). Presently, it is uncertain whether the glacigenic wedge growth was preceded by a fluvial phase (in response to uplift) in this area. In the western Barents Sea, an early phase of wedge growth was (glacio) fluvial in character. Off western Spitsbergen, the development was similar to that of the Barents Sea although the glacigenic wedge-growth phase may have started somewhat earlier.The wedges commonly display gently inclined seaward prograding clinoforms, and transparent to chaotic internal acoustic facies. Sampling of their sediments reveals that they are mainly composed of glacigenic diamicton interbedded with marine and glaciomarine sediments that, to various extents, have been affected by bottom-current action. The clinoforms of these wedges vary in geometry from oblique to sigmoidal, and they also show varying degrees of aggradation throughout their development. The resulting stratal stacking pattern can be attributed to a combination of variations in sediment supply, sedimentary processes, and accommodation space, the latter being a function of tectonic movements and/or loading induced subsidence as well as eustatic sea-level fluctuations.     

Postglacial relative sea‐level rise in the Limfjord region,northern Jutland,Denmark

A new core drilled at Nørrekær Enge, Løgstør, Denmark, shows terrestrial lake and bog sediments lying beneath 10 m of marine sediments. Pollen analysis, ¹⁴C dating and sedimentary observations show that these sediments relate to an ancient lake basin that was flooded when the rising sea levels reached 8.0 m b.s.l. This new study has allowed a review of previous data relating to shoreline displacement from the Limfjord region of northern Jutland, Denmark. Here we present a new shoreline displacement curve spanning the period between c. 11 700 and 7700 cal. a BP and built upon the Nørrekær Enge data and data from seven other boreholes and excavations from the Limfjord region. A previous shoreline displacement curve for this region suggested a very rapid relative sea‐level rise of 3 to 5 m 100 a^?1 whereas this new curve suggests a much slower rise of around 1 m 100 a^?1, similar to global rates.     

basin%Ro: A vitrinite reflectance model derived from basin and laboratory data

The combination of vitrinite reflectance, apatite fission track and present‐day borehole temperature data is very useful when performing tectonic and thermal reconstructions in sedimentary basins which, in turn, are essential for assessing risk in hydrocarbon exploration and for testing hypotheses of basin evolution. Releasing the full potential of the combined data set requires that the predictive models are accurate in themselves. Here, we calibrate a new kinetic vitrinite reflectance model ‘basin%R_o’ using borehole data from a number of sedimentary basins and vitrinite reflectance data from laboratory maturation experiments. The entire data set is inverted for the kinetic parameters of the reflectance model under consideration of uncertainty in the temperature histories of the calibration samples. The method is not sensitive to inconsistent calibration data, which are revealed by significant corrections to the temperature histories. The performance of the model is tested on independent well data from the East China Sea and the Nova Scotian Shelf. The widely used easy%R_o‐model overestimates vitrinite reflectance in the interval 0.5–1.7% R_o by up to 0.35%. Delimiting of oil generating intervals by prediction of vitrinite reflectance may lead to significant underestimation of the generative potential, which may call for a revision of some petroleum systems. The overestimation by easy%R_o may have fuelled the idea of pressure retardation of vitrinite reflectance evolution under sedimentary basin conditions, where pressures in fact are too low for this to be important.     

A Local-Scale Study of the Trace Gas Emissions from Vegetation Burning around the Village of Dalun, Ghana, with Respect to Seasonal Vegetation Changes and Burning Practices

The annual trace gas emissions from a West African rural region were calculated using direct observations of gas emissions and burning practices, and the findings compared to the guidelines published by the IPCC. This local-scale study was conducted around the village of Dalun in the Northern Region of Ghana, near the regional capital of Tamale. Two types of fires were found in the region – agricultural fires andwildfires. Agricultural fires are intentionally set in order to remove shrub and crop residues; wildfires are mostly ignited by herders to remove inedible grasses and to promote the growth of fresh grass. An agricultural fire is ignited with a fire front moving against the wind (backfire), whereas a wildfire moves with the wind (headfire). Gas emissions (CO₂, CO and NO) weremeasured by burning eight experimental plots, simulating both headfires and backfires. A common method of evaluating burning conditions is to calculate modified combustion efficiency (MCE), which expresses the percentage of the trace gases released as CO₂. Modified combustion efficiency was95% in the wildfires burned as headfires, but only 90% in the backfires.The burned area in the study region was determined by classifying a SPOT HRV satellite image taken about two months into the dry season. Fires were classified as either old burned areas or new burned areas as determined by the gradient in moisture content in the vegetation from the onset of the dry season. Classified burned areas were subsequently divided into two classes depending on whether the location was in the cultivated area or in the rangeland area, this sub-classification thus indicating whether the fire had been burned as a backfire or headfire. Findings showed that the burned area was 48% of the total region, and that the ratio of lowland wildfiresto agricultural fires was 3:1. The net trace gas release from the classified vegetation burnings were extrapolated to 26–46×10⁸ gCO₂, 78–302×10⁶ g CO,17–156×10⁵ g CH₄,16–168×10⁵ g NMHC and 11–72×10³ NO_x. Calculation of the emissionsusing proposed IPCC default values on burned area and average biomass resulted in a net emission 5 to 10 times higher than the measured emission values. It was found that the main reason for this discrepancy was not the emission factorsused by the IPCC, but an exaggerated fuel load estimate.     

辽河三角洲滨海湿地生态系统CO2释放机制

二氧化碳(CO2)是滨海湿地生态系统主要释放的温室气体,对其释放机制的研究是碳循环研究的重要内容。利用LI-8100A土壤呼吸速率检测系统,应用封闭系统的动态气室法,通过2012年5月对辽河三角洲光滩、翅碱蓬(Suaeda salsa)和芦苇(Phragmites australis)2种典型植被湿地类型的系统呼吸通量及其不同实验处理后的呼吸通量研究,探讨在这一季节条件下湿地生态系统的CO2释放途径与机制。研究表明,芦苇湿地呼吸通量高于翅碱蓬湿地,且站立植物的呼吸量的贡献在翅碱蓬湿地仅占24%,在芦苇湿地占40%。特别地,当湿地植物被移除后,湿地系统所产生的CO2通量会显著增高,由此揭示了滨海湿地植物一旦被破坏,其生态系统在短时间内会向大气释放大量的CO2。