Sources and Distribution of Particulate Organic Matter of a Tropical Estuarine-Lagoon System from NE Brazil as Indicated by Lipid Biomarkers

In the present work, we evaluated the origin of organic matter in the tropical estuarine-lagoon system of Mundaú–Manguaba, NE Brazil, by considering the bulk (organic carbon and chlorophyll-a) and lipidic (n-alcohols and sterols) composition of suspended particles. Water samples were collected in August 2006 from 24 stations covering the salinity gradient from the rivers down to the sea outlet. Chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) varied from 22.7 to 134.1 μg L⁻¹ in the lagoons, indicating eutrophic to hypertrophic conditions at the time of sampling. The high correlation between Chl-a and phytol together with the molar C:N ratio indicated the presence of fresh and recently produced autochthonous particulate organic matter throughout the system, except for the river samples. The elevated concentrations of short-chain n-alcohols and phytosterols, mainly 24-methylcholesta-5,24(28)-dien-3β-ol, also corroborated the predominance of autochthonous organic matter in the lagoons but were generated by distinct sources: cianobacteria in the freshwater Manguaba lagoon and diatoms in the brackish Mundaú lagoon compartments. Input of terrestrial organic matter was only detected in the rivers themselves or at the upper river–lagoon interfaces. Coprostanol indicated contamination by sewage in Mundaú lagoon and in some rivers, but at lower levels when compared to other Brazilian coastal lagoons and estuaries.     

Wetland Plant Diversity in a Coastal Nature Reserve in Italy: Relationships with Salinization and Eutrophication and Implications for Nature Conservation

Wetlands are important centers of biodiversity. Coastal wetlands are subject to anthropogenic threats that can lead to biodiversity loss and consequent negative effects on nature conservation. We investigated relationships between wetland vegetation and habitat conditions in a coastal Nature Reserve in Northern Italy that has undergone seawater intrusion and eutrophication for several decades. The wetland vegetation in the Nature Reserve consisted of nine communities of hygrophytic and helophytic vegetation and five communities of waterplant vegetation. The hygrophytic and helophytic communities were arranged according to a salinity gradient, from salt-free habitats to strongly saline habitats. The saline habitats had high nutrient levels, due to the influx of nitrate-rich saltwater from an adjacent lagoon. The waterplant communities were all typical of freshwater habitats. Water-table depth and concentration of dissolved nutrients in the water were the main factors structuring waterplant vegetation. The main driver of future changes in the wetland vegetation of the Nature Reserve is the ongoing increase in salinity levels which may enhance expansion of halophilic species and communities, thus outcompeting locally rare freshwater species. If nutrient, especially nitrate, load further increases in the next future, this may exert negative effects on wetland species and communities preferring nutrient-poor habitats.     

Multi‐temporal transport network models for accessibility studies

Vehicle tracking is a spatio‐temporal source of high‐granularity travel time information that can be used for transportation planning. However, it is still a challenge to combine data from heterogeneous sources into a dynamic transport network, while allowing for network modifications over time. This article uses conceptual modeling to develop multi‐temporal transport networks in geographic information systems (GIS) for accessibility studies. The proposed multi‐temporal network enables accessibility studies with different temporal granularities and from any location inside the city, resulting in a flexible tool for transport and urban planning. The implemented network is tested in two case studies that focus on socially excluded people in a large global city, São Paulo, Brazil, including accessibility analyses from slum areas. It explores variations within a day and differences between transport modes across time. Case study results indicate how the accessibility is heterogeneous in low‐income regions.     

Vertical distribution of two sympatric labrid fishes in the Western Mediterranean and Eastern Atlantic rocky subtidal: local shore topography does matter

Changes in the shore topography (e.g. slope) occur at a scale of hundreds of meters in several locations in the Lusitanian and the Mediterranean Sea provinces. We tested whether differences in the bottom inclination might affect the vertical distribution patterns of two sympatric coastal labrid fishes, the rainbow wrasse Coris julis and the ornate wrasse Thalassoma pavo. Visual censuses were used to determine the distribution and abundance of these labrid species in high (≥30°) and low (≤3°) slope rocky substrates covered by brown macroalgae and at two different depths (shallow, 4–7 m, and deep 14–20 m). Pectoral fin aspect ratio was used as an estimate of swimming performance to potentially explain the patterns observed. Despite the intrinsic biogeographical differences in the overall density of T. pavo and C. julis, on steep coasts the ornate wrasse dominated in shallow waters, whereas the two species coexisted both in shallow and deeper depths on gentle slope coasts. These distribution patterns were consistent across locations, and fin aspect ratio was not a good predictor of between‐habitat use for wrasses. We show that, under specific topographical conditions, the depth segregation pattern seems to be an interactive segregation (likely related to resource competition) rather than a result of selective segregation due to morphological differences in the pectoral fin. Significant ecological changes might occur in locations where the density of T. pavo has recently increased as a result of water warming.     

Impact area determination of pyroclastic deposits in Lascar volcano, eruptive process in the year 1993

By means of multi-temporal analysis of satellite images and statistical algorithms, the amount of pyroclastic material deposited on Lascar volcano walls after the gravitational collapse of the eruptive column caused by the eruption that occurred on April the 19th and the 20th in 1993 was determined and quantified. For this analysis, scenes corresponding to Landsat 4 TM in 1989 and Landsat 7 ETM+ in 2001 were used. By careful selection methods such as combination of bands, unsupervised classification, and the Karhunen–Loève transform, detailed analysis of zones of change that correspond to pyroclastic deposits were made. This analysis was complemented with in situ data in order to correct and calibrate the satellite images to identify zones of 1993s eruption pyroclastic deposits. Using Kittler’s and other thresholding algorithms, a search was performed for a proper threshold to binarize the images to determine the surface area covered by the eruptive process. Matlab™ software was used both for general programming and for digital image processing.     

Shear and dilatational wave velocities for unsaturated soils

The primary objective of this study is for presenting some simple-to-use expressions relating the shear and dilatational wave velocities (V_S and V_P) to some physical and constitutive parameters of unsaturated soils. To this purpose, a simplified formulation is developed using the theory of linear poroelasticity in conjunction with some constitutive parameters widely used in geotechnical engineering. The derived expressions are of practical interest in view of the fact that they could be employed for evaluating the involved soil parameters from V_S and V_P measurements by in-situ or laboratory geophysical tests.     

A field‐scale infiltration model accounting for spatial heterogeneity of rainfall and soil saturated hydraulic conductivity

This study first explores the role of spatial heterogeneity, in both the saturated hydraulic conductivity K_s and rainfall intensity r, on the integrated hydrological response of a natural slope. On this basis, a mathematical model for estimating the expected areal‐average infiltration is then formulated. Both K_s and r are considered as random variables with assessed probability density functions. The model relies upon a semi‐analytical component, which describes the directly infiltrated rainfall, and an empirical component, which accounts further for the infiltration of surface water running downslope into pervious soils (the run‐on effect). Monte Carlo simulations over a clay loam soil and a sandy loam soil were performed for constructing the ensemble averages of field‐scale infiltration used for model validation. The model produced very accurate estimates of the expected field‐scale infiltration rate, as well as of the outflow generated by significant rainfall events. Furthermore, the two model components were found to interact appropriately for different weights of the two infiltration mechanisms involved. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.