Incorporation of inorganic carbon by Antarctic cryptoendolithic fungi

Fungi isolated from the cryptoendolithic community of the Ross Desert are capable of fixing inorganic carbon. Results suggest that lichen mycobionts and parasymbionts are adapted to different water regimes in the cryptoendolithic environment.     

Borate Deposits in Liaoning and Jilin Provinces, NE China: A Guide to Identifying Paleoproterozoic Collision Settings

１．ＩｎｔｒｏｄｕｃｔｉｏｎＦｉｇ．１．　ＲｅｇｉｏｎａｌｇｅｏｌｏｇｙｏｆｔｈｅｅａｓｔｅｒｎＬｉａｏｎｉｎｇＳｏｕｔｈｅｒｎＪｉｌｉｎａｒｅａ（ＡｆｔｅｒＺｈａｎｇ,１９８４）　　ＴｈｅＰａｌｅｏｐｒｏｔｅｒｏｚｏｉｃｖｏｌｃａｎｉｃｓｅｄｉｍｅｎｔａｒｙｓｅｑｕｅｎｃｅ,ｉ．ｅ．,ｔｈｅＳｏｕｔｈＬｉａｏｈｅＧｒｏｕｐａｎｄＮｏｒｔｈＬｉａｏｈｅＧｒｏｕｐ,ｅｘｔｅｎｄｓｂｅｔｗｅｅｎｔｗｏＡｒｃｈａｅａｎｃｒａｔｏｎｓ（Ｆｉｇ．１）．Ａｂｕｎｄａｎｔｍｉｎｅｒａｌｒｅｓｏｕｒｃｅｓ…     

Importance of unsaturated zone flow for simulating recharge in a humid climate

Transient recharge to the water table is often not well understood or quantified. Two approaches for simulating transient recharge in a ground water flow model were investigated using the Trout Lake watershed in north-central Wisconsin: (1) a traditional approach of adding recharge directly to the water table and (2) routing the same volume of water through an unsaturated zone column to the water table. Areas with thin (less than 1 m) unsaturated zones showed little difference in timing of recharge between the two approaches; when water was routed through the unsaturated zone, however, less recharge was delivered to the water table and more discharge occurred to the surface because recharge direction and magnitude changed when the water table rose to the land surface. Areas with a thick (15 to 26 m) unsaturated zone were characterized by multimonth lags between infiltration and recharge, and, in some cases, wetting fronts from precipitation events during the fall overtook and mixed with infiltration from the previous spring snowmelt. Thus, in thicker unsaturated zones, the volume of water infiltrated was properly simulated using the traditional approach, but the timing was different from simulations that included unsaturated zone flow. Routing of rejected recharge and ground water discharge at land surface to surface water features also provided a better simulation of the observed flow regime in a stream at the basin outlet. These results demonstrate that consideration of flow through the unsaturated zone may be important when simulating transient ground water flow in humid climates with shallow water tables.     

Total mercury body burden in Pacific harbor seal, Phoca vitulina richardii, pups from central California

To determine body and tissue compartment-specific burdens (mg) of total mercury (THg), tissues were weighed and analyzed for THg concentration (microg/g fw) in Pacific harbor seal (Phoca vitulina richardii) pups from central California in 2006. THg concentrations were related as follows: hair > liver = kidney = pelt > muscle > other = heart > brain > blubber > bone. THg burden, however, was related as: pelt = muscle > liver = other > kidney = blubber > brain = heart > bone. THg concentration and burden in muscle were strongly associated with delta(15)N. delta(13)C and delta(15)N values were significantly greater in muscle than liver, and delta(13)C was significantly lesser the longer animals were in rehabilitation. Because THg concentration and burden in muscle correlated most significantly with other tissue compartments, we recommend that muscle from the specific sites we sampled be used instead of liver or hair for biomonitoring THg in harbor seals. Assessment of proportional THg burdens within each tissue compartment for harbor seals pups included use of a conceptual model, allowing for more complete visual characterization of THg body burden.     

The influence of underwater data transmission sounds on the displacement behaviour of captive harbour seals (Phoca vitulina)

To prevent grounding of ships and collisions between ships in shallow coastal waters, an underwater data collection and communication network (ACME) using underwater sounds to encode and transmit data is currently under development. Marine mammals might be affected by ACME sounds since they may use sound of a similar frequency (around 12 kHz) for communication, orientation, and prey location. If marine mammals tend to avoid the vicinity of the acoustic transmitters, they may be kept away from ecologically important areas by ACME sounds. One marine mammal species that may be affected in the North Sea is the harbour seal (Phoca vitulina). No information is available on the effects of ACME-like sounds on harbour seals, so this study was carried out as part of an environmental impact assessment program. Nine captive harbour seals were subjected to four sound types, three of which may be used in the underwater acoustic data communication network. The effect of each sound was judged by comparing the animals' location in a pool during test periods to that during baseline periods, during which no sound was produced. Each of the four sounds could be made into a deterrent by increasing its amplitude. The seals reacted by swimming away from the sound source. The sound pressure level (SPL) at the acoustic discomfort threshold was established for each of the four sounds. The acoustic discomfort threshold is defined as the boundary between the areas that the animals generally occupied during the transmission of the sounds and the areas that they generally did not enter during transmission. The SPLs at the acoustic discomfort thresholds were similar for each of the sounds (107 dB re 1 microPa). Based on this discomfort threshold SPL, discomfort zones at sea for several source levels (130-180 dB re 1 microPa) of the sounds were calculated, using a guideline sound propagation model for shallow water. The discomfort zone is defined as the area around a sound source that harbour seals are expected to avoid. The definition of the discomfort zone is based on behavioural discomfort, and does not necessarily coincide with the physical discomfort zone. Based on these results, source levels can be selected that have an acceptable effect on harbour seals in particular areas. The discomfort zone of a communication sound depends on the sound, the source level, and the propagation characteristics of the area in which the sound system is operational. The source level of the communication system should be adapted to each area (taking into account the width of a sea arm, the local sound propagation, and the importance of an area to the affected species). The discomfort zone should not coincide with ecologically important areas (for instance resting, breeding, suckling, and feeding areas), or routes between these areas.     

土壤中铁的氧化物和氢氧化物对砷的吸附

测定了加钠Ａｓｈａｎｔｉ矿区土壤中天然铁氧化物和氢氧化物的砷浓度，发现其变化范围为２￣３５ ６００ｍｇ／ｋｇ。在ｐＨ值中中性的 富氧化粘土的土壤中以及尾矿的表面氧化部分，砷在这两相中的浓度最高，达３５ ６００ｍｇ／ｋｇ。在高酸性土壤或处于还原条件的地方，缺氧化物和氢氧化物中砷的浓度较低（最高为４３３ｍｇ／ｋｇ）。还观测到富有机制土壤的矿物中这两个相的砷浓度更低。在所研究的样品中非晶质铁的氢氧化物中