Contaminants and habitat choice in the Baltic Sea: Behavioural experiments with the native species, Monoporeia affinis, and the invasive genus, Marenzelleria

The invasive polychaete genus, Marenzelleria and the native amphipod, Monoporeia affinis are food and habitat competitors in the Baltic Sea. Previous studies have shown that moderate densities of Marenzelleria can affect the behaviour of M. affinis. To examine the short-term interactive effects of interspecific habitat choice and environmental contaminants a series of habitat colonisation experiments were performed. The contaminants examined included harbor sediments and sediment spiked with the antifouling substances, Cu, Zn and Irgarol. Polychaetes and amphipods were exposed to contaminants in single-species and two-species experiments. In spiked-sediment experiments, M. affinis showed clear dose-dependent response. These experiments verified that behavioural response of M. affinis to different habitats is a sensitive method for testing toxicity under controlled conditions. In experiments with three different harbor sediments and reference sediment both species showed the lowest preference for the reference sediment. This sediment also had the lowest content of quality food, indicating that factors such as food quality and quantity may override the disturbing effects of contaminants in natural sediments. The presence of Marenzelleria spp. did not affect amphipod habitat choice, indicating no short-term effects, which implies that both species can co-exist provided sufficient food is available.     

Are all patterns created equal? Cooperation is more likely in spatially simple habitats

Cooperative behaviours, such as aggregation with neighbouring conspecifics, can enhance resilience in habitats where risks (i.e. predation, physical disturbances) are high, exerting positive feedback loops to maintain a healthy population. At the same time, cooperation behaviours can involve some extra energy expenditures and increasing resource competition. For sessile reefs, like mussels, simulation models predict increased cooperation under increasing levels of environmental stress. Predation risk is viewed as a behaviour‐modifying stressor, but its role on cooperation mechanisms, such as likelihood of reciprocity, has not yet been empirically tested. This study harnesses this framework to understand how cooperation changes under different perceived levels of predation risk, using mussel beds as model of a complex “self‐organised” system. Hence, we assessed the context dependency of cooperation response in different “landscapes of fear,” created by changes in predator cues, substratum availability and body size. Our experiments demonstrated that i) cooperation in a mussel bed system increases when predator cues are present, but that this relationship was found to be both, ii) strongly context‐dependent, particularly upon substratum availability and iii) size‐dependent. That is, while cooperation is in general greater for larger individuals, the response to risk results in greater cooperation when alternative attachment substratum is absent, meaning that simpler landscapes may be perceived as riskier. The context dependency of structural complexity is also an essential finding to consider in a changing world where habitats are losing complexity and cooperative strategies should be maximised.     

The origin of the suspended particulate matter in the seagrass meadow of tropical waters, an evidence of the stable isotope signatures

Suspended particulate matter (SPM) has been known as an important variable in the organic matter flow of coastal ecosystem. Half of burial carbon in seagrass meadows is contributed by allochthonous sources that compose the SPM such as phytoplankton, seagrass detritus, marine snow aggregates and terrestrially derived particles. Each composition of the SPM contributes different roles and is important to be identified, for instance, the exact contribution of seagrass detritus will be useful for determination of carbon export through the detritus form in seagrass meadows. Here, the SPM of seagrass meadows is studied in Bintan Island and the Selayar Archipelago. The aim of this research is to determine the source origin of the SPM using a stable isotope signature. In order to fulfill this aim, the objectives are defined as: (1) to specify the stable isotope signature (δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N) of the SPM, and (2) to determine the proportional distribution of the SPM''s prospectus sources. The result shows that the possibility of the source origin of the SPM includes a seagrass fraction (Enhalus acoroides and Thalassia hemprichii), terrestrial C4 plant, macroalgae, and terrestrial C3 plant. The SPM lies between the marine- and terrigenous-end members. However, it seems that the SPM is more to be terrigenous-end and allochthonous. According to a Bayesian mixing model, the terrestrial C4 has the highest contribution of the SPM at all sites except Barugaia and Pasi Island in Selayar (i.e., the highest contribution of the SPM is from the detritus of E. acoroides). The second contribution has been contributed by either seagrass detritus (E. acoroides or Th. hemprichii) or terrestrial C3 plant. The finding of this study indicates that there is a strong influence of the terrigenous sources in the SPM of the seagrass meadows.     

Sorption of yttrium and rare earth elements by amorphous ferric hydroxide: Influence of pH and ionic strength

The sorption of yttrium and the rare earth elements (YREEs) by amorphous ferric hydroxide at low ionic strength (0.01 M ≤ I ≤ 0.09 M) was investigated over a wide range of pH (3.9 ≤ pH ≤ 7.1). YREE distribution coefficients, defined as _iK_Fe = [MS_i]_T / (M_T[Fe³⁺]_S), where [MS_i]_T is the concentration of YREE sorbed by the precipitate, M_T is the total YREE concentration in solution, and [Fe³⁺]_S is the concentration of precipitated iron, are weakly dependent on ionic strength but strongly dependent on pH. For each YREE, the pH dependence of log _iK_Fe is highly linear over the investigated pH range. The slopes of log _iK_Fe versus pH regressions range between 1.43 ± 0.04 for La and 1.55 ± 0.03 for Lu. Distribution coefficients are well described by an equation of the form _iK_Fe = (_Sβ₁[H⁺]^− 1 + _Sβ₂[H⁺]^− 2) / (_SK₁[H⁺] + 1), where _Sβ_n are stability constants for YREE sorption by surface hydroxyl groups and _SK₁ is a ferric hydroxide surface protonation constant. Best-fit estimates of _Sβ_n for each YREE were obtained with log _SK₁ = 4.76. Distribution coefficient predictions, using this two-site surface complexation model, accurately describe the log _iK_Fe patterns obtained in the present study, as well as distribution coefficient patterns obtained in previous studies at near-neutral pH. Modeled log _iK_Fe results were used to predict YREE sorption patterns appropriate to the open ocean by accounting for YREE solution complexation with the major inorganic YREE ligands in seawater. The predicted log _iK_Fe′ pattern for seawater, while distinctly different from log _iK_Fe observations in synthetic solutions at low ionic strength, is in good agreement with results for natural seawater obtained by others.     

Does canopy wetness matter? Evapotranspiration from a subtropical montane cloud forest in Taiwan

Evapotranspiration (ET) and canopy wetness were measured over a 2‐year intensive field campaign at the Chi‐Lan Mountain cloud forest site in Taiwan. Eddy covariance and sap flow methods were applied to measure ET and tree sap flow of the endemic yellow cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa var. formosana). ET was 553 mm yr^?1 over the study period with an annual rainfall and fog deposition of 4893 and 288 mm yr^–1, respectively. The duration of canopy wetness exceeded actual fog or rain events (mostly in the afternoon), and the intercepted water was evaporated later in the following dry morning. The cumulative wet duration accounted for 52% of time over the study period, which was longer than the duration of rainfall and fog altogether (41%). As it adapted to the extremely moist environment, the yellow cypress behaved in a wet‐enhanced/dry‐reduced water use strategy and was sensitive to short periods of dry atmosphere with high evaporation potential. During dry days, the sap flow rate rose quickly after dawn and led to conservative water use through midday and the afternoon. During periodically wet days, the canopy was mostly wetted in the morning, and the interception evaporation contributed largely to the morning ET. The initiation of morning sap flow was postponed 1–3 h, and the sap flow rate tended to peak later at midday. The midday canopy conductance was higher in the periodically wet days (10.6 mm s^–1) as compared with 7.6 mm s^?1 in the dry days. Consequently, the dry‐reduced water use strategy led to much lower annual ET with respect to the available energy (~46%) and high precipitation input (~11%). The moist‐adapted ecohydrology we report reveals the vulnerability of montane cloud forests to prolonged fog‐free periods. More research is urgently needed to better understand the resilience of these ecosystems and formulate adaptive management plans. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

How jet is formed: An organic geochemical approach using pyrolysis gas chromatography–mass spectrometry

Six samples, including wood and jet-like material from the same mummified wood specimens, together with two ‘true’ jet samples, were studied using pyrolysis gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS) to obtain detailed insight into the process leading to the formation of jet. Based on morphological and chemical data obtained, the process of “jetification” is characterised by a rapid change when mummified wood is re-exposed to sunlight and aerobic conditions. The transformation from mummified wood to jet is probably caused by relatively small chemical changes, leading to extra linkages between the phenolic compounds and causing the structure to become much more rigid, which is reflected in increased inertness of the material at the macroscopic level.     

Fine sediment transport by tidal asymmetry in the high-concentrated Ems River: indications for a regime shift in response to channel deepening

This paper describes an analysis of the observed up-river transport of fine sediments in the Ems River, Germany/Netherlands, using a 1DV POINT MODEL, accounting for turbulence-induced flocculation and sediment-induced buoyancy destruction. From this analysis, it is inferred that the net up-river transport is mainly due to an asymmetry in vertical mixing, often referred to as internal tidal asymmetry. It is argued that the large stratification observed during ebb should be attributed to a profound interaction between turbulence-induced flocculation and sediment-induced buoyancy destruction, as a result of which the river became an efficient trap for fine suspended sediment. Moreover, an asymmetry in flocculation processes was found, such that during flood relative large flocs are transported at relative large flow velocity high in the water column, whereas during ebb, the larger flocs are transported at smaller velocities close to the bed??this asymmetry contributes to the large trapping mentioned above. The internal tidal asymmetry and asymmetry in flocculation processes are both driven by the pronounced asymmetry in flow velocities, with flood velocities almost twice the ebb values. It is further argued that this efficient trapping is the result of a continuous deepening of the river, and occurs when concentrations in the river become typically a few hundred mg/l; this was the case during the 1990 survey analyzed in this paper. We also speculate that a second regime shift did occur in the river when fluid mud layers become so thick that net transport rates are directly related to the asymmetry in flow velocity itself, probably still in conjunction with internal asymmetry as well. This would yield an efficient mechanism to transport large amounts of fine sediment far up-river, as currently observed.     

Quantifying the erosional impact of the Fennoscandian ice sheet in the Torneträsk–Narvik corridor, northern Sweden, based on cosmogenic radionuclide data

Despite spectacular landform evidence of a dominant role for glacial action in shaping landscapes under former northern hemisphere ice sheets, there is little quantitative evidence for rates and patterns of erosion associated with specific glaciations. Here we use cosmogenic nuclide data to assess rates of subglacial erosion underneath the Fennoscandian ice sheet. By testing whether there are remnant nuclide concentrations in samples taken from sites that include both relict areas and features and landscapes typically associated with vigorous glacial erosion, we can constrain the level and pattern of modification that resulted from the last glaciation. Cosmogenic ¹⁰Be and ³⁶Cl data from the Torneträsk region confirm the temporal and spatial variability of glacial erosion suggested by geomorphological mapping. At some sites, glacial erosion estimates in what appear to be heavily scoured areas indicate erosion of only c. 2 ± 0.4 m of bedrock, based on cosmogenic nuclide inheritance. This implies that the generation of severely scoured terrain in this study area required multiple glaciations. The overall modification produced by ice sheets along glacial corridors may be more restricted than previously thought, or may have occurred preferentially during earlier Quaternary glacial periods.     

The Bothnian Sea ice stream: early Holocene retreat dynamics of the south‐central Fennoscandian Ice Sheet

The Gulf of Bothnia hosted a variety of palaeo‐glaciodynamic environments throughout the growth and decay of the last Fennoscandian Ice Sheet, from the main ice‐sheet divide to a major corridor of marine‐ and lacustrine‐based deglaciation. Ice streaming through the Bothnian and Baltic basins has been widely assumed, and the damming and drainage of the huge proglacial Baltic Ice Lake has been implicated in major regional and hemispheric climate changes. However, the dynamics of palaeo‐ice flow and retreat in this large marine sector have until now been inferred only indirectly, from terrestrial, peripheral evidence. Recent acquisition of high‐resolution multibeam bathymetry opens these basins up, for the first time, to direct investigation of their glacial footprint and palaeo‐ice sheet behaviour. Here we report on a rich glacial landform record: in particular, a palaeo‐ice stream pathway, abundant traces of high subglacial meltwater volumes, and widespread basal crevasse squeeze ridges. The Bothnian Sea ice stream is a narrow flow corridor that was directed southward through the basin to a terminal zone in the south‐central Bothnian Sea. It was activated after initial margin retreat across the Åland sill and into the Bothnian basin, and the exclusive association of the ice‐stream pathway with crevasse squeeze ridges leads us to interpret a short‐lived stream event, under high extension, followed by rapid crevasse‐triggered break‐up. We link this event with a c. 150‐year ice‐rafted debris signal in peripheral varved records, at c. 10.67 cal. ka BP. Furthermore, the extensive glacifluvial system throughout the Bothnian Sea calls for considerable input of surface meltwater. We interpret strongly atmospherically driven retreat of this marine‐based ice‐sheet sector.     

Formation,uplift and dissection of planation surfaces at passive continental margins – a new approach

The usefulness of large‐scale, low‐relief, high‐level landscapes as markers of uplift events has become a subject of disagreement among geomorphologists. We argue that the formation of low‐relief surfaces over areas of large extent and cutting across bedrock of different age and resistance must have been guided by distinct base levels. In the absence of other options the most likely base level is sea level. We have analysed West Greenland landscapes in a recent study by combining the cooling history from apatite fission‐track analysis (AFTA) data with the denudation history from landscape analysis and the stratigraphic record. An important difference between our approach and that of classical geomorphology is that we now have the ability to document when thick sections of rocks have been deposited and then removed. The present‐day high‐level plateau in West Greenland is the remnant of a planation surface that was formed by denudation that lasted c. 20 million years during which up to 1 km of cover was removed after maximum burial at the Eocene–Oligocene transition. Here we present additional AFTA data to show that the planation surface is the end‐product of Cenozoic denudation even in basement areas and argue that Phanerozoic sediments – most likely of Cretaceous–Palaeogene age – must have been present prior to denudation. The planation surface was offset by reactivated faults and uplifted to present‐day altitudes of up to 2 km. The uplift occurred in two late Neogene phases that caused incision of valleys below the planation surface and their subsequent uplift. We therefore find that the elevated and deeply dissected plateau is evidence of episodic post‐rift uplift that took place millions of years after cessation of sea‐floor spreading west of Greenland. We suggest that other margins with similar morphology may also be characterized by episodic post‐rift uplift unrelated to the processes of rifting and continental separation, rather than being permanently uplifted since the time of rifting, as is commonly assumed. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.