Aspects of the distribution, population structure and reproduction of the gastropod Tibia delicatula (Nevill, 1881) inhabiting the oxygen minimum zone of the Oman and Pakistan continental margins

The present study describes some aspects of the distribution and biology of Tibia delicatula (Nevill), a gastropod belonging to the family Strombidae. This species has been found in large numbers in the upper oxygen minimum zone (OMZ) of the Oman margin, and has also been collected from the OMZ of the Pakistan margin. The highest abundance of adult specimens in the Oman OMZ was found between 300 and 450 m. Numbers dropped rapidly below 450 m, to zero below 500 m depth. Similarly dense populations were not observed in the Pakistan OMZ. Multiple regression with oxygen concentration and depth indicates that depth (and its related variables) is the main factor explaining the variation in abundance of T. delicatula. The populations from the Oman and Pakistan OMZs were dominated by juveniles. This suggests a unimodal size structure with evidence of a marked recruitment event. Basic reproductive aspects were analysed. All specimens had a penis and sperm groove. The gonad wall consisted of reticular tissue that might be used for nutrient storage or as an irrigation system. Only vitellogenic oocytes were present. The large oocyte sizes observed (200–300 μm) suggest a lecithotrophic larval development.     

Vertical zonation and distributions of calanoid copepods through the lower oxycline of the Arabian Sea oxygen minimum zone

This paper provides the first comprehensive analysis of calanoid copepod vertical zonation and community structure at midwater depths (300–1000 m) through the lower oxygen gradient (oxycline) (0.02 to 0.3 ml/L) of an oxygen minimum zone (OMZ). Feeding ecology was also analyzed. Zooplankton were collected with a double 1 m² MOCNESS plankton net in day and night vertically-stratified oblique tows from 1000 m to the surface at six stations during four seasons as part of the 1995 US Joint Global Ocean Flux Study (JGOFS) Arabian Sea project. The geographic comparison between a eutrophic more oxygenated onshore station and an offshore station with a strong OMZ served as a natural experiment to elucidate the influence of depth, oxygen concentration, season, food resources, and predators on the copepod distributions.Copepod species and species assemblages of the Arabian Sea OMZ differed in their spatial and vertical distributions relative to environmental and ecological characteristics of the water column and region. The extent and intensity of the oxycline at the lower boundary of the OMZ, and its spatial and temporal variability over the year of sampling, was an important factor affecting distributional patterns. Calanoid copepod species showed vertical zonation through the lower OMZ oxycline. Clustering analyses defined sample groups with similar copepod assemblages and species groups with similar distributions. No apparent diel vertical migration for either calanoid or non-calanoid copepods at these midwater depths was observed, but some species had age-related differences in vertical distributions. Subzones of the OMZ, termed the OMZ Core, the Lower Oxycline, and the Sub-Oxycline, had different copepod communities and ecological interactions. Major distributional and ecological changes were associated with surprisingly small oxygen gradients at low oxygen concentrations. The calanoid copepod community was most diverse in the most oxygenated environments (oxygen >0.14 ml/L), but the rank order of abundance of species was similar in the Lower Oxycline and Sub-Oxycline. Some species were absent or much scarcer in the OMZ Core. Two copepod species common in the Lower Oxycline were primarily detritivorous but showed dietary differences suggesting feeding specialization. The copepod Spinocalanus antarcticus fed primarily on components of the vertical particulate flux and suspended material, a less versatile diet than the co-occurring copepod Lucicutia grandis. Vertical zonation of copepod species through the lower OMZ oxycline is probably a complex interplay between physiological limitation by low oxygen, potential predator control, and potential food resources. Pelagic OMZ and oxycline communities, and their ecological interactions in the water column and with the benthos, may become even more widespread and significant in the future ocean, if global warming increases the extent and intensity of OMZs as predicted.     

A conceptual framework for the integral management of marine protected areas

A general conceptual framework for the management of marine protected areas (MPAs) was developed. The driver-pressure-state-impacts-response (DPSIR) framework was used to determine the elements affecting MPAs. The developed evaluation framework helped to select an appropriate suite of indicators to support an ecosystem approach, an assessment of the MPAs functioning and policy decisions. Gaps derived from the management and policy responses in the MPAs were also outlined. It was concluded that the DPSIR framework can help to simplify the complexity of MPA management. This document is a tool for policy makers, scientists and general public on the relevance of indicators to monitor changes and MPAs management.     

Local Perceptions of the Livelihood and Conservation Benefits of Small-Scale Livelihood Projects in Rural Madagascar

Small-scale livelihood projects are widely used in forest conservation and Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD)+ initiatives; however, there is limited information on how effective these projects are at delivering livelihood and conservation benefits. We explored local perceptions of the effectiveness of small-scale livelihood projects in delivering livelihood and conservation benefits in eastern Madagascar. Our results suggest that small-scale livelihood projects vary greatly in their ability to deliver livelihood benefits, and that the type of livelihood project (e.g., agriculture, beekeeping, fish farming, or livestock production) has a significant impact on which livelihood benefits are delivered. Many small-scale livelihood projects, regardless of project type, are perceived to contribute to forest conservation efforts. Our study highlights that small-scale livelihood projects have the potential to contribute to both improved livelihoods and enhanced forest conservation, but also illustrates the need for more information on the factors that lead to project success.     

Ascospores of the parasitic fungus Kretzschmaria deusta as rainstorm indicators during a late Holocene beech-forest phase around lake Meerfelder Maar, Germany

Discrete reddish-brown, predominantly minerogenic detrital layers along the Holocene, annually laminated sediment sequence of Lake Meerfelder Maar represent extreme runoff events. We conducted detailed microfacies analyses and a high-resolution palynological investigation, focusing on ten detrital layers throughout the Holocene. We studied triad samples taken directly under, in and above the detrital layer. Fagus sylvatica (beech) was a dominant species in the regional forest around Lake Meerfelder Maar after ca. 3,800 years ago. Three detrital layers occurring during the Fagus phase exhibit short-term maxima of ascospores of the parasitic fungus Kretzschmaria deusta. In contrast, the ascospore contents are low in the event layers deposited during the early and middle Holocene. Fagus is a vulnerable host species for Kretzschmaria deusta and the fungus is common on Fagus. Ascospores are formed on the trunk base, and under normal weather conditions, few spores appear outside the forest. We interpret the short peaks in abundance of K. deusta in the event layers as indicators for rainstorms during which material was transported from the forest floor into the lake by strong winds and stormwater runoff. The open beech forest facilitated wind transport of the ascospores. We recommend analysis of fungal spores in lake sediments because fungal records may help to identify extreme weather events, even when such events are not macroscopically visible in the sediment sequence.     

Spatial variation of biological and pedological properties in an area affected by a metallurgical mercury plant: Almadenejos (Spain)

Almadén, Spain, has the most important known cinnabar deposits, which have provided a third of the entire world production of Hg, and has been the scene for numerous studies on Hg. This mining district includes several mines where cinnabar has been extracted in the past two millennia as well as facilities related to the production of primary Hg. The aim of the work is to evaluate the spatial distribution of Hg in the soil-plant system within an area where intense activity occurred over a long period. An abandoned metallurgical plant from the 17th-18th centuries was chosen as the study area, situated in Almadenejos a distance of 12 km from Almadén. Nowadays, this plot is covered with cinnabar mine tailings and it is used by village inhabitants for livestock grazing. The area has elevated Hg concentrations of natural origin and from human activities. Soil parameters are similar within the study area; however, data reveal high variability in total and available Hg concentrations in soils, making it difficult to establish a trend. Marrubium vulgare L. has been studied due to its abundance in the plot, and there is no evidence of phenological toxicity. In spite of elevated Hg concentrations, high biological activity is found in the sampled soils. All these characteristics, spatial variation, high Hg concentration, good biological activity, make this a particularly good area for studies involving Hg.     

The application of caesium‐137 measurements to investigate floodplain deposition in a large semi‐arid catchment in Queensland,Australia: a low‐fallout environment

Floodplains comprise geomorphologically important sources and sinks for sediments and associated pollutants, yet the sedimentology of large dryland floodplains is not well understood. Processes occurring on such floodplains are often difficult to observe, and techniques used to investigate smaller perennial floodplains are often not practical in these environments. This study assesses the utility of ¹³⁷Cs inventory and depth‐profile techniques for determining relative amounts of floodplain sedimentation in the Fitzroy River, northeastern Australia; a 143 000 km² semi‐arid river system. Caesium‐137 inventories were calculated for floodplain and reference location bulk soil cores collected from four sites. Depth profiles of ¹³⁷Cs concentration from each floodplain site and a reference location were recorded. The areal density of ¹³⁷Cs at reference locations ranged from 13 to 978 Bq m^–2 (0–1367 Bq m^–2 at the 95% confidence interval), and the mean value ± 2 (standard error of the mean) was 436 ± 264 Bq m^–2, similar to published data from other Southern Hemisphere locations. Floodplain inventories ranged from 68 to 1142 Bq m^–2 (0–1692 Bq m^–2 at the 95% confidence interval), essentially falling within the range of reference inventory values, thus preventing calculation of erosion or deposition. Depth‐profiles of ¹³⁷Cs concentration indicate erosion at one site and over 66 cm of deposition at another since 1954. Analysis of ^239+240Pu concentrations in a depositional core substantiated the interpretation made from ¹³⁷Cs data, and depict a more tightly constrained peak in concentration. Average annual deposition rates range from 0 to 15 mm. The similarity between floodplain and reference bulk inventories does not necessarily indicate a lack of erosion or deposition, due to low ¹³⁷Cs fallout in the region and associated high measurement uncertainties, and a likely influence of gully and bank eroded sediments with no or limited adsorbed ¹³⁷Cs. In this low‐fallout environment, detailed depth‐profile data are necessary for investigating sedimentation using ¹³⁷Cs. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

An overview of research on Eulerian–Lagrangian localized adjoint methods (ELLAM)

For problems of convection–diffusion type, Eulerian–Lagrangian localized adjoint methods provide a methodology that maintains the accuracy and efficiency of Eulerian–Lagrangian methods, while also conserving mass and systematically treating any type of boundary condition. In groundwater hydrology, this framework is useful for solute transport, as well as vadose-zone transport, multiphase transport, and reactive flows. The formulation was originated around 1990 by the authors, Herrera and Ewing, in a paper that appeared in Advances in Water Resources [Adv. Water Resour. 13 (1990) 187]. This paper reviews the progress in the development, analysis, and application of these methods since 1990, and suggests topics for future work.