Particulate dispersion from sources within a forest

Particulate dispersion from sources within a 10- to 13-m tall pine forest was studied experimentally at Brookhaven National Laboratory using stained ragweed pollen and other tracers ranging from 14 to 58 m in size. Forty-seven continuous point source releases lasting from 22 to 55 min were made at heights from 1.75 to 14.0 m from locations having a long fetch through the forest. In most experiments, differently colored ragweed pollen were emitted simultaneously from three locations. In other tests, several particle types were released from a single point. The sampling network consisted of 119 rotoslide samplers at heights from 0.5 to 21.0 m at 57 positions within and at the edge of the forest. Deposition to the ground was sampled by greased microscope slides at each position. Meteorological measurements were taken in and near the forest.Data were classified by particle characteristics, source height and meteorological parameters. Concentration patterns were illustrated on scale diagrams of the sampling grid. Changes in centerline and crosswind integrated concentrations, plume width and height, mass flux, deposition and deposition velocity were studied as a function of distance, particle size and wind speed. Results were compared to those obtained from similar releases over open terrain.In the forest, vertical predominates over lateral dispersion and considerable interchange occurs through the canopy. Flow is channelled somewhat by vegetation density differences but is generally in the direction of the mean wind above the forest. No systematic turning of the wind with height was observed. Most particles are lost to the foliage rather than to the ground and large particles are lost more rapidly than smaller ones. Rate of change in mass flux is similar to that over open terrain and is greater with light than with stronger wind speeds.This research was carried out under the auspices of the New York State Museum and Science Service and the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission (now Energy Research and Development Administration) and was partially supported by Research Grant No. R-800677 from the Division of Meteorology, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.     

The Role of Forests in the Implementation of Russia’s Low-Carbon Development Strategy

Doklady Earth Sciences - The potential role of forests in achieving carbon neutrality in the Russian Federation by 2060 is analyzed. It is shown that the key rate in the Strategy for the...     

Finding the most variable stars in the Orion Belt with the All Sky Automated Survey

We look for high‐amplitude variable young stars in the open clusters and associations of the Orion Belt. We use public data from the ASAS‐3 Photometric V ‐band Catalogue of the All Sky Automated Survey, infrared photometry from the 2MASS and IRAS catalogues, proper motions, and the Aladin sky atlas to obtain a list of the most variable stars in a survey area of side 5° centred on the bright star Alnilam (ε Ori) in the centre of the Orion Belt. We identify 32 highly variable stars, of which 16 had not been reported to vary before. They are mostly variable young stars and candidates (16) and background giants (8), but there are also field cataclysmic variables, contact binaries, and eclipsing binary candidates. Of the young stars, which typically are active Herbig Ae/Be and T Tauri stars with Hα emission and infrared flux excess, we discover four new variables and confirm the variability status of another two. Some of them belong to the well known σ Orionis cluster. Besides, six of the eight giants are new variables, and three are new periodic variables (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

The impact of rural land management changes on soil hydraulic properties and runoff processes: results from experimental plots in upland UK

To develop an evidence base to help predict the impacts of land management change on flood generation, four experimental sites were established on improved grassland used for sheep grazing at the Pontbren catchment in upland Wales, UK. At each site, three plots were established where surface runoff was measured, supplemented by measurements of soil infiltration rates and soil and vegetation physical properties. Following baseline monitoring, treatments were applied to two of the plots: exclusion of sheep (ungrazed) and exclusion of sheep and planting with native broadleaf tree species (tree planted), with the third plot acting as a control (grazed pasture). Due to a particularly dry summer that occurred pre‐treatment, the soil hydrological responses were initially impacted by the effects of the climate on soil structure. Nevertheless, treatments did have a clear influence on soil hydrological response. On average, post‐treatment runoff volumes were reduced by 48% and 78% in ungrazed and tree‐planted plots relative to the control, although all results varied greatly over the sites. Five years following treatment application, near‐surface soil bulk density was reduced and median soil infiltration rates were 67 times greater in plots planted with trees compared to grazed pasture. The results illustrate the potential use of upland land management for ameliorating local‐scale flood generation but emphasise the need for long‐term monitoring to more clearly separate the effects of land management from those of climatic variability. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Sustainable shellfish aquaculture in Saldanha Bay,South Africa

The carrying capacity for bivalve shellfish culture in Saldanha Bay, South Africa, was analysed through the application of the well-tested EcoWin ecological model, in order to simulate key ecosystem variables. The model was set up using: (i) oceanographic and water-quality data collected from Saldanha Bay, and (ii) culture-practice information provided by local shellfish farmers. EcoWin successfully reproduced key ecological processes, simulating an annual mean phytoplankton biomass of 7.5 µg Chl a l^–1 and an annual harvested shellfish biomass of about 3 000 tonnes (t) y^–1, in good agreement with reported yield. The maximum annual carrying capacity of Small Bay was estimated as 20 000 t live weight (LW) of oysters Crassostrea gigas, or alternatively 5 100 t LW of mussels Mytilus galloprovincialis, and for Big Bay as 100 000 t LW of oysters. Two production scenarios were investigated for Small Bay: a production of 4 000 t LW y^–1 of mussels, and the most profitable scenario for oysters of 19 700 t LW y^–1. The main conclusions of this work are: (i) in 2015–2016, both Small Bay and Big Bay were below their maximum production capacity; (ii) the current production of shellfish potentially removes 85% of the human nitrogen inputs; (iii) a maximum-production scenario in both Big Bay and Small Bay would result in phytoplankton depletion in the farmed area; (iv) increasing the production intensity in Big Bay would probably impact the existing cultures in Small Bay; and (v) the production in Small Bay could be increased, resulting in higher income for farmers.     

Biological Responses to Seasonally Varying Fluxes of Organic Matter to the Ocean Floor: A Review

Deep-sea benthic ecosystems are sustained largely by organic matter settling from the euphotic zone. These fluxes usually have a more or less well-defined seasonal component, often with two peaks, one in spring/early summer, the other later in the year. Long time-series datasets suggest that inter-annual variability in the intensity, timing and composition of flux maxima is normal. The settling material may form a deposit of “phytodetritus” on the deep-seafloor. These deposits, which are most common in temperate and high latitude regions, particularly the North Atlantic, evoke a response by the benthic biota. Much of our knowledge of these responses comes from a few time-series programmes, which suggest that the nature of the response varies in different oceanographic settings. In particular, there are contrasts between seasonal processes in oligotrophic, central oceanic areas and those along eutrophic continental margins. In the former, it is mainly “small organisms” (bacteria and protozoans) that respond to pulsed inputs. Initial responses are biochemical (e.g. secretion of bacterial exoenzymes) and any biomass increases are time lagged. Increased metabolic activity of small organisms probably leads to seasonal fluctuations in sediment community oxygen consumption, reported mainly in the North Pacific. Metazoan meiofauna are generally less responsive than protozoans (foraminifera), although seasonal increases in abundance and body size have been reported. Measurable population responses by macrofauna and megafauna are less common and confined largely to continental margins. In addition, seasonally synchronised reproduction and larval settlement occur in some larger animals, again mainly in continental margin settings. Although seasonal benthic responses to pulsed food inputs are apparently widespread on the ocean floor, they are not ubiquitous. Most deep-sea species are not seasonal breeders and there are probably large areas, particularly at abyssal depths, where biological process rates are fairly uniform over time. As with other aspects of deep-sea ecology, temporal processes cannot be encapsulated by a single paradigm. Further long time-series studies are needed to understand better the nature and extent of seasonality in deep-sea benthic ecosystems. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Eignung mikrobieller Biotests für gebundene Schadstoffe Suitability of Microbial Bioassays for Bound Contaminants

Toxicity of soil spiked with water soluble and insoluble contaminants was assessed with bacteria. Three bioassays were used with common soil bacteria. Water soluble fractions from the soils were estimated in microtiterplates via dehydrogenase activity of B. cereus and growth of P. putida. A new method was developed using B. cereus to include effects of soil particles with bound contaminants. As contaminants p-nitrophenol and 2-naphthol were tested in these systems. Results indicated that the concentration of the contaminants in the soil solution is determined by soil properties. Toxicity of water soluble fractions was not only a result of the toxicant's concentration but further modified by soluble components of the soils. It is not possible to assess soil pollution from toxicity of the water soluble fraction in general, because unknown factors of the soluble soil fraction can influence toxicity greatly. The newly developed contact bioassay with B. cereus showed clearly higher toxicity of 2-naphthol estimated in soil suspension than did the comparable test system with the same bacteria using water soluble fractions only. The results stress the importance of including soil particles into bioassay procedures. It was shown that also water insoluble, bound contaminants can act as toxicants. For an estimation of toxicity under conditions more relevant for the environment, the suggested test system can provide useful information to bioavailability of bound contaminants.