Historical land use as a driver of alternative states for stream form and function in forested mountain watersheds of the Southern Rocky Mountains

We demonstrate how land use can drive mountain streams in the Southern Rockies across a threshold to induce an alternative state of significantly reduced physical complexity of form and reduced ecological function. We evaluate field data from 28 stream reaches in relatively laterally unconfined valleys and unmanaged forest that is either old‐growth forest or naturally disturbed younger forest, and 19 stream reaches in managed forest with past land use. We evaluate potential differences in stream form, as reflected in channel planform, cross‐sectional geometry, and in‐stream wood loads, and stream function, as reflected in pool volume and storage of organic carbon. Field data indicate a threshold of differences in stream form and function between unmanaged and managed stream reaches, regardless of forest stand age, supporting our hypothesis that the legacy effects of past land use result in an alternative state of streams. Because physical complexity that increases stream retentiveness and habitat can maintain aquatic‐riparian ecosystem functions, the alternative physical state of streams in managed watersheds creates a physical template for an alternative ecological state with reduced pool volume, organic carbon storage, and ecosystem productivity. We recommend maintaining riparian forests that can supply large wood to streams as a stream restoration technique in historically forested stream segments. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Post‐fire hydrological response and suspended sediment transport of a terraced Mediterranean catchment

In July 2013, a wildfire severely affected the western part of the island of Mallorca (Spain). During the first three post‐fire hydrological years, when the window of disturbance tends to be more open, the hydrological and sediment delivery processes and dynamics were assessed in a representative catchment intensively shaped by terracing that covered 37% of its surface area. A nested approach was applied with two gauging stations (covering 1.2 km² and 4.8 km²) built in September 2013 that took continuous measurements of rainfall, water and sediment yield. Average suspended sediment concentration (1503 mg L^?1) and the maximum peak (33 618 mg L^?1) were two orders of magnitude higher than those obtained in non‐burned terraced catchments of Mallorca. This factor may be related to changes in soils and the massive incorporation of ash into the suspended sediment flux during the most extreme post‐fire event; 50 mm of rainfall in 15 min, reaching an erosivity of 2886 MJ mm ha^?1 h^?1. Moreover, hysteretic counter‐clockwise loops were predominant (60%), probably related to the increased sensitivity of the landscape after wildfire perturbation. Though the study period was average in terms of total annual precipitation (even higher in intensities), minimal runoff (2%) and low sediment yield (6.3 t km^?2 y^?1) illustrated how the intrinsic characteristics of the catchment, i.e. calcareous soils, terraces and the application of post‐fire measures, limited the hydrosedimentary response despite the wildfire impact. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Spatial variability in beach biogeomorphology in a tropical archipelago

Beaches of tropical island coasts exhibit high levels of diversity in composition and form in comparison with their continental counterparts. To investigate the nature and origin of this diversity, individual beach morphology and sedimentology was investigated in the British Virgin Islands (BVI), a Caribbean archipelago of > 60 high volcanic and low reef islands. The islands exhibit a diversity of orientations (some facing the Atlantic and some the Caribbean), elevation and gradient, rock type and wave energy. An examination of 100 beaches in the archipelago revealed a first-order division into sand (70 beaches) and coral rubble (30 beaches). These beaches occur in seven planform types (determined by the antecedent geological framework) and are further subdivided according to shoreface type (seagrass, sandy shoreface, or reef). Mainland-attached headland-embayment beaches are the most common form of sand beach while coral rubble beaches usually occur as barriers that enclose salt ponds and wetlands. Among sand beaches, carbonate content is greatest on Atlantic-facing beaches, and coral rubble beaches are more common on Caribbean-facing beaches. Grain size characteristics on sandy beaches are highly variable and range from fine to very coarse sands while coral rubble beaches range up to boulder-sized clasts. The local source material is a primary determinant of sediment composition. The local factors such as the underlying geology, source and availability of sediments are the primary determinants of beach form, composition and texture in the BVI. Oceanographic and climatic conditions such as the prevailing easterly trade winds and waves which seasonally range in direction from east-northeast to southeast as well as beach orientation to Atlantic- or Caribbean-facing waves also contribute to the variability, but in a secondary role. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Morphodynamic interactions of continental shelf,beach and dunes: the Cabopino dune system in southern Mediterranean Spain

The complex morphodynamic interactions between nearshore, shoreface and dune systems are usually simplified by studying these zones and their associated processes in isolation. However, the established relationships between each of them suggests that an integrated approach is required to examine the genesis, evolution and adaptation of the entire morphodynamic system. The Cabopino dune system in the southern Spanish Mediterranean Sea provides a clear example of a linked morphodynamic system in which a relatively large dune system has been generated and grown through the supply of sediments from an adjacent littoral supply environment. Here, we present a conceptual model of how the nearshore has provided suitable conditions for beach and dune development. We purport that synchronization of sediment activation in the marine and aeolian sections of the system have played a major role in this microtidal setting in which temporal aspects are not only tied to storm action, but to large sedimentary features moving alongshore. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Development of spatial regression models for predicting summer river temperatures from landscape characteristics: Implications for land and fisheries management

There is increasing demand for models that can accurately predict river temperature at the large spatial scales appropriate to river management. This paper combined summer water temperature data from a strategically designed, quality controlled network of 25 sites, with recently developed flexible spatial regression models, to understand and predict river temperature across a 3,000 km² river catchment. Minimum, mean and maximum temperatures were modelled as a function of nine potential landscape covariates that represented proxies for heat and water exchange processes. Generalised additive models were used to allow for flexible responses. Spatial structure in the river network data (local spatial variation) was accounted for by including river network smoothers. Minimum and mean temperatures decreased with increasing elevation, riparian woodland and channel gradient. Maximum temperatures increased with channel width. There was greater between‐river and between‐reach variability in all temperature metrics in lower‐order rivers indicating that increased monitoring effort should be focussed at these smaller scales. The combination of strategic network design and recently developed spatial statistical approaches employed in this study have not been used in previous studies of river temperature. The resulting catchment scale temperature models provide a valuable quantitative tool for understanding and predicting river temperature variability at the catchment scales relevant to land use planning and fisheries management and provide a template for future studies.     

Seasonal δ13CDIC sourcing and geochemical flux in telogenetic epikarst of south-central Kentucky

Telogenetic epikarst carbon sourcing and transport processes and their associated hydrogeochemical responses are complex and dynamic. Carbon dioxide (CO₂) transport rates in the epikarst zone are often driven by hydrogeochemical responses, which influence carbonate dissolution and conduit formation. This study examines the influence of land use on carbon sourcing and carbonate dissolution kinetics through a comparative analysis of separate, but similar, epikarst systems in south-central Kentucky. The use of high-resolution hydrogeochemical data from multiple data loggers and isotope analysis from collected water samples reflects the processes within these epikarst aquifers, which are estimated to contribute significantly to bedrock dissolution. Results indicate that, in an agricultural setting, long-term variability and dissolution is governed by seasonal production of CO₂ . In a more urbanized, shallower epikarst system, land cover may affect CO₂ transport between the soil and underlying bedrock. This concentration of CO₂ potentially contributes to ongoing dissolution and conduit development, irrespective of seasonality. The observed responses in telogenetic epikarst systems seem to be more similar to eogenetic settings, which is suggested to be driven by CO₂ transport occurring independent of high matrix porosity. The results of this study indicate site-specific responses with respect to both geochemical and δ¹³C_DIC changes on a seasonal scale, despite regional geologic similarities. The results indicate that further comparative analyses between rural and urban landscapes in other karst settings is needed to delineate the impact of land use and seasonality on dissolution and carbon sourcing during karst formation processes. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A new look at population change and regional development in Aotearoa New Zealand

In New Zealand, population change is interlinked with regional development. Places growing in population attract regional investment, while regional investment—or lack thereof—can change migration patterns. However, to determine the appropriate response to population change for a community, it is important to understand that population change involves much more than “just” migration. Specifically, it involves interactions between the three components of population change: natural change (births minus deaths), net migration (international and internal) and population ageing (changing cohort size). For example, migration can be negative, but growth can be positive due to underlying natural increase or growth in cohort size. Responses need to differ, depending on these drivers. The goal of this article is to provide new insights into these interactions using data for 275 cities, towns and rural centres (hereafter “urban places”) in New Zealand for the period 1976 to 2013. The results show that natural change has been consistently positive for most urban places up to the present, although projections indicate that in the future this component will become negative across much of the country. At the same time, net migration shows considerable spatial variation, not only in terms of volume, but also direction (negative or positive), which differs markedly by age. A net gain of people of retirement age can offset a net loss of young adults to deliver overall growth, and vice‐versa, but the two have very different implications for longer term growth. An analysis of the drivers of net migration using GIS and machine learning techniques provides an indication of the importance of economic conditions (land‐use and access to markets), lifestyle, access to essential services (hospitals and education) and their interaction with age in regional change. The results show that population age is the best predictor of migration. Younger people are moving to cities for tertiary education and work and older people near or in retirement are moving to smaller lifestyle towns but also want to be close to amenities such as hospitals and international airports. The research also shows that natural lifestyle characteristics (landscape and climate), in combination with age are just as important as economic conditions for understanding migration. Regional development, such as infrastructure that helps business (ports and services) is important for the working age population but not necessarily the retirement age group. When regional development, age/life‐cycle stage and lifestyle come together, such as in Queenstown and Tauranga, net migration gain is high.     

Tectonic and oceanographic process interactions archived in Late Cretaceous to Present deep‐marine stratigraphy on the Exmouth Plateau,offshore NW Australia

Deep‐marine deposits provide a valuable archive of process interactions between sediment gravity flows, pelagic sedimentation and thermohaline bottom‐currents. Stratigraphic successions can also record plate‐scale tectonic processes (e.g. continental breakup and shortening) that impact long‐term ocean circulation patterns, including changes in climate and biodiversity. One such setting is the Exmouth Plateau, offshore NW Australia, which has been a relatively stable, fine‐grained carbonate‐dominated continental margin from the Late Cretaceous to Present. We combine extensive 2D (~40,000 km) and 3D (3,627 km²) seismic reflection data with lithologic and biostratigraphic information from wells to reconstruct the tectonic and oceanographic evolution of this margin. We identified three large‐scale seismic units (SUs): (a) SU‐1 (Late Cretaceous)—500 m‐thick, and characterised by NE‐SW‐trending, slope‐normal elongate depocentres (c. 200 km long and 70 km wide), with erosional surfaces at their bases and tops, which are interpreted as the result of contour‐parallel bottom‐currents, coeval with the onset of opening of the Southern Ocean; (b) SU‐2 (Palaeocene—Late Miocene)—800 m‐thick and characterised by: (a) very large (amplitude, c. 40 m and wavelength, c. 3 km), SW‐migrating, NW‐SE‐trending sediment waves, (b) large (4 km‐wide, 100 m‐deep), NE‐trending scours that flank the sediment waves and (c) NW‐trending, 4 km‐wide and 80 m‐deep turbidite channel, infilled by NE‐dipping reflectors, which together may reflect an intensification of NE‐flowing bottom currents during a relative sea‐level fall following the establishment of circumpolar‐ocean current around Antarctica; and (c) SU‐3 (Late Miocene—Present)—1,000 m‐thick and is dominated by large (up to 100 km³) mass‐transport complexes (MTCs) derived from the continental margin (to the east) and the Exmouth Plateau Arch (to the west), and accumulated mainly in the adjacent Kangaroo Syncline. This change in depositional style may be linked to tectonically‐induced seabed tilting and folding caused by collision and subduction along the northern margin of the Australian plate. Hence, the stratigraphic record of the Exmouth Plateau provides a rich archive of plate‐scale regional geological events occurring along the distant southern (2,000 km away) and northern (1,500 km away) margins of the Australian plate.     

Contrasting weathering rates in coastal,urban and rural areas in southern Britain: preliminary investigations using gravestones

Weathering rates were calculated using the height differences between lead lettering on marble gravestones from inland urban, inland rural, coastal urban and coastal rural sites within southern Britain. All sites exhibit similar amounts and variations in rainfall over the study period for which gravestone measurements are available. Comparison of mean weathering rates suggested that the coastal urban site of Clacton had a similar weathering rate to the nearby coastal rural site. The other urban sites of Oxford, Lodge Hill and Portsmouth had similar weathering rates, despite their diverse locations and histories. The inland rural site had a significantly lower mean weathering rate than any other site. Analysis of covariance confirms that there are similarities between some sites. Linear and curvilinear regression of depth of loss against age suggests that a linear regression adequately describes the relationship over the period for which data are available, although there are problems with this simple interpretation. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The stratigraphic record of minibasin subsidence,Precaspian Basin,Kazakhstan

Minibasins are fundamental components of many salt-bearing sedimentary basins, where they may host large volumes of hydrocarbons. Although we understand the basic mechanics governing their subsidence, we know surprisingly little of how minibasins subside in three-dimensions over geological timescales, or what controls such variability. Such knowledge would improve our ability to constrain initial salt volumes in sedimentary basins, the timing of salt welding and the distribution and likely charging histories of suprasalt hydrocarbon reservoirs. We use 3D seismic reflection data from the Precaspian Basin, onshore Kazakhstan to reveal the subsidence histories of 16, Upper Permian-to-Triassic, suprasalt minibasins. These minibasins subsided into a Lower-to-Middle Permian salt layer that contained numerous relatively strong, clastic-dominated minibasins encased during an earlier, latest Permian phase of diapirism; because of this, the salt varied in thickness. Suprasalt minibasins contain a stratigraphic record of symmetric (bowl-shaped units) and then asymmetric (wedge-shaped units) subsidence, with this change in style seemingly occurring at different times in different minibasins, and most likely prior to welding. We complement our observations from natural minibasins in the Precaspian Basin with results arising from new physical sandbox models; this allows us to explore the potential controls on minibasin subsidence patterns, before assessing which of these might be applicable to our natural example. We conclude that due to uncertainties in the original spatial relationships between encased and suprasalt minibasins, and the timing of changes in style of subsidence between individual minibasins, it is unclear why such complex temporal and spatial variations in subsidence occur in the Precaspian Basin. Regardless of what controls the observed variability, we argue that vertical changes in minibasin stratigraphic architecture may not record the initial (depositional) thickness of underlying salt or the timing of salt welding; this latter point is critical when attempting to constrain the timing of potential hydraulic communication between sub-salt source rocks and suprasalt reservoirs. Furthermore, temporal changes in minibasin subsidence style will likely control suprasalt reservoir distribution and trapping style.