Evolution qualitative à long terme des rotifères du Lac Léman

Seventy-five species and lower taxonomic units of rotifers have been identified in Lake Geneva (= lac Léman); seven species and one form are new for the lake. When using indicators of trophic conditions, the qualitative composition of the biocenosis is still dominated by oligo-mesotrophic lake indicators, mixed with eutrophic and oligotrophic ones. However the rotifer biocenosis has not yet reached a steady state.

     

Analyse multi-échelles de la variabilité spatiale de l’équivalent en eau de la neige (EEN) sur le territoire de l’Est du Canada

La présente étude a pour objectif d’analyser la variabilité spatiale multi-échelles de l’équivalent en eau de la neige (EEN). Dans un premier temps, la variabilité spatiale de l’EEN par rapport à la latitude et à la longitude a été analysée. Des indices locaux ont été utilisés pour caractériser les différentes structures spatiales. Par la suite, les structures spatiales homogènes ont été délimitées à l’aide de l’approche de segmentation spatiale multi-résolutions en utilisant des méta-variables physiographiques. La segmentation a été validée à l’aide du test non paramétrique de Kruskal-Wallis appliqué aux données de l’EEN de chaque paire de zones adjacentes. À l’échelle régionale, la segmentation spatiale a permis d’identifier six zones géographiques différenciées par leur position par rapport aux modes de circulations atmosphériques et la disposition du relief. À l’échelle locale, la segmentation spatiale montre le rôle de la pente, de la courbure, etc. dans la variabilité spatiale du couvert nival.

Editeur Z. W. Kundzewicz; Editeur associé E. Gargouri     

Electrochemical simulations of mass transfer from isolated wet spots and droplets on realistic fluttering leaves

This paper reports on forced-convection mass transfer from isolated discs on rectangular plates as well as hemispheres on realistic fluttering leaves. An electrochemical method was used where the convective transfer of ions to the test electrode (the droplet or the wet spot) in an electrolytic flow system was measured as a function of flow rates, sizes of discs and hemispheres. Measurements showed that the local transfer coefficient for uniformly transferring plates varied as expected while the transfer from isolated discs on plates was much less a function of the distance from the leading edge. An expression to describe the transfer coefficient for an isolated disc as a function of distance from the leading edge was determined. An expression describing the transfer from hemispherical drops on fluttering leaves was derived and compared with the predictions from transfer theory for a sphere in free space.     

Forward-in-time and Backward-in-time Dispersion in the Convective Boundary Layer: the Concentration Footprint

The turbulence field obtained using a large-eddy simulation model is used to simulate particle dispersion in the convective boundary layer with both forward-in-time and backward-in-time modes. A Lagrangian stochastic model is used to treat subgrid-scale turbulence. Results of forward dispersion match both laboratory experiments and previous numerical studies for different release heights in the convective boundary layer. Results obtained from backward dispersion show obvious asymmetry when directly compared to results from forward dispersion. However, a direct comparison of forward and backward dispersion has no apparent physical meaning and might be misleading. Results of backward dispersion can be interpreted as three-dimensional or generalized concentration footprints, which indicate that sources in the entire boundary layer, not only sources at the surface, may influence a concentration measurement at a point. Footprints at four source heights in the convective boundary layer corresponding to four receptors are derived using forward and backward dispersion methods. The agreement among footprints derived with forward and backward methods illustrates the equivalence between both approaches. The paper shows explicitly that Lagrangian simulations can yield identical footprints using forward and backward methods in horizontally homogeneous turbulence.     

Chironomid-inferred temperature changes of the last century in anoxic Seebergsee,Switzerland: assessment of two calibration methods

Chironomids (non-biting midges) can provide accurate climate reconstructions from the Late Glacial to the present. Until now, anoxic lakes have been avoided for temperature reconstructions since chironomid assemblages are sensitive to changes in oxygen concentrations in the hypolimnion. However, anoxic lakes may have varved sediments, providing the possibility for near-annual climate reconstructions. Here, we tested the applicability of two calibration methods to reconstruct mean July air temperatures from chironomid assemblages preserved in the sediments of the anoxic Seebergsee located in the northern Swiss Alps: a calibration-in-space approach and a calibration-in-time approach. The calibration-in-space approach (i.e. chironomid assemblages from surficial lake sediments (0–1 cm) calibrated against meteorological data) provided accurate inferences (i.e. similar temperature changes as measured at the closest meteorological station, and at regional stations) in the Seebergsee stratigraphy until anoxia increased in the lake. With the increase of anoxia, the chironomid-inferred temperatures were generally colder than measured temperatures. A calibration-in-time approach (i.e. calibration of chironomid assemblages in a time series against instrumental data from the closest meteorological station) provided accurate reconstructions (i.e. similar to the regional records) for the past 100 years, including the time period of inferred anoxia. However, its applicability should be further tested on longer temporal scales.