Understandings of Relationships between Agriculture and Biodiversity in Kunisaki GIAHS

<正>1 Characteristics of Kunisaki GIAS and aims of this research Kunisaki GIAHS in the Kunisaki peninsula and Usa area,Oita,Japan,is a system where forestry,agricultural production,and fisheries are sustained by the strong connection between Sawtooth Oak forest,multiple interlinked irriga tion ponds,and Seto Inland Sea(Vafadari 2013a;2013b;Hayashi 2013).This area receive around 1,500 mm of annual precipitation with a     

I–P<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>5</Subscript> diagrams as an indicator of depositional environment in marine sediments: preliminary findings (Sri Lanka)

The concentrations of Br and I in marine sediments have been used to categorize the sedimentary environments of different coastal regions of the world with respect to organic matter contents. The present study uses the concentrations of Br, I and P₂O₅ of different marine settings as a new proxy to interpret the depositional environments. A total of 150 coastal lagoon sediment samples (suspended sediments, surface sediments and sediment cores) were analyzed for Br, I and P₂O₅ concentrations by X-ray fluorescence spectrometry. They were compared with the Br, I and P₂O₅ concentrations of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami sediments. Sediments from various sources are separately clustered in I–Br plot and a trivial negative correlation is found for the whole plot. A similar correlation pattern exists in the I–P₂O₅ diagram. This correlation is explained by the distribution of marine plants (higher and lower) in different sedimentary environments of the coastal profile. Therefore, the concentration of I and its relation to P₂O₅ can be used as a tool to identify sediment depositional environments in marine settings.     

Studying air pollution with kitt peak solar flux atlas — analysis method and results of observation

For the measurement of atmospheric NO2 vertical column density (VCD), Kitt Peak Solar Flux Atlas can be substituted as an extraterrestrial solar radiation. Compared with differential analysis method, the Taylor expansion of integrated transfer equation underestimates the VCD. This underestimation is as large as 35% when the amount of NO2 is 1 × 1017 cm－2 and observation is conducted with an air mass factor of 10. Even when the VCD is 2 × 1016 cm－2 and the air mass factor is 4, the relative error of the retrieved VCD is still no less than 3%. If the observation is restricted under the small air mass factor condition (≤4), with Kitt Peak Solar spectrum as an extraterrestrial solar radiation, only an atmospheric layer of 2 km thick from ground can be studied, which will make the absorption too weak to be detected by normal instruments.The VCD in winter Tokyo area was observed and analyzed by differential method, which shows a good precision even when the absorption is as low as 3%. The largest average VCD was about 1.3 × 1017 cm－2, and the lowest was about 1.3 × 1016 cm－2. The trend of its variation was almost the same as the ground level observation by Saltzman reagent method.     

Micro- and nano-inclusions in a superdeep diamond from São Luiz,Brazil

We report cloudy micro- and nano-inclusions in a superdeep diamond from São-Luiz, Brazil which contains inclusions of ferropericlase (Mg, Fe)O and former bridgmanite (Mg, Fe)SiO₃ and ringwoodite (Mg, Fe)₂SiO₄. Field emission-SEM and TEM observations showed that the cloudy inclusions were composed of euhedral micro-inclusions with grain sizes ranging from tens nanometers to submicrometers. Infrared absorption spectra of the cloudy inclusions showed that water, carbonate, and silicates were not major components of these micro- and nano-inclusions and suggested that the main constituent of the inclusions was infrared-inactive. Some inclusions were suggested to contain material with lower atomic numbers than that of carbon. Mineral phase of nano- and micro-inclusions is unclear at present. Microbeam X-ray fluorescence analysis clarified that the micro-inclusions contained transition metals (Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn) possibly as metallic or sulfide phases. The cloudy inclusions provide an important information on the growth environment of superdeep diamonds in the transition zone or the lower mantle.     

Distribution of arsenic and other trace elements in the Holocene sediments of the Meghna River Delta, Bangladesh

Geochemical study of the Holocene sediments of the Meghna River Delta, Chandpur, Bangladesh was conducted to investigate the distribution of arsenic and related trace and major elements. The work carried out includes analyses of core sediments and provenance study by rare earth element (REE) analysis. Results showed that the cores pass downward from silty clays and clays into fine to medium sands. The uppermost 3 m of the core sediments are oxidized [average oxidation reduction potential (ORP) + 230 mV], and the ORP values gradually become negative with depths (−45 to −170 mV), indicating anoxic conditions prevail in the Meghna sediments. The REE patterns of all lithotypes in the study areas are similar and are comparable to the average upper continental crust. Arsenic and other trace elements (Pb, Zn, Cu, Ni, and Cr) have greater concentrations in the silts and clays compared to those in the sands. Positive correlation between As and Fe was found in the sediments, indicating As may be adsorbed on Fe oxides in aquifer sediments.     

Spatial Variability of Living Coccolithophore Distribution in the Western Subarctic Pacific and Western Bering Sea

Vertical distributions of coccolithophores were observed in the depth range 0–50 m in the western subarctic Pacific and western Bering Sea in summer, 1997. Thirty-five species of coccolithophores were collected. Overall, Emiliania huxleyi var. huxleyi was the most abundant taxon, accounting for 82.8% of all coccolithophores, although it was less abundant in the western Bering Sea. Maximum abundance of this species was found in an area south of 41°N and east of 175°E (Transition Zone) reaching >10,000 cells L⁻¹ in the water column. In addition to this species, Coccolithus pelagicus f. pelagicus, which accounted for 4.2% of the assemblage, was representative of the coccolithophore standing crop in the western part of the subarctic Pacific. Coccolithus pelagicus f. hyalinus was relatively abundant in the Bering Sea, accounting for 2.6% of the assemblage. Coccolithophore standing crops in the top 50 m were high south of 41°N (>241 × 10⁶ cells m⁻²) and east of 170°E (542 × 10⁶ cells m⁻²) where temperatures were higher than 12°C and salinities were greater than 34.2. The lowest standing crop was observed in the Bering Sea and Oyashio areas where temperatures were lower than 6–10°C and salinities were less than 33.0. From the coccolithophore volumes, the calcite stocks in the Transition, Subarctic, and the Bering Sea regions were estimated to be 73.0, 9.7, and 6.9 mg m⁻², respectively, corresponding to calcite fluxes of 3.6, 0.5, and 0.3 mg m⁻²d⁻¹ using Stoke's Law. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Rain-on-Snow events in Japan as projected by a large ensemble of regional climate simulations

Climate Dynamics - Rain-on-Snow (ROS) events can cause severe snowmelt hazards such as river flooding, avalanches, and landslides that have significant impacts on various sectors. The influence of...     

Simultaneous Measurement of Hydrogen Peroxide and Fe Species (Fe(II) and Fe<Subscript>(tot)</Subscript>) in Okinawa Island Seawater: Impacts of Red Soil Pollution

The northern part of Okinawa Island suffers from red soil pollution—runoff of red soil into coastal seawater—which damages coastal ecosystems and scenery. To elucidate the impacts of red soil pollution on the oxidizing power of seawater, hydrogen peroxide (HOOH) and iron species including Fe(II) and total iron (Fe_(tot), defined as the sum of Fe(II) and Fe(III)) were measured simultaneously in seawater from Taira Bay (red-soil-polluted sea) and Sesoko Island (unpolluted sea), off the northern part of Okinawa Island, Japan. We performed simultaneous measurements of HOOH and Fe(II) because the reaction between HOOH and Fe(II) forms hydroxyl radical (•OH), the most potent environmental oxidant. Gas-phase HOOH concentrations were also measured to better understand the sources of HOOH in seawater. Both HOOH and Fe(II) in seawater showed a clear diurnal variation, i.e. higher in the daytime and lower at night, while Fe_(tot) concentrations were relatively constant throughout the sampling period. Fe(II) and Fe_(tot) concentrations were approximately 58% and 19% higher in red-soil-polluted seawater than in unpolluted seawater. Gas-phase HOOH and seawater HOOH concentrations were comparable at both sampling sites, ranging from 1.4 to 5.4 ppbv in air and 30 to 160 nM in seawater. Since Fe(II) concentrations were higher in red-soil-polluted seawater while concentrations of HOOH were similar, •OH would form faster in red-soil-polluted seawater than in unpolluted seawater. Since the major scavenger of •OH, Br⁻, is expected to have similar concentrations at both sites, red-soil-polluted seawater is expected to have higher steady-state •OH concentrations.     

Geochemical investigation of selected elements in coastal and riverine sediments from Ube, Kasado, and Suo-Oshima Bays in the western Seto Inland Sea, Southwest Japan

This paper presents the geochemical study of sediments along Ube, Suo-Oshima, and Kasado Bays in the Seto Inland Sea of Japan. We examined the distribution and abundances of 13 elements (As, Pb, Zn, Cu, Ni, Cr, Sr, Ca, Fe, Ti, P, Mn, and total S) in 40 coastal and river sediment samples, to evaluate the factors controlling their abundances, possible sources, and environmental implications. Average concentrations of As, Pb, Zn, Cu, Ni, and Cr at Ube were 12, 26, 86, 16, 43, and 92?mg/kg, 6, 25, 31, 8, 9, and 29?mg/kg at Kasado, and 5, 20, 28, 3, 5, and 18?mg/kg at Suo-Oshima, respectively. Average As, Pb, Zn, and Cr concentrations at Ube were comparable or enriched relative to those of the upper continental crust and Japan upper crust, whereas most major elements, Cu, and Ni were depleted at Kasado and Suo-Oshima. Enrichment factor values show low to moderate enrichment of Zn, Ni, and Cr, whereas As and Pb show significant contamination at some sites, suggesting contributions from anthropogenic sources. Anthropogenic contributions of most metals mainly originate from natural processes; however, As and Pb ranges of 73–79 and 66–81?%, respectively, confirm their anthropogenic contribution. Factor analysis and correlation matrices suggest that elevated metal concentrations at Ube, especially in samples located in the river basin, may be controlled by Fe–Mn oxy-hydroxides. Deposition of metals at Kasado and Suo-Oshima might be controlled by non-ferrous metal (i.e., aluminosilicates), sediment grain size, or source rock composition (granite and gneiss).     

Rapid change in nitrate and sulfate concentrations observed in early stage of precipitation and their deposition processes

The concentrations of H⁺, nitrate (NO₃ ^-), and sulfate (SO₄ ^2-) in rainwater and their temporal changes were analyzed on the basis of continuous observation from 1 July 1991 to 30 June 1992 at a suburb of Nagoya, Japan. The yearly average for pH was 4.4. In general, an increasing pH with increase in precipitation amount was observed for rain events. Relatively high pH rainwater was sometimes observed at the beginning of rainfall, even though high concentrations of NO₃ ^- and SO₄ ^2- were involved. The high pH values were considered to be caused by the neutralization process with particulate matter containing cations. The yearly averaged ratio of equivalent concentration of nitrate to sulfate (N/S) in rainwater was 0.58. In the early stage of rain, the N/S value was usually more than 1.0 due to the difference of scavenging process between NO₃ ^- and SO₄ ^2-. High values of N/S ranging from 5 to 10 were found under the atmospheric conditions of calm winds and low humidity, during which it is possible that atmospheric particles float for a long time in the air before a rain event. The adsorption of NO₃ ^- in the early stage of rainfall by particulate matter was suggested from the difference in scavenging processes of NO₃ ^- and SO₄ ^2-. A possible scavenging process, called limb cloud scavenging, is presented to explain the interaction of particles and nitrate ions at the early stage of rain. In limb cloud scavenging, the repeated migration of cloud particles or raindrops between the inside and outside of clouds increases the absorption of ions to a highly condensed level, thus increasing the N/S value of rainwater. The influence of global scale seasonal phenomena with large amounts of particulates, such as typhoons or Asian dust storms, was also studied.